WHEN Michael Jones moved the eponymous jewellery shop in Northampton to premises overlooking the aptly named Gold Street, it would herald the start of a new era for the business founded by his father in 1919.
But there was a problem.
“When the shop first opened the door was on the corner and the official address was 2 Bridge Street but, being a jewellers, Michael wanted the address to be Gold Street so he asked the postmaster at the time if he could call it that,” recalls his widow Anne.
“They were not so bothered about these things back then and he was told ‘We know who you are so you can call it what you like’.”
Michael did, changing the address to One Gold Street. That was in 1968 and the store has remained there ever since. Now, after a £3 million refurbishment and extension of the premises, the new flagship Michael Jones Jeweller store has officially reopened.
The business is now run as a co-operative and has extended into a former hairdresser’s next door. The showroom has been transformed into a dedicated Rolex area over two floors with panoramic windows in the VIP Rolex lounge and views of All Saints Church and some of the town centre’s most iconic buildings.
The store also features dedicated areas for major watch brands including Breitling and TAG Heuer, while luxury watch manufacturer TUDOR is now available in the town for the first time alongside premium jewellery brands such as Fabergé, FOPE and Georg Jensen.
“Since 1919, Northampton has been our home,” says managing director Stuart O’Grady. “This town has been very good to us over the years and this is our way of giving something back. Investing in our flagship store has been a huge challenge but one we have thoroughly enjoyed and we are delighted with the results
“We wanted to bring a little bit of Bond Street to Northampton and the initial feedback from customers has been amazing.”
Michael Jones passed away in 2017 after a stroke but his widow joined Stuart and guests to officially cut the ribbon reopening the store.
“It is wonderful to see the place looking so good and the team has done an amazing job,” says Anne. “They have done Michael proud and now the door has even moved on to Gold Street itself so, after all these years, the address is finally correct.”
Adds Stuart: “We feel as though Northampton is turning a corner. There is a lot of very good things happening in the town and we are excited about what the future holds.”
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