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Inventor is hooked on tidiness

Vaila Finch
14/10/2005

AN ENTREPENEUR from Kirkholt could be on the way to a fortune with her invention to make one of life's mundane tasks just that little bit easier.

Valerie Clegg, of Perth Road, is seeking to patent her special curtain hook which wraps up the tailends of the cord that is always left after putting up curtains.

It could soon be available to buy in the shops.

Mrs Clegg, who works at the out-of-hours emergency call centre at the council, was inspired after visiting a friend's apartment in Tenerife.

She said: "They had lovely curtains, but the cord hanging off ruined the look.

"I have had an idea for a long time, but I went away and did some more thinking."

Mrs Clegg, who has three grown-up children, then got help from Manchester libraries, did a quick sketch and thought up some prototypes.

She asked around 100 people if they would be interested in such a hook and, after getting a positive response, set about designing it.

The culmination of two years' work is a plastic hook which can be used, according to Mrs Clegg, with valances, curtains and nets.

It works by securing the cord on the curtain tape that is left over after the curtains are gathered.

Mrs Clegg explained: "You can change the width of the curtains and it also wraps around so you can hide all the dangly bits.

"It is simple, easy and very very quick to use."

She hopes the hook appeals to curtain rail and track manufacturers and the general public alike.

Mrs Clegg says one firm in Rochdale is interested in it, but is remaining tight-lipped as to its identity, saying only that it is well-known.

Now she just has to wait a few months for the invention to be rubber stamped, but is confident of all going to plan.