People might remember the well-known shoe shop that traded in Newcastle for nearly 130 years.
It's 15 years since George Rye & Sons at 41-43 in the Groat Market announced it was closing. The brand could trace its roots back to 1879 and a very different Newcastle - a time before Newcastle United was formed, before the Evening Chronicle was published for the first time, and even before the old town of Newcastle was granted city status.
Generation of Geordies bought high-quality footwear at George Rye & Sons, but the world was changing and in September 2007, the Chronicle reported that the shop was shutting for good. Co-owner Michael Rye told us at the time: "It was a huge decision to sell up and one that has not been taken lightly. Over the years our takings have gradually gone down because people don’t seem to come to shop in the Bigg Market any more as there are too many takeaways and restaurants.
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"When I think about closing I get pangs of sadness because I’ve worked at the shop most of my life and I had hoped it would be passed on to future generations. It’s been a huge part of my family and will always be close to our hearts. Some people have been coming to the store for many years."
Michael was one of five generations of the Rye family to have worked at the store. It was founded by his great-grandfather George Rye who moved from Northampton to Newcastle in the 1870s. "Initially the shop sold mainly men’s leather shoes but as trends changed so too did the store,” said Michael .“I’m grateful to all the people who have supported us over the years. We’ve had some wonderful customers.”
For a few years, the former shoe shop premises was occupied by the bookmaker William Hill, then when the building was about to change hands again, a 'ghost sign' from the past was exposed for a while - the former George Rye fascia, sparking plenty of local interest.
Number 41-43 Groat Market is now occupied by the popular burger brand Meat:Stack, which started out with a simple stall at the Quayside weekend market. Meanwhile, the George Rye and Sons brand lives on today in the shape of the wholesaler GRS Footwear.
Martin Rye from the company said: "We remain one of the oldest family-owned businesses in the region, and continue to grow as a family-owned North East business. We have recently won several national awards for our footwear brands and supply over 1,000 Stores with our shoes - locally, nationally and internationally. All our shoes are designed in the North East and we supply our customers - some as far away as New Zealand - from our base in the region."
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