Retirement forces closure of Lincolnshire hardware store
Published: 10 February 2014
A Lincolnshire hardware independent has closed its doors for the last time, with the long-time owners now heading for retirement.
Husband-and-wife team Alan and Eileen Coulbeck have been running Coulbecks Hardware in the village of Holton-le-Clay for the last 43 years. The pair bought the shop on a Saturday back in 1970, got married on the following Monday and opened for business on the Tuesday.
Mr Coulbeck, now 68, told the Grimsby Telegraph that the shop had provided "a reasonable living over the years", but despite trying to sell it on as a going concern for the last three years there have been no takers. A buyer has now been found for the premises but they will be running a different business.
Coulbecks had a reputation for having products that were hard to find elsewhere, and it kept prices competitive, winning a loyal customer base as a result.
The couple say they will miss running the business but are looking forward to their retirement.