Town garage services head towards extinction

In the past few weeks, while driving around the countryside, I was amazed at the number of roadside garages that were closed, demolished or now the site for blocks of flats.

We have a wide range of garage services and car showrooms, and the facility for petrol in many cases has moved to the multi-national supermarkets.

Gone are the pumps where someone comes out to serve you with your petrol. Gone are the pumps selling petrol by the gallon. Today we can buy petrol, by the litre or tank full, with 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. In the past, we have looked at a couple of companies in depth, such as Wilmot's and W E Jones, but there used to be many more smaller garages, some of which have survived and many more of which have closed 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 its services included an 'extensive garage with lock-up boxes' and it also charged accumulators '“ a world away from today's garages and facilities.

There are numerous pictures available of the William Hardwick in the High Street 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 it was the 'largest garage in the town'. It 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 it could supply any make of car, for 'cash or deferred terms'. One interesting detail was that in this advert its telephone number was written as '“'nine double nine' '“ yes that's right 999!

Who can remember Mearman's which was situated at 43 West Street and Scott Street, according to the 1953 Kelly's directory?

There are, of course, other garages which are still with us today. For instance, Bognor Motors which has been trading in the town since 1921 and which I have briefly mentioned before when writing 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 a major change for Bognor Motors.

It occupied the premises vacated by the Wesleyans in the High Street and for a time it occupied premises in Charlwood Street for servicing and repairs.

The firm moved operations to Longford Road in 1963, where it opened an attended petrol station.

In 1982 the petrol station became self service and by 1990 premises either side were acquired to enable the servicing to move to London Road and a retail car sales outlet. According to the 1981 paper, at the Longford Road site, you could buy an Astra E, two-door saloon for 3,300 or a Chevette L Hatch for 3,400.

Bognor Motors has now closed both in the High Street sand Longford Road but operate now from Durban Road on the industrial estate and is known as Bognor Motors Leasing Ltd, but without the petrol station.

I recently came across some sales particulars for the 'Bognor Station Garage'.

The auction was held on Monday, September 4, 1961, and consisted of a number of sites. Site A was for 16 to 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 house with six rooms and adjoined 16 to 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.

In London Road there was another garage seen in many of the postcards and pictures depicting the area in 1915.

Situated to the south of St John's church on the same side. Can you remember the Empire Garage which faced the Southdown Hotel at Felpham? In 1984 it celebrated its 21st anniversary when the owner announced 'that they had seen the rise of Beetlemania' '“ no, not the group but the car.

Its contract with VW in 1963 was to sell 30 cars per year. The garage used to have a demonstration car and one in stock at that time. In the early days it also sold petrol but today it is yet another car sales showroom only.

According to press reports in 1959, plans for the new Queensway development included a petrol filling station alongside the flats, shops and offices.

While the premises remain, it has 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 declined and it became quite hard to find any evidence of these premises in guide books and directories. Today they advertise in the press, because this is a more immediate medium for obtaining customers.

Mind you, the price of petrol has also changed dramatically over the years.

This is just a glimpse of some of the services provided.