The passing of the independant, local garage.

[johnl 1]

Reading about pubs and shops closing set me thinking about the local, small garage. There were many of these across Nottingham in the fifties and sixties. One that comes to mind was Frank Widdowson's on Russell drive at Wolaton. I thinks it's a valeting centre now. He had a small showroom with two or three cars for sale, a workshop at the back and a small yard. In the yard there were always interesting old cars and motorbikes that Frank was going to get around to 'doing up' I once bought a car from him, the warrenty was simply, 'if you have any problems just bring it back'. Nothing in writing but he was as good as his word.

There was also Beanland motors at the end of Beechdale road. They were once a Volkswagen agency but lost it when the beetles finished. There was a guy on St.Peters street behind Players car park, his name escapes me but he was alawys busy with customers from Players. There were so many. One opposite the White Hart at Lenton (now the red cross buiding).

The main thing about these garages was that you could wander in to the workshop and ask the guy if he could have a look at you car and nine times out of ten he would stroll over and sort it out. (yes I know engines were simpler then) Mostly he would repair the item, this is virtually unheard of now. You get a new unit and that's that.

There were many more of these small workshops, I would be intersted to hear of a few more which may jog my memory!

Cheers, Johnl.

[mick2me 3,033]

John Beanland was an absolute gentleman, met him and his son many times through my work.

He moved his business to St Anns (Hendon Rise?) and became an accident recovery garage.

Another that comes to mind Ken Marriot, Marhill Road Carlton.

There was another good one just on the left across the railway line in Netherfield.

The important point is why can we no longer repair lots of things on our own cars?

[poohbear 1,360]

There are so many in and around Nottingham that have disappeared it would be pointless my naming them.The decline in the little man is getting worse and worse,many of the small garages that had a small sales forecourt and petrol pumps out front are now very rare.

For instance one in Woodborough,where the land was worth a bomb and sold off for house building.(When you could sell houses)The filling station on Coppice Road Arnold...land for sale.... One by one they are gone forever,forcing us to use the bigger filling stations.Now they too are going because they can't compete, forcing motorists to use the supermarkets.

I digress a bit here but....

The supermarkets are far too powerful now, they're taking over the country and destroying the high streets.You will notice that Tescos are buying out the busier petrol stations and building mini markets on the sites. (Nottingham Rd. Mansfield...Clifton, next to the Man O Trent )

When the Sunday opening laws came in supermarkets were forced (and still are) to have restricted hours.Tescos answer was to find a loophole where premises under 3,000 sq.ft. could open when they liked...hence the Tesco express takeover of the convenience stores.

Now they are allowed to take over the petrol stations and get planning to build shops there too, they can open 18 hours a day and screw up the little man even further.

The days when a mechanic could rent premises and start his own business at the rear of a filling station are gone.

Paul.

[plantfit 7,597]

Ayup Johnl,

What an interesting start to a topic, I was apprenticed to a small garage at the bottom of Sneinton road in the late 60s and attended Peoples college to learn the trade, one thing that always sticks in my mind is what a college teacher told us, "In your lifetime you won't repair these things you will just throw the component away and fit a new one" how this has come true, we no longer need mechanics, just fitters, and this is why the small garage with the helpful mechanic has all but died out, what a shame.

Rog

[poohbear 1,360]

...Had a gasket go on the master brake cylinder the other week...My bloke...one of the old school, refused to buy a complete replacement set, and cut out his own gasket from some sheet he had in the bottom of a cupboard....'aint seen that done for a while ...or met another guy who would have gone to the trouble...that's why I stick with him.

Paul.

[MartynE 2]

My first job after leaving school in 1958, was at the Teesdale Garage in Hucknall Road near to Haydn Road.

I think it was owned by Vic Slaney and the foreman was called Frank Cartwright, he lived across the road. I then went to a garage in Nuthall Road called, I think Swann self drive.

After I came out of the army I worked at Oscrofts in Castle Boulevard, one of the white coats there was a guy called Smedley, I think he was an ex Notts cricketer?

I can't even manually check my engine oil now, it has to be done by the computer!

Regards.

[poohbear 1,360]

I've probably seen you at Teesdale, I used it regularly in the early 60s...Frank was a serious looking guy...was he?

And I used to live opposite Swan on Nuthall Rd. Only went to Oscrofts once with a 50s Vauxhall Cresta ...boy could that model rot!!!

Small world...

Paul.

