Record and punk shop Dirt open in Magdalen Street in Norwich

Mark Blenkiron opened his shop, Dirt, in Magdalen Street earlier this month.  

It is easily recognisable by its black frontage painted with white skulls.

The store is easy to spot with its black and white frontage and neon lights (Image: Mark Blenkiron)

Mark said: "We've been really popular since opening a few weeks ago.

"We are quite unique - we sell loads of punk and alternative rock CDs and vinyls, as well as leather belts, tote bags, badges and patches."

Dirt started gaining a following after Mark opened a pop-up shop in Magdalen Street between December 2022 and July 2023, before closing while hunting for a bigger new home.

Mark Blenkiron has opened the record store (Image: Mark Blenkiron)

Mark added: "It's been great to recognise a few faces from before.

"We've also had a lot of new customers checking us out - it's hard to miss us.

"The space is wicked."

The store sells a range of punk and alternative rock memorabilia (Image: Mark Blenkiron)

Opening a shop seemed like the natural next step for Mark who, at 61, has experience working as a radio DJ and band manager, touring Europe with punk and rock bands, and a stint of several years where he owned a record label.

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He said: "At one stage, I had tens of thousands of records in my collection and thought I could sell some of them off.

"I have worked at fairs and punk festivals and the shop is a culmination of decades of work in the industry.

The new store has proven an instant hit (Image: Mark Blenkiron)

"There is nothing like this in Norwich. We are pretty unique."

Dirt can now be found in the former home of Spinners gaming shop at 97 Magdalen Street and is open seven days a week.