Adolescence: Is Wainwrights a Real Hardware Store in the UK?

When the local authorities arrest a 13-year-old teenager named Jamie Miller under suspicion of murdering his schoolmate, the lives of his family are changed forever as they try to grapple with the moral and emotional fallout left behind. As explored in the Netflix series ‘Adolescence,‘ a spotlight is shone on the tragic reality faced by numerous families privy to the same harrowing situation. The show uses a one-shot filmmaking style to immerse the audience in the intense psychological ride experienced by the characters. This is also supported by the use of several intricate locations that flesh out the world and interactions even further, including a police station, school, and a psychiatric hospital. Another prominent spot in this context is the Wainwrights hardware store, where Eddie, Jamie’s father, faces a challenging situation.

Wainwrights is a Fictional Store That Adds to the Worldbuilding

While the Wainwrights store plays a significant role in ‘Adolescence,’ it is a fictional construction of scriptwriters Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham. The hardware shop resembles several DIY stores located around the UK, like Wickes, Langbridge Home Hardware, The Range, and Maxwells, among many others. It is possible that the creative team took inspiration from a number of these popular real-life stores when crafting their fictional shop. The series describes Wainwrights as a hardware shop stocked with essential DIY equipment. We also get the impression that it is part of a business chain. This somewhat aligns with the stores mentioned above, such as Wickes, which has over 200 stores nationwide, stamping its authority regarding DIY matters.

Although the similarities between Wainwrights and other real-life shops are seemingly evident, the former differs because the country has no hardware chain shop named Wainwrights. As such, the creators likely modeled their store on what they know from shops in the real world. Additionally, it allows the entire team to explore their story with more leeway and without adhering to any constraints. This is particularly beneficial when considering the series’ unique filmmaking approach. Due to the continuous takes, there is an emphasis on tension, drama, and intensity, which becomes palpable in the scenes involving the hardware shop. While it does not play as much of a prominent role as the Heywood Street Police Station or Bruntwood Academy, it still manages to capture a niche.

The Wainwrights Hardware store appears in the fourth episode of the series. After finding a graffiti slur on his van, Eddie Miller takes his family to Wainwrights to find something to remove the paint. However, the ordeal proves to be a nightmare because of the Miller family’s notoriety. A store worker recognizes Eddie as Jamie’s father, asking him awkward questions about the boy. It ruins Eddie’s mood and makes him even more anxious than usual. He also gets involved in a physical altercation with some young boys, who are the ones responsible for the graffiti. All in all, the store only fuels Eddie’s stress, causing him to react erratically and angrily. To that end, Wainwrights is a notable locale in the show. Still, it does not change the fact that it remains untethered from reality and drawn from the imagination of the writers.