When Vic Galloway is away from home the first thing he does is seek out the local record shop. We know just what he means. Places like Glasgow’s Monorail and Leith’s Elvis Shakespeare make cities worth exploring.

Hidden treasure, exploring Florence we found this wonderful record store (you should see inside)

Vic’s heartfelt column in the Sunday Herald about the threat to the record store (spurred by the likely demise of Edinburgh’s Avalanche) has stirred us to collect our thoughts on what we love about exploring towns and cities. It’s the small discoveries that matter most. Every urban centre has more than its fair share of big international names hogging the high streets. But, useful as supermarkets and chain stores are, few people remember a great holiday by the Tescos, Primarks or, for that matter, HMVs they find on their travels.

It’s small independent shops and businesses that give real life and human character to the place where you live, work or visit. In Edinburgh you are much more likely to find that character in Leith Walk (where Elvis Shakespeare lives), Grassmarket (Avalanche)  Cockburn Street (Underground Solu’shn) or any of the city villages, than Princes Street or the Royal Mile.

Record shops, like local cafes and family stores, are part of the neighbourhood – a way of life as much as a business. They are the places where people meet; being welcome there is a sign of belonging.

Browsing: DJ Jim Gellatly, Glasgow Music Tour guide, in Monorail Music

Many are struggling to survive. But maybe, just maybe, there is opportunity as a growing pop up economy encourages new enterprise. And it doesn’t have to be just about selling , places where people meet and make things could be much more interesting.

Vic quotes Graham Jones author of Last Shop Standing who sees a glimmer of hope in restoring record shops as meeting places to cherish, ‘specific places to go’.

So lets support what we still have. We’re glad to include many great independent stores of all kinds on our walking tours (Monorail and Rubadubrecords to name just two on Glasgow Music Tour) and we’re always on the look out for new discoveries. We love to find real places making and selling real things – local food, handmade fashion, music, art, books, crafts, good old pots, pans and brushes – instead of just more stuff.

Somewhere, up side streets off the beaten track, there are shops that smell of quality making and baking, where the staff and owner know, understand and love what they are selling or serving.

If you know of any in your neighbourhood please let us know. We’d love to add them to our audio tours.