He has survived the removal last year of traffic wardens which means that cars can park all day outside his Bank Street premises without sanction at the expense of potential customers.

And, on a personal level, he has survived two major bowel operations in the last 18 months.

But Jim, now in his 70th year, admitted this week that he was struggling to come to terms with a wanton act of vandalism which saw the window of his shop kicked in late on Friday night.

“It’s so dispiriting that some people think they can get away with anything,” he told the Border Telegraph on Monday after his insurers confirmed he would have to pay the £200 excess to replace the giant window.

“Trading conditions are hard enough for a wee business like mine without the extra expense and inconvenience, but it goes deeper than that. It’s like a personal assault.” As he has done since taking over the already long-established Fraser & Allin business in 1969, Jim entered his premises from the rear on Saturday morning, blissfully unaware of what had happened.

After working out his repair schedule for the morning – on everything from defunct vacuum cleaners to battery driven toys – he ventured into the main shop.

“I did notice everything was very dark and then I saw the window all boarded up…it was an awful shock,” he told us.

A note had been passed through his door by the police informing him of the attack the previous night along with a schedule of work carried out in the early hours of Saturday by the Loanhead firm of joiners contracted by Police Scotland to board up the premises.

“I called the 101 number and got through to Bilston Glen. I quoted my incident number and was told the officer who made the discovery would not been on duty again till Tuesday [yesterday] and would call on me then. I am hoping the police will have had the chance to review any CCTV footage, but for me, even if they find out who did this, the damage is done.” Jim admitted he had toyed with the idea of retirement since bearing the brunt of the recession and the impact of supermarkets which has seen the demise of similar small electrical businesses in the town.

“I came here after leaving the school 55 years ago and served my time before taking over in 1969. In its heyday, the shop was a great business for my wife Cath and I but not so in recent years.

“However, my attitude has always been that I love this job, I love the people that come in for a blether or to get things repaired or because they simply cannot get what they want elsewhere.

“I’ve made so many friends over the years and I think they appreciate that this is more than just a job to me – it’s my life.

“I want the vandals who do this kind of thing to think about that and the consequences for ordinary hardworking people of their actions.” A defiant Jim concluded: “I’m an eternal optimist and I’ve been holding out for the railway coming to bring more businesses to the shop and the town in general.

“I’ve been through too much to let mindless vandals stop me now.”