Sanctuary Records, Lincoln, circa 1979. Genuinely legendary record shop located on Park Street, a narrow lane off the High Street. The epicentre of the East Mids punk and postpunk music scene for three years, and closely linked with local record labels Dead Good and Company Records. On Saturdays, you'd see members of XS Energy, the Cigarettes, Psuedo Existors, Half Life and other local bands, and a guy named Errol would be smoking jazz cigarettes, while the sound system played the Pop Group or the Fall. It provided paid work for a young Mixmaster Morris Gould aka the Irresistable Force. There was a section for the Homosexuals (the band). The shop even had their own t-shirts!
Aside from the original Rough Trade shop, this was the most vibrant record shop I have ever been to. Fantastic and much-missed. People still talk fondly of the shop thirty years after it closed. Comment Steve Panter.
Great to hear about Sanctuary again. I remember the shop pre punk and think I purchased a tangerine dream album from there as a first purchase. Really came into it's own during punk era and have very fond memories of spending most Saturdays in there. Comment: Paul Martin.
Dark gloomy and wonderful with a special smell - I remember buying Alex Harvey Live and Penthouse Tapes and The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric on green vinyl and Rachel Sweet picture disc - life changing stuff . Comment:- Russel Smith
The Sanctuary was on Park Street, opposite Ruddocks. As everyone says, it was at its most vibrant era during the late 70s. I was at secondary school and I walked past the shop every day on my way home from school. That usually meant stopping in to sit and listen to an album in one of the couple of listening booths they had with enormously thick aviator style headphones. I bought all my Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd, Baker Gurvitz Army and many other Progressive rock albums in there. It had a great smell of patchouli in the store - the strange "smell" mentioned in other posts. Sure it was a great place for punk but they had the best Prog-Rock selection as well. A great place, sadly missed. Comment: Steve.
(Dec 17, 2013) Paul Devereux said:Yes a unique shop and very much missed. I was introduced to the ECM record label here and purchased several hard to get albums for my brother who lived in Portsmouth at the time. Interestingly Sanctuary had access to more off-beat stuff than many record stores down south. We have lost so much in Lincoln - far too much corporate stuff.
(May 17, 2013) Steve Knowles said:Spent many a happy hour in Sanctuary records. My peak period used to be around '77 to '79ish. I was a Police cadet at the time and looked out of place with my short back and sides haircut, but to me Sanctuary was a little piece of heaven. I know in a later life it moved to the market. Although my memory wasn't as good as it was 35 years later, but was the owner a chap called Steve Edwards? If so, whatever became of him?
(Apr 7, 2013) Steve said:It was down a side street, all the best record shops were in those days. I bought a lot of soft rock from there in the pre-pnk days. Albion Dance Band, Rory Gallagher etc. Bean bags and jossticks and black walls. Punk and post punk it was the place to be, punk singles on the counter in a shoe box. Bought everything from there! Nick Green of Sinking Ships behind the counter, Steve Edwards and his younger sister Bev owned the shop. (They were on TV's "Family Fortunes"). I used to get freebies for liking the "weirder" stuff! Sanctuary Records changed my life and I thank them.
(Apr 6, 2013) Anonymous said:Nearly all my punk singles & Lps were bought from here circa 1977 onwards, a belated thanks to the hippy-looking guy who sold me the Dr Alimantado 'Best dressed Chicken In Town' Lp, Factory Sample 2x7" EP, Joy D 1st 12", Drones Lp, Ultravox, Pseudos, Wire, Adverts the list could go on& on...they did special orders, it was a magical place
(Oct 25, 2012) Caroline said:I bought my first 7" single here - Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick in the Wall' - Iconic record shop, and have never been in one since that is quite as good as Sanctuary was - much missed still!
(Feb 3, 2015) I remember the pre punk days in Sanctuary, I bought my first Be Bop Deluxe album ( Still a fan of Bill Nelson).You could loose yourself in there it "really" was a sanctuary . I was still at school so didn't have a lot of money, I remember when you could buy a single for 50p ;-). Comment: Polly bell.
( November 23, 2015) There has never been anywhere else like 'Sanc'. I recall pre-punk days, ELO singles. I only had a paper round at the time. They had a good second hand section I got a mint condition Deep Purple 'Made in Japan' for £2.90. Happy days eh. Comment:Mark Ingram.
Name Steve Edwards Comment: Yes I am still alive and just about kicking, still in Lincoln. Will be (hopefully) 70 this year.
