1 week Ago By [email protected] (Chris Harby)
A nationwide business which set up its first watchmaker’s shop right here has stood the test of time and is celebrating its bicentenary Joseph Hinds ventured into the world of business back in 1825 when he opened a watchmaker’s shop on Stamford High Street. Although the building no longer exists, the shop was believed to be found on the corner, near St John the Baptist’s Church, at the junction of High Street and Red Lion Square. According to research by David and Neil Hinds, Joseph offered a competitively-priced service, charging a shilling for cleaning a 30-hour clock or a watch, and one shilling and sixpence for an eight-day clock.
Having a new mainspring fitted in your watch would have set you back the princely sum of three shillings. The seeds were sown right here for a successful business which would grow into a national chain, yet it wouldn’t be long before Joseph would soon be packing his bags and relocated his shop in Colchester. The business passed down from generation to generation, expanding into jewellery, and in the summer of 1984, director David Hinds decided to venture back to where it all began.
They opened a new branch back in Stamford, again in High Street. To celebrate the return, customers were gifted a silver-plated candlestick if they spent between £10 and £20 - or a ‘magnificent’ candelabra if they dug a little deeper and parted ways with more. Joseph, who died shortly after his move to Essex aged 41, could scarcely have imagined where it would all lead.
The family business now has more than 100 branches, yet it would have surely pleased its founder that the business is back where it all began - just the briefest of ambles from the very spot he set the ball rolling 200 years ago..
