Swordfish trombones

So, me having Friday's off work is once again upon us. I have been into Birmingham today to do a spot of shopping, Christmas and otherwise. No trip into the centre of the second city for me is complete wihout a sniff around Swordfish, which is just off New Street. It's that rarity in Britain these days - a record shop. They sell new and second hand CDs but there is also a second hand vinyl section. Great. So, I increased the amount of Rush LPs I own on vinyl by a factor of two.
I mean look at that window display. That's enough to have me salivating. And at the centre is two LPs by Birmingham's finest, and the inventors of heavy metal, Black Sabbath. Unfortunately they're the NEMS 1980s mid-price reissues (would have been top notch if they'd had the Vertigo 'swirl' label on the cover) but no matter, it's Birmingham and it's Black Sabbath.
What I haven't noticed before is that there's a second record shop at the back of Swordfish. I didn't go in there though, maybe I'll have plucked up enough courage next time. I mean, what if that man running it only stocks avant garde jazz or heavy dub reggae? I'll look a berk. And looking a berk in a record shop is NOT an option. That's beside the point anyway, the rate record shops are closing there may not be a next time. Sadly.

Compare and contrast Swordfish with the HMV experience which I've also had today. They were never brilliant in the first place but these days it's just a ghastly 'warehouse' with piles of DVD boxsets piled ON THE FLOOR and ridiculously overpriced headphones and other audio hardware. The music section seems to be getting smaller and smaller. The whole shop looks a mess and unfortunately, for their employees, I think they'll be on their knees sooner or later. Shame, we need record shops. If bookshops closed down at a rate of knots like record shops are, people would be up in arms.
If you like music, please support record shops. In my town the only place to buy music, other than supermarkets or via your PC, is in Oxfam. Oxfam's great but I love a *proper* record shop.