Number One Records: Larne shop on 45 years of serving the community and keeping vinyl alive

The owner of a record shop in Co Antrim has opened up on being part of an institution serving generations.

Number One Records and Tapes at the Murrayfield Shopping Centre in Larne first opened its doors in 1979, and the shop is well-known for being a meeting place, with many bands and musicians getting together there over the years.

The shop's owner, John O'Lynn, said he loves chatting with customers, getting to know many of them so well they often stop by for a chat and cup of tea when they're in the area. As well as this, he takes pride in being able to secure customers many rare records and other items.

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Speaking to Belfast Live at the shop, John said: "I've been here since 2004, and I've owned the shop since 2014. I came in 20 years ago as they needed somebody for Christmas cover, and I really enjoyed it, I loved being able to make people happy. That's when the owner saw that and kind of let me do more and more.

"You start to see the amount of people that have come through over the years. It's gone full circle now, their kids are now coming in, that's how long I've been here for.

"People will come in looking for an album or a DVD or something, they'll ask you for it and it's great being able to make somebody's day if we have it, if we maybe find something they thought they wouldn't see again even. It's a great thing to be able to put a smile on somebody's face."

According to the digital entertainment and retail association (ERA), there are now around 461 indie record shops in the UK, which is 122 more than 10 years ago, showing popping into a record shop is now becoming more popular.

However, in Northern Ireland, it can be hard to find a proper old fashioned record shop these days. On Record Store Day, an annual event to celebrate the culture of independent record stores which is held on April 20 this year, only a handful of shops around Northern Ireland are taking part.

The day is marked by exclusive releases only available for one day from independent shops, in a bid to bring together fans, artists, and thousands of record stores around the world.

This year will be the second year Number One Records are taking part in Record Store Day, increasing their stock slightly since last year due to demand. John said they've been told people are planning to queue outside the door an hour before they open on Saturday to make sure they get the items they're looking for.

John said: "People have told me they're planning to queue up outside from seven in the morning, we open at eight. There's a lot of people who have pre-ordered stuff making sure they can get what they want.

"It'll be a lot of fun. It really helps promote the shop a wee bit and brings new people that maybe don't think about coming in regularly. Then when they're here, they see all the different stuff we do, like the t-shirts, hats, ornaments, and Warhammer stuff.

"We try to have that variety to keep things going as not everything is busy at once, there's always something to keep the shop going.

"I'll be heading out in the morning to chat to people in the queue, which will be good and hopefully everybody who comes down is able to get their hands on what they want."

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