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I think it would be a great idea for a big glossy 'coffee table book'.
For someone to travel the country taking arty photos of these places to document them before they disappear.
Nooooo! Not Rickards.
Sorry 😟
For someone to travel the country taking arty photos of these places to document them before they disappear.
If you pay me, I will go... 😉
(Disclaimer... Not sure I can do arty photos 😂)
If you go to the Museum of Modern Art II in Edinburgh there is a lovely painting of an ironmongers by Quality Square Ludlow, from the days when Quality Square was a semi derelict industrial area and remnant slum.
If only we knew someone on the forum who was handy with the crayons...
fasgadh
Free Member
Nooooo! Not Rickards
I just popped in and had a chat to one of the staff, saying how sad I was to see the 'for sale' sign. She was saying how she loved to work in there and how she felt it was like working in a museum. She thought she should wear period costume! Apparently the owners are hoping to sell it as a going concern. Sounds optimistic to me, but here's hoping 🤞One factor in its favour apparently, is that not only Iis the building listed, but all the countertops and wooden storage shelves and cubby holes are too. Should make it harder for someone to gut it and turn it into a Kebab shop or whatever. Been in business for 160 years apparently. She was also extolling the virtues of Bunners in Montgomery up the road, I've not been. I will fix that soon.
If only we knew someone on the forum who was handy with the crayons…
Yeah but how is he with a box brownie? And would he need the incentive of concurrently documenting all the nation's Greggs?
I have the weird hybrid shop “anything and everything” Half old school ironmongers half full of bongs, grinders and rolling papers.
I do like a good wierd mix shop. Used to be one at the top of Leith Walk with one side of the shop second hand TVs and the other side darts and dartboards.
When I lived in Cessnock/ Ibrox there was a tiny shop that was half army surplus and combat knives on one side and half lace and haberdashery on the other
Anyone for a game of corson?
Genius. Low Fell Cycles in Gateshead operate this exact ruleset.
Yep, the same family have run it in the same location since 1912…
Odell's in Stony Stratford has been on the same site for 275+ years. And even better, there's still a Mr Odell working the shop floor!
No-one mentioned Webb's of Crickhowell? Picked up some Danish oil and a nice fireproof gauntlet there a few months back. Was quite tempted by a very snazzy log splitter device, but unfortunately I never actually have cause to split any logs.
there is one here in devizes called roses ironmongers (now called roses of devizes).
i used to work there back in 1992-94 in the garden section (was my first job).
i would post a link/pic but cannot work out how to do it doh!
TJ has already mentioned the appropriately named 'Anything & Everything' down the road from him. When I was up there earlier this week we tried to see if we could get them done under the trades description act for false advertising
We couldn't. It literally has 'Anything & Everything'
Also Highland Industrial Supplies but in Fort William
There used to be one in Park Lane here in Chippenham, called Denton’s. Bare wooden floorboards, and that wonderful indefinable smell, a mixture of paraffin, grass seed, and metal tools, but it closed several years ago. It belonged to my mates family, but they were retiring and had no one to take it on, sadly. There were a couple of shops and a car park there that were turned into accommodation.
I’ve got a set of needle files I bought from them when I was at school, that I still use - it’s my 69th birthday today so they’ve lasted pretty well!
Dentons were the shop on the right, the one on the left was a hifi shop for a while, but when the parking area was turned into accommodation, (you can just see the end wall on the extreme left), it killed off the trade, because there was nowhere to park that was handy.
@spin, the only problem with HIS in Inverness is you have no idea what you will pay- sometimes you pay VAT, others not- sometimes discount, sometimes not. Otherwise it is good.
I wonder whatever happened to catlitter Ken on Lark lane, he had two jokes which he used at every opportunity, If you asked for nails he said 'whats this- an ale house' If you asked for a sack of cat litter which he would deliver, it was 'If your not in ill put it through the letter box'
Every bloody week 🙂
Baker & Sons. It was always my go-to place for all my DIY needs. Unfortunately it closed down last year after about 110 years.
Damn, that's a shame. It would only have been about 80 years old when I was last in there.
Weaverham Hardware not so ancient but has this vibe.
I do like a good wierd mix shop. Used to be one at the top of Leith Walk with one side of the shop second hand TVs and the other side darts and dartboards.
When I lived in Cessnock/ Ibrox there was a tiny shop that was half army surplus and combat knives on one side and half lace and haberdashery on the other
There was one near me that was half a florists and half motorbikes.
Best smell in a shop was Blakes Sports in Reading. A sports version of the hardware above, everything was in drawers. A pair of navy blue football socks, size 4-7.....up the ladder open a couple of drawers to find them. Cricket whites, 28 waist? In a drawer....
