A view of Stockton High Street in the winter of 1986. Photograph courtesy of Martin Spires. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
A view of Stockton High Street in the winter of 1986. Photograph courtesy of Martin Spires.
I bought many a pair of shoes from Stylo. The pair I remember best were black winklepickers with a large side buckle and Cuban heels, the height of fashion in 1962. All this for fifty-nine and eleven, about three quid now.
Within yards of each other were Wm Timpson, Stead and Simpson, HP Tyler and Clinkards. Of those, only Clinkards and Stead & Simpson nare still in business. Timpson shoe repair outlets is owned by John Timpson of the original Timpson family.
Once went into Stylo for a pair of shoes, probably 1958. I was told to sit down and a gent salesman came to me, he undid and took off my shoes, he rolled up my trouser legs, and then said to me ‘What lovely hairy legs’ – anyone else had that experience there?
The shop to the left of the photo called STYLO was in those days a well known shoe shop. Another I remember in those days was ‘Freeman, Hardy and Willis’. There were a lot of mens tailors shops back then in the High Street. Burtons is still on the go, but others I remember are John Temple and Jacksons.