On Saturday 13 April, Slide Record Shop in the Arcade, Bedford will hold their second annual Record Store Day, with customers anticipating getting their hands on limited edition vinyl and special RSD releases.

Doors will open at 9am and earlybirds are welcome to arrive from 7am to get a place in the queue.  To keep spirits up, Coffee Republic, Gallones and Upper Crust will be serving refreshments along the queue and we’re certain that Arcadia Sweetshop (opposite Slide) will have some treats in store too…

If you’re coming to Bedford for the first time, why not make a day of it? Here are some of our top tips:

After you’ve made your purchases, take a stroll to St Cuthbert’s Street where Full Metal Skillet @ Roosters and Beerfly are having a block party.

Full Metal Skillet will be serving Filipino BBQ street food for just a fiver and next door at Beerfly you can get 10% off drinks in-store if you show your RSD purchases.

They’ve even got record players so you can listen to your new vinyl…

Down by the river, the Embankment pub is celebrating its tenth birthday and everyone’s invited. If you show any of the bar team your RSD purchase, they’ll give you a free tea or coffee. Their terrace is the perfect place to soak up some sun overlooking the River Great Ouse.

For culture vultures, the Higgins Bedford has two new exhibitions (more info here), the Panacea Museum is brilliantly bonkers and tells the story of the secret religious sect, the Panacea Society, while the John Bunyan Museum tells the story of Bedford’s most famous resident.

If you want some retail therapy, Bedford has more independent shops than Cambridge, so you’ll be spoilt for choice. Check out our handy guide here.

Happy RSD19!