Norwich History

[YnysMon]

Has anyone else come across this programme? I never realised there was a shoe factory in Norwich. 

 

[Wussername]

There were somewhere in the region of 30 shoe factories in Norwich. Some, still remembered this very day.

[YnysMon]

I found the programme rather too ‘woke’, most channels nowadays are bending over backwards to be ‘inclusive’. Inclusivity is certainly a good thing, except when it’s overdone. If you can overlook that there’s a lot of interesting Norwich history. 

[TheQ]

13 hours ago, Wussername said:

There were somewhere in the region of 30 shoe factories in Norwich. Some, still remembered this very day.

Their closure gave several sailing clubs mud weights for their buoys, there are a lost of old shoe lasts down in that mud folks..

[stumpy]

I well remember NorVic being the school shoe of choice and weren't those hideous sandals with a little flower cut out in the front and white sponge soles also made in Norwich?

[Mouldy]

15 hours ago, Wussername said:

There were somewhere in the region of 30 shoe factories in Norwich. Some, still remembered this very day.

Norwich may have been home to a number of shoe factories in the past, but frankly pales into insignificance compared to Northampton, which was home to around 150 similar manufacturers.  It is a fact that in the middle of the 19th century, about a third of the adult male population were engaged in the shoe making industry.  Truly, a veritable load of cobblers!

[MauriceMynah]

Our Gracie must have a doctorate in history.

[Wussername]

37 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

Norwich may have been home to a number of shoe factories in the past, but frankly pales into insignificance compared to Northampton, which was home to around 150 similar manufacturers.  It is a fact that in the middle of the 19th century, about a third of the adult male population were engaged in the shoe making industry.  Truly, a veritable load of cobblers!

Quite a feat or is that feet.

[Vaughan]

My first job on leaving school was  with the Norvic Shoe Co on St George's Plain. The building is still there, as shops, offices and flats. Across the road was the KILTIE children's shoe factory, main competitor of Startrite shoes.

2 hours ago, Mouldy said:

Norwich may have been home to a number of shoe factories in the past, but frankly pales into insignificance compared to Northampton,

Norvic made ladies shoes in Norwich and mens shoes in a big factory in Northampton, where they also had their design offices.  Northampton and other towns around (such as Barker of Earls Barton) were very well known but Norvic opened their new Heathside factory in the 60's on Vulcan Rd, near the Airport.  At the time it was the biggest and most modern shoe factory in Europe, turning out 62,000 pairs of shoes per week.

In the late 60's an entrepreneur named Charlie Clore opened factories in Europe, mass producing cheap plastic shoes and the shoe trade in England died out almost completely.

[kpnut]

3 hours ago, stumpy said:

weren't those hideous sandals with a little flower cut out in the front and white sponge soles also made in Norwich?

Startrite. And I loved mine. About the most comfy shoes ever.

[addicted]

Mrs Charles Clore used to buy her shoes from H & M Rayne in Old Bond Street, London. Shoemakers to the Queen amongst many other people of note at that time, 1960s.  Likewise Mrs. Skinner of Lilley and Skinner well known shoe shops across most of the  UK.

 

Carole

[Wussername]

I used to buy Bally shoes, in the day. 1960/1970, Five or six pairs. Manufactured in their factory on Hall Road, Norwich. retail price three or four hundred pounds. They were rejects. why I do not know. A friend, an employee, purchased them for me, at a discount price. For me £5 or £6. I could only afford a few. 

A waste of money, sure very stylish, none of my mates knew fish from fowl. 

Not for a Norfolk boy I'm afraid. A different world.

I do not think that I impressed anybody, at least I thought I did, in my naivety I was happy with that.

[Bluebell]

3 hours ago, Wussername said:

I used to buy Bally shoes, in the day. 1960/1970, Five or six pairs. Manufactured in their factory on Hall Road, Norwich. retail price three or four hundred pounds. They were rejects. why I do not know. A friend, an employee, purchased them for me, at a discount price. For me £5 or £6. I could only afford a few. 

A waste of money, sure very stylish, none of my mates knew fish from fowl. 

Not for a Norfolk boy I'm afraid. A different world.

I do not think that I impressed anybody, at least I thought I did, in my naivety I was happy with that.

