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The Village Garage
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Rootes75



Joined: 30 Apr 2013
Posts: 3785
Location: The Somerset Levels

PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2019 11:21 pm    Post subject: The Village Garage Reply with quote

We drove past the village garage today and was surprised to see diggers in and the pumps removed!
The garage was opened in 1950 and we have always been friends with the chap who owns it and his father who opened it. He stopped doing MOT's not all that long ago due to his test equipment being outdated.
Such a shame that another village garage has gone.
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Rick
Site Admin


Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22429
Location: UK

PostPosted: Mon May 27, 2019 8:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Agreed, from speaking to locals there were a number of garages within just 3 or 4 miles of us, all gone now with houses in their places. Progress eh!?

RJ
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Rootes75



Joined: 30 Apr 2013
Posts: 3785
Location: The Somerset Levels

PostPosted: Mon May 27, 2019 10:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Our village has lost its shop, post office, pub and petrol station but we have gained around 80 houses in their place!
It is progress but in my opinion its killing the village.
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badhuis



Joined: 20 Aug 2008
Posts: 1390
Location: Netherlands

PostPosted: Mon May 27, 2019 4:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It is something that will become worse in the near future I think. Small towns losing shops in the High Street because of internet shopping. Only supermarkets and specialists stores will remain in the smaller towns.
Same for garages. Only a few big main dealers will stay plus some specialists shops.
Not sure there is an answer to this.
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alanb



Joined: 10 Sep 2012
Posts: 516
Location: Berkshire.

PostPosted: Mon May 27, 2019 6:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lack of use is the reason, garages selling just a few hundred litres a week and the odd repair or service is not going to cover its costs let alone make a profit, same for village shops and pubs 15 pints and 3 meals a night is not enough to pay a barmaid. If we all did our weeks shopping in the village shop and ate out 3 times a week in the village pub and had all our fuel, repairs and servicing at the village garage then I'm sure they would still survive.
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petelang



Joined: 21 May 2009
Posts: 442
Location: Nottingham

PostPosted: Mon May 27, 2019 11:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's not paying the barmaid that is the issue with pubs, it's meeting the greedy pub chain owners impossible rent expectations.
With regards garages, with the ongoing investment needed in specialist tools, every make demanding more new and the difficulty finding trained skilled staff, there is little profit there. It's buying and selling that makes more cash flow and, for someone nearing retirement age, a developer offering a very big wad of notes must be just too tempting.
Besides, most kids don't want to get their hands all dirty nowadays.
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Rootes75



Joined: 30 Apr 2013
Posts: 3785
Location: The Somerset Levels

PostPosted: Wed May 29, 2019 12:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

About 3-4 years back the old chap in the garage asked if I would ever consider running it, I am no MOT tester so couldn't do that, I know my way round classics well though.

We put a little business projection together and after taking rates/rent/utilities into account we would have had to bring in about £2k a week to earn us a sensible living.

It just wasn't a viable option even though it sounded ideal for our interests.
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Mog



Joined: 30 Dec 2007
Posts: 661
Location: Sydney

PostPosted: Thu May 30, 2019 5:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I was a teenager , with a mate , we went to the Lion at Hampton Lode , nr . Kidder minster , for a beer . We were the only people in the bar all night . It was a Monday .
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