A Liverpool man may possibly be the the city's oldest self-employed key cutter after nearly 60 years in business.
Frank Moran Jnr started working as a key cutter in the 1960s until he retired last year. Setting up his own business, Moran's Mobiles, Frank, from Liverpool 8, became a familiar face on Greatie Market as well as other markets across the UK selling everything from keys to engraved gifts.
In a time before health and safety and technology became what we know it to be today, Frank was keen to to keep up with the latest trends and new machinery to continue to offer new items to generations of customers. From starting out part-time in Woolworths to life on Greatie Market, Frank, now 75, said he's "a very rewarding life."
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As part of the Liverpool ECHO's How It Used To Be series, we spoke to Frank, who is possibly the city's oldest self-employed key cutter, about his business and how life has changed in the city through the years. The dad-of-two told the ECHO: "I was an engineering apprentice with the National Coal Board in 1963 and I was going down the mine every few days for training and I had to be up at 4am to get there.
"I did that for three months and then the pits closed for the summer break and I looked around for a part time job. My grandfather said there’s a job here for you, only part time in Woolworths cutting keys.
"I went down there and took things with me, like things I'd made in the engineering shop in school like a shifting spanner and I was 13 when I made that. I was 16 doing the interview in Woolworths and the fella didn't even know what it was."
Four weeks into the job, a colleague left the business and Frank was offered the full time position. On seven pound 10 shilling in the mines, Frank said his dad told him he could have the job but it "had to be eight pound 10 shilling," which was agreed.
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Frank said: "There was nobody wearing masks and eye covers, if you got something in your eye it was your own fault. It was cheap - people only had two keys back then, a front door key and a backdoor key. Nowadays in the average household there's about 40 keys.
Years ago, more people started getting cars, kids getting independent, coming home on their own and needing a key. Years ago there was no steering locks on cars, one key would start everything and not only one car, it would probably start a couple. It isn't like it is now with chips and all that."
Wanting to start his own business, Frank later joined the cruises with his sister and saved up money before returning home after four years in 1974 to try working on the markets cutting keys. Frank became known at markets such as Great Homer Street, Earlestown, Connah's Quay, Greenfield and Dumfries on a Sunday in Scotland, where he set up next to John Hargreaves who went on to own Matalan.
Frank told the ECHO: "To get on the markets, you had to become a member of the Market Traders Federation, that was the law and then you stood in line. Sometimes you'd go all the way to Wrexham and find that it’s full and then go home or try somewhere else.
"After four years I managed to get on six markets. I had a trailer made in the Dingle by Willcocks who made horse boxes." Frank said he's had "a very rewarding life" cutting keys for a living and that in time the business went on to expand, offering engraved gifts and items as he learnt penmanship in school.
Frank said Christening items were most popular and that he could always tell when a local family were having one, as multiple customers would turn up asking for items with the same name on them. He said: "I've enjoyed meeting people through the years.
"With my stuff you didn't have to pitch it out, like some people shouting 'spuds, potatoes, rolls of cotton.' It was quieter and you could listen to people and have conversations, like I remember you, my daughter got her christening bangle here.
"I always knew the Liverpool ones at the different markets, they always had the best clothes on, the kids were always dressed nice. Sometimes you'd get someone coming to a market in Warrington and you'd served them on Greatie and knew them by their first names."
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Frank's love of the business also brought him to our TV screen in recent weeks, appearing on BBC's Antiques Roadshow. Arriving with a key cutting machine which belonged to his grandfather, an expert instead spotted something else of value of Frank's that was in plain sight.
Expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan was more interested in Frank's Rolex which was a 21st birthday present from his mum and dad in 1968. But Frank said he enjoyed the experience all the same.
Retiring last year after nearly six decades as a key cutter, Frank said he may possibly be the city's oldest self-employed key cutter. He said: "It was a good life - we’re not called grafters for nothing market traders."
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