Masons Music Record Shop

Record shop started on Hastings Pier and moved to Queens Road.

The Big Green Cardigan Festival calls it a day…

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After nine years, the time has come to put the Big Green Cardigan into the wardrobe and leave it there.
The festival has never covered its cost and as much as we love it, financially we cannot carry on.
It’s been a marvellous adventure making friends and discovering some great acts together but now it is time to move on to new things. We would like to thank everyone who has helped and supported The Big Green Cardigan since 2011 and hope you go away with some dashingly good memories.

So long, and thanks for all the fish

Mick & Dave
The Big Green Cardigan

https://www.biggreencardigan.com

Carol Arnold… oh thats a shame

Wee Jock… Sorry to read about this. It’s a tough industry and I feel your pain

Masons Music Record Shops

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Hastings Pier

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187 Queens Road

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190 Queens Road

Tony Court-holmes… i remember where has all the time gone

Glenn Piper… Tick tock

Julie Findlay-jones… One of the best bosses I’ve ever had

John James Shea… Most of my punk records came from mason music .I’ve still got there price tags on them a great shop and a fantastic photo thanks

Louis Comfort-Wiggett… I did some work experience there when I was first out of school. Bagging up orders or badges and Sam Fox postcards!

Andy Ives… Was the best record shop in Hastings at the time imo. Could always get the rarer stuff I was looking for a little more expensive but worth every penny. Great friendly staff too

 

Masons Music – est 3rd April 1978, closed 4th November 2016

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Hastings Pier, 187 Queens Road, 190 Queens Road, Grove Road Ore, Ponswood Ind Estate St Leonards.

Alan Esdaile… Now time for me to get a proper job.

Matt Thomas… I drove past earlier – something drew me to the place today.Sorry it’s come to this. End of an era as Masons Music closes it doors for the last time today, up until last year I had spent nearly 30 years at the place so very sad for me to hear today.

Chris Coleman… That must be a record

Jim Breeds… Really? Gosh. Best wishes for the next venture!

Colin Norton… Sorry to hear this, Alan! Hope that everything works out for you!

Tony May… Oh what a year this has been for you and for me. So sorry to hear this but not surprised in the current climate. If you can please pass on my condolences to all who have lost their jobs today. I may have left a long while ago but part of me shall always belong to Masons Music and the legacy that its existence played in what we all used to recognise as the music industry. Best wishes to you Alan – I will be in touch soon.

Jo Turner… Sorry to hear that

Virginia Davis… Good luck in your next venture

Diane Barton… Have the best memories 🙂 Fun times xxx

Ian Mantel… Every week on pay day in early 80’s I bought records.

Simon Payne… Masons Music played an important part in many of our Hastings lives. Sad to hear of it closing it’s doors today. Sad news Alan, I wasn’t with you long but still remember it fondly. Good luck for the future.

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Masons Music – Hastings Pier 1978

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Tony Ham… Before my day, it was up Queen’s Road when I went there, didn’t it move further up the road at one point?

Alan Esdaile… 187 Queens Road, then moved to 190 Queens Road. Looking at this photo I think theirs an album in the window you like, The Stranglers?

Tony Ham… Black and White, definitely 1978, then.

Jim Breeds… Brilliant Photo Alan Love the badges in the window 🙂

Leigh Wieland-Boys… Whilst going for a stroll on the pier one Easter Steve Demetri (my then boyfriend) bought me a Yes album from you, it’s still got the price sticker on it (seem to recall it was £1.25) – happy days

Alan Esdaile… Also see a Sad Cafe Misplaced Ideals LP, Kris Kristofferson and Elton John covers.

Julie Findlay-Jones… I  loved working there, Alan was such a grear boss.

Andy Qunta… Excellent! Great to see this photo! Good times!

Paul Marshall… Oh my. That was my first ever job working with Alan, making badges by the zillion and discovering toons.

Jim Breeds… Have you thought to give a copy of this photo to the pier didital memories archive Alan?

Alan Esdaile… I’m pretty sure they had this Jim but didn’t use it.

 

Masons Music – 187 Queens Road Shop. Early 80’s.

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Recognise a few Toyah Singles.

Andy Qunta… What’s wrong with this picture? Absolutely nothing!

Martin Richter… it`s a mystery….?

Matt Thomas… coco lol. Oldies Unlimited. Good times,even though i didnt start until the move up to 190

Darren Holmes… memories – used to get so many old and rare records from there especially when Andy got the catalogue out!

Mark Gilham… A proper shop

Mick O’Dowd… Same haircut as today. Change your stylist Alan.

Yvonne Cleland… There was a time… when everyone had those plastic coloured strips in the doorway hahahahaha

Julie Findlay-jones… Great times there x

Andy Qunta… Yes, Yvonne, I had those plastic strip things in my bedroom doorway!

Tony May… A great picture to see. Many memories…

Iain Cobby…  I remember a sixteen year old bassist being regularly taken to your shop by one Stevie D, to hear bands for the first time such as ELP eponymous album, Santana, Genesis and any other bands that he was into. Such great memories of you the shop and of course, the man himself.

 

Matt Garrett – Masons Music 187 Queens Road – 1984

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Julie Findlay-jones….Happy memories, cant see the badge machine tho x

Matt Thomas….Definitely 84 Ghostbusters is in the chart and Bob Marley Legend video on top shelf lol

Tony Ham….If I had all the money I spent in there, still got all the records though!

Karen Sweatman….My friend really really fancied him!

Jim Breeds….I can almost smell the place! All record shops had the certain smell of paper, card and vinyl. Plus cigarette in this case

Alan Esdaile….I know what you mean by the smell of a record shop. I can remember the first Virgin record shop in Brighton, opposite the clock tower, you were certain to get high on the atmosphere.

Jim Breeds….OMG yes, that Virgin shop in Brighton was a revelation! After I first discovered it I used to get the train over there just to go to that store. Soft deep carpets and scatter cushions where you could squat all day if you wanted, just talking to people, listening to the music and taking in the “atmosphere”! That comment brought back memories!! Far Out Man. There was a pretty decent record shop in The Lanes too I recall, though somewhat more conventional than the Virgin store.

Mick Knights….Remember queing outside the Virgin store in the freezing cold to buy Led Zepplin tickets and not objecting to the blatant queque jumpers, only to be the first to be refused entry, as they had sold out. Not bitter or anything!!!!