From: smee@bristol.ac.uk (Paul Smee)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: music stores in London
Date: 28 Jul 92 15:25:25 GMT
Reply-To: P.Smee@bristol.ac.uk (Paul Smee)
Organization: University of Bristol

In article <Bs2ACA.361@news.udel.edu> pere@chopin.udel.edu (Persephone Brooks) writes:
>	I'm going to be taking a vacation to London in a few weeks, and
>I'm very interested in buying some CDs while I'm there that I can't find
>in the US.  Can anyone give me suggestions for good music stores in
>London?  I'm specifically interested in alternative, industrial, and
>U2 that can't be found here.  Thanks for your help!
>	I'll also need addresses, if possible, since I don't know my way
>around yet.

For stuff which is more-or-less 'UK mainstream' (and a lot of other
stuff) the big three record shops are the Virgin Megastore, HMV, and
Tower Records.  The first 2 are on Oxford Street.  Find The Tottenham
Court Road tube (London Underground) station (most easily done by
taking the tube to it, if you're a novice).  When you emerge you'll
find yourself on the corner of two main roads.  Of course, they both
change names at that corner, so actually it's the corner of Oxford
Street, Tottenham Court Road, New Oxford Street, and Charing Cross
Road.  (AKA St Giles Circus, but no-one knows that.)

The Virgin Megastore is more or less on the corner of TCR and Oxford
Street.  Actually, there's something else right on the corner, but
Virgin wraps around it and so has a door on TCR and a bigger set of
doors on Oxford Street.  (The TCR entrance looks like a computer games
shop; don't let that bother you.)

Having exhausted yourself there, walk up Oxford Street (Westwards)
about a block and a half (bear with me, Francis, I *know* London
doesn't have blocks, and that they are an American abomination.  I'm
trying to write in the native language of the questioner), and you'll
find the large HMV shop, on the same side of Oxford Street as Virgin
was.  It's got a huge front entrance, so you can't miss it.

Having done that, get yourself over to Piccadilly Circus.  (Easy way is
to take the tube to Piccadilly Circus.  Quicker way is to walk, about
1/2 mile if you've got a map and can follow it.  I recommend the new
pocket-sized London A-Z (that's A to Zed) for touristing purposes,
though the larger version also works.  Find them at most places which
sell newspapers.)  When you get there, look around, and you'll spot
Tower Records.  (I usually find Tower the most useful of the three, but
then I'm generally looking for American imports which, I gather, is not
the object of your exercise.)

There are also lots of smaller specialist record/CD shops in London,
but you'll need a Londoner to tell you where they are.  (And, if anyone
knows, do tell me.  Folk and jazz are particular interests.)  Oh, and
note that CD and record prices over here are high enough that if there's
any possible way of getting what you want in the States, it's probably
cheaper to do that, even if you have to find somewhere that will special
order them for you.

-- 
Paul Smee, Computing Service, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UD, UK
 P.Smee@bristol.ac.uk - ..!uunet!uknet!bsmail!p.smee - Tel +44 272 303132
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british