Kenny from County DIY

Kenny started at County DIY as an intern. Thirty-two years later, he owns it.

The shop sits at 157 to 161 County Road in Walton, north Liverpool. Paint, timber cut to size, locks of every kind, pest control, Christmas decorations, and a key cutting machine that has served this stretch of road for decades. There are tradesmen on the books for shelves, doors and full window jobs. Some customers have been coming for over twenty years.

I first encountered County DIY because I locked myself out and needed my keys cut. It’s never devoid of customers, as people troop in and out all day long to this gem that has served its community.

In this conversation, Kenny talks about the people who shaped him, the years that nearly ended him, and why he has never wanted to leave. He was managing the shop long before he bought it, and he was learning it long before that.

This amazing man has a library in this massive store, has a heart for the Liverpool people, and Walton particularly.

County Road has taken some hits. County DIY is still standing.

Keep following it. Every entry opens onto the next.