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From Precious Rocks to The Love of Locks & Training :
South UK Locksmith Training
We interviewed Danny Gardiner , behind First Entry Locksmiths in Southwater , West Sussex , and South UK Locksmith Training . His journey is nothing short of fascinating , transitioning from the world of precious stones and metals as a jewellery store owner to becoming a locksmith . It ’ s a remarkable tale of moving from rocks to locks , and now he ’ s even imparting his knowledge through locksmithing training .
Tell us about your journey into locksmithing ?
When I was about 13 years old , I watched a TV programme on locksmithing and knew right then that I wanted to pursue that path . However , life had other plans . After leaving school , I struggled to land my first locksmithing job , so I took a position cutting keys and enrolled in a carpentry course at college .
Later , I ventured into the music industry for a bit , and eventually opened two jewellery stores . My interest in jewellery was piqued by its intricate nature , which I later found beneficial in locksmithing . Unfortunately , juggling too many responsibilities led to the downfall of my jewellery business . This failure , however , had a silver lining as it steered me back to my initial passion for locksmithing .
I trained at Island Locks , which is no longer in operation . Now , I ’ ve been selfemployed as a locksmith for eight years , operating under First Entry Locksmiths . I can ’ t imagine myself doing anything else and plan to continue in this profession until retirement , though that ’ s still a long way off .
Most of my work comes from contracts with estate agents and housing maintenance companies , with whom I ’ ve built strong relationships . The rest of my business comes through word of mouth and social media marketing .
The Desire to Train Others
I ’ m always eager for something new and I missed interacting with people . Excited by all the new skills I had learned , I felt a strong desire to help others , which led to the birth of South UK Locksmith Training . For the past two years , I ’ ve been teaching new locksmiths and really enjoying it . The social aspect of teaching is fulfilling and it ’ s great to do alongside my locksmith work . It ’ s fun to pass on my knowledge and see my students succeed – it ’ s so rewarding . I offer one-to-one courses and a five-day locksmithing course at my workshop . When I get callouts , I often take my students with me , which works out perfectly !
“ It ’ s fun to pass on my knowledge and see my students succeed - it ’ s so rewarding .”
At South UK Locksmith Training , I keep my class sizes small , with a maximum of three people , to ensure lots of personalised learning time . I support my students throughout their journey into locksmithing and beyond , as there ’ s always more to learn . My students enjoy supplier discounts on tools and stock , and I guide them on the best products to use . Personally , I favour using Versa for euro cylinders ( a Duffells company ), Prolocks , and APECS .
10
DECEMBER 2024
locksmithjournal . co . uk