Pet Shop Boys singer Neil Tennant said he was “very sad” to hear the well loved store was closing.

Sharing his memories on Facebook, the ‘West End Girls’ star said:

“As a teenager I used to visit after school and ask to listen to David Bowie in one of their stereo listening booths and then browse through the records and sheet music and wish I could afford a posh guitar,” he said. “It will be much missed.”

Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler also shared his fond memories of ‘gazing at the displays, dreaming of the day’ he could own his very own guitar.

Shop general manager, Alex Cole, shared his thoughts on the sad news:

“Generations of musicians and music lovers, including my family and myself, bought their first instrument, listened to their first LP, or learned their first song within the iconic arcade store,” he said.

“The city will be a quieter place without it.”Despite being put up for sale in 2023, a buyer could not be found.

The business appointed Andrew Little and Gillian Sayburn of Begbies Traynor as joint liquidators. It said all the stores’ 17 employees had been made redundant.

Mr Little said: “Its closure is incredibly sad and bears no reflection on the firm’s directors who have ceaselessly gone above and beyond to try and drive the business forward.

“Trading has been so difficult, they just couldn’t see a way to carry on.”

Despite being put up for sale in 2023, a buyer was not found. The company is set to go into liquidation on 12 December 2024. However, there is an option still on the table for a buyer to come forward and form a restructuring plan.

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