Look for a quirky building with golden-brown bricks and purple trim on Middle Street, right next to a bright retro barbershop-if you spot the bold “BEANOS” signs, you’ve found the spot!
Alright, music lovers and treasure hunters, welcome to the legendary Beanos! Imagine it’s the 1990s and the air here is alive with the hum of vinyl enthusiasts digging through endless rows of records-because once upon a time, behind these purple-framed windows, you could uncover anything from toe-tapping jazz to thunderous punk, sometimes even the sound of someone discovering a long-lost Beatles single and gasping out loud. Founded by the ever-hopeful musician David Lashmar back in 1975, Beanos quickly outgrew its first home, getting bigger and bolder-until it filled this old printing works, with more than a million records stacked high inside. If you listen hard enough, you might just imagine the rhythm of footsteps echoing on creaky floorboards as collectors and casual browsers explored three full floors!
Of course, legends face storms, and Beanos was no exception. In the early 2000s, music was changing-people swapped records for CDs, and CDs for downloads, and suddenly, even rock legends couldn’t save a second-hand shop from fierce online competition. But like a band playing an encore, Beanos gave it everything-closing off two upper floors, focusing on rare vinyl, and holding out hope. Even as the empty crates piled up and the days grew quieter, the shop pulled off one last trick: it provided a whopping 8,000 records for the film The Boat That Rocked, leaving this street echoing with rock ‘n’ roll magic!
When the curtain finally dropped in 2009, David tried a new act-a quirky treasure trove called STUFF, and then Beanies, a playful café buzzing with kids’ laughter. Now, these old walls hold Project B, a venue for private parties. But if you close your eyes, you might hear the scratch of a needle on vinyl, the stories of collectors, the laughter and hope that gave Beanos its beat. So, standing here, you’re not just at a building-you’re in the heart of Croydon’s wild musical past. Rock on!
