A shop where people spend "hours" inside has stood on Smithdown Road for more than 40 years.
Brian Jackson, originally from Toxteth but now lives in Allerton, owns and runs shop Allkinds which sells vinyl records, audio and sci-fi memorabilia. Many years ago, the now 61-year-old walked into the store where he helped former owner David Radcliffe with the running of the shop.
He is now the owner of Allkinds, which sits at number 145 directly opposite Toxteth Park Cemetery, after taking over from Mr Radcliffe after he died. Speaking to the ECHO, Brian said: "He was like a father to me, his name was Dave Radcliffe. He set the shop up in 1980. It didn't really become a record shop until 1981.
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"I eventually just arrived here and been here ever since. I have taken it over now because he passed away a year ago this February and I have been running the place.
"I originally just came in to buy some records. I came in and bought a few records and basically built up a friendship with Dave. I used to buy punk, and The Beatles was a main factor for me.
"We got chatting and before long I started coming in and doing little bits and I just became full time here."
Brian's shop has been in the community for 41 years and he has seen a lot of change over the years on Smithdown Road. He added: "With the council regeneration a few years ago, a lot of the buildings were knocked down, people were moving around.
"It's now become quite good and people are building on our site here. We have an Italian takeaway next door and he is amazing. We have a few clothes shops and nail bars.
"As for me, people don't realise we have been here this long and people go past. I sell records and do sci-fi collectables and amplifiers and that."
However, Brian said he has loyal customers who come to the shop frequently, with some spending "hours" inside the unique store. He told the ECHO : "People have been coming in for years. Even when I have been shut for an odd day or something because I have to be in another place, they think I have gone away.
"When they come back they go 'oh thank god you're still here', that is the nice part of it."
He added: "You can walk into any shop and if they treat you without respect or if they're being negative towards you, you will never go back again. I have always been like come in and take a look around.
"People ask me and say 'is it alright to come in' and I said 'yeah come in and just do what you want'. I have had people stay in for three hours just talking to me and then they go off.
"They don't buy anything but we have a good chat and they say 'thank you very much, I love your shop.' If they spend something that is the bonus.
"It's nice to have that little edge to it, I call it an edge. It's nice to be nice to people."
Brian said with the "resurgence" of people buying vinyl records, he has seen more young people coming into his shop to buy them. He added his store never "gave up" on selling vinyl's even when CDs came on the scene.
He said: "With the resurgence of vinyl records, shall we say, we have always sold vinyl records. We will never, ever give up. When CDs came out and this was the 'new Messiah kind of the thing, this is great' and it was OK but I always wanted to keep vinyl records here because it is such a beautiful sound and people don't realise that."
Allkinds is one of the oldest surviving businesses in the area and Brian said it is his "passion". He said even on days where no customers come in, he is never deterred.
He said: "It is slow at the moment, everything is like recession, with everything going on and the price of energy, it stops people coming in, but I love it. It is my passion.
"I can stand here and no one comes in all day - and it has happened - but I will play these records here and I will try to entice someone to go 'wow what is this place?' I have loved doing this from day one."
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