h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

first I am not leaving h2g2 this journal is tribute to the owner of the best and one of oldest record stores in Groningen: Hemmes.

why I am writting this tribute?

Hemmes is closing down, because it is broke, but the owner became 65 years old last month and wanted after 45 years in the business time for himself and his family. I can not blame him. he tried find some one to take over, but did not succeed.

the owner of Hemmes is truely remarquable unique person. he knows all the regulars by name and their musical prefences. if was not too busy he would give me his time to help me find my music. I would get a lot of times a discount.

with the closing of Hemmes Groningen will loose unique and legendary place to shop and experience for music. no one can replace Hemmes.


thank you for reading!

re-reading it I see mistake

Hemmes is closing down, because it is broke...
should be
Hemmes is closing down, not because it is broke...

That is so sad. These things make the world kinda no safe place. Good things disappearing though they have always been there...

yeah..but I can see his point of view too...time for himself

the music business is changed a lot...

the owner remembers selling 78 rpm's.

my father still has 78rpm records

The sad point to me is not really the fact he's retiring, but rather that no-one will take over his trade.

Even I have some.

we have about 12 recordstores in Groningen (200,000 people), most of them are part of chainstores personel looks at you if ask music question if Rome was build in one day.

Stores held by people who know what they sell are scarce nowadays. We had a toy shop like this in Reims (it closed a couple of years ago). There was such a bookshop as well, and the bookseller retired last month; nevertheless we are fortunate as he found someone to keep the shop after him, and I trust he'd found another book-loving person .

record stores are not easy. in beginnig on this year we had prices war. chainstores selling CDs under the buying price from shopkeeper. no fun for no chain store, but lucky a lot of regulars kept on coming..

funny thing in Groningen 2 chain stores started selling CDs a lot cheaper, one stopped selling CDs, because they got no feet in the market and the other is still their, because it is very big, but not getting a lot of feet on the ground. I think Groningers are record store loyal.

That's great!

I miss record shops here (we've got one chain and a few supermarkets, only )

I found picture in the web ....

http://www.hemmesweb.com/img/shop.gif

the left side is recent and normal prices CDS and on the right is the budget store 2 Euro's and up (most are 10 Euro)

1 Euro -> 0.70 UKPounds - > US$ 1.12

more than 50% of the stock sold, because of local media coverage.

Dear dear pheloxi

HELp !! please help

I cannot get into the new set up.

I cannot remember my BBC login name. I have tried three versions of my name. My full first name and my surname. My full first name and my middle initial and my surname
and finally a nickname that I had in south Africa and my surname. All of them refuse to accept me.

I cannot remember my password - so they say

I cannot remember my U number

I tried getting it through the United Friends and I saw that you had given me U186829. Still I got the same horrid message.

I am really desperate and I reckon that I shall have a heart attack if I continue. Can you help me? I would be so grateful I have asked the powers that be to help but they cannot understand my problem.

With much affection

Researcher 238400 aka Also Ran 1
ID number A653258
U186829



i

Did you try http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/UserDetails AR1?
Also you could send e-mail to [email protected]

some one try help you so try that first

So glad AR1 got back in!

I remember Hemmes.. 20 years ago..

last friday was last day of Hemmes CD (shop)