I’ve still got a pair Bally’s Chelsea boots, must be over 20years old now…😎

[MauriceMynah]

Do you wear them or just take them out of the cupboard to sing "happy birthday" to them?

[addicted]

 When I worked for Rayne  early 1960s, A client bought a pair of crocodile shoes at a cost of  probably 2-£300, She wore them  out of the salon explaining that she had broken a heel on her shoes on arrival at London Airport and had purchased  a tremporary replacement pair at Bally, but as they were not Rayne they wouldn't suit her feet so having worn them just for the journey in her chaffeur driven car to  Old Bond Street, left them behind.  While they wouldn't have cost as much as the Rayne  shoes they were  crocodile and would have been very expensive and my Boss gave them to me. I had them for many  years.

 

Carole

[addicted]

Just a footnote to the above I seem to remember that the Bally company was known as Bally of Switzerland in those days so I'm surprised to learn that they had a connection with Norwich.

 

Carole

[LizG]

http://www.norwich-heritage.co.uk/publications/Boot_and_Shoe_Book_extract.pdf

Just found this online

[floydraser]

Michael Portillo's railway journey featuring Norwich is repeated (again!) tonight at 7pm. I seem to remember he suggests corruption around the Town Hall...

[Bluebell]

2 hours ago, floydraser said:

Michael Portillo's railway journey featuring Norwich is repeated (again!) tonight at 7pm. I seem to remember he suggests corruption around the Town Hall...

CITY Hall if you don’t mind…😎

[Smoggy]

4 minutes ago, Bluebell said:

CITY Hall if you don’t mind…😎

Don't upset the villagers of Norwich...

[Mouldy]

2 hours ago, floydraser said:

Michael Portillo's railway journey featuring Norwich is repeated (again!) tonight at 7pm. I seem to remember he suggests corruption around the Town Hall...

Corruption and government office (even local)?  Unthinkable! 

[Wussername]

Norwich a Fine City.  At one time road signs on the A11, before the A47 bypass, would herald this  declaration of pride. The roundabouts on Newmarket road and on the inner ring road used to be ablaze with colour from plants and flowers from the cities greenhouses at Earlham Park. 

Norwich of course is a fine city, you risk a fine wherever  you park. no different to any other city I suppose in this day and age.

It has changed enormously in my lifetime, no longer are cattle to be seen driven through the streets to Norwich market. Industry has gone, the shoe industry, Caley Mackintosh/Rowntree Mackintosh, Colmans, Laurance & Scotts, Bolton & Pauls, to a great extent The Norwich Union Ins Soc.. The city a shadow of its former self.

However, you must not be discouraged from visiting, by car, by train or  boat, by boat with a passage along the River Yare and finally the River Wensum. Parts of the Yare are magnificent and so is the Wensum. The nearer that you get to Norwich, to the old centre of the city, with its bridges and Cathedral, and its history, the experience is amazing. You should be able to navigate through Foundry Bridge up to Bishops Bridge, alas the hire boat can no longer proceed further.

But you make walk along the bank, with the Cathedral  as your custodian, past Lollards pit, do not linger, past a swan pit, for the benefit of the Bishop of Norwich. (do you know him) and then you may journey through a most delightful part of the old city. Elm Hill, lanes leading to the famous historical market, next to the Old Guildhall. Not far from The Maddermarket Theatre built in 1794 originally as a chapel, still presenting plays and modern productions. Indeed Old Wussername, in his youth once trod the boards.

I remember it well. The roar of the grease paint, the smell of the crowd.

They never asked me back.

[lurcher]

On Youtube,John Atkins "Lost Norwich" ,has many short videos comparing the Norwich of the past and the present.

 

 

[floydraser]

I've been around Norwich plenty of times, around the ring road that is. I broke down on the ring road when the Leyland 3.5 tonner is was driving snapped it's cam belt. They fitted a new belt locally and I drove home at 40mph with a couple of bent valves.

I've delivered to Asda a few times and got to know a few local characters - Tony the gardener and another chap who was always slagging off his sister who had won the lottery, "Doesn't bother me though." Oh really?

Norwich town centre is on our to do list for this year as we embark on our retirement. I'm sure it's a lovely place as it is but I would love to have been able to see it's history as a dock. A preserved coaster as a museum would be an attraction for me.

The air museum will get a visit too.