My Dad was manager of the shop in the picture, Milwards Shoes at 15 Station Road Portslade from 1960 until about 1973.
Previous site of Portslade council offices
We lived in the flat above until the shop was modernized around 1963-4. When we moved in there in 1960 the old Portslade council office building was still standing next door but was soon demolished and a new building erected to house Fine Fare and a TV rental company. Behind the old council building there was an orchard.
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Just next door was that great hardware store Retallicks. There was always a funny but nice smell to that shop. Further up towards the station there was another shoe shop, Freeman Hardy & Willis.
Hello Chris McBrien. Yes I remember Millwards shoe shop. My sister and I always brought my dad’s slippers there for Christmas as it was the only shop that keep the ones he wore, but that would have been in 1955, long before your dad had the shop. Also remember Freeman, Hardy & Willis shoe shop which was at the top of Station Road. I used to work opposite Millwards in the hardware store called Mence Smith for a number of years. We did have a young boy who came to work with us and he used to live over the top of one of those shops but can’t remember which one. It was good to see the photo; I have told my sister who still lives in Brighton as I have lived in Australia for many years now. By Pat Finneran (nee Morley) 28.3.2010
Hello, I wonder if anyone can help? I’m trying to find out some history on the old Millwards shoe shop in Station Road, which was also Lunn Poly travel agents at some point and is a charity shop now called Extratime. I am led to believe its haunted – if anyone can shed some light on this it would be most appreciated
One thing I remember about Milwards was the “Pedoscope” – an x-ray device, housed in a wooden case. It was used to visually inspect the position of feet and toes inside shoes. I believe these machines were banned in the late ’50s or early ’60s.
Yes, Yes! I remember the x-ray machine too. As a child, it made going to Milwards for a new pair of shoes, even more exciting. I wonder why they were banned?
Just had a walk through the City of London across London Bridge wearing a nice pair of Milwards Rightform shoes. Very tough veltschoen style, popular in the old days with the Army because of their toughness. These shoes will last another 50 years easy, with a professional re-sole. My guess is they are from Lotus, a Northampton-based company – the factory long gone. The brand is still around but the shoes made in Spain or Portugal. Milwards would have purchased 20 plus pairs and got a nice gold leaf label put in by Lotus. They are super-tough, waterproof and very soft on the feet. 1964-1967 vintage. Someone purchased them, Ken, while you were probably upstairs having a white sliced bread sugar sandwich! Info on the shoe style: http://loomstate.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/lotus-veldtschoen-guaranteed-waterproof.html
Re the pedoscope mentioned by Anthony and Suzie. Did it look like this? http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/objects/display?id=92774
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