The Story of the Norwich Boot and Shoe Trade

Description

In the years leading up to WWII the Norwich boot and shoe trade employed over 10,000 people, a staggering 15% of the total workforce, making it the City’s premier industry. Firms such as: P. Haldinstein & Son, Edwards & Holmes the Norvic Shoe Co. and Sexton Son & Everard were all forces to be reckoned with. Yet by the end of the century these mighty companies along with many of their competitors had floundered and failed. This raises many questions. Not least of which is: Why? But it is also important to ask: What was it like working in the shoe factories? What shoes were made? Who were the major companies? What is their legacy? The best people to answer such questions are those who worked in the factories. Here their fascinating commentaries have been interweaved with archive material, photographs, contemporary newspaper reports to tell the engrossing story of the Norwich boot and shoe trade. An industry which for many years was the ‘Heart and “Sole” of the City’

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About The Author

Frances and Michael Holmes

We love living in Norwich and not only enjoy researching and documenting projects but also being able to share our work. We are the first to admit that we are more “enthusiasts” than historians and although we set ourselves high standards, we believe that such activity should be fun. As a team we can each work to our strengths which allows us to present our work in a variety of media: books, websites, presentations and film.

Michael has lived in Norwich all of his life, Frances arrived in 1983 for a year but could never find a good enough reason to leave! After a career in IT, Michael is the techie whilst Frances’ background, involving links with both the corporate and voluntary sectors, is used to good effect in organising and researching. We particularly enjoy meeting and working with a huge range of people from many different backgrounds and helping to preserve and promote Norwich’s rich heritage.

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