High Street staple celebrates 30th year

FAMILY-run business, The Cobbler’s Bench, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month.

The Cobbler’s Bench first opened its doors in the Littlebrook Centre in 1990 once Nic Clyde took ownership of the shop at the age of 19, with her mother Dot, after completing an apprenticeship in shoe repairs. 

Nic started her working career as a Saturday girl when the shop was on Lowbourne and owned by Charlie Mortimer. 

When he retired, Nic took on the business and moved into the Littlebrook Centre where they stayed for 12 years. 

They then moved onto Bath Road and have now been there for the last 18 years, celebrating their 30th anniversary on Thursday 12th March. 

They have also welcomed a new member of staff to the team, Athena, who has been at the shop for 18 months on a customer services apprenticeship. 

Nic said, “It doesn’t feel like it has been 30 years! Where has the time gone? We now have customers come in with their children, who used to come into the shop with their parents when they were children. Some customers also just come in for a chat and a catch up, which is great, we get to hear about their stories. 

“Over the 30 years, shoe repairs have remained steady. I guess you could put that down to the fact that there is nowhere to buy new shoes in Melksham, so people are more likely to fix their current ones. Also the population of Melksham is growing too, so we always have an influx of new customers. 

“Especially people moving into their new build houses, the first thing they usually do in Melksham is come to us and get keys made, so it’s nice to talk to them about why they have moved to the area. 

“We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone for their continued support and friendship.”