THE official opening of Bridge Tools in Launceston took place on Friday, September 24.

In front of a healthy crowd, new owner Steve Calvert, who also owns a shop in Wadebridge, welcomed everyone, before town deputy mayor, Margaret Young, unveiled the new shop.

Bridge Tools has taken over the town’s much loved hardware store on Southgate Street which, until earlier this year, was owned by the Bickle family, who ran the store since it opened in 1968.

But once Mr Calvert, who set up Bridge Tools in 2010, heard about ‘The Hardware Store’ shutting down he did his research before buying it through estate agents Kivells.

Since then he has formulated his plan to get it ready, whilst having to put up with a number of delays to start changing it around.

However four weeks ago, they started the revamp.

Since then Mr Calvert, old friend Crispin Payne, his workers, plus a number of staff have worked hour after hour to have it ready.

When asked as to how he felt in the immediate aftermath, Mr Calvert was full of mixed emotions.

He said: “I feel absolutely exhausted but I’m delighted with the number of people who have turned up today as we’ve opened.

“Also it’s really good that the deputy mayor has turned up as well as Scott Mann, plus Roger Tarrant from the Federation for Small Businesses, so it shows that people care about what we’re trying to do.”

North Cornwall Conservative MP, Mr Mann, was on hand to visit the shop on the day and was delighted with what he saw and stressed the importance of local businesses.

He said: “Having independent local stores in towns is absolutely vital for places like Launceston.

“It can make a huge difference as it creates a better community spirit and if people use it then it helps local companies expand.

“To see what Steve has done is a real credit to him.”

Deputy mayor, Cllr Young, is also thrilled that a replacement for The Hardware Store has been found.

Cllr Young said: “Bickles as it was known to everyone was a great shop. Anything you needed you could get there and it was sad when it closed.

“From the comments I’ve heard on it, people seem very pleased about it and with B & Q closing up on the Scarne Industrial Estate soon I’m hoping that people will come into Launceston and use Bridge Tools.

“It is great to see that the shop is having a revival and I wish Steve the best of luck.”

One of the Bickle family’s great strengths was their wonderful customer service and Mr Calvert knows that is the key to making this venture a success.

He added: “We know full well that the most important thing in business is customer service.

“We have a saying in here that when someone comes in here we drop tools and do everything to make our customers experience as smooth as possible.

“We’re not just about selling, we’re also an adive sounding board for people. It is our job to tell them exactly what they require and don’t require so that when they leave here they know exactly what’s needed and have the best quality product available for that particular job.

“I’ve been in the building trade for years, so I like to think I know pretty much everything there is to know about all of the various equipment.

“We have a massive range of products from budget level stuff all the way up to professional equipment, we really do cover a wide range of things.

“For example, on one hand we sell a sewing kit for just a few pounds, to an automatic cross line spirit level.”

While they clearly have an impressive assortment of equipment, Mr Calvert, who will now live upstairs and take just four days off a month, is keen to make the store as professional and as good as he can.

He added: “We have an incredible amount of stock. A lot of it at the moment is still stored away but in the coming days we’ll get more and more of it into the shop.

“I’ve also got ideas to make the storeroom into part of the shop so we have even more stuff.

“This place is now a massive part of my life so it’s important that I make this place as good as I can possibly make it.”