The Vinyl Constituency
LightNews LightNews
banner
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
The Vinyl Constituency
@vinylconstituency.bsky.social
2.2K followers 350 following 2.5K posts
Player of #vinylrecords, watcher of old #films and #television, reader of #books, taker of #photographs, drinker of #coffee, builder of #Lego, walker of #beaches, and lover of the niche, arcane curios of yesteryear. Can be recycled at a large supermarket.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
The Vinyl Constituency @vinylconstituency.bsky.social · Apr 22
Welcome to those who have opted to keep an eye on my rambles. THANKS! 👋🏻 🙌🏻 😀

I’m Mark. The Vinyl Constituency is about my love of music on vinyl, and much more. I share what I’m buying, playing, watching, and reading.

#vinylrecords #vinylcommunity #musicsky #books #film #television #coffee
The photo shows photo one of four of The Room Of Many Things. From the entrance to the room there is to the right Kallax cube units, on top of which sits a record player, amp, and old big HMV speakers. To the centre and right there are two chairs (a large wing chair and an Ikea Poang chair), behind which is bespoke shelves full of DVDs and blu rays. On tops of the shelves are old toys. Photo two of four is taken from the centre of The Room of Many Things and faces a tall thin window with mid-brown curtains. In front of the window is several Ikea Kallax units on top of which is a record player (a Project Debut Carbon in black with an Ortofon Blue 2mm stylus). To the left and right are large vintage HMV wooden speakers. There is a patterned footstool in front of the units. To the left and right of the record player, there are separate red drawer units, on top of each there is a smaller speaker and a lamp. Photo three of four of The Room of Many things is taken from the centre of the room and faces the right hand side of the room. There are bespoke shelving units in cubicle format from the floor to two feet from the high ceiling. The cubicles are five high and nine wide at the highest and widest point and they sit on a wooden plinth. The ceiling slopes upwards. The cubicles, which are in an oak finish, are full of records. The fourth of foor photos of The Room Of Many Things is taken from the centre of the room towards the back and left aide of the room. Bespoke shelving in an oak finish goes completely around the walls, and the shelves are full of books, DVDs, blu rays, old VHS videos, and small toys. There is a circa two-foot gap between the top of the shelves and the high ceiling, on which sits many old toys, figures, Lego and handheld games. In from of the shelves there is a patterned wing-back chair and a plain Ikea Poang chair, in between which there is a small table.
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
Old faithful is on the record player. ♥️

Jeff Wayne’s ‘War of the Worlds’ is #nowplaying.

This is the 1921 Limited Edition, released in 2024.

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcollector #vinylcommunity #vinylsky #musicsky #jeffwayne #waroftheworlds
January 6, 2026 at 8:31 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
I’m all over this - especially the Monorail exclusive! ♥️

A 2026 reason to be cheerful! 😀👇🏻
monorailmusic.bsky.social Monorail Music @monorailmusic.bsky.social · 9h
The return...

Heavenly announce their brand new record Highway To Heavenly, as fiercely independent as any punk band, but as sweetly melodic as any chart-topping act.

Monorail/Rough Trade vinyl and signed postcards: monorailmusic.com/product/high...
January 6, 2026 at 5:45 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
I know how fortunate I am to have been able to finish up on the 18th of December and not go back to work until the 6th of January, but, f*ck me, this is difficult.

Please, everybody, have your tiny violins at the ready and play me back to work. 😢
January 6, 2026 at 6:40 AM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
‘The Radiophonic Workshop’, released in 1975 by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop is #nowplaying, thank you very much indeed.

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcollector #vinylcommunity #vinylsky #musicsky #nowspinning #electronic
January 5, 2026 at 9:30 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
Christmas ‘25 has been packed away and I’m now left with the deeply uneasy January vibe.

Since 2019 I’ve said “this year can’t be worse than the last one.”

This year I’m keeping my mouth shut.

