A NEW vinyl record shop has got the borough in a spin after opening in Bury.

Eager crowds thronged to the grand opening of Wax and Beans at The Art Picture House ­in Haymarket Street — the first independent vinyl store to open in the town since 2011.

The shop has been set up by music lovers and partners Louise Jackson and Ben Soothill and stocks a wide range of vinyl records, as well as serving coffee and refreshments.

Ben said: “It has been my lifelong dream to run my own record shop.

“I had the initial idea back when I was 18, but the long-term lease terms on offer at the time were just too much of a financial risk having only just left college.

“However, despite 25 years in the legal sector, my dream has never wavered.”

Determined to fulfil their ambitions, Ben and Louise began hunting for a suitable space last year.

After months of searching, nowhere had fit the bill, until Ben decided to see a boarded-up shop at The Art Picture House.

He said: “Louise and I looked at each other instantly knowing that this was the one.

“It was dark and dingy and didn’t smell great, but we knew with a little hard work it could be something immense.”

Having spent a year and a half traipsing round the country to find a location, the couple knew exactly what they wanted to achieve with the space.

And despite juggling full time jobs and having “so much to do” to turn the place around, with the help of family and friends, the couple set about transforming the shop.

“Every night after work, we’d drag ourselves down to the shop to hammer, drill, saw, paint and clean until the sun came up,” Ben said.

Eventually their dream record shop took shape out of the gloom, complete with the team's own unique and handcrafted furniture, including bespoke record bins, album cover chairs and cushions, and a ‘river table’ featuring hand-poured blue resin.

Ben said: "It has been a massive, in fact, enormous team effort but we got there in the end.

“We now have a convenient spot in Bury town centre where all music lovers can unite.

“We’re hopeful that our hard work will pay off and Wax and Beans will now become a familiar location for many generations of music lovers, coffee connoisseurs, tea enthusiasts and much more.”

Ben and Louise are now planning to host monthly music events, starting from July 24.

They are also encouraging people to take advantage of the store's free wifi and power points and enjoy some music and brew as they work or revise.

Wax and Beans is open weekdays 7am to 7pm, Saturdays 9am to 6pm and Sundays 10am to 5pm.

For more information visit www.waxandbeans.co.uk or find them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.