How it all started

MY mother and father started a small jewellery shop in the middle of Shepherds Bush. The shop was incredibly small! I’d say approximately eight square foot and had a “wedge shape” roof to it as it was situated under an escalator. We didn’t even have room to sit, it was a standing all day type of environment. The premise was inside the then, Shepherds Bush Shopping Centre now know as West 12. We sold everything from watches, jewellery, lighters and gift ware all from that tiny shop! We filled up the windows generously, often selling 9ct gold jewellery on a daily basis.

What was unique, however was not the location or the stock. It was my fathers ability to carry out repair work on both jewellery and watches to an incredibly high standard. As residents from Shepherds Bush and beyond caught wind of his service, he had a very impressive list of clientele.

As a child I would visit the shop with my mother and sit on a tiny stool in the corner. My parents would be hard at work for the rest of the day whilst I played with a small toy….. Probably an Autobot or Decepticon Transformer. As the shop got busier and I got older, I started playing a more active role in sales and minor watch repairs. Simple watch strap and battery fittings became the norm when I became sixteen.

Roll on much later when I’m in my twenties and studying for a BA degree in Jewellery Design, Silversmithing & Allied Crafts. I would often be at the shop on weekends but now I had taken on a majority of the jewellery repairs. I became proficient in the skill of soldering metals that I started to adapt the skills to jewellery repair. I graduated in 1998 and my garage was turned into a workshop.

We ended this business in 2004 as plans for the new Westfield Shopping Centre was given the go ahead. My father began his career in Watchmaking with the Signet Group and I started work in a concession stand called In-Time Watch Repairs in Oxford Street, London. I worked there till 2010 until my bowel disease almost took my life.

In 2010 I became a permanent Ileostomist. That’s when I have to wear a bag over my abdomen to collect fecal matter. I have no large bowel left and my small bowel now protrudes out of my abdominal wall. Recovery on both mental and physical states has been a monumental effort.

2016 and I became self-employed. It was a wonderful feeling and a scary one at that! At times it still feels like I’m on uneven ground and that I should tread lightly and slowly. I’ve built up some impressive clientele during my solo outing. The pandemic saw my business GROW as I was fetching work from nearby customers, doing the work and delivering back all on the same day! Some work took a little longer but my clients didn’t mind as they fully trusted me to deliver a successful repair every time! I have regular customers now for all types of repair and I currently do trade work for a few jewellers.

Welcome to my website. I hope you enjoy browsing through it and that some of my pieces enhance your senses! I hope you can relate to my art and hopefully wear my art so that it becomes OUR art. Feel free to send share your thoughts about anything watch, jewellery and bowel disease related. I have much experience to share with you.

Hiren Ashra.

Philosophy

Momentum, the more you apply the greater the output.

I’ve had moments where I’m buzzing with ideas and I just cant stop. Quite often doing thirteen or more hour days. Then it comes to a grinding halt when I feel unwell. There is always the bigger picture… The bigger target… The plan which has to be stuck to.

My work comes mainly from what I have enjoyed as a child. I’ve been fascinated by electronic toys and components. If you look closely at many subjects, you can break it down into abstract patterns. Sometimes even at a cellular level, patterns and abstract art exists. You can create from so many foundations, the world is your oyster.