They sold all sorts, but specialised in cricket and it smelt of batting gloves and linseed oil. My Dad and his workmate Tim who played Berks Minor Counties took me in to buy my first bat there where the proprietor refused to sell me a DF Attack by Ian Botham because he thought it was too heavy for me. He was right, he sold me a GN World Cup and I scored a (comparative) ton of runs with that stick in the next couple of years. And always used comparatively lightweight bats right through my adult career too.
Then asked me, “how many do you need?” Slightly thrown, I said “uh… maybe half a dozen?” whereupon she cracked open the box and counted them out for me, 1… 2… 3… before charging me something mortgage-threatening like about 4p.
That reminded of a trip to Gulzar's Fancy Goods on St Marks Road in Bristol. Tiny place, stuffed to the gills with random stock, I felt a bit sad seeing things like brand new kitchen devices in their yellowing boxes.
Lovely chap though, and insisted on selling me only the three or four hooks or whatever that I needed, when I'd have been perfectly happy to spend 79p on a whole box.
I just looked it up on Google maps, and there's this cracking quote in the top review:
"It is true that in the past keys did not always work ( with all due respect to the late Mr.Gulzar who was amazing in many ways)..."
Might have to pop in one of these days.
the only problem with HIS in Inverness is you have no idea what you will pay- sometimes you pay VAT, others not- sometimes discount, sometimes not. Otherwise it is good.
I've never once paid the ticket price, always less! Exactly what you will pay is indeed a mystery.
Came here to mention JB Banks of Cockermouth for it to be in the opening post.
Museum out the back is very good 👍
I do love a hardware shop and frequently get mocked by the family when I go to explore them on holiday. The range of products means there is something for everyone though. There are a lot in Scotland that I like, the absence of nearby B&Q type ‘sheds’ helps. I was really tempted to look at buying the Grantown on Spey one when it was for sale a few years back.
I used to work at Jennings brewery many years ago so know JB Banks well.
Still in Cumbria Pigneys at Appleby is one of those long sprawling shops, similar to Home Hardware in Kirkwall.
Does TW Ralph’s at Yanwath count, it has a lot of big agricultural stuff but a good shop, like HIS you usually have no idea what things cost. You cannot make a rush purchase as there is always a farmer at the front of the queue talking for ages
I like to shop locally, and theoretically, I love shops like this. I’m even happy to pay a premium over the chain retailers. Unfortunately I find it hard to give these guys my money. They always seem to try their very best to not actually sell me anything.
I'm an engineer - I know exactly what I want/need but unfortunately I don't bother with these places for the reasons mentioned above.
I've rung one of my local places enquiring about £500 of Lindaptors I'm wanting that has stocked them previously "we'll ring you back". Still waiting.
35mm socket required. Still waiting. Many more examples.
Another place - the old boy in his blue smock takes forever to one finger type all the invoice product codes that I don't have the patience to use them anymore. Shame as they are just round the corner and a Gedore stockists.
Internet or Screwfix, click and collect. Evolve or die......or just offer better service.
They are not really aimed at engineers or tradespeople though are they? More at Mrs Miggins who wants a 13 amp fuse, a bog brush, some mothballs and a chat.
Screwfix is better in the same way Amazon is better than other independent high street places. Cheaper yes, more choice yes. As long as you don't value human interaction, supporting local businesses, a sense of history and community and high streets holding on to some independent shops instead of cloned national or global chains.
I'm a bit of a hypocrite because I do use Screwfix, but I do like to give these places some business too.
Morons of Ilkley for DIY, kitchen stuff, electrical, gardening etc. Feels like several shops knocked through. Last I heard they were struggling unfortunately and closing some of the departments.
They are not really aimed at engineers or tradespeople though are they? More at Mrs Miggins who wants a 13 amp fuse, a bog brush, some mothballs and a chat.
Some of the places I deal with are a bit of both/open to the public, the ones I mentioned above are. We are a big multinational company and I have authority for setting up accounts wherever I want. Given a choice I'll go with local / independent.
I have justified many times higher costs for comparable items due to superior service from a company. Unfortunately a lot of places fail on the service side, whereas RS (a glorified hardware store)/ internet/Screwfix etc deliver without fail.
I used to work in McKinnels in Kirkcudbright. It had everything you could want. Selling a 3/4" brass countersunk screw to old Mrs miggins for 2p to huge stainless coach bolts to the fishing boats.
I loved cutting keys on a hand turned key cutter. Didn't so much enjoy selling blood, fish and bone by the hundredweight.
Actually just walked past it and although Graham has been dead a good few year and the shop is no longer a hardware shop I can still see him standing there arms crossed watching the world go by.
My mum reckons we did more talking than working and she's not wrong.
