New Horsham music shop to open

Sussex Soundhouse, situated in Unit 1 on Blatchford Close Industrial Estate, will sell instruments, books and accessories as well as offering instrument repairs.

Store manager David Thompson, who’s a guitar teacher for the West Sussex Music Service, told the County Times he’s thrilled to be opening the new music shop with his wife Rebecca.

He said; “The people of Horsham need to have a music shop, it’s the range of beginner to intermediate musicians where the demand is around here, with many parents buying instruments for their children.”

David added that he’d ideally love to have a shop in the town centre but that the reality is that it’s unaffordable.

“We are not going to be in the middle of town for the same reason everyone else isn’t because rent is astronomical, making it impossible for small businesses to start up in the centre without massive investment,” said David.

The new store opening follows the closure of Horsham Music in East Street in March this year, which closed after struggling to meet the £25,000 rent charged.

The manager said the new shop will offer all the same services as Horsham Music did but will also have an online Amazon store where products are already available to buy.

Sussex Soundhouse has been using a Facebook page to promote the new store, including offering a competition to win music lessons and posting updates of the shop unit’s refurbishment.

David said he’s been overwhelmed by the response: “We haven’t opened yet and we’ve already got loads of interest and more likes than TMC Music in Crawley.”