Clarence Hardware's bright red and yellow sign has been an unmissable feature of Grangetown's Corporation Road in Cardiff for over 60 years. Standing out against the terraced houses on the street, the shop has been providing customers with all kinds of goods - from lamps to L-plates - for decades.
Martyn Thomas, 52, is the current proprietor of the shop, working there with his wife, Suzanne, also 52. The shop has been part of the street since 1959, and still attracts plenty of customers decades later. On a Tuesday morning, it is bustling with people, the bell on the door ringing every time it opens - which is often.
Customers of all ages come in asking Martyn and Suzanne for a huge variety of items. One asks for hand soap, before making enquiries about decking and leaving with some candles. Another quite aptly describes it as an “Aladdin’s cave" as she walks through the door, looking for Martyn's help to help her navigate the shop.
