Sparkling celebration of 50 years

A YORKSHIRE jewellery firm is celebrating 50 years in business with a £500,000 investment that will lead to the expansion of its manufacturing operation and the launch of a new online brand.

By The Newsroom

Published 29th Sep 2011, 10:14 BST

Townsends Fine Jewellers opened its shop in Wakefield in 1961, 200 yards from its current site at Marygate. The company also established a second store on Cross Street in Wetherby 20 years later.

The business is run by brothers Michael and Nigel Townsend, who are the third generation of jewellers in the family. Their father Alan brought Townsends to the high street half a century ago.

The family firm broke the £1m turnover barrier a decade ago. The business has enjoyed strong growth year on year, and the latest investment is part of a strategy that the brothers hopes will meet the demands of a rapidly changing market. “We may be 50 years old but as a business we are still relevant to the current market and we are constantly developing and moving with the times,” said Nigel Townsend, pictured.