As a schoolboy, in the summer of 1978, Brian was offered a Saturday job at Thorpes of Ilkeston, a lovely high class dining room and upholstery specialist (who are still trading today and now over 100 years old). The following year, he left school and was taken on at Thorpes, working for Mr & Mrs Thorpe senior, as a full-time sales assistant. Trained in the old-fashioned way (like an apprenticeship), Brian spent a further 7 years working at Thorpes where he gained invaluable knowledge within the trade.

In 1986, the year Brian was married, he was fortunate to be offered a job at the Ilkeston Co-op department store and during the 11 fantastic years he had with them, Brian grew from sales assistant in the furniture department to group buyer for upholstery, dining cabinets, beds and bedroom furniture.

Brian fulfilled his ambition to work in a city centre department store, when he was headhunted by Browns  of York in the summer of 1997, where he became their Bed/Furniture Buyer. The following year, he joined Cousins of Birmingham as Deputy Store Manager before being head-hunted back by the Ilkeston Co-op Group in 1999, to head up an expansion plan to create stand-alone bed centres in Long Eaton, West Bridgford & Ashby de la Zouch.

After a further 5 years with the Ilkeston Co-op Group,  Brian was given the opportunity in 2003 to takeover the Sleepers Bed Centre in Ashby de la Zouch, as the Ilkeston Co-op Group had decided to relinquish the business. Brain seized the opportunity and the Bed Shop in Ashby was born!