Born in 1919, Mrs Grace Dean went on to set up a business repairing nylon stockings. She originally worked for an Altrincham-based company called Atlanta, which made hosiery. After learning her trade, she bought a specialist ‘DD’ hosiery repairing machine, recognising the market for mending holes or runs in stockings. Mrs Dean ran her business whilst bringing up her family. According to her accounts book, her first clients were in 1952. The business continued for over twenty years until 1974.