Formerly located in a large and much loved shop on Church Street, the hardware store Dockerills has recently opened a new location in Five Ways.
Tucked away in the basement of community shop Store Next Door in Ditchling Road, fans of the family business can now discover a smaller version of the original shop, filled with DIY essentials including cleaning supplies, screws, nails and door handles.
Since the main shop’s closure in September 2024, Malcom Dockerill has sadly passed away and son-in-law Ryan Gayler and his wife Karen have stepped in to preserve the legacy.
They said are happy to be “playing a part in the history.”
READ MORE: Brighton’s beloved hardware store and locksmith Dockerills to close after 109 years
The first iteration of the beloved store opened in 1915 in Edward Street before moving to the Church Street premises.
Marrying into the family back in the eighties, Ryan reflected on how much the business has changed.
He said: “It was a gold mine that shop, I mean it was busy from 8am until 5.30pm with cash just pouring into the till.”
But with the introduction of bigger hardware chains, slowly but surely, the cash flow at Dockerills ran dry and Ryan is hoping to go back to something more positive.
Ryan is happy to be serving customers in the new location (Image: NQ staff)
He said the closure was sad but inevitable: “It’s a shame it happened.
“Times change and we’ve had to adapt with it but weirdly there is still this sort of grab for a bit of authentic old-style shopping.”
Many Brighton locals hold fond memories of Dockerills, which Ryan is hoping to ignite once again with the new and “quirky” little shop.
The inside of Dockerills has a nostalgic feel! (Image: NQ staff)
“It’s not all pristine,” he said.
“It’s a bit like pick and mix.”
Ryan feels that in the modern day, the hardware store suits a smaller shop serving the community.
He said: “That is something people don’t do enough of these days.”
After the closing of the old larger shop, Ryan had missed meeting different customers and people coming into the shop and having a chat.
He said: “People like the idea of having Dockerills back on the high street.”
Owner of Store Next Door, Ceri Lones, has had the shop since 2019 and with almost eight years under her belt, she says she has built a loyal base of customers.
Ceri has managed the Store Next Door since 2019 (Image: NQ staff)
She has been living in Brighton for many years and has used Dockerills’ services many times.
She said: “Everyone loves them, including myself, so it was a no brainer.
“I have lots of people coming in and wanting to speak to Ryan.”
Currently popular services include garden tool sharpening and key cutting, which are available during the shop’s opening hours of Monday to Saturday from 9am until 5.30pm.