Sad news - local shop closure

I vaguely remember it from 35+ years ago. I also remember Bull Electrical from further west in Portland Road. I bought a digital multimeter from them which still works well.

I bought mail order from "J Bull Electrical" when I was in my early teens, early to mid-70s. It was only some time after I moved here (late

We still have a similar shop here

I'm quite a few years into retirement and the small family run hardware shop in my local area I've known all my adult life closed down a couple of months ago. I suspect more to do with the owners and family retiring.

It was the kind of shop where in you selected the single bolt from the shelves or weighed out a kilo of loose nails yourself, where screws were priced by the half dozen or the box if you wanted more. It was the place you tended to go if you wanted a small number of items (not in a bubble pack) or if you wanted to look around for something that may get you out of trouble. They sold common plumbing fitting, common electrical fittings including wire by the metre, gardening equipment, hand tools, a full range of small hardware items and things like aerial lashing fittings etc.

Although more expensive than Screwfix/Toolstation they still appeared to have a reasonable trade with both DIYers and tradesmen and were always willing to give advice including where to go if they didn't stock an item.

We used to have one of those. Then the owners retired, and the staff took over. They proceeded to rip out all the lovely old shelving, with such essentials as Suffolk Latches, or individual tap washers, and replace them with modern kitchen stuff, as though there wasn't enough already. Footfall plummeted, and they doubled down by closing at 4pm instead of 5. Duh. I asked what happened to the shelves, and the reply was that they were now in the basement, which did not have an inviting entrance, nor even any suggestion that customers were welcome down there.

If you have one in your area, I recommend Kebrell Nuts and Bolts.

Yes. we have: