North Shoes

North Shoes

Photo courtesy Roger North
Frank North pictured outside the shop circa 1900

In 1876, William North, a boot maker from Haconby, opened a shoe shop at No 18 North Street, Bourne, that is known today as North Shoes and still run as a family concern, having passed from father to son for five generations ever since he left the village with two of his ten children 130 years ago.

He bought leather and made boots and shoes in sheds at the rear of the property, working six days a week and only returning to see the family at Haconby on Sundays, a long journey on foot that took several hours.

His wife Sarah had sufficient money to buy the shop building where William soon established a successful business specialising in sturdy footwear and when he died in 1928, it was continued by his son Frank who had visited shoe manufacturers around the country to learn new production techniques to increase trade.

By 1905, the shop had begun to buy in ready-made boots and shoes but continued with its own bespoke designs and by the 1920s, it was catering for all tastes in fashionable footwear. A leather shortage during the Second World War of 1939-45 meant that many customers had to wait for their orders and empty boxes were kept stacked on the shelves to ensure that the shop did not look too bare but the years of austerity soon gave way to more affluent times with the shop selling patent, wet-look knee boots and sandals among its more traditional stock.

Frank's son, Frederick John North, joined the business in 1946 on returning from service with the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and took over in 1964. He retired in 1986 and died in 2005, aged 83, and the business was handed over to his son Roger, who has been working there for 44 years, and then to his son, James, great great grandson of the founder, while the shop itself has become a Grade II listed property, scheduled in 1977.

The shop currently has eight employees, four of them family members, James and Roger, and their wives Claire and Michelle. They are assisted by Val Calvert who has worked at the shop for more than 30 years, Vi King, Sally Abrahams and Lee Marshall-Rose.

"We cater for the entire family as well as keeping up with the latest fashions and trends", said Roger, aged 60. "We started selling hobnail boots and now we stock hand-painted pink wellies and crocs we expect to be here for another 100 years or more. Times and fashions may change but our principles of good service and quality products remain the same."

Photo courtesy Roger North

Frederick North, his wife and six of their ten children, pictured when his North Street business had become quite successful and he was able to afford the cost of a professional photographer to take this family group.
See also Frederick North

The shop in June 2008

REVISED MARCH 2016