Old Garages

face · September 28, 2012

Yes, you are correct about the carpet shop being further down next to the barbers - he used to paint those cars you speak of in elaborate ways, generally with garish shark faces on the front of them.

Moores is the garage down by the Eight Bells - they also own the station on Thaxted Road although they do not sell fuel now, just deal and maintain motorbikes. The place is scruffy as hell these days.

Cleales was a big dealershop, you're right, they used to also have a plot in Haverhill IIRC. I guess the lure of big money for flash housing proved too tempting. Some plush pads up there now.

We also lost the lovely 'Debden Road Garage' not so long back - flattened for 3 houses. I purchased an original Nove Sport from them in around 1992. They have a unit on Shire Hill these days, but do not serve fuel, next door to where Westfield were about 15 years ago.

panhard65 · September 28, 2012

Thats the one Moores, there used to be a big shed opposite the bike place on thaxted road that supposedly was full of old classics. I never saw inside though. I remember when I was at chantry garage we sold a nova sport new in the late 80's. They came pretty standard from the factory but with a big box of goodies to be fitted at the dealer. Twin webbers was one of the mods. It was sold locally so may have been the same one. Those were the days !!

face · September 28, 2012

I think that shed is now either the milk place or a storage facility for Harts furniture.

Where was Chantry garage?

My Sport could well have been the same one, the previous owner to me was from Duxford.

Spiny Norman · September 28, 2012

That last one isn't Cambridge or marshalls. It was Raynhams in Saffron Walden so not far away.

Thanks for that, I'd always assumed that picture was of Marshalls because that's where we hired a car from. We did a fair bit of sightseeing all over the area that weekend so those pics could well have been Saffron Walden.

Lovely part of the world though.

panhard65 · September 28, 2012

Chantry garage was at the top of station street next one down from the railway pub. There used to be a morris Isis in the pub car park for years. There are flats there now, not that I have been there for a while now. I got fed up with all the places shutting down and turning into retirement flats so I moved down here to somerset. That has brought back some memories seeing the picture of Raynhams again. I remember the workshop foreman Ted something or other. He had a cortina estate to carry his double bass around in (he played in a jazz band) He always had a blazer and tie on. The jacket could of walked off on it's own there was so much oil and grease on it !!

face · September 28, 2012

Opposite Cleales then I presume? I remember those flats being built, but only that the land they stand on was just a chalky tundra.

I agree with you, there has been so many shops, pubs and car dealers that have shut down in the last few decades. It's a bloody shame. Still a nice place though.

I do like a bit of local history now and again, so cheers for your memories

panhard65 · September 28, 2012

Cleales was on station road where the station used to be. The 2 houses opposite ATS were station properties and were owned by cleales as well if I remember correctly. Chantry which was better know as uttlesford motor co back in the 70's as a renault dealer. Was on station street on the same side as the pub as you head towards town. The flats opposite are on the site of the old saffron walden building supplies yard. They are now ridgeons up on the old acrow site. There was also a colt dealers on the high street which is now a company that does fruit machines.

face · September 28, 2012

Gotcha - I know where you mean now. the new flats are retirement ones. I was thinking of the flats opppsite Cleales - the building supplies land. Those 2 houses opposite ATS are now private gaffs. I think they have the original station awning still on the rear of them.

Talking of Ridgeons and stations, the old Acrow Halt is still there from the back in the day.

That fruit machine place was also a second hand car dealership around 20-25 years ago. I'm not sure what goes on in there these days, it's always shut-up and the windows covered. I don't think I have seen anyone go in or out of there for years.

trigger · September 28, 2012

Spottedlaurel recently put me onto a Flickr stream which features a few local garages here in Ipswich.

Ipswich, Electric House by Crewcastrian, on Flickr

Electric House, circa 1968 by Crewcastrian, on Flickr

Ipswich Atlantean No. 8, by Crewcastrian, on Flickr

Spiny Norman · September 28, 2012

Just round the corner from where I grew up there's a fantastic old Victorian building that used to be a garage.

Taken over by Arnold Shark (who in typical style wanted to flatten it and develop it as flats.. ) there was a huge stooshie about it with locals and interested parties finally getting a preservation order slapped on it last year, so it's safe.

For now, at least...

Nervy Si · September 28, 2012

There is something very homely and pleasant about these old places. Not sure if this really counts as it's not really a retail or petrol garage: this place used to service my old 520i for me in Cambridge

A place from my younger days and still in business I believe (though apparently missing a few letters), Garners in Sutton St James

stuboy · September 30, 2012

this place is were my mate goes for his mot's egerton kent..

this is the mot bay..with pumps

this was the wye village local garage... austin/rover

now its house's

and the expanding one left for the village..

