Martin Wilkinson Jewellers in Mansfield has been serving the Nottinghamshire town since 1794 but the historic store is closing for good this month
Andrew Campin, whose family has owned the business for the past 90 years, has been unable to persuade any of his three children to take on the business and, at over 80-years-old, he wants to retire.
“It’s a combination of things that made me think that now is the right time to go,” Mr Campin says. “Particularly as I have a number eight at the beginning of my age now.
Martin Wilkinson Jewellers is very much a family jeweller for the town, specialising in bridal jewellery with a side line in watches from the likes of Vivianne Westwood, Rotary and Olivia Burton.
Opened during the sixty year reign of George III (1760-1820), Martin Wilkinson’s has occupied four positions in Mansfield’s town centre, before settling on the current location of 16 Queen Street, in 1974.
It survived two world wars, during which it focused on servicing bomber command wrist watches which were essential for accurate bomb in raids over Germany during the period of 1939 to 1945.
Martin Wilkinson was the second highest rated workshop in the country, during this time.
A closing down sale began on December 3 and there have been scenes of people queuing down the street to grab deals of up to 50% off.
