Ah, those were the days. Nearly every house seemed to own a cobbler's last, for repairing the shoes. As a kid, you got a new outfit for Easter to go 'marching to the Market Place, and after that clothes were often altered and repaired to make them last. I usually got into trouble for wearing my new 'Easter' shoes for going down the beach, then falling off the rocks at the Groyne, when looking for crabs, and ruining them! Wellies were the order of the day in winter, and 'sand shoes' in summer. (I'm talking of the late 40's and 50's here). Every mother had a box or tin in which she kept needles, threads and buttons. So different from today, when you can go down to store and buy seven pairs of mens socks for £5, or a 'fleece' for just a little more!baldy.smith wrote:My father used to cobble our shoes himself to save money.
He used to put loads of studs on the soles, and steel toe
segs and heels, to make them harder to wear out. Hand me
downs were the order of the day as well. Glad I was the oldest
cos I always got the new stuff.
We used to go down the beach to collect wood and sea-coal to keep the fire going in winter, and sometimes in the evenings, sit in the firelight, because we didn't have a penny for the electric meter. Sparks from the wood on the fire would occasionally jump out of the fire and singe the fur of 'Fluff' the cat, curled up on the clippy mat, made from those clothes that were beyond saving...
Ralph