HillmanImp · October 24, 2013

THREAD RESURRECTION!!!

just read a bit in our local about this place

seems the old couple who owned it collected loads of vehicles but sadly none left on site now the last one was moved last week to be restored it was a 12 ton marshall steamroller reg pl 1564 the building was reputed to be an alladins cave of stuff from 1931 rolls royce phantom 1954 silver dawn and a mg pa sports car

damn wish i,d of got there sooner would of made some good photos

Was just looking at houses down where I used to live and saw this for sale:

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/30670641?search_identifier=13c05bc7e7a9b279b5f1be7f02314ba4

phil_lihp · October 24, 2013

Old thread alert! took these pics yesterday in the village of Pensilva, near Liskeard in South East Cornwall. Check out the quality Renault sign!

Blimey, never thought I'd see this mentioned, used to pass this at Folly Gate all the time visiting my sister in Plymouth. For years there was a Mk1 Laguna and early Alfa 156 left decomposing on the forecourt over to one side, they were there when it closed and were still there around 10 years later. The Alfa must have been nearly new when it was left behind. The cars had abruptly vanished the last time I went past with a view to stopping to take a closer look. Haven't been past for a while so don't know if it's still there.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=bideford+to+plymouth&saddr=bideford&daddr=plymouth&hl=en&ll=50.765237,-4.022026&spn=0.033061,0.055189&sll=51.017305,-3.102264&sspn=0.008221,0.013797&geocode=FexzCgMdts-__ylHAsDaq_hrSDHPcYzHYlA91A%3BFSCrAAMdwMnA_yk96pUOU41sSDGThfXOtSwoOw&t=h&z=14&layer=c&cbll=50.765313,-4.02201&panoid=Ek2cmOeMeJonhbPHLqkBnw&cbp=12,303.26,,0,3.17

Still there in 2009!

Micrashed · October 24, 2013

Now looks like this

HillmanImp · October 24, 2013

That's a bit odd isn't it? Keeping the structure of the forecourt roof? Is the shop behind the old building too?

brickwall · October 25, 2013

Used to be Drymen Volvo back in the 80s

Eyersey1234 · February 20, 2020

Thread bump, 3 from my collection. The first is the old Bond showroom at Pocklington, now demolished and the site is a car park for Aldi, the second is the old Crystal/Sanderson Ford site on Holderness Road in Hull and the third is the Maudsons Skoda/Grand Dale Garage site at North Ferriby which seems to have closed down as well.

Eyersey1234 · February 20, 2020

Another from my collection is one of this old Peugeot garage in Oban.

captain_70s · February 20, 2020

On 9/28/2012 at 5:01 PM, Spiny Norman said:

Just round the corner from where I grew up there's a fantastic old Victorian building that used to be a garage.

Taken over by Arnold Shark (who in typical style wanted to flatten it and develop it as flats.. ) there was a huge stooshie about it with locals and interested parties finally getting a preservation order slapped on it last year, so it's safe.

For now, at least...

As an update this building how now been demolished and turned into a Nandos but with the facade preserved.

Dick Longbridge · February 20, 2020

3 minutes ago, captain_70s said:

As an update this building how now been demolished and turned into a Nandos but with the facade preserved.

Partial victory, I suppose. Any photos of it now?

Edit: Finished result looks 101% better than it would have if the frontage had been lost.

Luxxo Waftybarger · February 20, 2020

Fry's of Tedburn St Mary. My local and a proper Devon garage.

Raff · February 20, 2020

Oxford used to have two competing railway lines with two almost adjacent stations.

The Rewley Road station closed in the 50s and was repurposed as a garage.

The building was eventually dismantled and rebuilt at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre

In its place we now have the misfortune of the 'Said Business School' and 'Thatcher Business Education Centre'.

Eyersey1234 · February 22, 2020

Anyone know the name of the former BL dealer in Scarborough just off York Road? I'm hoping to get a picture later on tonight when I get back.

ruffgeezer · February 22, 2020

Get your chequebooks out chaps;

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/commercial-property-for-sale/property-77441986.html

loserone · February 22, 2020

Sad.

Tadhg Tiogar · February 22, 2020

On 2/20/2020 at 4:47 PM, Raff said:

Oxford used to have two competing railway lines with two almost adjacent stations.

The Rewley Road station closed in the 50s and was repurposed as a garage.

The building was eventually dismantled and rebuilt at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre

In its place we now have the misfortune of the 'Said Business School' and 'Thatcher Business Education Centre'.

Oxford Rewley Road was the subject of a model layout many years ago. Think I have a video recording of it somewhere.

Also, the Rewley Road junction outside the station kept its cast-iron SGE traffic signals in service into the 1990s, long after they had disappeared from everywhere else.

The Saïd Business School is a monstrosity, but money always talks. That's probably why Oxford has been a bit of a mess for a long time. Anyone remember the Blackbird Leys disturbances of the late 1980s?