A FAMILY-RUN jewellers in Hove has to shut up shop after 57 years of business.

Watchmaker Frank Patten closed the doors of his Hove based shop for the last time at 5pm last night, after his 68th birthday on Friday.

The Frank Patten jewellers has been on Western Road since 1958, with Frank running the shop since 1979 having taken it over from his father, Frederick.

Initially opening a watchmakers in 1947 on 31 Church Street, Frederick had been a repairer in the Royal Air Force.

Frank said: “In the late 30’s he was working as part of 103 Maintenance Unit in Aboukir, Egypt, repairing watches for the Middle Eastern command.”

Frank was only 11 when his father’s shop was threatened by demolition, moving in 1958 to its current location in Hove.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Frank joined the Royal Air Force but as part of communications, eventually leaving to train as a watchmaker in the shop's basement.

“With my father working as a watchmaker I naturally went into clocks. I always liked taking things apart, I’m a maintenance man and I have always enjoyed it.

“I like taking something that does not work, something dusty and broken, and turning it into something that works, returning it to life.”

Frank is not retiring any time soon though: “It is only semi-retirement. I will still be repairing clocks. There is a great satisfaction in making something work again. Life will be a lot quieter now. I won’t have to respond to the alarm clock as much anymore and won’t have to be in at nine every day.”

Mr Patten turned 68 on Friday but yesterday’s closing date was due to the end of the lease.

He said: “I did not want to keep working into my seventies behind the counter.”

Frank added that both he and his wife, Linda, would like to thank all their customers for their support and friendship over the last 35 years.

"It has been a pleasure to serve Brighton and Hove for so long, many of our customers have become friends, with some families having been with us for three generations”

Frank is taking his clock repairing business mobile and is contactable on 07730 759564.