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Pollitts Garage 20 Great Hampton St
- Thread starter PGHTP
- Start date
Welcome PGHPT. I have removed your personal email address as we don't recommend members post email addresses on an open forum. If anyone wishes to make contract please use "Inbox" to message PGHPT. (Blue bar, top right). Thanks. Viv.
this is a view of where the garage used to be
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.4...4!1sL1Jk6f42vShDzRVwUUdSYQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.4...4!1sL1Jk6f42vShDzRVwUUdSYQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Eric Gibson
master brummie
Neither of those photos are as I remember it in 1950 when I got a job there, all of the frontage has been improved on both, there was no posh front or filling station it was just an old plain front sitting back from the road.
It did however have a very well equipped workshop with several ramps and each painted a different colour, on the wall behind each ramp was a tool rack with a comprehensive tool kit all paint coded to the ramp they were linked to.
In the back right hand corner the was an area set off for bodywork although I never saw any being done.
I only stayed a month, my school headmaster found me a job nearer home with the garage he used and the offer of immediate hands on mechanic work. (I've been at it ever since.)
Pollitt insisted that all his workshop staff wore white boiler suits, my first day there he told me that first thing on arriving in the morning my job was to get down on hands and knees and clean the office with a dustpan and brush (He had a Miss ??? as a secretary who everyone thought was his 'bit on the side') then report to the workshop foreman who would give me jobs tidying up around the place and send me off on an errand bike to collect spares for the days jobs, I rode that bike all over Brum to various main dealers.
Pollitt had two Railton sports cars, he took one on the continent and crashed it into an anti tank barrier returning on crutches with his leg in plaster up to his thigh, he was an angry man and threatened to sack everyone because he spotted grease on his clean concrete garage floor.
How's that for a memory from sixty seven years ago.
It did however have a very well equipped workshop with several ramps and each painted a different colour, on the wall behind each ramp was a tool rack with a comprehensive tool kit all paint coded to the ramp they were linked to.
In the back right hand corner the was an area set off for bodywork although I never saw any being done.
I only stayed a month, my school headmaster found me a job nearer home with the garage he used and the offer of immediate hands on mechanic work. (I've been at it ever since.)
Pollitt insisted that all his workshop staff wore white boiler suits, my first day there he told me that first thing on arriving in the morning my job was to get down on hands and knees and clean the office with a dustpan and brush (He had a Miss ??? as a secretary who everyone thought was his 'bit on the side') then report to the workshop foreman who would give me jobs tidying up around the place and send me off on an errand bike to collect spares for the days jobs, I rode that bike all over Brum to various main dealers.
Pollitt had two Railton sports cars, he took one on the continent and crashed it into an anti tank barrier returning on crutches with his leg in plaster up to his thigh, he was an angry man and threatened to sack everyone because he spotted grease on his clean concrete garage floor.
How's that for a memory from sixty seven years ago.
Eric Gibson
master brummie
Looking at your photo of the filling station has me mystified, the area where the pumps etc. are was when I was there just gravelled over, no pumps and Pollitt's smashed up Railton parked on the right tight against the next door building wall.
hello eric...that photo could have been taken middle to even late 50s after you left so maybe the pumps were added after that...only thing i can think of..im sure that mr pollitts grandson will appreciate the photo and of course your comments especially as you worked there
lyn
lyn
Phil, that is fantastic, thank you very much. There was some years ago a photo of the garage with a row of old Austin or Morris cars across the front, I guess from the 1930's, the photo was on the wall in the Church Inn next door, I tried to buy it from the landlord but he wouldn't sell and I believe it was sent to another local pub about 8 years ago along with the rest of the collection of Birmingham photos all from The Church Inn.
Neither of those photos are as I remember it in 1950 when I got a job there, all of the frontage has been improved on both, there was no posh front or filling station it was just an old plain front sitting back from the road.