Great to hear Sanctuary still remembered and fondly thought of. Best wishes to all staff and customers who made it what it was.
Amongst my many fond memories was late on a gloomy Friday afternoon regular Sanctuary visitor 'Ebby' asked if I could spare an empty promotional LP sleeve and a Sanctuary bag, obviously I obliged, and with a wink he popped said LP cover in the bag and said time to go home now he had his 'Street Cred'. Got to smile but if you are still out there Ebby I remember you had all the Street cred necessary without the need for the bag. (Jan 16, 2017)
Name Paul Brinded Comment: Spent many an hour on this fantastic shop on the 70 s. Still have great memories. (June 2, 2017)
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wow wish it was still here sanctuary records fav, buys Alex Harvey, just to walk in there again to the guys who worked miss it
Name
Michael Rodgers
(2019)
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Great to find this. I can only agree with the earlier comments about Sanctuary and what a treasure it was. Didn't it morph into 'Pride' when it moved into the market?
I can't believe you're (hopefully) over 70 now Steve.
I understand that Ebby is, sadly, no longer with us but as you said he was always a dude.
How's Bev? Oh my did I have a crush on that girl, but I was never going to match up to Spizz so it was a love unrequited.
I was chatting to Nick Green's brother a few weeks ago, he tells me Nick is still living the good life which was great to hear.
Take care, peace out.
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Bill Simmons
(2019)
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I spent many hours not to mention many pounds in this fantastic little shop.
In particular, I remember buying 'Trace', a dutch prog rock band around 1975 - still got it, along with many others.
Steve was always very helpful.
Great memories of a lovely little shop.
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Kevin Byrne
(2019)
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Sanctuary Records in Punk/Post punk days was legendary, still love the record bag design i'd wear the t-shirt now
Name
keVo snell
(2020)
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Still got a few Sanctuary Records bags from my time at the tech college used to be in there everyday listening to something. Got all my early Barclay James Harvest albums from there and some obscure albums by Trace and Seventh Wave happy days. Good to hear Steve is alive and kicking is Bev still in Lincoln to?
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Nigel Roberts
(2020)
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God yes, what a sanctuary it was. I remember Steve and Tramp, and later Nick Green behind the counter. You were never hassled to buy - they knew it was about so much more. Got my Young Marble Giants and Delta 5 LP s there and my Gang of 4 EP.p. I saw Martin Patton from Dead Good a few months ago, and am in touch with Trey Welbourn from Sinking Ships still.
Now we’ve just got dead-zone corporate crap like HMV. Tardis trip anyone?
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Colin Hopkirk
(2020)
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Spent many Saturday afternoons listening to punk music on the instore headphones. Returned to Lincoln a number of years ago and miss the atmosphere and Leather&Patchouli oil mist.
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Chris Rice
(2020)
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I've been talking to a few old friends about Sanctuary recently. I dont think it's an exaguration to say Sanctuary shaped the musical future of our lives! There has never been another place like it. In the mid to late Seventies we would meet at 'Sanc' like you would meet in a pub. I'll never forget the three sets of headphones and customers blithely unaware their appreciation of the music was audible! I didn't realise as a kid but Sanctuary was precisely what that place was. As a parting shot you might like progtopten.blogspot.com
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Mark Ingram
(2021)
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I've been talking to a few old friends about Sanctuary recently. I dont think it's an exaguration to say Sanctuary shaped the musical future of our lives! There has never been another place like it. In the mid to late Seventies we would meet at 'Sanc' like you would meet in a pub. I'll never forget the three sets of headphones and customers blithely unaware their appreciation of the music was audible! I didn't realise as a kid but Sanctuary was precisely what that place was. As a parting shot you might like progtopten.blogspot.com Mark (2021)
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I spent a small fortune on albums from Sanctuary & it was worth every penny Used to pop in there most weeks, usually Saturday afternoons to listen to something my ears had never heard before. Remember sitting in one of the booths listening to Robin Trower's 'Bridge of Sighs' for the first time The great laid back staff created a similar atmosphere. Lovely people, lovely place, lovely memories. ~ Thank you!
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Rob Tyler
(2022)
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Just loved this place. Bought all my punk/new wave singles and Albums.They would let you listen to a whole album if you wanted and had seats and cans to listen in comfort. I went to Park Street College at the time, but spent more time in Sanctaury than I ever did at college!
Name
David Smith
(2022)
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