Notice Board
Just Say‘ Yes’ to Everything …
Abbeygate Locksmiths’ Recipe for Success
» A LOCKSMITH WITH AN infectious laugh and 52 years in the trade, Stephen Underwood told TLJ his recipe for success as a self-employed locksmith.
Abbeygate Locksmiths, based in Reading, is a family-run business led by Stephen and supported by a team of four, including his partner Elaine and son Alex. He shared how his“ say yes to everything” approach, combined with versatility, craftsmanship, and a solid reputation, has been the key to the company’ s longstanding success.
How Locksmithing Became Way of Life
Here’ s the story of how I went from getting into trouble for pinching plums and picking a bike shed lock to running one of the most respected locksmithing businesses in the South.
Locksmithing has always been a way of life for me, since I was fifteen, and after more than five decades in the trade, I can tell you the secret to building a successful business is: never turn work away. No matter how strange, heavy, fiddly, awkward, or far away the job is, find a way to get it done, and do it well.
I was a bit of a‘ Dennis the Menace’ as a kid. I once got caught scrumping plums, and as punishment, my dad locked my bike up in a garden shed so I couldn’ t go fishing. But I was determined. I found some old bits of wire and, having seen people on TV“ wriggling stuff around in locks,” I gave it a go, and I got my bike back. My dad, a carpenter by trade, saw my potential. Shortly after, he walked into a local lock and safe shop and noticed they had a part-time job going.“ Perfect for Stephen,” he said. And just like that, in 1973, I was in.
From Saturday Boy to Safe Expert
My first job was with E. Smith & Co, established in 1840- an old-school locksmith firm with four offices. I worked my way up over 23 years, from Saturday lad to technical sales director. My real education came through a five-year indentured apprenticeship, learning alongside seasoned locksmiths, sitting“ next to Nelly,” as we called it, soaking up their knowledge, and slowly taking on jobs myself.
In 1992, aged 19, I joined the Master Locksmiths Association, and, many years later I was proud to become a member of the MLA Board and within a year of joining the Board, I became Chairman. Later, I joined Banham’ s of London, probably the biggest security company in the country now. After several years of working at Banham’ s I took a leap of faith and started my own business.
Opening Abbeygate Locksmiths
In my early 40s, I decided it was time. I named the company Abbeygate Locksmiths- a nod to the medieval gateway in Reading and a clever move for Yellow Pages, to appear first, which was the king of marketing back then. My reputation preceded me; local clients remembered my work, and word-ofmouth filled the books. I even did TV interviews for restoration work on the Abbeygate building itself, this was one of my proudest moments.
Biggest Challenge
One of my toughest jobs? Rebuilding a lock from scratch for Reading Museum, which involved creating a tailor-made
16
JULY 2025
locksmithjournal. co. uk Issue Takeover