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Hi All, 

 

Just stumbled upon this. My grandfather set up Hooleys garage back in the 20s then my father took over. Would love to chat with some of you to know more about it and your experiences! I'm in my 30s so don't have many recollections beyond doing my homework in my Dad's office (there was a ships wheel outside I seem to remember that would be pushed to full power when there were sales coming in). I also remember a revolving turntable in the front of the showroom which provided me endless fun as a young boy. 

 

Its been a while since this thread was last posted to but if anyone wants to get in touch I'd love to learn more about the business, area and people who worked there. My email is si.hooley@gmail.com if you'd like to get in touch. My father is 84 now and loves reminiscing of a time before the ugly structure that now situates the Derby road site! I was amazed to find out recently that they even parked Iveco trucks for sale in the tunnel under the Ropewalk. 

 

Best regards, 

 

Simon 

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He always talks of doing brickwork lesson in the late morning. When they'd finished the wall, they had to knock it down so the room could be used as the canteen for lunch.

I often saw new cars being delivered on trade plates being thrashed on the motorways. Nodoubt the new owners would drive them very carefully for the first thousand miles! 

1965. I wanted a motorbike. Went to the BOD (Bank of Dad) with a repayment plan. You lend me the money I'll pay you back, Eventually.  Went to Hooleys, lots of nice shiny bikes and scooters in the win

On 7/27/2015 at 8:37 AM, Cliff Ton said:

Isn't Botany Bay in Australia?

Hi there, the site is technically called the Bay of Biscay for some reason! the bench was dedicated to my grandfather and grandmother born in 1902 and 1904 respectively. My grandfather set up Hooleys of Nottingham in the 20s and my father then took over. I own that little park now alongside my brother and hope to come to an agreement with the Park Estate soon to take it on and keep it open to the public (and looked after) 

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Welcome Simon, nice to see an old thread resurrected.

 

I bought my first ever car from Hooleys on Derby Road in 1975. It was a used Vauxhall Viva, around 5 years old, and cost £600.

 

The salesman was Jeff Leadley, who later went on to start his own car business with various branches around the area.

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Bought my first new car in 1979 from Hooleys. Ford Escort MkII, special edition with 1600cc engine, twin choke weber and 4-branch manifold.  It was quite quick despite not being badged as sport or anything.

A few years later it started misfiring while thrashing it down the M1.  After limping home, I stripped it down and found one of the inlet valves had melted; looked like someone had taken a bite out of it.  The valve seat was trashed as well.  Fixed it on the cheap by fitting a head off a 1.6 Cortina (£10 from Atlas scrappy on Park Lane).  Valves were much smaller though so it wasn't going to perform very well.  When I sold it, the AA inspector (paid for by the purchaser) said it needed tuning.  I thought "good luck with that given it has the wrong head!"

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I used Hooley's to service my first Ford company car. The first being a Cortina Mk2 1300cc. A new model at the time, when the 'cross flow' engine was much touted. I covered the northern half of the UK as a technical rep in those days and drove the car flat out everywhere. Wore the engine out in 13 months ( about 30K miles and only a 12  months warranty) and limped into a garage in Blackpool where they found a used cylinder head and fitted it in a couple of hours. Took the mechanic out for a pint or two after 'to test the engine' :rolleyes: My boss upgraded me to 1600cc Cortina's after that and traded them in every 12 months.  

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Back in 1986, a work colleague was going on and on about the new Sierra he was buying from Hooleys, and how he had been told by the salesman to run it in gently for the first few thousand miles.

 

He wasn’t too amused when I pointed out a Sierra being hammered up Maid Marian Way in a low gear (we had the window open so could hear it), which just happened to be the same colour and have the same registration as the car he was due to collect later that week.

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  • 8 months later...
On 2/17/2020 at 8:12 PM, The Pianoman said:

knew Bob Darling.  All the family went back to Edinburgh 

Have been reading through many more of the older threads, i worked for bob & charlotte when they were managers at the lord nelson (or the nellie as it was known as) for around 3 years or so, were you a patron of the pub? i worked there for about 6 years under 3 different managers.

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No. I knew all of the family when they used to visit Eastwood Conservative Club. Charlotte used to work behind the bar. Bob went to Lord Nelson after leaving Hooleys.

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@pianoman Thanks for the reply just thought you may have known them from the pub, bob used to service my husbands vauxhall cavalier for him when i worked there, i was saddened to read that he had passed away, christopher was only about 7 or 8 when i worked there.

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My mum bought her first car from there and I used to pass it every day on my way to WB School.

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My boss on non-foods at Asda/GEM in West Bridgford in the 60s/70s was Trevor Gaunt .

 

He left in the 1970s (I think) and went to work for Hooleys . In the 80s he was sales manager and later Managing Director of the car sales division certainly into the 1990s , 

 

Lost touch with him after I left ASDA in 1977 but looking in the news archives , he was also chairman of the Nottm Panthers Ice Hockey team in the 1990s . 

 

As far as I remember , he told me his father had also been a manager at Hooleys previously .

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I would not have been able to recall the name but now you mention him, it was Trevor Gaunt who sold me a new Mk2 Escort Special Edition in 1979 (I posted about that car in this thread last November). Quite a gent as I recall, middle-aged, grey hair, not your stereotypical spiv of a car salesman.

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@The Engineer I doubt he had grey hair in 1979 . The Trevor I knew had blonde curly hair and was a tall well built , quite imposing chap . Great boss to work for .

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@DAVIDW I only met him once or twice (so memory not so good on hair colour) but am sure it would be the same chap.

I remember going back after a couple of weeks as I noticed some scratches.  Trevor smiled and said: "Ah... you pointed them out to me when you took delivery" (accompanied by a nod and a wink) and got the bodyshop to polish them out or whatever was needed.

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