Iconic music store set to close permanently after 100 years

A Newcastle where musical legends from the Pet Shop Boys and Dire Straits once shopped has closed down.

JG Windows, located in the city’s Central Arcade, first opened in 1908.

But the century-old store, which sells musical instruments, sheet music and vinyl records, closed on Friday.

The company has gone into liquidation and 17 workers were made redundant.

A sign on its window says: ‘After having served our loyal customers across the North East and beyond with all things musical since 1908, and being a cornerstone of the region’s musical heritage, our small business can no longer compete with large online retailers, and with heavy hearts we have had to take the difficult decision to close.

‘We would like to thank everyone for their support, custom and friendship.’

Pet Shop Boys singer Neil Tennant said he was ‘very sad’ to see the shop close its doors.

Tennant said: ‘As a teenager I used to visit after school and ask to listen to David Bowie in one of their stereo listening booths and then browse through the records and sheet music and wish I could afford a posh guitar.

‘It will be much missed.’

Mark Knopfler, the lead guitarist from the rock band Dire Straits, once told the BBC he spent hours gazing at the displays dreaming of the day he could own a guitar.

JG Windows was put up for sale last year but a buyer has not been found.

The store’s general manager, Alex Cole, said that JW Windows was a ‘cornerstone’ of Newcastle’s music scene.

‘For over 115 years and generations of musicians and music lovers, including my family and myself, have bought their first instrument, listened to their first LP, or learnt their first song within the iconic Central Arcade store,’ he said.

Liquidators Andrew Little and Gillian Sayburn of Begbies Traynor said time has not run out for someone to bag the company, with a liquidation date of December 12.

Little said: ‘While other shops have come and gone, JG Windows has always remained and flourished, becoming one of the UK’s oldest and most respected music stores with an unrivalled reputation for their fantastic range of instruments and musical expertise.

‘Its closure is incredibly sad and bears no reflection on the firm’s directors who have ceaselessly gone above and beyond to try and drive the business forward.

‘Trading has been so difficult, they just couldn’t see a way to carry on.’

Music lovers are now banding together to save the struggling store, launching a GoFundMe that has raised £570.

JG Windows’ sister stores in Darlington and the Metro Centre closed down in 2022 and 2018 respectively.

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