Classical music shops

[Christopher]

Somehow I must have missed this shop on my previous visits to Hay - I'll try and rectify that next time. Although I usually don't find what I'm looking for in High Street shops, I am more than happy to make discoveries in places that I don't know so well and I for one would be grateful for hints where to go to in Riga, for example.

In Riga there are two good music shops that I can recommend:

Patafons, on 26 Valnu Street

and

UPE on 5 Richard Vagnera Street - http://www.upett.lv

[jerfilm]

Sure Alan - it's an especially great idea for those who have no problem with keeping a substantial inventory.  More and more vendors are offering both such as the Amazons, CDs Online, Presto there, Classical Archives to name ones that come to mind.

As for having CDs, I just burn a CD as soon as I receive the download.  Jewel cases are cheap.  And label stock is relatively inexpensive.  If there is a disc label included with the download, I print anduse that.  Otherwise, have a template in AudioLabel (a German program) which is easy and fast.

Jerry

[Wheesht]

Thanks for the two addresses, Christopher. I'll have a look at what the shops have to offer later this year. There may be new discoveries waiting for me...

[petershott@btinternet.com]

I know nothing of CD shops in Latvia or other - for me - far off places (but wish I did!)

I always pop in to Hancock & Monks in Hay-on-Wye the 3-4 times a year when I'm in Hay (and follow that with a lunch in the Blue Boar!) Jerry Monks is an ex-BBC man of course, and they used to have a business in Bath. The books, as Mark says, are eye-wateringly expensive (but then you get a very good price if you sell to them). Alas, all the CDs in the shop tend to be both dross and expensive. Messrs Hancock and Monks live in a huge lovely house up in the Welsh hills reputed to be generously filled with music books and recordings - all the good stuff appears, not in the shop, but on their website. And frighteningly expensive - I rather wonder who buys it.

More to the point: I don't know if he's still around, for I have (deliberately) not set foot in London for 2 years. But there was a chap operating from a street barrow just up the road from Gramex behind Waterloo station. Hours of business - about 11 to 3, and on 3 or 4 days a week (never on Monday). The barrow would contain up to 200 or so newish CDs, very reasonably priced, all good stuff, and not a whiff of Richard Clayderman in sight. Visits to London used to see me stuffing yet more CDs into my briefcase and skipping up the road in joy.

[Gauk]

For those up north, I recommend McAlister Matheson Music, 1 Grindlay St, Edinburgh. Although it's not all that conveniently placed for me, I try to make a point of buying from them rather than using Amazon. They have an interesting scheme whereby you can purchase an annual discount card for (I think) £17, which gets you a 10% discount on all purchases. I got mine at the same time as I bought the Liszt piano edition, so it paid for itself in one visit.