Last city centre shoemaker has a royal reputation to live up to (1981)

And while estate agents admittedly did “put roofs over people’s heads... it was Pat McKernan of Donegall Street who “put soles on people’s feet.”

Pat (48), pictured here in his shop in central Belfast, made shoes for “anybody and everybody” but he had a reputation to live up to.

For reminding him constantly of the value of his toil was a framed letter on the wall sent to his father in 1924.

The letter has been by the lady in waiting of the Duchess of York – who in 1981 was the Queen Mother thanking the McKernans for the gift of a pair of shoes after she had visited Belfast and been “measured up” in the back room in Donegall Street.

The McKernan business had been operating on Donegall Street for past 71 years, noted the News Letter in 1981, and “up the stairs somewhere” was were the measurements of the Queen Mother’s feet carried out by Pat’s father.

Pat explained: “We have people coming here for shoes for as long as 50 years, and we keep the records of them all. We have made shoes for the mighty and the meek.”

The letter on behalf of the Queen Mother stated: “The lady in waiting of the Duchess of York desires to let Mr James McKernan know of the safe arrival of the shoes received by Her Royal Highness on the occasion of her recent visit to Belfast and also to express Her Royal Highness’s appreciation of the kindly sentiment that prompted the gift.”

Royalty does not often drop in on Donegall Street, noted the News Letter, “but now but the McKernans have plenty of trade to keep the shoemaking craft going”.

A “personal” pair of shoes could cost anything from £65 to £85 and the customer can buy a shoehorn to go with them. But there are shoehorns in McKernan’s that money could not buy. They were displayed on the wall and are part of a collection gathered up by Pat over more than 20 years of working in the shop.

Some of them have handles three feet long and all were given to Pat by customers who returned to Belfast from various parts of the world. They came from Egypt, France, Sardinia, Nigeria and Greece. The report added: “As well as making shoes Pat McKernan could give you a geography lesson. But his feet are firmly planted in Belfast”.