Pair who founded and run popular Aylesbury music store celebrate its 30th birthday

The men behind a popular Aylesbury music shop are celebrating its 30th anniversary later this month.

On November 30, Aylesbury Music in Temple Street turns 30, it is still run by its original founders.

Lifelong musicians, Tony Burroughs and Danny Prendergast, opened the shop which sells a range of instruments to Bucks punters.

They also sell a range of vinyls, showcasing both vintage and new artists.

Co-owner, Tony said: “There has been a change towards online, but we have survived throughout. We’ve done that really by having a good selection of new and pre-owned stock in.

“With a pre-owned guitar there is no internet competition, because it is just what it is. Very often, there is a large saving when you buy a reconditioned, pre-owned guitar.”

Tony and Danny both still actively perform in front of crowds, Tony sings with the Morris Minors, an acapella group, and Danny is a part of the well-known local Beatles tribute act, The Dung Beatles.

This knowledge of instruments and the inner workings of music has played to the pair’s advantage over the years.

Tony added: “It gives me a lot of pleasure to help a mum out, who's got a violin in her hand, that has got a broken string, and her daughter needs it for a lesson in two hours’ time. And it gives me a great thrill to be able to put a new string on that and help her out.

"We love helping towards problems in the local community. People do identify with the community shop that we are, we open our doors to everybody and people recognise that.”

Tony also downplayed the difficulty involved in maintaining a working relationship and friendship with the same business partner over 30 years. “It’s no problem at all,” Tony said.

"We’re both very flexible, we just adapt to the shop’s needs and other’s needs as well.”

Currently the store has nearly 200 guitars on display, but remains on the lookout for more, every instrument which is received by the shop is either sent to a workshop, or serviced in house.