End of an era in The Cut
After 60 years trading Farey and Sons closes on Christmas Eve. The shoe menders in The Cut, just along from Livebait, is run by brothers Charles and Derek who joined their father's business forty years ago and are now retiring. They have tackled almost every new shoe from Sixties lace-ups to the latest trainers. Stars from the nearby theatres have all been grateful for the craftsmen's speedy handiwork on a pair of non-slip stage shoes. The motto for a long time was "in at 8.30am back at 1pm" for those with a crisis.In the shop autumn was always marked by the appearance on the counter of apples from the brothers' garden. Both have seen many changes including the disappearance of the last market stall run by Bob outside the laundrette, the opening of the Young Vic, the closure of the bank (tapas bar) and the RACS supermarket (PanBros).
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