Pritchard and Sons.
Rob kindly sent this recent photo over, showing the garage of Pritchard & Sons Ltd still standing proudly in Llandrindod Wells, Wales. A number of old Welsh garages appear in this section, including this one in Welshpool and this former garage in Caernarfon, so its interesting to see another one.
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Pritchard's garage, also known as Central Garage, is located at the corner of Station Crescent and Temple Street. Old signs for Commer, Hillman, Humber and Sunbeam are still in evidence, indicating that this at one time was a Rootes dealership. Various modern petrol pumps are in place, mounted on concrete bases that probably featured classic pumps & globes at one time. Swing out booms deliver the fuel to waiting vehicles.
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In the window beneath the Hillman sign is a modern advertisement for Pritchard & Son - Funeral Directors, suggesting that the family name is still involved with this lovely old garage. The frontage of the garage looks much as it must have done way back, and the original old wooden doors are still in use. Update - I've since discovered that a great-uncle of mine used to work at this dealership, much of the family having lived in this area.
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The advertisement below for Rootes Group products (Humber Hillman Commer), dating to 1934, features the type of vehicles that at one time would have been frequent visitors to Pritchard's garage. Sunbeam was absorbed into the Rootes Group in 1935.
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Also in Llandod - The Automobile Palace.
It seems that there is another garage building in Llandrindod Wells (aka Llandod) worth hunting down too. Called The Automobile Palace, the art deco building - dating to 1913 - survives as offices and home to a bicycle museum (see the National Cycle Museum site). I think this town deserves a visit!
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More old garage photos here
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