The story behind
The Happy Highlander’s Records channel

WHY????  That is a question I am often asked when I tell people about collecting old 78rpm shellac records and wind-up gramophones.....   and that quickly morphs into WHAT???? and HOW????,  when I tell them that I have actually around 160,000 records and over 40 wind-up gramophone players.....

 

So here is the story of how I got from the beginning of my interest in 78s to now, putting together The Happy Highlander's Records broadcasts....

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HOW IT ALL STARTED

 

Well...my passion for shellac all started in 1984.  I had appeared in a school play of The Mikado in 1980.

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My mother (who you can meet in episode 4 about VE Day) was an avid collector of antique Scottish country artefacts like old cheese-presses, irons, oil lamps, small items of furniture, etc and she often went to the local auctions.  On one such occasion in 1984 I met her there and there happened to be two old record albums and a wind-up gramophone record player.  One of these record albums happened to be The Mikado (the other was The Gondoliers).

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So I bought them – the two record albums costing £5 GBP total.

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..... and so started the interest (obsession??) in collecting 78’s and gramophones, and what has turned out to be a life-long passion, out of which I get great joy.

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[One of my favourite things to say about 78s is that the reason records with a collection of songs on them are called “albums” nowadays is because they originally were in ALBUMS.  Each side of a 78 typically only carries one song/speech.  Hence if you want songs from an opera as an example, you need six or more records, with a song on each side.  These are then kept in a “book” or album – as in the photos above.]

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HOW THE COLLECTION GREW

 

Over the years and decades that followed, from that auction purchase on 19th September 1984, the collection has grown by purchasing single records, batches of a few hundred from car-boot sales and then much lager “hauls” when someone is looking to pass on entire collections. 

 

For example, my most recent additions (at April 2026) have been from the children of someone who was hugely passionate about collecting 78s, from the 1970s onwards; and I was lucky enough to take over custodianship of their 10,000 or so records (10 inch and 12 inch).  This necessitated two return trips in a hired van from Scotland to North Devon in England, to collect them, a round trip of over 900 miles each time (the first trip also picking up a shed enroute) – dedication to the cause, or madness?

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I was also lucky to receive about 15 gramophones from someone in Edinburgh who was downsizing and needed the space.  This is a photo sent to the donor, of some of them, when I had around 30 gramophones of various styles (as at April 2026, I have over 40):

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Now my collection is around 160,000 records (at April 2026) and is based on an island off the west coast of Scotland, where I am working hard to collect, preserve, digitise and share these 78rpm shellac records; along with collecting wind-up gramophones.

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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Just to say....  I have not counted each and every one.... but one day I did get the tape measure out and measured all the shelves, the boxes and the crates and it came to around 355 linear meters.  Using AI, the result was an estimated mid-point of around 160,000 records.  This can never be an accurate figure, given that older discs (eg around 1900 to 1910) are thicker than the more “modern” 78rpm shellac discs from the 1940s, 50s and 60s.

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​​​​​​​​​​​​In a quiet moment one day recently, I worked out that, with the first records being bought about 41 and a half years ago (September 1984 to April 2026), and with a collection of around 160,000 records now.... 

........that means it has grown by, on average, roughly 3,850 records a year, which is about 320 records a month, which is 74 records a week.....

........which means that, if I had to build this collection in a consistent manner over every single day for 41 ½ years, then I would have to have bought about 10 records every single day of the week, for 41 ½ years straight, just to get to where I am now....

.......I think I need to lie down....

 

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THE MAGICAL EVENTS THAT LED TO THE BIRTH OF THE HAPPY HIGHLANDER’S RECORDS BROADCASTS

 

The island community where I now live is truly amazing.  There are the most wonderful people here, with a great variety of interests, creativity, knowledge and kindness. 

One of the many community initiatives was gaining funding for a “Granny Bus” which is coordinated by volunteers.  Volunteer drivers collect some of the elderly population from their homes and take them on trips to the shops, to the hairdressers, to appointments, outings to the café, etc. 

 

January on a Scottish island can sometimes be a bit quieter, with long dark days, and wild weather.  So I suggested that I organise a couple of hours on a January afternoon for some of the island’s older residents, to come to my home, sit in front of the fire with home baking, and listen to a selection of my 78s. 

 

On 26th January 2018, the first gathering was held.  I had such a wonderful time with these amazing islanders, who had such a wealth of knowledge and insight, and certainly knew how to laugh.

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There were repeated gatherings in January 2019, February 2020 (and after a break for Covid), in February 2023. 

At the 2023 gathering I showed an unopened package with a record inside of one of Stalin’s speeches.  I had ordered it from a contact in Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine and it was posted on 22nd February 2022.   The Russians invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022.  I really did not think I would see my record, but it arrived in June 2022.  I messaged the seller to say that (amazingly) it had arrived and I promised not to open the package until all of Ukraine was free again.   The package remains unopened.

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I was then asked to do a talk and play some records during the winter series of talks in the island heritage centre.  So in October 2023 (as part of the winter 23/24 series of talks), and then again in January 2025 (for the 24/25 series), I really enjoyed giving a talk about gramophones to an audience; highlighting some of my rarer and more interesting records, along with stories about the history of recorded sound.

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These talks were followed by a team quiz in the café, with questions such as “which movie was this the theme for”, “in which advert was this song used”, “which modern band covered this original song”, “what is the name of the cartoon character singing on this record”, etc

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THE BIRTH OF THE HAPPY HIGHLANDER’S RECORDS BROADCASTS

 

In later 2025 I was chatting with a very good friend about my collection, and they suggested I could possibly do some podcasts based on my collection... and so these episodes have evolved from that inspirational suggestion.

As I say at the end of each episode, these editions are recorded on an island off the West coast of Scotland where my collection of some 160,000 old shellac records is lovingly kept – to preserve, record and share these sounds from the past, at 78rpm.​​

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I am not sure where this journey will take me and what adventures I will have.  However the basic, core fact is that I have already had huge enjoyment out of putting together this channel, making the first ten episodes for launch on 1st May 2026, and planning future episodes.

As the Happy Highlander, I have made myself very happy just in doing this – and that itself has made it all worthwhile.

 

 

YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME

 

So whoever you are, wherever you are listening from, and however familiar (or unfamiliar) with 78s you are – you are always welcome here.

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You can also be involved in the channel by emailing me with any suggestions for themes or requests for particular records:  requests@thehappyhighlandersrecords.com

 

I truly hope that you too get some enjoyment and happiness from watching and listening to these broadcasts.

 

The Happy Highlander

April 2026

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