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Memories
and Stories |
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| I worked in the retail
motor trade from when I was twelve years old until I was forty.
Thereafter, for the remainder of my working life I worked mostly at
Solihull for Rover in a technical capacity, but still very much involved
with the retail trade.
My first Job was with Gravelly Hill Service Station situated at Tyburn
Road near to Salford Bridge. The garage was owned by W. Jones & Sons
of Lichfield Road, Aston.
There were four brothers and one sister of the Jones family who ran
the business's. Two brothers, Stan and Norman ran the garage in Tyburn
Road.
When I joined the garage Norman was away in the forces, leaving Stan
and his Sister Phyllis in charge. At that time they had some very
important customers, I say important from the point of view of the
war effort.
During the air raids the premises were bombed with incendiaries but
managed to survive to carry on with the war effort.
The place was run in a very unprofessional manner and the only good
thing that I can relate to concerning the place was that, being wartime,
when there were very few skilled mechanics about, I was thrown in at the
deep end and was compelled to carry out work that I probably wouldn't have
been entrusted with in normal times. This put me on a sharp learning curve
for which I have been grateful for ever since. We did have a foreman at
that time, one Bert Cook, who later started up on his own in Trafalgar
Road, Erdington.
When Norman Jones returned from his army service we were told he was
going to show us all how to do things properly. In truth he did one
days work as a mechanic and then downed tools and never did another
stroke! The whole business was a shambles, which was a shame because of
the stature of their clientele. They had some marvellous customers and had
the business been run on a proper footing it could have been the best in
Brum. For most of the post war period they held an Austin car and
commercial dealership.
I left during 1958 over a dispute connected to holidays.
I immediately found a new job at Pype Hayes Garage in Kingsbury Road.
The proprietor was Robert Boden. The contrast between the two
garages could not have been different and the change came as a huge
cultural shock for me. Everything at Pype Hayes Garage -or PHG -as it was
known, was organised to the enth degree and every little nut and bolt had
to be accounted for. I got to like Mr. Boden very much and kept in touch
with him during his retirement in Guernsey, until he passed on a couple of
years ago. I still correspond with Mrs. Boden.
One little anecdote that I think is worth passing on concerns the initial
ownership of the garage.
Mr. Boden told me that originally he had a partner and the business was
known as Boden and Hill Ltd. During the war, Mr. Boden was directed
to work at the Castle Bromwich aero factory, working on spitfires, leaving
Mr Hill looking after the garage affairs.
During Mr. Boden's absence the business went downhill and, on return to
normality after hostilities had ceased, the situation didn't improve, the
two partners could not get on. It transpired that the situation would be
resolved by either one or other of the partners would buy the other out.
This was accomplished by each making a sealed bid for the other's half of
the business. Whoever made the highest offer got the whole of the
business. All this was done legally, with solicitors representing the
partners present when the bids were revealed. As it happened Mr. Boden's
bid was twice that of his partner, Mr Hill!!!
When I joined the garage there was a forecourt for petrol sales and a
decent sized workshop, also there were twenty lock up garages for rent.
Later, when a Morris car franchise was awarded to the garage, a three car
showroom was built.
Mr Boden sold the business to V.I.P .Petroleum in 1968 and I was made
general manager.
A main dealer OPEL franchise was obtained.
I left to join the Rover Company on May 11th 1970.
Albert Charles..............February 2003
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More memories
from Albert Charles |
| Salford
Bridge Garage. This garage was located almost next door to Gravelly
Hill Service Station on the Tybum Road. It was a clean and well run
business with a petrol forecourt and small showroom and a fairly large
workshop facility. It was owned and run by brothers Bert and Sid Martin.
They held a Standard Triumph franchise. |
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Prop Garage
This was a very small outfit located in Priory Road (off
Aston Hall Road), its facilities were a shop type front from which petrol
was sold from pumps located somewhere out of sight. There must have been
extended piping, for the petrol was dispensed from swinging pipes
bolted on to the shop frontage.
