Grinning Soul Records marked the recent Record Store Day and were dellghted with the number of people joining them to celebrate independent record shop and pick up some exclusive records from their favourite artists.

This was Grinning Soul Records first time hosting this event at their shop, and one of the store’s owners Gary Raymond said: “The day is traditionally characterised by mad dashes for rare releases and queues around the block of stoic music fans waiting for the shop doors to open.

“We really didn’t know what to expect and we certainly didn’t expect the queue to be initiated by a young couple from Newport at 6pm on the Friday night before.”

“The couple came armed with camping chair and sleeping bags for the cold night ahead, I’m not left speechless very often, but I was awed by the dedication of these two.”

The queue built from 4am onwards and by the time Gary and co- owner Graham Taylor walked up to the shop at 7:30am on the morning of the record store day, the line had multiplied and worked its way under the arch of Swan Court and out into Church Street.

Gary said: “Owning a record shop is fundamentally about helping music lovers bring joy to their lives and Record Store Day has become a centre point of that for many people.”

The owners are pleased with how the day went and, in the future, they hope to make their second Record Store Day even bigger and better than their first.

Owners Graham Taylor, otherwise known as Graham the Bear from Goldie Lookin’ chain, and BBC broadcast presenter and author Gary Raymond have been friends since they were at school together in Newport and last year decided to begin a new adventure by opening their very own record shop .