HE HAS sold vinyl, tapes and CDs to hundreds of record shops around the UK over 30 years, and lays claim to have visited more than anybody else.

So it was a labour of love, and out of a growing concern that they would disappear from our towns and cities that Graham Jones, of Petersfield, produced the book and film Last Shop Standing.

And to celebrate the opening last year of Vinyl Matters in Bakery Lane, Petersfield – his new, most local record store – he is hosting a screening of the film at Steep Village Hall on Friday, February 3, at 7.30pm.

Last Shop Standing:An Evening with Graham Jones will also feature his entertaining anecdotes about record stores and bands including Queen, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Who, The Jam and more, and a pop quiz.

For Last Shop Standing, which has been screened in 86 cities, Graham, who is one of the founders of Proper Music Distribution, visited 50 record stores around the country, documenting their tales.

That was in 2009, and, with reports just out that vinyl sales are on the rise for the tenth consecutive year – with Adele, Taylor Swift, Pink Floyd, The Beatles and the Arctic Monkeys among the best sellers – their future looks far less bleak.

“It was a comment by one of my elderly aunties in 2008 that got me thinking,” said Graham (57), originally from Anfield.

“She asked me if they were going the way of the stamp shops, coin shops and candlestick makers. At that time three record shops were closing a week, and between 2005 and 2009, 540 independent stores had shut in the UK.”

His quest coincided with a love of vinyl being revitalised, with 320 record shops now around the country compared to 200 in the 1980s.

According to Graham, the annual Record Store Day in April has really helped to drive people back into independent stores such as Pie and Vinyl in Southsea, and Hundred Records in Romsey, that he enjoys visiting.

“Vinyl is hip and fashionable now, but I am confident it will sustain,” said Graham (57), who used to manage cult Liverpool band The Cherry Boys back in the day, and now travels 30,000 miles a year distributing music.

“Both my son who’s 22 and my dad who’s 82 asked for a record player for Christmas so it spans the generations.”

Tickets £6 from Vinyl Matters. Call 07720 244849.