A popular angling shop has shut its doors for the last time after serving loyal customers for decades. Bob's Angling, Tackle and Bait, a familiar sight on Smithdown Road in Liverpool, was run by 76 year old Robert Harrison – who recently decided to retire.
Mr Harrison, who has "worked all his life", first as a wagon driver and later at the south Liverpool store, has been at the helm for 25 years. However, following the loss of several close friends to cancer, he chose to step back and enjoy his remaining years, stating "you don't know how much time you've got".
The store officially ceased trading on December 24 last year, with Mr Harrison ensuring all regular customers were informed of the impending closure. He revealed that recent adverse weather had left the property in need of numerous repairs, leading him to conclude he'd "had enough".
Reflecting on his decision, he said: "All my regulars, I told them and they were all sad for me to have gone - but it was more of a social club than a shop. The lads and pensioners would come in and have a tea or coffee – half had their own mugs! ".
Mr Harrison has pointed to soaring energy bills and rising business expenses as key reasons for his decision to close down his shop. Reflecting on the changing retail landscape, he remarked: "It sounds daft but it's a sign of the times. I used to have people coming in for all sorts of weird things that were nothing to do with fishing – wire to make balloon arches with and things like that. It's a knowledge you pick up over the years.", reports .
He continued: "Business hasn't been very good over the last few years because of the internet. I do feel sorry for the kids, the youngsters who didn't know how to fish, who would come in and you'd give them some tips. And the pensioners who would come in. We are all getting on a bit."
Now, Mr Harrison is eager to embrace retirement, looking forward to quality time with his grandchildren and great-grandchild. He shared insights into his long work history: "I left school at 15 and I had three weeks to find a job or I was out. I ended up working in a laundry. As you get older you learn to drive and then I was a wagon driver."
However, after being made redundant thrice as a driver, Mr Harrison sought a new path, which led him to the Smithdown Road fishing shop. He eventually took ownership of the business in 1999, marking a significant shift in his career trajectory.
Fishing has been a lifelong passion for Mr Harrison, who shared with the ECHO: "My family was a big family – there were eight of us, four boys and four girls. Money was tight in the 1960s and you used to feed yourself by going out to catch a few fish. I'm a bit of an all-rounder, so I'll do fly fishing, sport fishing, inshore fishing – it was a source of pleasure.
"I used to take my children fishing, but they've got their own lives to lead. I've taught them the same way I was taught – you go out and make your life and go to work. My first son died when he was three, my eldest daughter is a police officer, my eldest son is ex-army and now he works in Jaguar Land Rover, and my youngest is a transport manager with Arriva buses. They all went out and worked – I'm old school."
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