HUTCHINSON, Kan. – It isn’t every day that a simple billboard viewing leads to a cross-continental connection, but that is exactly what happened at Ad Astra Radio on Tuesday, November 3rd.
Steve Ollier, who travels for work, was in Hutchinson, Kansas for work when our Ad Astra Radio billboard caught his eye. Steve’s stepfather is a regular visitor to a unique record shop across the pond in Leominster, England: Ad Astra Records.
Steve stopped by our Hutchinson station to snap a photo holding a tote bag from the UK shop. As it turns out, taking photos with Ad Astra Records bags in various locations – from a radio station to a rainforest – is a tradition for the shop’s global community of music lovers. Steve sent the photo back to shop owner Nigel Westwood, and we got into contact with our new Ad Astra connection.
On Friday, Ad Astra Radio’s Kaitlyn Mauro hopped on a phone call with Nigel Westwood for an interview to talk about the unexpected connection, and the story behind our shared name.
While our station is named after Kansas’s official state motto, “Ad Astra per Aspera” (“To the stars through difficulties”), Nigel explained that Ad Astra Records shares a similar origin. Founded about three and a half years ago in 2023, the shop was named by Nigel’s original business partner after the Latin phrase. Nigel took over sole ownership last year, and the business has been growing ever since.
Ad Astra Records doesn’t just serve music lovers in Leominster-they ship vinyl records all over the world, including recent shipments to Dallas and across the US. They also work with folk touring companies bringing artists to the UK from Canada, the United States, and beyond.
“With the power of technology, finally we can have a conversation from opposite sides of the world, which is incredible, really,” Nigel shared during the interview.
Want to browse their collection or order a record? You can visit Ad Astra Records online at AdAstraRecords.com.
Listen to the full conversation on the Ad Astra Radio Podcasts Page.
