About

My name is Darren Howells and I am the managing Director with 35 years experience in bench and site joinery.

After leaving School at 16, I did a 5 year apprenticeship at Len Jones Joinery on which i then worked 20 years in the joinery workshop using all the machinery and using old traditional hand tools with top quality joiners making and working on many bespoke projects locally and over the country.

In 1991, I started working on site as we struggled to attract staff  to meet the fitting standards of the joinery coming out of the workshop.

In 1993 I took over the company with the machinist/foreman Christopher Latham and head joiner Melvyn Swingewood. Chris retired in 2010 on which Melvyn and I managed the company.  Melvyn retired in 2020.

Due to the changing demands of the joinery industry in making bespoke windows, sash windows, doors, gates, wardrobes, units, stairs – essentially ‘if it is made of timber, we can do’ it was our moto!

We have now expanded to deal with other materials including  quality suppliers of aluminium windows, doors, bifold doors, roof lanterns or pvcu the same or roofline fascia /gutters etc.

In 2021 we undertook the conversion of an old 1805 built building in a conservation area in the town centre of Burslem, which we were quite passionate about to see it through from start to finish.

It had been derelict for 10 years and had a dangerous structure. After 18 months of hard work, we rebuilt it from the cellar up.

The building was re-purposed into residential properties in 2022  and no comprise of 3 properties at 1/2/3 The Old Workshops, Newcastle-under-Lyme. Staffordshire. ST5 2BU.

The properties comprise of new build three bed 2 baths b-rated energy efficient house houses on the site of old workshop with airsource heat pumps,  underfloor heating and electric car charging points constructed to the highest of standards and within a week of market, one was sold (currently marked by Haywood Estate Agents).

As the MD of L Jones Joinery Ltd this project was a delight to project manage and bringing in the various skilled tradespeople from the vast years of history experience for quality and service.

We are also a contractor to the public sector including  Newcastle Borough Council that includes building and joinery maintenance 25 years including fire risk assessment works and the following services:

• Glazing and double glazing
• Locksmith
• Commercial and Industrial
• New builds
• Extensions
• Full refurbishments
• School works
• Shopfitting
• Kitchens
• bedrooms
• Garden rooms
• Full building maintenance