It did however have a very well equipped workshop with several ramps and each painted a different colour, on the wall behind each ramp was a tool rack with a comprehensive tool kit all paint coded to the ramp they were linked to.
In the back right hand corner the was an area set off for bodywork although I never saw any being done.
I only stayed a month, my school headmaster found me a job nearer home with the garage he used and the offer of immediate hands on mechanic work. (I've been at it ever since.)
Pollitt insisted that all his workshop staff wore white boiler suits, my first day there he told me that first thing on arriving in the morning my job was to get down on hands and knees and clean the office with a dustpan and brush (He had a Miss ??? as a secretary who everyone thought was his 'bit on the side') then report to the workshop foreman who would give me jobs tidying up around the place and send me off on an errand bike to collect spares for the days jobs, I rode that bike all over Brum to various main dealers.
Pollitt had two Railton sports cars, he took one on the continent and crashed it into an anti tank barrier returning on crutches with his leg in plaster up to his thigh, he was an angry man and threatened to sack everyone because he spotted grease on his clean concrete garage floor.
How's that for a memory from sixty seven years ago.
Very impressive Eric, and thank you. I am gradually putting together information and history on Herbert Pollitt, I hardly knew him as he died in a car accident in 1965. There was a great photo of the garage in The Church Inn but I could not get hold of it before it disappeared to another pub. Thanks again, and if you have any more distant thoughts I would be pleased to hear, Thanks, Nick.
Thank you, really useful, Nick.
Thank you, understand and really pleased with response, it means a lot to my family. Nick.
Thanks Lyn, this is all getting very interesting, particularly Erics' comments! My Grandfather I believe was a bit of a character. Nick.
Phil, is it possible for me to get a good copy of this photo, by email or print? Nick.
hi nick all you have to do is save that photo to your computer..if you have a printer you can then print off a copy..if you would like either phil or myself to email it to you just send your email address to one of us via our private message system (inbox top right of the page)
nice photo carolina as you say we can just see the garage on the right
lyn
nice photo carolina as you say we can just see the garage on the right
lyn
Eric Gibson
master brummie
I'm still mystified by those petrol pumps, could I have remembered all that about the place and not remembered the pumps? I'm beginning to wonder if there were two sites, I note there's a similar frontage and building few yards on from the one we're looking at.
I've just had a walk along there on Google Earth, what a sad state all those buildings on that side of the road are in.
I'm beginning to wonder if there were two sites, I note there's a similar frontage and building few yards on from the one we're looking at.I've just had a walk along there on Google Earth, what a sad state all those buildings on that side of the road are in.
That is interesting Eric, I recall my Dad (who passed away 3 years ago at 93) telling me that Herbert started with a repair garage, on Great Hampton St, and then moved premises at some point slightly further down the road on the same side towards town. I only recall vaguely the garage, but like you with no petrol pumps and that would have been in the late 1950's. More photos may help! Agree with you how sad the old buildings are looking in such a state.
Thanks Lyn, just printed the photo, its come out well. Thanks to Carolina too. Nick.
My is Tom Hames i worked at garage winter of 1962, white boiler suit and all. Cleaned office, rode bike through snow for parts A T Gittens, Lacouters and other places. Remember someone called Aubrey and the forman. Also new ford cortina in small body shop smashed up, we used to have our tea breaks in there. Telephone in workshop always ringing, i never got message, always made mistakes. Started there at age of 15, 1/11 an hour i recall, left shortly afterwards, so cold on that bike in white boiler suit.
My mum took me for interview and was given AZ and asked by secretary, small woman to find street in jewellery quarter, got the job. Can recall fetching sandwiches from cafe just down the road, Constitution Hill carrying billy can, bitter sweet times. I recall Scottish man Eddie Mc Graith, sold me wooden tool box for ten bob.
Apologies Tom, only just picked this up 3 years on! Can you recall the actual address of Pollitts Garage, and did it have petrol pumps? Thank you, Nick.