Above the shops plate glass window there was an aircraft propeller
mounted. I believe that the proprietor used up his RAF gratuity to
start up the business after the war. I think there was a small
workshop facility at the back of the premises
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Cook's
Motors
Bert Cook, my foreman from the first place I worked, left soon after the
end of the war and started up on his own. His premises were virtually just
two large wooden sheds, side by side, where he undertook car repairs for
probably three decades. He worked alone with occasional help from his
wife.
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Ideal Garage.
Ideal Garage was situated in Bromford Lane at the corner of Drews Lane.
The place was derelict for a good many years through the thirties
and into the forties until it was taken over by a chap called Pugh. Now
Mr. Pugh was a pharmacist working at Hedge's Chemist's in Erdington
High St. but he was more interested in buying and selling cars and, as I
have already said he bought the site and built up a thriving business.
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Hooks Garages
I don't know much about this garage
except that it seemed to have a good reputation. It was situated in Wood
End Road, near to Six Ways Erdington.
It was a typical privately owned garage ,circa the thirties, forties
,fifties and sixties.
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Tyburn Garage
Tyburn Garage was located on the on the island at Chester Road and
Kingsbury Road. It was quite strong on car sales and was a long
established and privately owned firm.
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There was a garage
which was situated on Tyburn Road almost
opposite St Dominic's Road. I'm afraid
I can't remember it's trading title but it was in business in the
thirties.
I believe that the owner was a chap called Billy
Davidson, who was an Australian speedway
rider. The garage I know has long since gone but I thought it
worthwhile listing. |
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| Landsdown Garage, this garage was owned by the Stimpson Bros. It was
basically just a filling station and a lubrication bay. The garage was on
Gravelly Hill North at the corner of Landsdown Road. |
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Jones
Bros, the premises were situated at the lower end of High St near
to Six Ways.
One point of interest is that the building had a Belfast roof and after a
heavy fall of snow the roof collapsed damaging several cars parked within.
The premises were eventually sold to make way for a new building for
Marley Building Products D.I.Y. business. |
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| Barbers Garage. Not much known about this garage. Situated on Gravelly Hill
North at Six Ways Erdington. |
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| Filling
Station - Shop Tyburn Road and Stonyhurst Road. This was a
local shop - cum filling station consisting of two old fashioned pumps and
a couple of "Notwen" oil cabinets. I remember this place since I
had to pass it each day on my way to school..........Albert
Charles, February 2003 |
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Dear Bob,
There was another garage on Jockey Road, Sutton Coldfield. It was where
the Lexus dealer is now, it was an Esso site. There was an Esso garage
at Reddicap just over the road from the pub. There was an
Esso garage at Dunton island, plus another one on the Kingsbury road.
There was an Esso garage at Bassets Pole and a Texaco on the London Road
where Archers is now.
Wm
CARTMALE.(BILL).......... April 2004
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Bob What a great site. I
remember a number of those garages as we moved around the inner areas of
Brum a lot. The one I remember most though is the one on Gt Lister St as
we lived opposite and a friend of mine at the time worked there on the
forecourt around the late 1950's/ 60's. Best Wishes Chris P. NZ
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A fascinating site
that brought back many memories to someone who is less
than 2 weeks away from his 'bus pass
As regards the King's Norton entries. Sorry, don't know anything about
the
one in Bells Lane, but was very surprised when it closed as it had no real
competition nearby. The other is one I often used on the way to Redditch
and
closed about the same time as one about a mile further along Redditch Road
towards Redditch. For most of their life both were owned by Patrick Motors
along with others in the south of the city (e.g. Longbridge Lane). Their
main outlet was the site now run as a Tesco Express on the Bristol Road by
the University - the only petrol station I know of with security staff to
deter "runners". It was alongside the works shown on the Selly Oak page,
which strictly speaking is Bournbrook - Selly Oak is the other side of the
railway bridge. An Aldi supermarket now stands where Ray's Garage was by
Selly Oak Library.
My "local" in the
1950s/60s was Hazelwell Garage in Vicarage Road, King's
Heath, but commuting to town I used Timms Garage on the Moseley Road and
well remember them letting me completely fill the tank of my MGB during
the
petrol shortages in the 1970s(?) when casual callers were restricted to a
couple of gallons.
Keep up the good
work.
Michael Jakeman
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