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A blue plaque funded by Derbyshire County Council (DCC) will be installed near the former Hudson’s store on Market Place – at the NatWest bank.

Councillor Ed Fordham, who leads the Liberal Democrat group at DCC, hoped that Keith Hudson would be able to attend the ceremony in a couple of months time.

“The aim is to get the plaque up as soon as possible – probably in June or July.

It is hoped that Keith Hudson will be in attendance for the unveiling of the blue plaque.

The aim is to do it quick enough that Keith Hudson, who I believe is around 94-years-old, can attend.

“Where we are putting the plaque outside NatWest is not the oldest location, but it is the most visible and the last location of Hudson’s.”

Coun Fordham said that, although he never saw the store in its heyday, he wanted to celebrate an integral part of the town’s musical history.

“I never saw Hudson's, I’ve only been here in Chesterfield for seven years, but I’m aware that it is just the significant powerhouse for Chesterfield’s music heritage.

The original Market Hall shop front of Hudsons.

“I have a role as a market hall trader in recognising that Hudson’s is one of my predecessors, my book store is just yards away from where they were. It is one of the most significant of all of them.

“The critical thing that Hudson’s did was that he had some kind of music import, I think from Italy, so he had lots of the dance club tracks before places like Sheffield, Manchester and Birmingham.

“I think that made them unique, and people I’ve mentioned that to have said ‘I still have some of those.’ I think it was cutting edge music, rather than just hi-fi and the charts.

“I’m also becoming aware of the scale of it. They had at least two shops in Chesterfield, and I think one in Matlock and Sheffield. There was actually quite a big Hudson’s operation.”

As well as selling records, cassettes and eventually CDs, Hudson's also had shops selling musical instruments. This branch of their empire of shops on the end of Burlington Street, is today home to Salon DM hairdressers.

The Hudson’s plaque is just one part of Coun Fordham’s wider plans to highlight Chesterfield’s musical mark on the world.

He said: “The next plaque I think will be to celebrate the Thompson Twins. The next after that would be for the Some Kinda Mushroom record shop of Dave McPhie, and then after that we’d go for Joe Cocker.

“Although he’s not strictly from Chesterfield, he recorded his first ever music here, and Dave McPhie’s agency of Cocker took place entirely in Chesterfield.

READ THIS: Historic Chesterfield town centre pub set to reopen this week

The Hudson's store on the right of this photo, in the Market Hall. Hudson's also had a stall inside the market hall for many years

“We’re then planning a series of display boards in The Shambles of posters showing music gigs and significant record albums, that will actively engage new and current bands. This is not just a thing of the past.

“I suppose I just got a bit bored of Victorian men being celebrated. I’m keen we reflect that the town is more than that, and the music history is a little bit underplayed here. From the Buddy Holly photograph, the REM and Jimi Hendrix gigs, the list goes on.

“We need to celebrate what we are and what is going on around us now – I’m determined we don’t let it slip by.”

Legendary Chesterfield record store Hudson’s set to be honoured with blue plaque