We have introduced a business of the week article, highlighting a local, independent business featured on our local list.

This week it is Vinyl Van.

Set up by Mark Smith, and helped part-time by has partner, Helen, the music shop opened in Brewery Square in December 2019.

Mark said: "I've always loved music and from a young age had records.

"When the kids were young, I got rid of my vinyl and it wasn't until later that we were in a record shop and they had a record player playing and I thought, 'I fancy having some records again' and we ended up with a shop full.

"I had a camper van and always loved festivals, so we just started doing little festival and events."

They went to mostly local festivals, such as Duck Fest and Jurassic Fields, but when the van didn't pass its MOT at the end of the summer, they started selling records at the Friday market. They then started looking for a pop-up shop and found this shop with a five-year lease.

Mark added: "We opened in December, had a great time, then we closed in March.

"We're very fortunate, the stock's non-perishable, it was a case of locking the doors."

Helen said: "We were able to do some online selling.

"The reception we got from vinyl-loving people of Dorchester and further afield was so positive and even in that short space of time we started to build up customers and every time we were able to open, it was like old friends coming back.

"We find people are still finding us, we've got a really lovely set of regular customers and it's such a positive place to work. Everybody has their own knowledge and stories about music - it feels like you're learning things every day."

As well as offering records of numerous genres - hip hop, jazz, rock, pop, funk, soul, world and even African - they also have a box of free records, filled with vinyl for people to take, as well as clothing for sale, with t-shirts designed by Mark's son.

Mark said: "I love the fact we get a complete age range in here. We have a broad and wide customer base, which is lovely.

"When I opened the shop, I wasn't sure how much I could get away with selling the stuff that I liked, but it's a pretty good split.

"People are coming from further as they can find things here that you won't find in other shops in Dorset, and that's lovely."

Helen added: "We can't change the world but we can chat to people, make them smile, connect them with a memory and it's really about if someone goes out of here happy, the smile that somebody has when they find that long lost record - those little changes."

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