Legendary Welsh independent record shop to close

Cob Records of Bangor, Gwynedd has announced that it is to end 33 years of record sales, and will close in the imminent future.

The Bangor store set itself up as a relation of its Porthmadog counterpart, which itself will remain open.

"It is certainly a sad day for us," Cob's Owen Hughes told the BBC, "and I think a sad day for a lot of the loyal customers we still have."

Hughes conceded that illegal downloads and the demise of CD sales were to blame, explaining that, with the shop's license up for renewal, it was "time to get out."

BBC Wales radio presenter Adam Walton said of the store, which is known to have nurtured local Welsh bands; "If this was an opera house or a theatre, then this would be grabbing people's attention, but people don't necessarily realise the value of somewhere like Cob Records.

"It is not just about the records. It has a powerful social value. Cob Records is much more than a business."