Haven't lived there for fifteen years, but Southdown Hardware in Harpenden was a great little hardware shop (Google Street view suggests it was still there recently). Only as big as an average living room but somehow stocked everything that a massive superstore does.
In terms of smell, for me nothing beats Motorways in Alsager (the 'parent' shop from which Sideways Cycles is an offshoot). It's the motoring equivalent of the hardware shops described in this thread. Smells of new tyres, old tools, and a hint of WD-40.
the old boy in his blue smock takes forever to one finger type all the invoice product codes
That's the chippie round the corner. I was in there just yesterday because the good one up the road was closed.
A fish, £5.
Two lots of chips, £2 each.
Gravy, £1.
Curry, £1.30.
Woman behind the counter starts hammering at a calculator. The 30p aside she's adding up 5, 2, 2, 1 and 1. "That'll be £11.40, love." I gave her the £11.30 I already had ready, she didn't question it.
They have previous though. The last time I was in they overcharged me by a few pence, underchanged me by a tenner, then copped an attitude when I questioned it. I don't actually think it's intentionally deceptional, I think they're just dim, but a response to a customer of "YEAH, ALRIGHT!!" when I asked for my ten quid back is the reason I stopped going despite being like three doors down the road.
@onehundredthidiot I used to buy brass screws and other stuff including fishing line / hooks from Graham Mckinnels. If it wasn't there Dalziels 50yds up the road had it. Two hardware shops just yards apart, and Willie laws bike shop and electrical goods in between...
Jones Home Hardware in Hay-on-Wye is spread across several buildings and even more rooms, or certainly feels like that once you enter.
Macsalvors in Redruth cover most things from socks to ships anchors.
Laws is still there.
Is there a good one in St Ives? Arrived on holiday yesterday, between all the surf shops, posh coffee shops and trendy bars and pubs it feels like there should be.
J Raine and Son - aka the corner shop in Middleton in Teesdale, website covers everything you need to know!
Two within 5 minutes walk of my house - Bishopston Hardware & DIY and Pearce's Hardware Store - in Bristol. The former is used by both the public but also by tradesmen, the latter more focussed to the public.
If only we knew someone on the forum who was handy with the crayons…
Yeah but how is he with a box brownie? And would he need the incentive of concurrently documenting all the nation’s Greggs?
Should Binners take up the challenge there is a Greggs which opened earlier this week right opposite Bishopston Hardware!
I used to work in McKinnels in Kirkcudbright.
I bought a few old drawer storage units for my workshop from graham when he shut up shop, the shop had the usual musty hardware store smell and I’ve still got my telescopic fishing rod I bought as a kid back in the 80’s from him, caught my first ever salmon with it up at the lynn pool nr the power station
Carroll’s in Amersham. Quirky, apparently disorganised, but they’ve got just about anything.
There used to be a few in central London one in Soho was a favorite of mine when I was a working on nightclubs.
Romany’s near Piccadilly Circus?
Lye hardware in lye near Stourbridge was good for most bits and pieces and had about 20 brooms in a box outside with a sign saying "plenty more brooms inside" which always made me smile.
Sadly closed earlier this year.
As mentioned above, I also lived in Fleet for 30+ years and frequented Baker’s regularly, but the family weren’t prepared to take it on so sold the building.
That's a least 3 of us on here with an Fleet connection then. I tried to buy a washer for a washing machine hose from Bakers years ago and was on the receiving end of some weird in jokes between the staff, so sacked them off for B&Q thereafter sadly.
Bit jealous that it's going to be an actual bakers. I miss proper bread.
Lost Dorking's hardware store, Cummins, at the end of 2021…..now just yet another estate agent
Thorns in Norwich, possibly my favourite shop.
Long gone now but Fraser & McColl in Inverness, even worked there when I was at school. Happy days, measuring out nails by the pound.
No-one mentioned Webb’s of Crickhowell? Picked up some Danish oil and a nice fireproof gauntlet there a few months back. Was quite tempted by a very snazzy log splitter device, but unfortunately I never actually have cause to split any logs.
Was just about to! I went to school with the owner's son and spent many, many hours in there hunting down bits for projects etc. Nowhere near as good as it used to be for that kind of thing but they have gone quite a bit upmarket on the furniture and white goods side in the 20+ years since then. Still very rarely leave without something to do the job though. Last trip there I walked out with a bag of imperial nuts and bolts and some strimmer cord while the lady beside me was ordering roughly £2.5k worth of bespoke furniture to be delivered to her posh house in London!
now defunct Goldings in Bedford was brilliant as it was also a model shop. Creaky worn wooden floor boards and a wonderful smell.
Nails by the pound, yes, used to do that. I remember the cottage hospital brought a guy down to the shop to weigh him as our big scales went up to a huge number. If I remember right he was over 3 hunnerweight.