[johnl 1]

My first job after leaving school in 1958, was at the Teesdale Garage in Hucknall Road near to Haydn Road.

I think it was owned by Vic Slaney and the foreman was called Frank Cartwright, he lived across the road. I then went to a garage in Nuthall Road called, I think Swann self drive.

After I came out of the army I worked at Oscrofts in Castle Boulevard, one of the white coats there was a guy called Smedley, I think he was an ex Notts cricketer?

I can't even manually check my engine oil now, it has to be done by the computer!

Regards.

I've just remembered Walter Bates. He had a small engineering business in a long shed behind a normal house on Westdale lane. I had one or two blocks rebored there. I always took him the bare block with crank. pistons etc removed. He would do the machining and supply oversize pistons and undersize shell bearings. I would then assemble it in my garage at home. I don't know if he is still 'going' now. The last job he did for me was to modify the cylinder head from an MG 1100 so I could fit it to a 998 cooper. It involved the removal of a lot of metal from the head 0.25 Thou? This was because the combustion chambers were too big for the smaller block and without maching the compression ratio would have been too low. Another useful source of tools and sometimes used tunong parts was the scientific exchange on Pevril street. What an aladins cave that was! We used to pay into a tool club at Marshall and Hancocks we got vochers 50p ? you could save them up and exchange them for tools.

Cheers, John.

[rob237 89]

...After I came out of the army I worked at Oscrofts in Castle Boulevard, one of the white coats there was a guy called Smedley, I think he was an ex Notts cricketer?....

Mike Smedley...played for Notts 1964-1979...former club captain.

http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/...2821/32821.html

Cheers

Robt P.

[MartynE 2]

I've probably seen you at Teesdale, I used it regularly in the early 60s...Frank was a serious looking guy...was he?

And I used to live opposite Swan on Nuthall Rd. Only went to Oscrofts once with a 50s Vauxhall Cresta ...boy could that model rot!!!

Small world...

Paul.

Hi Paul,

Another name that comes to mind from Teesdale garage, a nice lad called John Thomas! he worked in the paint/body shop, he lived up Ventnor Rise not far from me.

Is the garage still there?

Also I used to have my hair cut by a guy called George Jones in Nuthall Road, near to Bar Lane, he also coached me for swimming at the Victoria baths, he won a large amount on the pools.

Regards.

[poohbear 1,360]

I remember...lucky sod, Vernons I think...kept cutting hair though.

Paul.

[katyjay 5,091]

Teesdale garage closed last year, if I remember rightly.There was an article in the NEP about it, with photos. Jim Slaney [and brother John] ran the place after their dad finished there, Jim was an old friend of ours from the 60's.

[Beefsteak 305]

Great topic

Used my 'local' garage the other day ,I shall be going back, they are real 'old school' He also told me "Any problems bring it back and if you are passing, just stop by and I will have a quick look and keep my eye on the problem for you"

Great service

A.J. Betleys........Gravel hill Garage Winsford

[Limey 242]

I agree - great topic!

My uncle used to run such an establishment on Easthorpe St. in Ruddington - sold Shell petrol and BMC cars!

They are few and far between here too. Most of the places simply want to replace parts - as an example, my old truck need the front brakes worked on - basically it needed new pads and rotors. None of the specialist "brake and muffler" places would do the job - they simply wanted to replace the rotor/pads/calipers as a "bolt on" package for about $500. Pads and rotors cost me less than $200 at a local "Mom & Pop" service station!

[johnl 1]

I agree - great topic!

My uncle used to run such an establishment on Easthorpe St. in Ruddington - sold Shell petrol and BMC cars!

They are few and far between here too. Most of the places simply want to replace parts - as an example, my old truck need the front brakes worked on - basically it needed new pads and rotors. None of the specialist "brake and muffler" places would do the job - they simply wanted to replace the rotor/pads/calipers as a "bolt on" package for about $500. Pads and rotors cost me less than $200 at a local "Mom & Pop" service station!

The Easthorpe street garage became Halls Skoda dealership until quiet recently. I'm not sure is they lost the dealership or just closed down, its not far from me so ill have a look next time i'm round that way.

Also around 25 years ago I was taking my son to the opticians opposite the garage, looking through thw window I saw what I thought was a Sunbeam Alpine under a dust sheet. When I got closer I noticed the twin exhausts. It was a V8 Tiger. We went in and an old guy with a flat cap appeared. The first thing he said was, 'it's not for sale'. When I told him that I was interested in it because it was a Tiger and just wanted to look at it he pulled the covers off and my little boy sat in it. We had a good chat about it and cars in general. It was his car! I wonder if that was your uncle?

