After 30 years, the longest-serving Isle of Wight phone repair shop will close its doors at the end of the month as its owner looks ahead to semi-retirement.
With four decades in the phone repair industry, Eddie Christie, 65, is closing the doors of his beloved Island Phone Repair Centre on Scarrots Lane in Newport.
Eddie’s journey in the phone repair business began in the 1980s, and he fondly remembers his time at BT Mobile when he installed a car phone for then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1985.
Eddie moved to the Island in 1994 after successfully running mobile sales and repair shops in London and Portsmouth.
When asked by the County Press whether he loved the phone repair industry or was simply good at it, Eddie responded: “Both. I’ve just got the hang of it at the minute!”
His expertise and dedication to his craft are evident in the hundreds of thousands of phones he estimates he has repaired.
“I’ve fixed everything,” Eddie said, reflecting on the evolution of mobile technology from bulky, portable mobiles of the 1980s to today’s sleek smartphones.
He recalls a time when the market was “aggressive,” with pages of phone repair ads in local newspapers and the high costs for advertising in the Yellow Pages.
Despite the industry’s challenges, Eddie thrived, becoming possibly the longest-serving phone repair technician in the south of England and the longest-serving repair shop owner on the Island.
Eddie’s workshop, which he describes as “organised chaos,” is filled with memories – mobile parts from across the ages, old newspaper clippings, advertisements and certificates.
“It brings a tear to my eye looking at all that,” Eddie said, taking a trip down memory lane.
Beyond his technical skills, Eddie has always been a community-minded businessman.
In Scarrots Lane, he maintained a friendly relationship with neighbouring shops, and, despite his ability to repair computers, he chose to refer customers to Computer Plus opposite his shop, and they would do the same for mobile repairs.
Throughout his career, Eddie has witnessed countless changes, not just in technology but also in his shop.
Eddie remembers the busiest part of the year being around Cowes Week when yachtsmen drop their phones into the sea.
Eddie said: “I knew the phone industry was going to be big, but I did not realise how big it would be.”
His shop has been a constant on Scarrots Lane for three decades, a period during which Eddie owned the popular Phats Nightclub (now Strings Bar and Venue).
He plans to keep the Island Phone Repair Centre Facebook page active.
Eddie said: “It’s going to be really weird not coming here. Even packing up, I don’t want to do it. After 30 years, the car can drive itself here.
“I want to thank all my customers who have kept me going for as long as I have, and hopefully, it’ll carry on.”
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