A BROTHER and sister team are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their business this month.
Grahame Barker opened The Boot Hole on Dorking's Pump Corner in 1983 and his sister, Karen, joined the shoe-repair business six years later when the business moved to South Street.
The siblings will be running special promotions in the week of their company's anniversary from April 29 to May 3.
"We are open to change – you have to be," said Ms Barker. "We have tried to diversify as much as we can to keep the business as strong as possible."
As well as still running a traditional shoe repair service, the sibling team also sell handbags and luggage, and offer key-cutting and engraving.
But they are always open to more unusual demands from their customers.
"We have had some strange requests over the years. I think the strangest was stitching a teddy bear's paws back on," she said.
The family business has meant the siblings have spent a great deal of time together during the past three decades, but Ms Barker insists the working relationship is still strong.
"We get on really well and our styles of working complement each other. I think my strengths are his weaknesses and vice-versa," she said.
The pair are very proud of what they achieved, but are gearing up for what they anticipate will be a tough few months.
"It's been hard work but I think this next year's going to the hardest yet because of the temporary closure of Waitrose for a couple of months," said Ms Barker. "We have been running a good service and fair prices for this long, though, so hopefully our customers will stay loyal.
"We have had people who've moved away to as far afield as Luxembourg and Australia, who still come back and see us. They say they can't find the traditional service elsewhere.
"So, hopefully, if people will travel that far to the shop then they'll still be willing to walk the extra half-mile when Waitrose moves."
