Matt Baldwin, centre, with his son Reece, right, and long-term customer Brian, repainting the shop after closing

THE owner of Islington’s oldest and longest-running motorbike repair shop has blamed its recent closure on “all the road’s being closed” following a proliferation of traffic-reducing measures across Islington and neighbouring boroughs.

Matt Baldwin closed Burwin’s Motorcycles at the start of September after 48 years of trading at its Essex Road site.

The shop had been opened by his parents, Ann and Martin, in 1978, before he took over managing it 15 years ago.

Explaining his decision, he said: “Because the rents went up a little bit, business wasn’t that good, and I just went ‘You know what? I’ve done it for 40 years, I don’t like coming into London any more, with all the roads are closed,’ and I thought, ‘Enough’s enough,’ really. You know, we’re sort of working out with pens and paper if things had carried on as they were going, we’d be in problems in a few years.”

Mr Baldwin, 53, said the road closures – the result of lower traffic neighbourhood (LTN) schemes across the borough – meant it was harder for motorbikes to get around, but stressed it wasn’t just Islington but London “in general”.

More than 10 boroughs in London have LTNs, but other issues affecting the popularity of motorcycles include the Ulez, ultra low emission zone, charge brought in reduce drivers in central London and the rising cost of insurance in the wake of thefts in the capital.

Burwin’s Motorcycles in the early 1980s

“London is just slowing down – less motorcycles, road closures, people working from home, all those little factors add up to it’s not as busy as it used to be,” he added.

He said he felt “relieved” after putting the closed sign on his door for the final time.

“Running a business is hard, I get phone calls in weekends and holidays. I’ve been relaxing since giving up the business – it’s lovely! It’s the first time I’ve done it in 40 years.”

Despite shutting the lid on his mechanic’s toolbox, he admitted that for him, relaxing does not feature any box sets. Instead, he is tackling the many long-ignored DIY jobs around the house. “It’s not sitting on my backside doing nothing,” he added.

However, he did admit he felt a certain amount of apprehension about what comes next.

“I’ve done nothing else since I was 16 years old apart from work in that shop – in fact longer than that,” he said. “It’s apprehension what the future holds but the world’s a big place. I don’t know yet, I’m just chilling. There’s no panic, I’m not in a rush. I don’t want to retire. There’s more to life than sitting around in the house.”

And in a sign for the times, he said the empty shop will make way for a kimchi shop and a tattoo shop.“Loads of customers came in to say goodbye. I’ve had customers for 40 years,” he said about Burwin’s final days.

His father continues to sell spare parts.