I’ve done it and I feel sort of dirty and cheap and embarrassed and I’d like to confess. I bought the new Kaiser Chiefs CD - No, I’m not embarrassed by that (‘Everything is average nowadays’ is destined to be a huge hit surely!) - what I want to confess is that I bought it…from…..Sainburys……I was only £8.00 and I wasn’t gonna get into town for a few days and, and…..

I guess with the imminent death of the record shop I’m going to have to get used to this kind of thing. I was chatting to the lovely Trevor who’s worked at Jumbo records since the 1830’s who was saying that the expected Christmas rush never happened this year – the staff they had on doubled the numbers in store, and I guess that’s because people like me are buying CDs from supermarkets and on the net.

Capitalism dictates that if you’re not successful, you die and I’m sure the number of record shops is set to dwindle. In Paris recently, Stephane took me round some wonderful old specialist 2nd hand record shops. I love them and specialist shops is probably the only way to survive.

ebay’s a different kettle of fish. You have to hunt and search and there’s the thrill of a bargain (I won Willie Nelsons ‘Songbird last week for £1.55) but it’s not the same as a good browse through a good shop.

My ex-misses had this theory that all men are slightly autistic and that’s why they obsessively collect things “Go into any record or comic shop and who is it full of – MEN!”. Well, having spent some quality time today in ‘Forbidden Planet’ with my soon to be 4 year old son (“Dad look! It’s Dr Who and a Garlic!”) and seeing the wonder in his eyes when he spied the Spiderman action figures and an X-wing fighter and a batmobile, I just hope there’s still Jumbo Records and the like around for when he gets the music bug.

Bob