A shopkeeper and fixer from Liss is looking for someone to continue his handywork as he’s eyeing retirement after four decades of trade.

An era is ending in the village centre as Dave Scarlett – known to most Liss folk as DIY Dave – wants to hand over his U-Do DIY shop on Station Road.

His tardis-like hardware shop has been part of the Liss landscape for 38 years with the original store opening on the other side of the road in 1987.

But after weathering the great storm and outlasting three banks, multiple Prime Ministers and the passing of several other much-loved stores, he’s now seeking counter offers for his gem of a shop.

He said: “When I opened U-Do DIY on the other side of the road we had three banks, a dedicated Post Office, two pubs, a butchers, Jade News and 57 Restaurant.

“But I’m 65 now and I think it’s nearly time to retire. I could carry on and this is the second year I thought about it, but the back is starting to ache along with the knees.

“I also have to say running a business in this country is becoming ever more difficult.”

Mr Scarlett was probably destined to run the shop given what happened in the years before 1987. He’s always enjoyed DIY and learning how things work – he jokes he’s always been pulling things apart, but not necessarily being able to put them back together again – with his previous employers including Halfords and Kingdoms hardware shop on Petersfield’s Lavant Street.

An unhappy stint at a wholesaler’s made him think he would be best going alone, so when he became aware that Mrs Noakes was thinking of calling it a day at her hardware shop in Liss, the rest became history.

He said: “I saw the business she was doing and thought it’s going to work – it was just a case of keeping up.

“There is definitely more footfall on this side of Station Road and we’ve been here for 21 years.”

If there was ever a moment where he realised his place in the hearts of minds of Liss, it was during relocation.

He said: “A dozen or so customers turned up with wheelbarrows and the lot to help me – I didn’t ask them to help, they were just there.

“I set aside three days for the move but we did it in three hours – needless to say I was gobsmacked.”

The decision to retire hasn’t been an easy one and if anyone is interested in taking over the business, just pop into his store and have a chat. But whoever takes over will need to be chatty, as Liss customers are a talkative lot.

He said: “I don’t think whoever takes over will need to be an expert in DIY and fixing things, but it depends how much you want to help people.

“You don’t realise how much you talk to people and how much they confide in you, and there’s so much joking and banter.”