AFTER 20 years with family jewellers, Pyke and Sons, jeweller Phil Turner has moved to the company's flagship branch in Grange Road, Birkenhead, as deputy manager.

Father-of-two Phil joined Pykes' Liverpool branch as a 15-year-old school leaver, moving to their Ringtime outlet in Birkenhead as assistant manager six years later.

He returned to Liverpool as branch manager and then five years ago moved back across the water to Ringtime to take over the manager's position.

Phil, who lives in Eastham with his wife and young sons, first decided to be a jeweller when he started secondary school. He said: "I used to pass a jeweller's shop on my way home from school and I thought what an exciting glamorous job it must be.

"I wanted to know more about gemstones and precious metals and I knew I liked talking to the public so it seemed an ideal job for me."

Pykes' Grange Road branch has 16 staff, making it the largest of six company stores within Merseyside, Cheshire and Staffordshire. The company was founded in Birkenhead more than 120 years ago and the current managing director, John Pyke, is the great grandson of founder William Pyke.

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