Gray & Pringle Ltd

Well this is a nasty place, if ever there was one but the owner doesn't order his own stock it's sent from some supplier that tops him up every so often and it's a very poor, out of date selection at high prices. The owner isn't much liked by locals, and although Anstruther is a relatively small place, this elderly owner will ask you just exactly what part of the town you live in. This is a divisive attempt to split the town up into its historic 'easter' and 'wester', Kilreny and so forth judging you upon where you happen to live as his shop has been there since 1826 and where he lives in the town, well who cares? One strange thing about the owner is that he'll give you older stock at the original marked price, and always look for the thing that has spent the longest time on the shelf, some of it seriously shop-soiled, sun-faded packing and the place packed with stuff all jumbled up, as he goes looking through all of it to find where he put things. There are no Smith & Rodger products there, just the lowest priced makeshift items that will get the job done. There are no modern D.I.Y. offerings, it's all utility and his service manner is aggressive and off-putting. It used to have a superb colored chiming mechanical clock hanging outside and marked with the Gray & Pringle name but the owner, sometimes denies that it was ever there, whilst on other days claiming that he'd sold it to someone who had wanted it. The owner is a nasty gossip and a troublemaker, 'a sweetie wife' and I wouldn't go there but some customers have yet to learn that the owner is bad news, the stock isn't a lot better, it's very basic and ordinary stuff that would sell to the maximum number of customers. A very narrow street you'll need to find on foot, parking in more accessible location. In the summer he sometimes leaves items outside on the street but it's not the only place there in that location that has a poor service manner. The town was pretty grim in the 1980s and before that but has been titivated up in recent years with newcomers owning places but the ironmonger there is disgusting as an experience, it's one of the worst ever known but there are places like that round about the East Neuk.

Needed some 6mm twin+E so my wife suggested going here. It's a brilliant place, like an original ironmongers. Sold cable via the metre so no wastage. It's like and alladins cave. Staff really friendly.

Undoubtedly the best hardware store in the local area. Staff are professional and friendly