Comments on: At M&G Hardware & Ironmongery

By: Paul Wavell Ridgway

Paul Wavell Ridgway — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 10:40:53 +0000

I remember Simon Lewis.
I took him the lock from and up and over garage door with no key and after a few days he found a key to fit.
Great service.

By: Taz uddin

Taz uddin — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 17:34:16 +0000

Absolutely astonishing. Never knew there was so much history to this place. Seems almost magical. Indeed the shop is an ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ of nuts and bolts as someone mentioned in the comments. Great guy Saf. Fabulous customer service everytime I go in.

By: Dorothy Ellen

Dorothy Ellen — Sat, 04 Nov 2017 10:48:56 +0000

The shop in Key Close had an incendiary bomb land on it which caused the shop to catch fire.
James De Hailes ran the shop with the aid of his son James known as Jim, his son in law Ron Bull and George Prevost who my grandfather took on when just a boy and gave him a job for life teaching him all there was to know about the trade.

Beatrice Hill married James De Hailes and they both lived above the shop in Key Close bringing up their family. They had nine children but only three survived, John left the family home and started up on his own. James went into the family business and helped his father with both the shop and stall that was taken out on Saturdays.

Ron joined the shop on being demobbed, he had married Dorothy in 1942 just before being called up. They eventually had four children and all four worked in the shop for short periods, mainly on Saturdays. I was the eldest of the four children and for working on a Saturday my grandfather would give me half a crown which was a mint of money to me at that time in the 1950’s. I would have liked to work full time in the shop but it wasn’t considered suitable for a girl.

James died in 1956 and left the shop shared between his son James, Ron and George. Owing to certain problems left best unsaid the shop started to go downhill and it became a hard fight to keep it going. George left and Ron and James carried on until James retired. Ron’s wife Dorothy then joined him running the shop, it was hard going but Ron was intent on keeping the shop going to celebrate 100 years. After 101 years and large stores opening up in the surrounding area Ron and Dorothy felt they were too old to modernise and decided to retire.

There were very few locks that couldn’t be repaired, there was never a call out charge just the cost of the repair, and the shop had a very good reputation with very loyal customers, it was the end of an era.

I was so pleased to see that the shop is now in the hands of someone who is willing to carry it on in the same tradition, a couple of screws or half a dozen nuts and bolts. It may not make a lot of profit, but going in for that couple of screws can bring in further custom especially when customers find they are given good, friendly service. Nice modern frontage to the shop and certainly plenty on offer, Well Done Sarfaraz thank you for keeping tradition alive, I still feel homesick when I see the old place even if it looks a little different today.

By: Kevin Ellen

Kevin Ellen — Sat, 04 Nov 2017 01:40:04 +0000

Dorothy de Hailes and Ronald Bull were my grand parents. I once worked at the shop for a week during the school summer holidays back in 1979. Thank you for the wonderful write up and for including the history in the article. I’m so pleased to see that the shop is still going and is so true to its original form and purpose.

By: Carla Holbrough

Carla Holbrough — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 09:49:44 +0000

What a lovely find. I was searching for a photograph of the shop I use to spend weekends in at the back hiding in the wooden shelves.
My grandmother and grandfather was Dorothy and Ronald bull. I wish I knew more of the background of them but unfortunately they have both since passed on.
Lovely to see the history of the shop still remains.

By: Jeffrey Lewis

Jeffrey Lewis — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 06:53:40 +0000

anyone remember my shop
Simon Lewis in Wentworth st E1
Hardware over 100 years in same family closed in 1979Two brothers ran it David and Jeffrey

By: Phil Maxwell

Phil Maxwell — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 19:18:34 +0000

A great shop & article. They always have what you want!

By: zuriee

zuriee — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:11:09 +0000

Thank you young man for providing a vital service in the area, it’s always nice to have someone who stocks most products and has some knowledge on them. There is normally always a smile that greets me whenever I walk in, don’t get that from the big stores. A tradesman like me can phone up and check what he has in stock and have it ready for me to pick up.
Nothing better than the old traditional service with a smile, still waiting for my order of skyhooks thou.

By: Aziz

Aziz — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 14:34:59 +0000

I totally agree with Stefan, customer service is the key to success. Furthermore the story tells everything. This sucess is the result of Patience, Transparency, Hardworking, Attitude, Honesty and of course customer service.
I hope and request all the people to keep the ancestors’ history by following the way Sarfaraz has done it.

Sarfaraz!.. keep it on….and good luck
Aziz

By: Sarfaraz Loonat

Sarfaraz Loonat — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 10:40:48 +0000

To the ‘gentle author’ you have recorded a very befitting and accurate article.
Firstly, well done! Secondly, Thank you.
I will be proud to show my two daughters when they grow up this very article and will also forward on this special heart touching article to the late Mr Padam’s family…the De Hailes and Padam legacy lives on god willing.
I wish you all the best in all that you do.
Yours sincerley
Sarfaraz (Saf)
A very proud shop keeeper ‘again’ thanks to you!