This is a great little collection of shops that have uniquely remained together, even after moving…read morefrom The Swan in Yardley to Acocks Green. Entering the store you are greeted on your left by a jewellers, and on your right by a shoe repair service; And at the back of the store lies a clothes alteration department. If you are a new customer, from my perspective, you're not sure exactly what to look at first, but I'm guessing that all three areas have built up their own regular shoppers, who know exactly what they are after. I love the independence of each, and the way they have survived by supporting each other. All three staff members are also very friendly, and the store feels warming, homely and old fashioned when compared to corporate businesses. The jewellers section also stocks a variation of unusual gifts too. From Betty Boop mugs and clocks collections (which are perfect for any enthusiast), to metal money boxes and watches. So it's a great place to buy presents for somebody. Or simply get your shoe repaired.

These guys are a great example of not giving in to the big, corporate bullies. When the Swan…read morecentre was sold to Tesco they effectively lost their small, independent businesses as they had nowhere to trade. Instead of accepting that they joined forces, found a nearby shop and trade as a collective. They had been at The Swan for nearly 20 years but wouldn't have been able to afford the rent on a property individually. The result is an extremely successful, wonderful and quirky arrangement that delivers three businesses for the price of one. There is a key cutter and cobbler, a jeweller and a haberdashery. The services they offer also include engraving and clothes alterations. All three businesses are friendly, helpful and normally cost very little. If you need one of these services and are looking for a bargain then this is the place for you.

Left some heels for re-soling and when received them back they had a mark on them from a bic pen,…read morewhen asked to fix it, they did a botched paint job that made it look even worse. Do not recommend for shoes you care about.. not worth the lack of help or service... no apology or anything for the issue they caused and made worse! They didn't even seem to care.

The word cobbler evokes a Dickens-esque scene from the 19th century for me. I have a soft spot for…read morethese old trades that still inhabit obscure spots around the city - I admire the artisan and I admire that in an age of excessive consumption and mass manufacturing there's still enough demand for an ol' cobbler. My favourite brown oxfords had worn down to the point I was worried that they might wear through to the sole of my foot. So on a quest to find a suitable place to perform the repair on my beloved shoes, I was pointed in the direction of the Piccadilly Cobbler. I fantasised that I might have been greeted with some cockney rhyming slang and a nod of a flat cap, unfortunately my fantasy was not realised, but nonetheless he swiftly returned my shoes to their former glory as I wandered around town. Some things just can't be replaced sentimentally, aesthetically and economically so in the instance of waning soles here you have a cobbler. Good day.

Another recommendation that I would never have known about otherwise so I feel duty bound to tell…read moreyou about Heel Stop. Living in the Jewellery Quarter and wearing spiky heels do not mix! But Heel Stop repairs this type of shoes starting at £4.95 for just heels. They have just repaired one of my favourite pairs of extra comfortable (but still high) shoes; high wedges that have a rubber soul which they managed to completely rejuvenate for £14.95. My boyfriend takes all his boots their too. We both walk everywhere so there is a lot of wear and tear. On top of their fantastic prices, all the gents behind the bar always greet you like they value your business and have real pride in their work. Oh they cut keys and sell numerous related goods too. Tucked away in the indoor market, where all the food stalls are is this great value shoe repairer. In fact the only downside is the food - I'm not a big meat eater so those stalls put me off slightly but if you're on the hunt for other great value traders, this is the place to head to.

I love my shoes so there's nothing more frustrating than damaged heels and the ridiculous prices to…read morerepair them! I've been to some High Street shoe repairers who have sometimes charged more than I paid for the shoes! This is why I was relieved to stumble across Dumas Shoe Repairs. It's a small, cluttered shop on the busy Coventry Road. The owner is a pleasant man who is great at his job. He completes shoe repairs in a couple of days for less than a fiver! That's around a third of what I've paid elsewhere! He also offers key-cutting services and I've enquired about repairing a stitch for my leather beanbag, which the owner was happy to help with. Parking is a little tricky in this area although you may be lucky enough to find on-street parking. Otherwise, you'd have to park on a side street that could be a bit of a walk.