Cheers, Johnl.

[poohbear 1,360]

When I worked in Loughborough many years ago a local small garage owner had a Tiger...nice car.

He used to tow an ancient battered trailer to pick up and dump engines/gearboxes etc. His tow car for this....an equally battered XK120 Jag... What would that be worth now?

Paul.

[Limey 242]

...It was his car! I wonder if that was your uncle?

I don't think that was him. I think they sold the business about 30 years ago. My uncles name was Will Martin, and I "think" it was called "Martin's Garage".

They switched to Jet petrol at some point (early '70's) and the BMC dealership ended around the same time. I know they became a dealer for one of the less popular imports shortly after that - it may have been Skoda.

[zab 47]

There's still some small and independent garages in Sherwood - Thinking of Coys and another one on Victoria Street. There used to be one on Hucknall Road but that closed down recently.

[The Concerned Resident 1]

wor about AK Austins on Mansfield road carrington, ad me mini serviced there a couple of times, thats wor I know

[Cliff Ton 10,467]

Hi Paul,

Another name that comes to mind from Teesdale garage, a nice lad called John Thomas! he worked in the paint/body shop, he lived up Ventnor Rise not far from me.

I know it's a couple of years old, but I hadn't seen this thread before. I presume this refers to John Thomas Snr, because he had a son also called John, who I know. John Jnr didn't work in the garage, but is still in the area and for many years has been a drummer in various local rock bands.

In my early days of car ownership, my independent garage was a guy called Jim Davies who operated out of a hole-in-the-wall on Hermon Street, top of Derby road near Canning Circus. I often used to turn up there in an evening on my way home from work to ask if he could "just have a look at......" He must've dreaded me coming, just when he thought he'd finished for the day.

But he was the last of an old school who could dismantle bits of an engine, repair them, and put it all back together again. He never had any diagnostic equipment; never had anything electronic which was plugged in to something else. He retired by the mid 1990s, and I've bumped into him a few times over the years. Having me turn up in those evenings doesn't seem to have affected him too badly - he looks pretty well for his age

[MartynE 2]

I know it's a couple of years old, but I hadn't seen this thread before. I presume this refers to John Thomas Snr, because he had a son also called John, who I know. John Jnr didn't work in the garage, but is still in the area and for many years has been a drummer in various local rock bands.

In my early days of car ownership, my independent garage was a guy called Jim Davies who operated out of a hole-in-the-wall on Hermon Street, top of Derby road near Canning Circus. I often used to turn up there in an evening on my way home from work to ask if he could "just have a look at......" He must've dreaded me coming, just when he thought he'd finished for the day.

But he was the last of an old school who could dismantle bits of an engine, repair them, and put it all back together again. He never had any diagnostic equipment; never had anything electronic which was plugged in to something else. He retired by the mid 1990s, and I've bumped into him a few times over the years. Having me turn up in those evenings doesn't seem to have affected him too badly - he looks pretty well for his age

It was my first job after leaving school in 1958.

I was 15 and John must have been in his mid twenties then.

[denshaw 2,872]

It's about 10 years ago, i took my car into the paint shop next to Teesdale garage. There was a chap called Steve Maltby and 2 brothers working there, i think their surname was Castle.

[Ashley 288]

My post not so much to do with memories of garages as on motorbikes till aged 28 (1974) and since then whenever possible done own repairs, mot failure bits etc, brake repairs, steering probs, exhausts etc, in fact only garage repair I recall was new clutch when less experienced. However realise now anything enginewise is a no no, so seriously thinking of getting a pre 92 car that doesn't have all this cat converter crap nor fuel injection/electronic ignition etc etc, true prob lose out on mpg but mileage I do make little difference £££ wise but thought of knowing I can carry parts to repair such and diy it all appeals, however it appears anything over 20 years old either in scrapyard or regarded as vintage with a price tag accordingly!

[bilpol47 0]

what about forbes on castle blvd singer/humber dealers,followed by cottee and edwards for jags then oscrofts for vauxhalls,cartter gate motors for fords,cripps routes group all the samme now just different badge on the front

[Ashley 288]

re those "Castle Brothers" they weren't twins were they? knew 2 who used to be bikers in 1960's, heard recently one had died though