From repairing Princess Anne’s riding boots to sharing the lives of the local community, it’s been an interesting journey for the owner of small local business Jacobs Quality Shoe Repairs.

Owner Peter Jacobs has been at Hawaiian’s Noranda for 22 years.  A major milestone in any business, however, Peter is not your average small business operator.

He is the third generation of his family to work in the industry, after following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father in the UK and will eventually hand the business to his son when he retires.

Peter began working in the family shop when he was 15 years old in the small English town of Stroud in Gloucestershire.  They had many high profile customers including the British Royal Family.

Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips lived in a village nearby and regularly had their shoes and riding boots repaired.

Peter moved to Melbourne, Australia in 1967 for an adventure and met his wife.  He moved back home to the UK in 1979 to take over the family business when his father retired, but returned to Australia in 1989 and settled in Perth.

“I’ve had a really interesting career, have met some great people and seen a lot of families grow up,” Peter Jacobs said.

“Even today I have a regular clientele including ballet and dance schools and families who come from Ellenbrook and Wanneroo.

“I’ve been working in the industry for 55 years and went into the family business because I needed to do something with my hands.

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