A MAN who battled drug addiction for 22 years has turned his life around by opening his own furniture shop in Poole.

Steve Wyatt's journey started seven years ago when he walked into rehab to tackle his addiction, which had seen him spend time on the streets and in prison.

He said: “It got to a point when I was 36 that the doctor said I wouldn’t see 40 if I carried on and I tried so many times to stop, I ended up in a 12-step treatment centre in Birmingham.”

It was around this time that Steve met Jay Blades from The Repair Shop, just before he started his career on TV.

Steve said: “I met Jay Blades from the repair shop just before he went onto the TV and he said to me ‘what can you do that’s different’ and its one of those things that stuck in my head, he’s that kind of guy that’s quite direct and he can talk into your life and I really took it on board.”

Steve met his current partner and moved down to Poole where he started buying sideboards and sanding them in the garden to sell online.

An opportunity came up in a local emporium and Steve doubled his workspace in a couple of months.

He said: “Then the pandemic happened, being faced with the challenge of lockdown, I came to work, I stuck my tunes on and I produced furniture and it kept me sane. I did everything I was allowed to do and we followed the guidelines, sold some furniture and we were very lucky.

“There was no money at the start and then the shop came along and we got the keys in December last year.

"We opened on the 12th April, so we've been open for six months and its been amazing we've had well over 100 pieces go out in six months."

Three months ago, Jay called Steve to ask if he would like to be an exclusive stockist for his range. Steve now exclusively stocks Jay’s collection in his shop Restored Retro in Poole and the pair are looking at a potential collaboration together in the future.

Steve said: “It’s given me everything, I absolutely love my job, we produce real high quality furniture and response has been amazing, we've had some really good customers come in and I've talked about the warehouse and developing more online, which is the goal.

“The last six months have been tough, it’s a commitment but some days like yesterday when we were featured in the big issue as a success story, it's great and the feeling I get sometimes is better than any drink or drug I've ever taken.

"Today im part of something and its real, I can be who I am and I am very blessed to have found what I love so much and had the support of Jay Blades as well, which is very special.”