Family-run Yorkshire shoe shop which served local figures including Arthur Scargill and Dickie Bird closes after 100 years in business

In 1923, Edgar Payne founded a business from his garden shed in Barnsley. A skilled craftsman, Edgar had recently moved from his hometown of Irchester, Northamptonshire, where he repaired shoes for a number of high-profile brands.As well as being a talented cobbler, Edgar also had a keen business sense, and quickly secured a contract with the British Army, repairing 100 boots a week which were delivered on horse and cart. He would then go on to build and repair boots for workers at the nearby mines.

The company would eventually move to bigger premises, just a few doors down from Edgar’s Dodworth home, and would find its speciality selling and repairing high-value shoes.

It would go on to be passed down through generations of the Payne family, eventually being named H. E. Payne & Sons after Edgar’s son Harold, who inherited the business, and two of his sons, who would eventually inherit it in turn.

A hundred years on from the business being founded, however, after making its way through four generations of the Payne family, H. E. Payne & Sons closed its doors for a final time last Saturday.

The business was forced to close after being unable to recover from issues brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent cost-of-living crisis.

“We want to share an absolutely massive, heartfelt thank you to everyone for keeping us going for 100 years, for supporting us, and for trusting us,” says Natalie Parkes, great granddaughter to Edgar, who took over as managing director of the business in 2018.

“I feel quite honoured that people can trust us to do repairs on their prized possessions, and it’s been really heartwarming.

“I want to encourage people to shop small as much as they can now, because if you don’t use it you’ll lose it, and we’re a prime example of that.”

Natalie’s father, John was one of the two sons who took over from Howard Payne, and from whom the store takes its name.

While John would go on to work as a newsagent, occasionally lending a hand to the family firm, his brother Denys became the “face of the business” for around 60 years.

“Everybody knew Denys,” says Natalie, “You couldn’t go in the shop and not come out without something, he was notorious.”

After Denys retired, and John became terminally ill in 2014, Natalie’s brother Matthew, who she refers to as “the greatest shoeman”, took the reigns of the business at just 19 years old. Matthew had worked with the store since he left school at 15, showing an early talent for the family trade.

In 2018, when John passed away, Natalie would join Matthew, leaving her job as a teacher at the local village school.

“We have never employed anyone outside the family,” says Natalie, “The quality of work Matthew produces is first class, and we just never needed to.

“He isn’t academic, and he wouldn’t mind me saying so, but he’s very hands on, he’s very skilled. He’s an artisan in his craft.”

Throughout its lifetime, the shop sold and repaired high quality, hand-made shoes, and was the oldest stockist in the world of Trickers shoes. The firm also stocked and repaired brands including Christian Louboutin, Valentino and Jimmy Choo.

The company served a number of famous clients, including trade unionist Arthur Scargill, cricket umpire Dickie Bird, and most recently, American pop group Sister Sledge.

As the Covid pandemic and cost-of-living crisis struck, however, the shop hit a number of obstacles it was unable to overcome.

As well as customers cutting back on high-end footwear due to financial constraints, the shop also saw a drop in shoe sales due to more people working from home.

“The prime example I can give you is we had a customer who was a solicitor, and he would buy two pairs of Barkers off us each year, which would mean around £600 for us,” Natalie explains.

“He’s now working from home, so doesn’t need the shoes because he only goes into the office or court every so often.

“That’s just one customer out of many. A lot of people don’t think of that kind of impact.”

Cost increases to handmade shoes due to staff numbers being lower during the pandemic also led to the shop losing a lot of its business.

Natalie, who still lives next door to the site which was run by H.E. Payne & Sons since the 1950s, will now continue to do shoe repairs from her home through postal orders, whilst Matthew is set to move on to another job.

“A lot of our customers still want our service,” says Natalie, “I wake up every day and have multiple emails from new customers.

“We have customers from Texas, New Zealand, France, Italy, and they all want the red soles repaired on their Christian Louboutins.

“We’ve worked really hard on that, and we’ve made lovely friends along the way, so I’m going to try and keep it going. I’m going to keep it going the best I can for as long as I can.”