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How it all started - Part 1
Albert Wainwright founded the business in 1919 and
came to Princes Risborough in 1936 when the original shop used for
repairing and making footwear was opened. If you know Princes
Risborough this shop was in Summerleys Road, next door to where the
Model Railway shop is today.
A few years on and in need of larger premises the
business was moved just along the road. Again, for those of you who
know Risborough this would have been where Unwins and Risborough
Printers are today. Not only did the business move into the ground
floor units but the family moved into the first floor living over
the shop. It is this shop which is pictured above.
You will notice in the right hand corner of the
picture one of the original bikes that was used by the sons to
collect and deliver repairs to the surrounding villages. However by
the time of this photograph the luxury of the motor vehicle had
arrived saving a little bit of pedal power. The van pictures allowed
shoe repairs to be fetched in from further distances helping the
business to grow. You will also notice that at the time of the
photograph the business had started to sell footwear as well as
repair them. You should be able to make out the shoe displays in the
right hand window.
