century of supplying home and hardware products.

Part owner Mr. Gerald Fisher, of Fisher's Hardware on the corner of Camp Hill and Middle Road, announced yesterday that he and his brother/partner, David, would close their doors for the final time next month.

Mr. Fisher claimed he was being forced out by landlord Mr. Morris White who, he said, had told him the property was up for sale.

However, Mr. White has denied he is selling the building.

The business has been at its current location for almost 20 years, before which it was run from two other premises in the neighbourhood.

At one time mainly a paint contractor, the company later got more involved in the hardware business.

Five years ago they gave up paint contracting and concentrated solely on hardware.

"But when you have to go, you have to go,'' Mr. Fisher said. "It's kind of a long story, but basically the landlord has told us he's going to sell, or he has sold the building.

"He had promised me a lease on it and I was fully geared to go with a three year lease, and then he sort of dropped a bomb on me and said that there would be no lease and said that he had sold the building.

"So we decided to get out of it.'' Mr. Fisher said that the company had been renting the premises for about 20 years on a month to month basis and had never been able to secure a long term lease from landlord Mr. White of White and Sons grocery store.

"I went to him at the end of last year or the beginning of January, and I told him that I was prepared to buy my brother out because he wanted to get out of it. But the only way I would do it is if I had a lease on the building.

"Obviously, I'm not going to pay him half of half a million dollars' worth of stock and then find out I've got nowhere to operate from.

"He (the landlord) said okay, he'd give me three years. I also asked if he would give me the first right of refusal if he ever decided to sell, which he agreed to verbally. But it didn't work out that way.'' Mr. Fisher said he did not begrudge the owner his right to sell.

"It's his building to do what he likes with. We're not bitter about it.

It's his building and it is probably time for us to move on anyway.'' A large sign is propped up outside the business advertising an ongoing "30 percent off'' sale until the middle of next month.

"We're selling everything out,'' added Mr. Fisher. "We have a sale on until the 17th of May. That's when we will close the doors and that will be it.'' The monthly lease runs to May 17. Mr. Fisher admitted that he and his brother had not been given any official notice to leave by Mr. White.

"All I was told by Mr. White on the phone was that there would be no lease and that he had sold the building. David and I discussed it and he still wanted out.'' However, Mr. White tells a different story. And he says he believes the hardware store isn't being forced to close down.

"To begin with, I'm not selling the building,'' he insisted. "They wanted a five year lease. I wouldn't give them a five year lease.

"I would have been just as happy if they would have stayed there. But they have said that they wanted a five year lease, and I'm not prepared to do that.

"I did tell them that there was a chance that I might sell it. There's not anything definite, so I will put it up for rent.'' Mr. Fisher, meanwhile, says he would like to open another business on his own, if a location became available in the same area, with a fair rent and some security of tenure through a lease.

But this week he said he would almost certainly sell out completely, together with the warehouse the company owns at Wellbottom in Southampton.

CLOSING DOWN -- Fisher's Hardware, located in Southampton for more than 25 years, is about to close following a dispute over the lease of the building.