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Belcher's shoe-making and repairs shop

I recently came across a photo of my late grandfather’s shoe making/repairs shop.

The shop was situated on the corner of Semley Road and Ditchling Road close to Fiveways. The family lived at 63 Princes Road from probably the late forties to the sixties.

Do you remember the shop? Perhaps you remember our family. If you do, please leave a comment below.

Belcher's shoe-making and repairs shop
From the private collection of Tony Belcher
The site today
From the private collection of Tony Belcher

Comments about this page

  • Hi Tony, I lived in St Andrews Road (which was the next road down from Semley Rd). When I was a boy in the late forties early fifties and remember the shop. There was a bakers shop with the same name two doors down from where we lived. If I remember rightly their names were Bert and Betty Belcher. Were they related to your Grandfather? I would be very interested to know.

    By Pete Lane (18/10/2009)
  • My sister and I knew very little about our Grandfather’s history. We had heard that he had a shop in Semley Rd and were surprised to find a picture of it in my Aunt’s photo album. The people you refer to, I am pretty sure, are no relations to us, but you never know what can be uncovered through this site. If we find otherwise I will post the information on this site. Thanking you for your reply. Regards Tony.

    By Tony Belcher (19/10/2009)
  • Hi Tony, I believe you might be some way out with your dating. Charles James Belcher had a shoe repair shop at 207a, Ditchling Road from around 1920 until the end of the 1940s. By 1950 the premises were listed to John Ronald Cotton before becoming a greengrocers, G.H. Church. The property at 63, Prince’s Road was listed to the family from the early 1930s, when J.Belcher was recorded there. Charles is listed there during the 1940s, but I would hazard a guess that he died before 1950, as it is listed to Mrs. Belcher from that time until around 1961. There was another shoe repairer by the name of Arthur B. Belcher at 34, Sunderland Road in the 1950’s and it might be worth looking for a connection in that respect. Regards Andy

    By Andy Grant (20/10/2009)
  • I have a copy of Kelly’s directory of Brighton and Hove for 1954 and have found (in the commercial directory), two entries of the name Belcher. One is the baker’s I mentioned, and the other is rather interesting. It reads: Belcher Arth. B. boot repr. 34 Sutherland Rd. I could, if you wish, send a copy by e-mail. I’ve left my e-mail address. Hope this is of interest to you. Regards Pete

    By Pete Lane (20/10/2009)
  • Thank you Andy and Pete. From knowing nothing, to all this information. I am impressed. Yes Pete, I would like a copy if possible, but I don’t know how to retrieve your e-mail address.

    Editor’s note: check your email

     

    By Tony Belcher (21/10/2009)
  • My Brother used to own one of the flats above, c1984

    By Paul Mead & Josephine Mead (Stevens) (22/10/2009)
  • Hi, I accidently came across this site and thought I would make an addition, although I don’t think it will help you. Anyway, I am also Tony Belcher and I lived at the bottom corner of Semley Road and Edburton Avenue in a newsagents from 1967 to 1972 approximately. I was a child then, and the shop was owned by my grandparents, Thomas and Beatrice Burton.

    By Anthony Belcher (23/05/2010)
  • Hi Anthony Belcher (comment 24/05/2010). I’m not sure if this is the right forum for this, but we used to know each other back in the 1970s. If the name “Pik” rings a bell, and you would like to get in touch, by e-mail perhaps, it would be nice. I’d love to hear how you are these days.

    By Pik (18/09/2010)
  • Hi Pik, Could you give me more info as I did know a “Pik” but can’t believe it is the one I knew in the 1970s. You can contact me on tarn07@hotmail.co.uk or here, if you wish.

    By Anthony Belcher (20/03/2011)
  • I wrote  a book about a Muriel Belcher and her club, Her mother was Ida her brother Eric, recently discovered that they lived in Brighton. Muriel opened a club in Soho in 1948, before that she worked at the famous Music Box in Leiceister Sq London. Are you related? 

    By Sophie Parkin-Vink (30/06/2016)
  • Hi Tony Belcher. Yes the shop was in Ditching Road – No 207a – and yes he did live at 63 Princes Road, just off Ditching Road, a ten minute walk to the shop. Your grandfather Charles John Belcher was born in Brighton in 1876, he married in Brighton in 1905 to Clara Sarah Welfare. They lived in number 63 before 1940 right up to 1960 – well Clara did. Charles died 15th October 1946 age 70 at the Municipal Hospital Brighton. Clara Sarah Belcher was born in 1880 and died 27th December 1960 aged 80 at the Brighton General Hospital, Elm Grove in Brighton, Charles had a brother Percy Harry Belcher, born 1880, he was a coal salesman and lived at 28 Park Crescent, Brighton and died 4h march 1969 aged 89. I hope this helps.

    By George Sibun (31/08/2019)

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