If you're ever in Port Antonio and 'your boot heel lef' yuh a road' look no further than Frederick Cox.

His shop is just outside the centre of the capital, a few steps from the famous CC Bakery. As he stitched, threaded and hammered at the various pairs he had piled up, he talked about 'Porti'.

"The town needs a lot of development," said Cox, rarely lifting his head from his task.

"The few likkle businesses jus' have a few hands selling. Everything is like at a standstill," he said.

He told a few stories of his time in the capital over the years, and opined that "The town was more vibrant one time, but not again".

Every few minutes someone else greeted him as they passed by.

'Brother Cox', 'Sir Coxsy' and other names all show the respect and popularity that he commands. Of course, a few also bring their shoes for repair. From the young to the old, they carry slippers, work shoes, high heels, the whole gamut. It doesn't matter the pair, Cox can fix them all.

Continuing the legacy

"I learned the trade from an older man and I tried to carry on from where he left off," he explained.

Cox came to Port Antonio in 1949 after moving from Hanover. He's tried passing on the skill to younger people but that has proved a little tricky.

"They say they are tired of sitting down so long in one place and the work not coming as fast as one time. They want money fast and I not tying anybody down," he laughed.

But Cox is still hopeful that a brighter day is possible.