Blackpool man makes his stand as an inventor with Holdalot

Gary Hanmer has come up with the Holdalot multi-use frame which has a variety of uses and yet can fold away flat for easy storage.

He has paid for it to be patented and had prototypes made by Blackpool firm Northern Neon Lighting in Chorley Road.

Now he is fund-raising to start full production with a Kickstarter campaign.

Gary, 50, said: “I have been in the trade since 1987, my dad David is a gas engineer and my daughter Naomi is in the trade too.

“People struggle to hold bags open without them flopping about, for rubble for example, when working by themselves, so I got some steel and made one in the shed.

“It has a steel ring and four legs that can fold away. I am now in the final stage of the patenting process. There was only one other thing listed that was similar and that was a bag opening device in the US in 1894.

“Lee Parkinson at Northern Neon has been great helping me develop it.

“We have tried various materials, but have finally gone for a fully stainless steel Holdalot so it does not rust.

“I have also made a version for when you go camping. The Campalot can hold a frying pan with a stove underneath or a chopping board over the bar.

“It has a 300mm diameter ring so buckets will fit in perfectly which helps builders as it cuts down on bending and can hold spotboards and trowels.

“I am trying to raise £12,000 by offering rewards to enable me to produce 700 units and start selling online and through local builders merchants.”

He said if he reaches his fundraising target he hope to get the Holdalot on the market in May and is currently working on a website.

Gary’s kickstarter site is at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1367839022/holdalot-keeps-bags-open-holds-buckets-folds-up-ne