From the Editor
Would you like a flake with that ?
Tucking into my ice cream this weekend ( and no they ’ re not 99p anymore are they ?), it dawned on me that we are just one issue shy of a very important milestone here at The Locksmith Journal . Now , I ’ m not sure if our hundredth birthday warrants a royal letter but I ’ d love to hear from our readers and locksmiths who ’ ve taken part in the last 99 issues of our publication , or if you ’ d like to be included in the anniversary edition .
» THE FIRST ISSUE OF ‘ LOCKSMITH ’ I worked on was March-April 2018 , the cover number was 55 ; roughly halfway through the Journal ’ s journey . Now , 44 issues later ( and I can ’ t quite believe that ), I ’ m pleased to say I ’ ve got to know a lot of locksmiths , safety and security specialists , and so many more different brands and businesses . But we always want to know more – and there ’ s so much more to know , hence why we changed our publication schedule to once a month , last year , instead of once every two months ! We needed more magazines to keep up .
We love keeping up with locksmiths and Wendy , in particular , has been doing a brilliant job in putting together our real-life locksmith interviews to get insight into what you do every day . This month we have everything from the man training new locksmiths from novice level to someone who could be the industry ’ s oldest locksmith at 85 , and still working . I wonder how many issues of The Locksmith Journal Dennis has looked at over the years ?
Every locksmith we interview and feature on our pages will always be special . But if you ’ d like to be part of something really special , why not get in touch so you can be in our extra special 100th edition ? Remember , we ’ re after wordsmiths not locksmiths , so you don ’ t have to write your own content ( unless you want to !)
And , if you ’ re on social media and you don ’ t follow us on Instagram , what are you waiting for ? Go to our profile on @ thelocksmithjournal and you can see some of the locksmith articles from the archives , hints and tips , fun photos and lots more . It ’ s another way we stay connected in between magazines and meet locksmiths from all over the world .
See you next time , but I ’ d love to hear from you first … Gemma
FROM THE OLDEST TO THE NEWEST
» THIS MONTH , I ’ VE INTERVIEWED A VETERAN of locksmithing and a locksmith who now dedicates his time to helping career changers become new locksmiths . Strangely enough , both individuals have nicknames … Yes , we really do find out everything ! It ’ s great that our readers want to take part and really open-up , telling us their fascinating unique stories . From the old to the new , whether it be talking about a lifetime of experience or changing careers or adding additional services - we ’ ve got it all covered in this edition .
We had the pleasure of catching up with one of , if not the , UK ’ s oldest locksmiths ! Dennis Cozzi is still working in the locksmith trade at the grand age of 85 , running A & D Cozzi based in Stevenage with his son Chris . Nicknamed “ Willo The Wisp ” he can get ‘ in and out ’ in no time , gone without leaving a trace – just like a puff of smoke ! Dennis is also as hard as nails , even surviving a deadly scorpion bite .
There ’ re so many routes into locksmithing , Simon Brown from StockLock explains how locksmithing became an additional trade along with everything else . His service offering is continuously growing with the latest addition being high security locks .
Talking of growing trades …. Alan Bain , a trainer in UPVC window and door repairs , explains how it ’ s a great additional trade for locksmiths . Proud to be ‘ a good guy of the glazing world ’ hollering ‘ don ’ t replace , repair ’ urges those in the trade to capture this extra work .
From the old to the new , we also caught up with Christopher Smith of Kan Locks , whose nickname is “ The Surgeon ” because of his precision with deadlocks and bypassing bolts . Christopher , who dedicated his whole career to locksmithing , now spends his time to helping those seeking a career change to become elite locksmiths .
A big thank you to everyone who has taken part in this month ’ s issue and to date so far . I don ’ t know what we would do without you . Your stories really add to the authenticity of The Locksmith Journal . Would you like to be featured in our next edition ? Get in-touch - it ’ s totally free-of-charge .
Unsure if you have a story ? We ’ re sure to find one ! We ’ d love to hear from you .
Get in-touch with wendy @ cvgroup . co . uk
4
AUGUST 2024
locksmithjournal . co . uk Issue Takeover