Notice Board
LADIES IN LOCKSMITHING :
Val Stokes
We interviewed Val Stokes , a lady proud to have been in locksmithing for over 40 years . Starting out working for her parents ’ locksmithing business , Val went on to become Treasurer of the London region and then President of the MLA . Read about her personal journey here and how being a female in locksmithing has its advantages …
My Journey into Locksmithing
Although I am now retired , I was in the locksmithing industry for about 40 years .
My parents had a locksmithing company , and after I had our two children , I went to work for them , helping them out with paperwork . My husband Dave was already working with my parents as a locksmith and , me being a nosey person I used to listen to him and my dad Dennis talking to the customers , and I found myself picking up the ‘ lock lingo ’.
I was not remotely qualified for such a job . After leaving school at 18 , I studied biological science and worked in medical research for Glaxo until I had the children .
In the 1980s there were very few females in locksmithing , however I was extremely lucky in having my dad and Dave teach me how to identify blanks and cut keys , pin up cylinders , recognise locks and very importantly where to order locks from and run an office . I was soon part of the furniture at the company . I used to get some odd looks when I cut keys for , usually older gentleman , questioning whether they would fit , but my dad would always say to them “ If Val ’ s cut it , I guarantee it will fit ” - no pressure then !
Business Expansion = A Growing Role
We then started to grow as a company , employing more engineers and taking on ever larger installations . The office needed me more as I was then booking jobs , ordering stock , invoicing , PAYE , Health and Safety , Credit Control , as well as helping out in the shop when needed . I must admit , this part of the job I really enjoyed . The banter that I would have with predominately male customers , who get to know you over many years , was excellent .
I didn ’ t go “ out on the tools ” as we had enough engineers for that and I was needed back at base but , over the years , I achieved a good knowledge of locks , identifying the faults and how to solve them .
10
JULY 2024
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