Garages

As you travel around the area, can you remember all those large and small garages that were readily available for petrol and car sales? Today it would appear that to buy petrol we have to find a large out of town outlets. Car showrooms now are operating in most cases by a franchise of a major car manufacturer. It was not always like that.

There was a time when petrol was served at all garages which were were situated regularly throughout any village, town or city. Today we have a large range of garage services or car showrooms, and the facility for petrol in many cases has moved to the multi-national companies Gone are the pumps, with someone coming out to

serve you with your petrol. Gone are the pumps selling petrol only by the gallon. Today we can buy petrol, by the litre or tank full, with either cash, credit card, account or swipe card at the pumps. However now if you are looking for a garage, petrol or repair services you could of course look on the Internet for answers.

Newspaper advertising and old trade directories are the best place to find information on garage services.

Over the past months we have looked at a couple of companies in depth, i.e. Wilmot's and also W.E. Jones but there were many more smaller garages, some of which have survived and many more of which have closed down with the changing trends in the motor trade.

I recently came across an advertisement in a 1928 trade directory for Evershed and Company situated in the High Street. I do like the early adverts. This one explains that their services included an 'extensive garage with lock-up boxes' and they also 'charged accumulators.' A world away from today's garages and facilities.

Also in the High Street, there are numerous pictures of the William Hardwick when it was named The Sussex, showing the Sussex Motor Garage and Works, joining the two buildings. In the 1916 town directory it advertised that they were the 'largest garage in the town' and they also had premises in Sudley Road.

Another early advertisement, unfortunately undated, is for Hillsboro Engineering Co. Ltd. on the corner of Hillsboro Road and Chichester Road. Here they could supply any make of car, for 'cash or deferred terms.' One interesting fact was that in this advert their telephone number was written as -'nine double nine' - yes that's right 999! Who can remember Mearman's who were situated at 43 West Street and also Scott Street, according to the 1953 Kelly's directory?

There are of course other garages that are still with us today. For instance Bognor Motors who have been trading in the town since 1921 and which I have briefly mentioned before when talking about the High Street. A newspaper report in 1981

reminded us of the early days when 'an old small church in. Bognor's High Street was demolished and in its place was built a large new building' - this was the start of Bognor Motors. They occupied the premises vacated by the Wesleyans in the High Street also for a time and from 1978 they occupied premises in Charlwood Street for servicing. Ultimately they moved all their operation to Longford Road in 1963, where they remain today. This is one of the few garages that still operates as a 'petrol station' as so many garages have reverted to car salerooms only. According to the 1981 paper you could purchase at the Longford Road site an Astra E, 2 door saloon for £3,300 or a Chevette L. Hatch for £3,400. I wonder if they still have any for sale?
I recently came across some sales particulars for the 'Bognor Station Garage.' The auction was to be on Monday 4th September 1961 and consisted of a number of sites. Site A was for 16 - 28 London Road, which had planning permission for a petrol filling station with showrooms. Interestingly it was advertised as 'Not tied to any petrol company.' A sign of the times I think. Site B was in Clifton Road which it was claimed would make excellent workshop accommodation. Site C was No. 1 Longford Road and according to the sales particulars was 'situated immediately opposite the northern entrance to Bognor Regis Railway Station and 'almost contiguous to the main shopping area of Station Road.'

Site D was 54/56 London Road and was advertised as a car showroom which had been purpose built in 1956 complete with an excellent forecourt and showroom. Finally within these sales particulars was 30 Longford Road, which was a private dwelling house with six rooms and adjoined 16-28 Longford Road, which had been acquired for the 'provision of staff accommodation'

An early occupant of 28 Longford Road was Mr. E.W. Jenkins who had Longford Road Motor Works, but who was also responsible for the formation and laying of Longford Road as well as the bathing machines on the west side of the seafront. In the early days of course transport companies diversified in differing ways to our services today, with coal deliveries, moving goods etc. They did not sell food or newspapers of course. In London Road there was another garage which can be seen in many of the postcards and

pictures depicting the area around the 1915 period. Situated to the south of St. John's church on the same side.

Can you remember the Empire Garage which was situated facing the Southdown Hotel at Felpham? In 1984 they celebrated their 21st anniversary when the owner announced 'that they had seen the rise of Beetlemania' - no, not the group but the car. Their contract with VW in 1963 was to sell 30 cars per year. They used to have a demonstration car and one in stock at that time. In the early days they also sold petrol but today are another car salesroom only. When plans for the new Queensway development were reported in the press in 1959 it was reported that alongside the flats, shops and offices there would 'be a petrol filling station.' Whilst the premises remain, they have sold principally second hand cars for a number of years.
The advertising of petrol stations and garages has changed. In the early street directories they could be counted on to have advertisements extolling their services. As the years pass these advertisements decline and for many years it is quite difficult to find any visual evidence of these premises in guide books and directories. Today they advertise in the local press, because this is a more immediate medium for obtaining customers.

This is just a glimpse of some of the services provided, and if you have memories of others, do please let me know.

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