Comments
Name: Steve Jesson
Comment: What Records started in Hinckley on a stall upstairs in Hinckley Indoor Market (opened by Pat Phoenix in 1985!), then moved to a shop in the brand new Hansom Court in 1989.
Name: Tony Mac
Comment: What Records also had a shop In Nuneaton. When I started going there it was based in Dugdale Street, and the gaffer was Dave (a Leicester City FC supporter). They later relocated to the Abbeygate shopping centre. Not sure when they finally folded but I would guess about four years ago?
Name: Steve Jesson
Comment: I remember the three branches of What Records in Hinckley, Nuneaton and Leicester very well. The Hinckley one opened in the Summer of 1989 as part of the then new Hansom Court, next to McDonalds, closed in about 2004. The Nuneaton one started in a tiny shop down by the Co-operative Hall, round the corner from where the Ropewalk is now. Remember going in loads in the late 1980s, then it moved to the Abbeygate (Heron Way) centre some time in the 1990s and closed in 2006. Being a Hinckley lad I don't know the history of the Leicester one so well, but memories of being in there in the Madchester era!
Gallery
... and this piece in the 3rd December 1987 edition: “THE sounds of Christmas and all of the latest hits are available at What Records in Leicester Street, Bedworth. Tim Ellis took over the shop (formerly Carousel) two years ago. He also has shops in Dugdale Street, Nuneaton and Coalville, Leicestershire. In that short space of time he witnessed the astonishing growth of the latest innovation - compact discs. “They are definitely the future of the record business,” he said, “the sound is stunning.” But Bedworth's only specialist record shop also carries a dazzling array of singles and LPs.”