Hundreds gather for Gosport Record Fair

A record fair took place at Gosport Discovery Centre on Saturday, with hundreds of people turning out to browse music and memorabilia.

Record sellers from across the region were invited to showcase their collections, with records on sale for visitors.

Music enthusiasts Steve Mickleright, 59, from Gosport was there on the day.

He said: ‘I like the late 70s and early 80s music the most, so that’s what I’m looking for at the moment.

‘There seems to be quite a large variety of things here, and is certainly the busiest record fair that I have been to in a great many years.

‘I think the appeal for records comes from the feel of them – there’s a story on the cover and they feel great to hold.’

Paula Atkins, 49, from Gosport, was picking up vinyl. She said: ‘It has been a very fruitful day for me.

‘I have been able to pick up a lot of music from the 60s – I am a big fan of The Who and I’m chuffed to have found a record.

‘I tend to go to charity shops a lot to buy records but to have an event like this is just fantastic.

‘Records take me back to the days of my youth – they have a more authentic sound than CDs and online music.’

Paula’s friend Toni Grundy said: ‘I’ve not only picked up some records, but I’ve also bought a record player.

‘We’ve been to a couple of record fairs but I’m really impressed by how busy it is here.

‘I think it’s great that so many people are still interested in the classic records.’

Steph Langan, co-founder of Portsmouth music charity Tonic, was selling records at the fair.

She said: ‘There has been so much support for this event, which is amazing.

‘There has been a real mix of people buying records and some of the memorabilia.

‘For us, everything has been donated to us so it helps support the work we do in the city.’