Half a century after Groucho’s first became part of Dundee life, memories of the legendary record shop remain as strong as ever.

It was 50 years ago that Alastair “Breeks” Brodie opened the business that would eventually become one of Dundee’s best-known independent shops, building a reputation that extended far beyond simply selling records.

For generations of Dundonians, Groucho’s became somewhere to browse, discover new music, meet people and spend hours searching through racks of vinyl.

And as the milestone is marked in 2026, Dundee Culture followers have been sharing memories of Saturdays spent in the shop, favourite records bought there and the unmistakable atmosphere created by Breeks and his team.

One simply described it as their “favourite shop of all time”, while another said they still missed going there every Saturday.

Another remembered “rifling through all the albums”, adding: “Those were the days.”

For some, Groucho’s was where lifelong music collections began. One former customer recalled first discovering the shop in 1978 and buying and selling countless records there over the years, particularly reggae LPs that could be difficult to find elsewhere.

They also remembered the small button badges customers could make themselves using their own designs and pictures — one of numerous little details which helped give Groucho’s its distinctive character.

Others remembered making regular journeys into Dundee specifically to visit the shop. One recalled getting the bus after school during the 1980s before heading into town and searching through Northern Soul and Tamla Motown records for classics and rarities.

Another remembered travelling across the Tay Road Bridge regularly, describing Breeks as someone who was always happy to offer information or simply have “a wee chat about music”.

One former customer said they would cycle from Newburgh to add to their record collection, while another remembered walking up Perth Road every Saturday morning through “rain, hail, shine, frost or snow” in search of singles and LPs.

That Perth Road shop appears particularly vividly in people’s memories.

Several recalled the smell of joss sticks drifting through the shop, with one saying they could still remember the aroma of Afghan coats hanging near the doorway.

Another described the original shop as “a haven for us school kids”, remembering records sitting alongside joss sticks and other items associated with the alternative culture of the era.

The memories stretch well beyond Dundee itself.

One former Dundonian who moved away in 1970 recalled returning to the city during family holidays as a teenager and making a point of visiting Groucho’s on Perth Road.

Others remembered the shop after it moved into the city centre, including its time in the Overgate, with visits to Groucho’s becoming part of a Saturday afternoon spent shopping in Dundee.

Breeks himself features prominently in many of the stories.

One person described him simply as “so helpful”, adding that if the shop did not have the record somebody wanted, he would try to get it for them.

Another recalled “great musical conversations with Breeks over the years”, describing both him and Groucho’s as being very much missed by Dundee’s music community.

For another former customer, the shop helped shape much more than their record collection. After moving to Dundee at the age of 15, they described Groucho’s and the wider Dundee music scene as being a formative part of their teenage years.

Someone else reflected that shops such as Groucho’s were more than retail businesses, describing them as “a place of discovery and a social hub for music lovers”.

That perhaps goes some way to explaining why Groucho’s continues to inspire such affection years after the original shop closed.

Its influence can still be felt in Dundee’s independent music scene today.

When one Dundee Culture follower recently asked whether there were still vinyl and record shops in Dundee city centre, others were quick to point towards Thirteen Records, Assai Records and Le Freak Records.

Thirteen Records in particular has been described as the spiritual successor to Groucho’s, continuing a tradition of independent record retailing in the city.

But for those who spent their teenage years flicking through records, chatting with Breeks or heading into town specifically for a Groucho’s visit, there will only ever be one original.

Fifty years after its story began, the records may have moved on and Dundee city centre may have changed dramatically, but Groucho’s clearly remains firmly embedded in the city’s collective memory.

And judging by the hundreds of stories still being shared, the shop was never simply somewhere Dundee went to buy music.

For many people, Groucho’s was part of growing up.