On Parade is a wonderful store that specializes in dry cleaning but also lots, lots more. This is…read morea local, independent store that has built up a fantastic reputation. If you have something precious or more unique to dry clean these guys are probably for you. So they offer regular dry cleaning services and then hit the high mark with offers like taking down, dry cleaning and then re-hanging curtains. If you have 5 or more items to dry clean they will collect and return for you. For me this is pretty much a deluxe dry cleaners. They also offer services like shirt wash and iron which my parents have used and recommend. However, they also offer carpet cleaning services which I have used and can recommend. They do shoe repairs as well. They also have an onsite tailoring and alteration department which operates Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 10:00- 3pm.

Awful service. Missed the promised turnaround time (they had had a breakin) but then didn't call…read moreback to update me as promised leaving me in the dark and without the suit when needed. Half hearted apology, tried to blame (absent) young colleague - who had done nothing wrong - and still charged their full premium price. Won't go again.

Just a nice little store close to the center of Swadlincote, just over the street from my bank…read more(Barclays) and my barber (Sweeney Swad). This little store has been run since 1997 by the same man (only staff) who served me today - basically cutting me a new key (living in a centuries old manor home means you are using "historic" keys - and he can grind them for you. Great, prompt, polite service and very interesting guy to chat to (as I did). I think the main business is the keys and shoe repairs. Strangely much of his limited space is taken up with a gigantic (given the small size of the store) collection of Steiff "button in ear" Teddy Bears. https://www.steiffteddybears.co.uk/more-things-steiff/steiff-button-in-ear.php. Now that is weird - don't you think?? If the shoe repairs are as good and as prompt as the key cutting then you will be happy! He did have a few (VERY few) pairs of shoes. I LOVED the Jeffery West men's shoes https://www.jeffery-west.co.uk/ - the coolest that I have EVER seen for sure - see pics of the soles - the tops are equally awesome in terms of style, quality and more (shiny black leather, bright red laces an stitching - NICE!!!! Review # 50 2018

Lovely traditional shop, cuts keys, fixes shoes, sells a wide range of interesting gifts. Owner…read morefriendly and very helpful. Shops like this are sadly an endangered species! Swadlincote is lucky to have this one survive in very tough times, long May it continue!

Ashton's is one of the few independent cobblers left in the Midlands and is worth frequenting. It…read moremakes sense to repair good shoes and Ashton offer a quality repair at reasonable prices. There's a useful stock of shoe cleaning products and accessories like insoles or laces. Additional services include key cutting and the supply of trophies.

I always take my shoes and boots here to get them re heeled (and sometimes re toed) as they do a…read morereally good job, and in my opinion, much better than some of the national chains of shoe menders such as Timsons. The staff are really nice in here and they have often done jobs there and then for me when I have had a shoe emergency! They always get the jobs done for when you want them, and often this is on the same day. If I take my black boots in for new heel tips, they always black up the heels aswell for no extra charge to make them look as good as new. I am always really pleased with the job that they do and the prices are reasonable too. Certainly a lot cheaper than getting new boots! They also cut keys and sell gift items such as silver photo frames and other silver collectables.

I telephoned first to see if they were busy & asked if they could heel a pair of shoes for me…read moretoday. I was told it could be done whilst I waited. I arrived at 10:05 and left at 10:20, job done. First rate service & hospitality. I will definitely be returning when I need my next pair of shoes repaired.

Outstanding repairs to my much loved Burberry peacoat. I pointed out the problems, we discussed…read moresolutions and within four days my coat was beautifully repaired to a standard that exceeded my expectations. And the price was great too, Honestly, it was akin to visiting The Repair Shop.

Have used their services three times now. High quality alterations and dry cleaning services at…read morevery affordable prices and fast turn around. The tailors here use both the imperial and metric systems which work for me and they sew via measurements, not patterns, which is a dying trade; they teach the kids these days to sew by patterns so they cant do any sort of alterations on anything Vintage or expensive if you have changed body sizes or wanna re-purpose that has come back into fashion. There are two female tailors that are very friendly, they take time to find out what you want and will listen to you and work with you to make sure they know exactly what you want and to ensure you are happy with what you will get; and you wont be disappointed. They can keep the same Finish on the hems of expensive jeans if they are too long and no one will notice its not how you originally purchased it. I'm so glad I'm local to them; I've only seen this quality of work done internationally.