Hills of Newark on Barnbygate proud to be trading for nearly 50 years

A family behind a business with nearly 50 years of trading said that they are proud of its ‘happy’ customer base.

Hills of Newark Limited, originally known as David Hill (Fine Art) Limited, was formed in 1976 by David and Marjorie Hill from their home.

What started as a hobby following the family’s trips to Norfolk and collecting sticks to make frames, turned into a long-lasting family business, that now the couple’s son Nick Hill owns.

In 1986, the traditional art, crafts, and picture framing shop moved from the family home to its current location at 38 Barnbygate, Newark and it has expanded its services throughout the years.

At the rear of the property, there is a large workshop area, where the magic behind the picture framing happens, led by Kelly Robinson-Bunn who has worked for the company for over 20 years.

Nick worked as a photographer for the Newark Advertiser from 1980 until 1987 before he joined the family business.

“The most special thing about our business is knowing that we have good customer service and seeing our customers happy and satisfied,” said the owner.

He added: “With all these years in the business, I am still very to do a good service, and it is amazing to continue what my parents created so many years ago.”

The shop provides a range of services from framing, mounts cut to order, stretching, moulding, cold laminating and heat sealing, encapsulating, block mounting, binding and photocopying.

As a number of shops have closed in the past few years in the town centre, Nick admits to having to be extra careful due to the financial pressures, especially with the new financial year coming this April.

They have reduced their opening hours from 10am until 4pm to absorb the extra costs and not have to put their prices up.

The shop is currently open Monday to Wednesday and Friday to Saturday.

“In the future, we want to do more of the same and continue to see smiles on our customers’ faces,” Nick concluded.