| Re: News from the High Street, Nailsea, North Somerset - October 2025 Posted by Witham Bobby at 13:47, 28th October 2025 |     |
Always useful when you want four candles
| Re: News from the High Street, Nailsea, North Somerset - October 2025 Posted by Mark A at 12:31, 28th October 2025 | |
The issues with hardware shops was an occasional topic of discussion... several years ago - specifically the difficulty in training up staff to be effective in providing sufficient cover - given the encyclopaedic spread of knowledge they needed to field enquiries from the general public, and then once trained the shop would need to retain them. Glad to see that many persist nevertheless, though the reliance on irreplaceable individuals must be considerable...
Mark
| Re: News from the High Street, Nailsea, North Somerset - October 2025 Posted by Witham Bobby at 12:15, 28th October 2025 | |
There's a Brown's Hardware on Pershore High Street, which is a magnificent place - everything you could want from a hardware store is there. There was a bit of a refurbishment a few years back, which has not detracted from the assortment of stock or the personal service
| Re: News from the High Street, Nailsea, North Somerset - October 2025 Posted by PrestburyRoad at 11:16, 28th October 2025 | |
In Winchcombe I strongly recommend Ace Hardware. Excellent stock, and it's so nice to see the display of brooms, buckets etc out on the main street.
| Re: News from the High Street, Nailsea, North Somerset - October 2025 Posted by rogerpatenall at 10:07, 28th October 2025 | |
When in England I live at Blackheath where Kam runs the brilliant 'Standard Hardware'. Does he stock everything? Well, I do remember a couple of years ago celebrating when I caught him out. Celebrations were actually cut short when he said "But I'll get one for you by Thursday".
| Re: News from the High Street, Nailsea, North Somerset - October 2025 Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 22:17, 27th October 2025 | |
There is now a video news item, from the BBC, at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cglgzgxnzw5o
I have met John Brown, and Joe, over the years, and I rate them at the very top of the scale in terms of their focus on personal service and customer satisfaction.
Chris from Nailsea.
| News from the High Street, Nailsea, North Somerset - October 2025 Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 16:00, 26th October 2025 | |
As hardware stores go, John Brown's is a truly excellent example: I've been a frequent customer there for some forty years.
From the BBC:
Town's oldest shop owner celebrates 100th birthday
John Brown has run the shop since 1957
The owner of a town's oldest shop is celebrating his 100th birthday.
John Brown, owner of John Brown Hardware, built and then opened his shop in Nailsea, North Somerset, in September 1957 with his father.
Mr Brown regularly worked in the shop until the age of 98, and still oversees the business. He said he still felt like a "youngster at heart" and was "proud and honoured" to reach the milestone of 100 years.
The centenarian said the shop was his "little baby" and he opened it as he was "interested in people".
"If I could help people I did, and if they couldn't pay upfront, I said 'come back next week'," he added.
Mr Brown's shop sells a variety of hardware items, bathroom fixtures, ironmongery, homeware and decorative items.
(BBC article continues)
John Brown has run the shop since 1957
The owner of a town's oldest shop is celebrating his 100th birthday.
John Brown, owner of John Brown Hardware, built and then opened his shop in Nailsea, North Somerset, in September 1957 with his father.
Mr Brown regularly worked in the shop until the age of 98, and still oversees the business. He said he still felt like a "youngster at heart" and was "proud and honoured" to reach the milestone of 100 years.
The centenarian said the shop was his "little baby" and he opened it as he was "interested in people".
"If I could help people I did, and if they couldn't pay upfront, I said 'come back next week'," he added.
Mr Brown's shop sells a variety of hardware items, bathroom fixtures, ironmongery, homeware and decorative items.
(BBC article continues)