I hope you’ll stick with me in ‘26 as I spin my records, because I know the truth of this.👇🏻♥️

#musicsky
The photo is of a cartoon split into two halves - one top and one bottom. On the top, a white figure is stood with its back to three other figures, who wear the names “Problems”, “Stress”, and “Pain”. The white figure has a pensive, unhappy look and is being approached by another figure whose arms are stretched out. On the bottom, the white figure is now being held by the approaching figure, who wears the name “Music”. In the background, “Problems”, “Stress”, and “Pain” are disappearing.
January 4, 2026 at 7:33 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
Time to breathe.

Peter Gabriel’s downtempo 2023 double album ‘i/o’ is #nowplaying.

I’ve yet to reach a definite conclusion on the Bright-Side and Dark-Side mixes, but Dark-Side is a better fit this evening.

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcollector #vinylcommunity #vinylsky #musicsky #petergabriel
January 3, 2026 at 10:17 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
I might be on my own here, but I prefer the slightly more strident original ‘Rentaghost’ theme tune.

This of course was not “banned”, just a slight change of pace and lyric, the latter because of wording considered unsuitable for children’s television.

#Rentaghost

m.youtube.com/watch?v=NAQz...
Rentaghost Banned Original Theme Remastered by TV Ste
YouTube video by TV Ste
m.youtube.com
January 3, 2026 at 7:46 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
Being a Glaswegian, I don’t often comment on football matters north of the border.

I’m currently watching my team’s 15-year dominance come to very immediate and ugly end, and I can’t help but feel we’ve missed a glorious opportunity to sack our manager DURING the game.
January 3, 2026 at 2:24 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
Keeping things relatively lightweight but super catchy this afternoon.

#Nowplaying Bucks Fizz’s third album - ‘Hand Cut’, released in ‘83.

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcollector #vinylcommunity #vinylsky #musicsky #nowspinning #bucksfizz
January 2, 2026 at 5:48 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
Introduce myself with what almost killed me.

April ‘79, Tunisia. Parents competing in the African heats of “The Ray Doyle from ‘The Professionals’ Cosplay League”.

I almost died in the pool when I wandered off and fell in the deep end.

They were also offered LOTS of money for “little white boy”.😬
January 2, 2026 at 5:31 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
The record I have chosen to kick off 2026 at #TheVinylConstituency is Kate Bush’s 1978 debut album ‘The Kick Inside’.

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcollector #vinylcommunity #vinylsky #musicsky #nowplaying #nowspinning #katebush
Photo of a Pro-Ject black record player spinning The Kick Inside by Kate Bush. To the side of the record player, the cover of the album can be seen.
January 1, 2026 at 8:05 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
Me and my sister with Nana at her house for dinner on New Year’s Day 40 years ago.

The older I get, the more I think about those who are gone. I thought this would diminish with time, but that hasn’t been the case.
A boy (me) with side-parted dark hair sits on a small white chair to the right hand side of the photo, wearing dark trousers and a dark jumper with a grey and black Paisley pattern. My sister stands behind me with short shoulder length brown hair and a big smile. An older woman (my nana) sits on a large cream coloured chair to the left of the photo, looking at us.
January 1, 2026 at 5:24 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
There should be a complete ban on the sale of fireworks to members of the public, unless it is for an organised event, conducted by a certified individual or company, time and location-limited, and with an HSE compliant risk-assessment.

That’s it. That’s the first post of 2026.

Happy New Year. 👋🏻🥂
January 1, 2026 at 1:34 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
“We do have it in us
New spirit has arrived
The joy and the sorrow
We have a story and it survived”

#Nowplaying my music comfort blanket to cast out this utterly dreadful and depressing year.

‘Voyage’ by #ABBA.

All the best for ‘26. ♥️

#vinylrecords #vinylcommunity #vinylsky #musicsky
December 31, 2025 at 10:30 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
Some of you will know that I save up throughout the year to Merry Christmas myself - usually with records!

Here’s what I bought this Christmas.

I’ll have you know that @thehomecurrent.bsky.social cost me every penny of these. 😂 Thanks, Martin! 🙏

#vinylrecords #vinylcollector #vinylsky #musicsky
Photograph of seven albums bought. 1. Prizma, by Nenad Vilović. 2. YU Aerobic (Original Workout Music from Yugoslavia 1981-1984), by Alfi Kabiljo. 3. Socialist Disco. Dancing behind Yugoslavia’s Velvet Curtain 1977-1987, by various. 4. Chapters (Screen & Stage Dancefloor Jazz from Yugoslavia 1971-1984), by Ozren Depolo. 5. Report from Sarajevo (XIV Winter Olympic Games 1984), by Kornelije Kovač. 6. Sexopolis French Erotic Retro Movies' Grooves, by various. 7. The Mood Mosaic 5 - Supervixens, by Various.
December 31, 2025 at 10:02 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
Three questions:

1) What day is it?

2) What time is it?

3) Why am I shitting Stilton?

#merryneum
a man stands in front of a blackboard with mathematical equations
Alt: a man stands in front of a blackboard with mathematical equations
media.tenor.com
December 31, 2025 at 3:16 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
My dad is here and we’re watching the football together with a beer or two.

Regardless of the score, these were and are always the best of times.

Under the onslaught of Huntington’s Disease, my dad continues to defy the odds. ♥️
December 30, 2025 at 8:19 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
In my mind, this remains the greatest #ABBA cover of all time - one of those rare occasions where the cover is debatably better than the original. ♥️😀🙌🏻🔥

m.youtube.com/watch?v=g36r...
Karen Dunbar- Super trooper
YouTube video by Esta Carr
m.youtube.com
December 30, 2025 at 12:42 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
For me, there is much nostalgia tied up in the Mackintosh Quality Street and Cadbury Roses tins of yesteryear.

My mum and dad always had a huge tin of #QualityStreet in the house at Christmas, and my Nana would have an equally large tin of #Roses.

The colours and varieties were mesmerising to me.
A one-sheet flyer showing the chocolates available in a tin of Mackintosh Quality Street circa 1970s. An open tin of Mackintosh Quality Street circa 1970s, with many varieties of individual Chocolates on display. A one-sheet card showing the chocolates available in a tin of Cadbury Roses circa 1970s. A closed tin of Cadbury Roses circa 1970s, with the lid showing the different varieties of chocolates therein.
December 29, 2025 at 8:29 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
Following overwhelming lack of demand, here are my favourite albums of 2025 (in no particular order).

IMPORTANT: you’ll most likely not agree with the list - and that’s perfectly okay, but you’re not contractually obliged to tell me. 🙂👇

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcollector #vinylsky #musicsky
December 29, 2025 at 4:14 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
I’ve come into Glasgow to pick up a film from Fopp, but, and don’t ask me how this happened, I’ve accidentally fallen into Mono and Monorail … AGAIN! 🤷🏻‍♂️🤔
December 29, 2025 at 1:37 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
For the circa six people that interact with me here, I’m going to do an ‘Albums of 2025’ list, now that I’ve finalised the cataloguing of arrivals.

I threatened to do this last year but never followed through, so I’m determined it’s happening for ‘25.

No particular order - just 10 great albums.
December 29, 2025 at 1:14 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
#Nowwatching the first pilot for the UK iteration of ‘Blankety Blank’, derived from the US show ‘Match Day’.

For this first UK pilot, the famous catchy Ronnie Hazlehurst theme hadn’t yet been written, so it uses the Charlie Fox ‘Match Day’ theme.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=4d7W...
Blankety Blank 1978 Pilot
YouTube video by Sir Philip of Weatherhamshire
m.youtube.com
December 29, 2025 at 12:29 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
#Nowwatching the 1983 John Landis comedy film ‘Trading Places’.

I remember being fortunate to see this on the big screen about 10 years ago at the Glasgow Film Theatre - one of the greatest cinema experiences of my life! 😂♥️

#TradingPlaces #Comedy #ComedyFilm
December 28, 2025 at 9:28 PM
vinylconstituency.bsky.social
“Heat warped on one side and unplayable”

Media: Very Good Plus (VG+)

🧐🤔🤨 🤷🏻‍♂️🤪

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcollector #vinylcommunity #vinylsky
Screen grab from Discogs of a grifting bell-end seller who thinks that a heat-warped unplayable 7” single (in this case ‘Music from the Changes’ by Paddy Kingsland) should be listed as “very good plus” for the media condition.
December 28, 2025 at 7:02 PM