About Stephen Fretwell

My story

My name is Stephen Fretwell, Barnsley locksmith and this is my story.

I was born on the outskirts of Barnsley. My family are now farmers based in North Lincolnshire. When I left school at 16, I began work on the family farm the following day.

I probably didn’t realise at the time but it was a great place to learn the fundamentals of what I now do as a Barnsley locksmith. My father often accused me of “meddling” with things when young, but I was just intrigued with stuff and remember at a young age taking two second hand bikes apart to create one fast one!

When working the land I felt it was my job to get from one side of the field to the other as quickly as possible to get the job done before the weather turned for the worse. The downside to this approach was that I broke the farm machinery quite often! Again, Dad was there and because “I broke it, I had to fix it”.

As you can imagine I got pretty good at taking broken things apart and putting them back together working again. In the locksmith industry, you are expected daily to work out what the issue is and then having to fix it. Little did I realise how, in those formative years as a teenage farmer, I laid the foundations to be a locksmith.

Professional locksmith training & accreditation

During my late thirties, a shift in my circumstances prompted a desire for a career transition. While exploring various possibilities, I unexpectedly came across the locksmith industry. Initially, I chose to invest in a franchise, as they were widely popular at the time, offering a swift entry into the field with the added support of an established company. However, within 18 months, I leaped to venture out independently.

The franchise granted me initial training, but I yearned for more. Fortunately, fate smiled upon me when I had the incredible fortune of crossing paths with Bennie Wells, a revered figure in the locksmithing world, often hailed as the “God” of locksmiths. Securing the opportunity for one-on-one training with this esteemed guru was a stroke of immense luck. Those transformative two weeks spent under Bennie’s tutelage completely altered my perspective, and at that very moment, I wholeheartedly fell in love with locksmithing.

I discovered a profound passion for the job when I started working as a locksmith. Every day, I presented new learning experiences (and I continue to learn something new each day). I enthusiastically shared my newfound love with everyone around me, although I suspect I may have become a bit tiresome to those who listened… though no one ever mentioned it!

As you would expect, I am Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS), a member of The Federation of Small Businesses and the Association of Accredited Locksmiths. These all hopefully add credibility to me and my business.

Stephen Fretwell, local Barnsley locksmith

Contrary to popular perception, the locksmith industry encompasses much more than the occasional misplaced keys. Such incidents represent a small fraction of the average workload. Most of my time is dedicated to repairing composite and uPVC doors, upgrading door locks, responding to eviction situations, addressing burglary incidents, handling domestic matters, and fixing uPVC window locks and handles. Additionally, my responsibilities extend to replacing mortice, garage, shed, and code locks, as well as numerous other tasks.

It’s a rewarding profession, and I have no regrets about choosing it as my career. I hope locksmithing will accompany me until my retirement, but not immediately.

Here to help & advise

One aspect of my job that I enjoy is meeting new people. I am very customer-focused and appreciate that customers trust me to secure their property, possessions and family. I take customer service very seriously, and hopefully, my locksmith reviews are proof of that; please take time to read them.

Please call me if you need advice on any aspect of door locks, window locks, garage or shed lock security. I offer honest, impartial advice and a competitive, no-obligation quote. I look forward to hearing from you.