ONE of the North-East's oldest and most popular radio disc jockeys has branched out into a new career as a dales shopkeeper.

Frank Wappat, who recently celebrated 35 years on the airwaves with BBC local radio, has taken over an electrical and radio accessories shop with his wife, Susan, at Stanhope, in Weardale, County Durham.

While his wife will be handling the day-to-day running of the shop, Mr Wappat will take time off from broadcasting to build up a large selection of recordings by North-East artists for sale.

The award-winning DJ said: "The emphasis will be on nostalgia and music produced by local talent.

"This will include folk music and other material from places like Weardale, Teesdale and Northumbria.

"My role will be to produce work by local talent and introduce it to new audiences."

It is a venture that the Wappats recognise as a major challenge, as more businesses continue to close in Weardale in the wake of major employers such as the Lafarge cement works at Eastgate.

Small businesses, particularly shops and pubs, have felt the pinch as families have moved out of the dale.

Mrs Wappat said: "We realise that we are bucking the trend, but this shop has been a major asset to Stanhope for 20 years and we are confident that we can build on that in the future.

"There is a real need for businesses like this in the dale.

"A lot of the population is elderly and they do not want to have to pay massive petrol bills to travel miles for something they can find on their doorstep.

"Although we will be specialising in electrical and radio services, we will also be catering for a wide range of other domestic needs."

The shop, next to Stanhope Castle, built up a reputation as an Aladdin's cave when it was run by local businessman Ian Fisher.

Mrs Wappat said: "It was a bit like a magpie's nest. The locals and summer caravanners used to say there was nothing you could not get at Fisher's.

"We aim to carry on with that tradition."