Nigel Hedges to close Bournemouth shop after nearly 50 years

Nigel Hedges opened Bourne Engraving in Granville Place, off Yelverton Road in 1976 after buying an engraving machine off his former employer at Beales for £2,000.

But while he has lived and breathed trophy engraving for most of his life, it’s not quite the end of Mr Hedge’s career, as he’s in talks to open a smaller shop in a jewellers. 

Like a lot of his family, Mr Hedges started in Beales before becoming “the captain of his own ship”. 

“Which is fabulous,” he said, “because being self-employed you don’t get told off, you don’t get bullied, you don’t get resentful because he’s making all the money and you’re being paid a pittance.” 

(Image: Supplied)

(Image: Supplied)

And so with that in mind, the businessman spent five years working six-day weeks without a single holiday, helping to fund an MGB Roadster, Austin 100 and a new house in Mudeford. 

During the 70s and 80s, Bourne Engraving was doing work for 30 jewellers, all of Dorset Police’s guns, all the traffic wardens, hundreds of radios, two £46k solid platinum Rolexes, OBEs, tennis rackets... the list goes on. 

This was a time when Bournemouth had an abundance of shops and department stores, and the demand was there. 

But, as is well known now, that has all gone and Bournemouth town centre is a very different landscape. 

“I think I just got lucky,” Mr Hedges said reminiscing about the former days. “People came to the town centres to buy stuff and they wanted their names on it.” 

Customers he’s had include Bear Grylls, (the staff of) two former James Bonds Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan, Roger Hodgson of Supertramp and former prime minister Sir Edward Heath. 

“You never know what people are going to come in with. People have pulled out swords and shotguns and you get to meet so many people."

Nigel Hedges has been a staple of the Bournemouth retail scene since the 1970s (Image: Supplied)

(Image: Supplied)

Outside of Bourne Engraving, Mr Hedges has certainly engraved himself into the community: he served as the president of the Bournemouth Chamber of Trade, a role he left with 760 company members, chair of the Town Centre Management Board and has been the chairman of BCP Council. 

But after what has been a busy 50 years, Mr Hedges is looking to slow down a little and move out of his shop on December 31. 

“I couldn’t think of a better job for me to have accidentally stumbled into, although when my son started working for JP Morgan his bonus was more than my daughter earned,” he said. 

“So I think engravers have always been ploughers of lonely fields; there’s no such thing as a Traders’ Association of Engravers.  

“We all wish each other to die a horrible, long and lingering death because we don’t like opposition, we’re mavericks. 

“But I’ve never done a day’s work in my whole life. I’ll miss coming here.”