K
Kandor
Guest
Shoe repairs
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sylviasayers
master brummie
Shoe Repairs
Yes Kandor, we all had to make do and mend, especially those of us born and brought up in the war years and rationing. We always used to take our shoes for repair at Neales in Park Lane, Aston, anyone who passed that way on the Inner Circle No.8 bus would remember a big painted sign of a policeman holding his foot up showing his repaired boots. There is a photo on the site somewhere posted by John Colin showing the Coronation Street party in Clarendon Street, which shows this sign in the background.
Yes Kandor, we all had to make do and mend, especially those of us born and brought up in the war years and rationing. We always used to take our shoes for repair at Neales in Park Lane, Aston, anyone who passed that way on the Inner Circle No.8 bus would remember a big painted sign of a policeman holding his foot up showing his repaired boots. There is a photo on the site somewhere posted by John Colin showing the Coronation Street party in Clarendon Street, which shows this sign in the background.
Phil
Gone, but not forgotten.
I made this posting earlier on another thread, at the time I posted it I thought it was about modern shoe repairs. It tuns out it is Modern Shoe Repairs. a shop. (silly me) I hope nobody minds if I repeat it here, because it is about someone I cared deeply about My Grandfather.
When I was a young sprog I watched my grandfather many evening sat at a cobblers last in the kitchen repairing the family shoes. He would select a piece of leather roughly cut it size then cover one side with a glue and then place it on the shoe he would then tack it in place with little brass tacks. He sometimes would arrange them in little patterns when I was watching.
He would then take a sharp knife and then with the shoe in one hand and the knife in the other he would trim off all the excess leather around the shoe. Then he would use a large rasp to smooth round the rough edges and finally a file would finish of the job. He would then take large brown or black crayon type of thing and heat it over the gas ring and rub it around the rim of the sole so it took on the same colour as the shoe.
If they were my shoes he would then throw them to me saying there you are they should last you at least another six months.
Do you know just reading this thread brought all that back to me as if it was yesterday and it was over 55 years ago.
When we are children, we think our parents and grandparents are gods, when we get a little older into our teens we begin to see them in a different light, but I am glad to say that as we begin to age ourselves we once again remember them as if we were children.
pmc1947
When I was a young sprog I watched my grandfather many evening sat at a cobblers last in the kitchen repairing the family shoes. He would select a piece of leather roughly cut it size then cover one side with a glue and then place it on the shoe he would then tack it in place with little brass tacks. He sometimes would arrange them in little patterns when I was watching.
He would then take a sharp knife and then with the shoe in one hand and the knife in the other he would trim off all the excess leather around the shoe. Then he would use a large rasp to smooth round the rough edges and finally a file would finish of the job. He would then take large brown or black crayon type of thing and heat it over the gas ring and rub it around the rim of the sole so it took on the same colour as the shoe.
If they were my shoes he would then throw them to me saying there you are they should last you at least another six months.
Do you know just reading this thread brought all that back to me as if it was yesterday and it was over 55 years ago.
When we are children, we think our parents and grandparents are gods, when we get a little older into our teens we begin to see them in a different light, but I am glad to say that as we begin to age ourselves we once again remember them as if we were children.
pmc1947
W
Wendy
Guest
These are such lovely memories. We still have my father in laws shoe last in our shed, just can't bear to part with it. He was a whizz at shoe repairs but it wasn't his trade. I also still have my mothers wooden mushroom used for darning socks!
Pomgolian
Kiwi Brummie
I've been helping one of our newer members 'Georgie Garrett' with the 'Averill Family' over the last few weeks.
One thing I remembered was both Tom Averill and his wife Evelyn run a Drapers Shop on Great Lister St opposite the flats where I used to live and that a Mrs Jones had a shop next door to them.
What I did not remember though was that Tom Averill had a shoe repair shop also on Gt Lister St. The reason I think I never remembered that shop is because like pmc's Granddad, my Mom always mended our shoes and in just the same way as pmc's Granddad except she used our lounge not the kitchen and well betide anyone who made a noise and made her hit a finger with the hammer ... and yes Kandy our lounge smelled just like a Shoe Repair shop for days after she'd been mending the families shoes.
Wendy I've been trying every where over here to get one of those darning mushroom for my Ma-in-Law, can't even find a plastic one and the younger shop girls have no idea what I'm talking about.
Pom :angel:
One thing I remembered was both Tom Averill and his wife Evelyn run a Drapers Shop on Great Lister St opposite the flats where I used to live and that a Mrs Jones had a shop next door to them.
What I did not remember though was that Tom Averill had a shoe repair shop also on Gt Lister St. The reason I think I never remembered that shop is because like pmc's Granddad, my Mom always mended our shoes and in just the same way as pmc's Granddad except she used our lounge not the kitchen and well betide anyone who made a noise and made her hit a finger with the hammer ... and yes Kandy our lounge smelled just like a Shoe Repair shop for days after she'd been mending the families shoes.
Wendy I've been trying every where over here to get one of those darning mushroom for my Ma-in-Law, can't even find a plastic one and the younger shop girls have no idea what I'm talking about.
Pom :angel:
K
Kandor
Guest
I just KNEW you were money people Mo, a firm Orange indeed...that would mean us darning our socks every Christmas then as that was the only time I ever saw one..
ColinB
gone but not forgotten
Chris,
There's a few for sale on *-bay,all fairly cheap
https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-TURN...goryZ114QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
if you don't use that site give me a PM we can sort one out for you
Colin
There's a few for sale on *-bay,all fairly cheap
https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-TURN...goryZ114QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
if you don't use that site give me a PM we can sort one out for you
Colin
W
Wendy
Guest
I still use mine for darning the thick socks worn in wellies! I can't believe it but I do!
Sakura
master brummie
That does seem to be true Les, maybe we used a tennis ball the rest of the year. That was a skill we were taught at school as well as at home. Things do change. I have to admit I do our woolen socks if they are worth saving. With our winters and loving the out doors woolen socks are a must.
I just found this on the Internet on how to darn a sock, guess it has to be the old light bulbs. That is something else that won't be around in a few years and have to get on eBay.
I just found this on the Internet on how to darn a sock, guess it has to be the old light bulbs. That is something else that won't be around in a few years and have to get on eBay.
[
Place a light bulb in the sock and position the hole over the light bulb. Your needle will glide smoothly over the bulb's surface, making your stitching go faster.
/QUOTE]Mo