North East shoe retailer Charles Clinkard is celebrating 100 years in business

It’s a North East retail staple - and it’s celebrating 100 years in business. Charles Clinkard, a name synonymous with shoes, opened its first store in 1924.

For shoppers in Newcastle, the award-winning brand has had a presence in Eldon Square Shopping Centre since the early days of the complex which opened in 1976. But its origins lie a little further to the south, in Middlesbrough.

Six years after the end of the First World War, Charles Clinkard - alongside his wife Eveline - opened his first shoe shop using £30 of personal savings with a loan from the bank to match.

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During his war service, Charles had discovered an appreciation for high-quality footwear and understood the need for shoes to be both comfortable and durable. With that in mind, he embarked on a mission to provide families in the North East with quality yet affordable footwear.

The Middlesbrough shop - one of the first of its kind in the town - was managed by Charles and Eveline, with family members taking on the roles of store staff. In 1958, a second store, managed by Roger, Charles and Eveline’s son, was established in Stockton. The store later relocated and the opening ceremony was graced by the presence of 1960s pop idol, Adam Faith.

Next up, the North Yorkshire town of Redcar acquired a Charles Clinkard store before, in the same year, Charles and Eveline took the decision to pass on the reins and retire from the business. A new store opened in Northallerton in 1964, before a year later, Charles passed away after a short illness.

The 1970s marked an exciting era of expansion for Charles Clinkard. A store in Leeds opened in 1975, and a year later, a lease was agreed for a flagship store in Newcastle’s sprawling new Eldon Square Shopping Centre.

The store has traded successfully since then in the same spot. More recently, in 2016, a new store was established in Teesside Park, proving an instant hit with one customer forking out for six pairs of shoes in just 20 minutes.

Very much a family business, the current group managing director, Charles Clinkard, is the grandson of the founder. He said: “I am very proud to be celebrating 100 years of the business.

"My grandparents opened the very first store in the North East back in 1924 and it’s fantastic to celebrate their legacy and how far the business has come over the past century. We know our stores have been at the heart of the community for decades, so we want to say a big thank you to our staff, brands, and customers who have been with us on our journey.”