Revamp reveals a sign of the times
A SURPRISE piece of history was uncovered on Monday morning at Defty¹s hardware store in Crook Market Place.A sign dating back to the mid 1800s was revealed when Louise Defty lifted of the shop sign put up in the 1960s.
Louise said: ³The old sign was horrible, 1960s rubbish so we¹ve took it down and at about 11.30 this morning and I discovered this.² The revealed sign says Arthur Lax, established 1840, Ironmonger, and Louise and brother, Robert, who manages the family business, are hoping to preserve the sign as part of the shop¹s history.
Louise said: ³Obviously we¹ve only just found it but we¹d like to keep it maybe inside the shop?
³We¹d like to try and restore the castle style trim to it as well.² Louise and Robert have been working on the shop front since last summer, when they discovered more traditional front shop hidden away under recent additions.
Louise has since uncovered her own hidden talent for restoration and has worked hard to restore the shop front to its traditional glory.
She said: ³I made Latex molds out of the decorations on the left and created authentic ones for the right side out of polyester resin.
³The original shop front is so gorgeous we couldn¹t not restore it.² ³I¹ve never done anything like this before but I thought I¹d just have a go- we¹re going to get my dad to come down once it¹s all finished as he ran the shop before us.² Defty¹s has been going since 1846 and had shops in Bishop Auckland and Spennymoor before it came to Crook.
It sells a vast array of kitchenware, plumbing, timber, paints, fireguards, tools, and most other bits and bobs too.
Louise said: ³We have a black and white photograph of the store in the 1840s with all the men standing outside wearing their pinnies and hats!² ³I wouldn¹t know how many generations we¹ve had it for now.
³We even have a shop stamp which says Arthur Lax (Prop R. Defty Ironmonger and Sports Outfitter and the telephone number 2542.
³We still have that same number but with a lot more numbers in front of it!²
