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Member Posts: 223 |
Does anyone have any old photos / memories of Guest Motors High St or Old Meeting Street Commercial and Tyre department.
I worked there for nearly 20 years at the High St car service dept and have some very fond memories of the place. We never got payed a lot but the blokes that worked there made it all worth while, we had a big reunion in the Summer and laughed all night long at some of the antics / pranks we used to be guilty of when we were supposed to be working.
Best thing about working for a place like Guests was you were a name not a number. | |
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Member Posts: 25 |
Hi Chris, my late father Les Crump worked at Guest Motors for a while. My sister went to the reunion with a former employee named Pauline who has worked there for a long while. | |
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Member Posts: 223 |
I just answered your other post in the Heavy Rock thread I knew your Dad well, we used to call him Elsie due to his initials L C
I wondered who the girl was with Pauline at the reunion and was surprised to learn it was your Sister
Al Atkins was also there with Karen who used to work with Pauline. | |
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Member Posts: 25 |
Al spoke to my sister ( Diane ) about dad. Yes, Pauline lives next door to my mom and sister. Dad always spoke fondly about Guest Motors, as you say the money weren't great but the camorady was there.
Other names I remember are Bob Wilson, Paul Cuthbert, (who was in my year at school ) and Geoff Timms (Cradley Heath speedway fanatic).
By the way my intials are R C so I would have copped for some stick! | |
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Member Posts: 223 |
Bob Wilson works at Evans Halshaw the old Vardy`s place on the Pleck Road, he was at the reunion as well.
I know Paul Cuthbert and his brother Les, they both worked at Guests. | |
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Member Posts: 4 |
hi chris ,i worked at fred smiths for 20 years i was in and out guest truck parts old meeting and car parts 2/3 times a day ,al atkins is still a m8 of mine i see him every few weeks .did you work in the parts or in the garage? | |
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Member Posts: 78 |
Re Guest Motors. I was in the parts department along with Bennie ? , Jim Carol , Len ?. I think the head of the department was Harold ?. My dad was a driver there on a couple of occasions and knew Mr Frank. Mr Dick, and Mr Peter. I also have a friend Fred Timmings who worked there for many years. I only have one photo that was the "gaffers" Thunderbird taken on the high st outside the main showroom.
Cheers John Mason
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Member Posts: 223 |
Al is a good mate of mine as well, I known him and worked with him years, he`s a Top Man, he lives in my Aunty`s old house I worked in the Warranty Dept at Guests for nearly 20 years. | |
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Member Posts: 223 |
The Ben would be Ben Allsop probably who recently died, he was part of the Furniture, the Jim could be Jimmy Dudley the Ex Albion player, Carol and Len I don`t know.
Harold Lethbridge was the Parts Manger you mentioned, he was still there when I started, right old stick in the mud he was..
I don`t remember a Fred Timmins either, prob before my time. | |
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Site Owner Posts: 212 |
There used to be a Welsh chap work there also, he used to come in my shop a big bloke with glasses, Jack or John I am sure it was ?
He had been there years and was really into his rugby | |
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Member Posts: 223 |
That was Jack Hughes aka " Yanto " who died about two years back
He was the longest serving ever employee at Guests, and probably always will be, he worked till he was 75
Fluent in Welsh he phoned his Sister every day in Wales speaking the whole time in his native tongue courtesy of a Guests outside line in Ben Allsops place about 12.45 Dinner time to save his bill at home.
He used to run the 5000 Service Bay over the road from the Showrooom ( Where Lidl now stands ) | |
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Member Posts: 35 |
I used to know several people who worked at Guests... Eric Williams c. 1973 I think he was in sales. Smallish thin chap with heavy glasses - my first girlfriends' Dad! Ian Day, Alan Maybury and Neil Garrity - ex Menzies High School, from about 1975 onwards, all my school-mates | |
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Member Posts: 223 |
Eric Williams was the General Manager up High St, I know his son John although I havn`t seen him for years Mabe and Neil Garrity worked at Guests but Dayo didn`t., he worked at Fordath if I remember correctly.
They both started on the Spanners at Old Meeting St, Al ending up as General Manager and Neil Fleet Sales Manager
I`m still in contact with Al and Neil via Facebook, search their names on f.book and you will find them both. | |
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Member Posts: 52 |
other people who were part of the furniture at guests were Bill Ware an old mate of mine who left to start his own garage at tividale "cranwar repair garage" he is still about but limits his activities to MOT work from Howells transport yard in tividaleand Graham Fellows who went to the bodyshop at black lake and left to join Zurich insurance, he isalso still about but is now retired | |
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Member Posts: 78 |
I Used to be in the air training corps in the 50s with Bill Ware his sister [Jane] I believe married Len Crane the steam roller afficianado could this account for "Cranware" motors all nice people to know, who I haven.t seen for years.
J.E.M. | |
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Member Posts: 52 |
you are correct Cranwar came from Len Crane and Bill Ware, both will be at the steam rally at west park wolverhampton next weekend 5th and 6th june, Jane will also be there | |
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Site Owner Posts: 212 |
Jack Hughes, thats him Fester ! He was great mates with Neil Garrity they went to the Rugby together.....I will have to get in touch with neil to see how he is doing it's was such a shame when Guests went off the green, I remember reading somewhere (Black Country Bugle ??) that during the war they used to bring all the crashed planes to the land where Lidl is now to identify them | |
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Member Posts: 223 |
I was talking to Neil the other day on the phone for over an hour about different things | |
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Member Posts: 35 |
Next time you speak to him say 'Hello' from me (Paul Robinson). | |
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Member Posts: 148 |
They did take the enemy planes there and I am sure my Mom &Dads neighbour used to log the planes into some book system, trouble is Mom & Dad ain't here now to ask !
It was on the land directly opposite the Guest Motors art decco main building, I am sure Guests owned that land as well ? | |
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