First of all, sorry for the lack of local history stuff recently. I’ve got a lot of stuff in the bag but the history posts take a lot of research and I’ve been wiped out with work and other stuff for the last few weeks. Please be patient, I’ve got some good stuff to share, but I need to get some other stories up first. My apologies, please bear with me.
Secondly, I’ve had a mail from a chap called Nick Cutler, who’s a classic car buff. Here’s the mail he sent:
Hi Bob
I am trying to trace the origins of a car i have which according to DVLA originated from:
Central Garage Brownhills (Could be “Control Garage” the photocopy is poor), Chester Road North, Brownhills.
The Car in question is a 1967 Mercury Cougar 1st registered to the above gargage in 1969. The Car would have been very distinctive being Gold in colour and carrying the Reg No 66 VBF
I would love to know more about the Garage and what they specialised in and who owned it and whether the garage still exists now and in what form.
Would also be keen to know whether anyone remembers the Car and who owned it?
Regards
Nick
This isn't Nick's car, but I think this may be the model and colour. Do you remember this motor?
I’m going to throw this out to you guys. For what it’s worth, I remember the garage by the police station, opposite the Parade. I remember going there to buy pop and sweets – I think there was a shop next to it about 1976 or thereabouts, but I don’t remember what it was called. I know they had a yard to the rear that had accident wrecks in it, and there were certainly mechanical services going on there, but I don’t recall any sales. If that’s the garage, I believe it’s now a car wash.
I also remember the chap from Taylor’s Cafe up on the Pelsall Road owning an American car, but I seem to recall that was green, but it was fascinating and looked to my young eyes like it should have been in a US cop show.
Also, while I’m on, does anyone remember the Grimsby Fish guy that used to sell from the back of his little van in the 70’s and 80’s? I think he was on the old market for a bit but I also remember him being up on Short Street on the car park at the back of Archer’s florist. Anyone know what happened to him? I was reminded of him last week when I was walking through a housing estate in Leicester, midday Wednesday, and there was a chap selling fish the same way. It was such an unexpected sight in that location it was really quite incongruous.
Over to you… I know you won’t let me down.
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Hello Bob I cannot remember that car but the garage, was called the Central Garage, opposite the Hussey Arms. As you say it is now a car wash and as recently started to supply and fit tyres. The proprieter in the 50’s and early 60’s was Enoch Simpson, commonly known as Noch Simpson. I cannot recall them selling vehicles, just repairs and they also carried out ”1o year tests”, which was what the first MOT’s were called, as cars had to be 10 years old or over before requiring to be tested. The test only covered Brakes, Lights and Steering. I recall he had two mechanics working for him, one was named Ernie Proud. In those days Late 50’s and very early 60’s, Taylors Cafe was situated on the Chester Road North, and it was on the end of a row of houses called Woodbine Terrace. This row of houses lay between Central Garage and the Fire Station. The Terrace was demolished, and the Police Station built on the site. Taylors Cafe then moved to Pelsall Road. The proprieter of the Cafe did own an American car, when the cafe was in Woodbine Terrace, but as I remember it was a large Ford V8 Pilot. It was a dark colour maybe Dark Green or black? There was a detached shop between the garage and Woodbine Terrace and the person who lived at the shop was Jimmy Martin who I believed to be a retired policeman, who also helped out at the garage in an administration role. Kind regards oakparkrunner
Hello Bob The central garage as well as carrying out repairs, and ten year tests, sold Jet petrol. Regards oakparkrunner.
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