Prestage Ltd

[Gobby]

Can anybody help with this please.

In 1949 my Dad worked for a company called Prestage Ltd - I think they were located in Holloway Head and I am sure they were a Vauxhall / Bedford garage.

I have a nice certificate dated 17/12/48 saying that Dad had passed his course in specialised radiator repairs at the Vauxhall Motors Service Training Centre at Luton.

I think Prestage's might have made or repaired a lot of Bedford fire engines as thats what I rember Dad saying a lot about.

I would like to know where the garage was and if its still around?
Dad worked there for many years and I think they were still going in the mid 1960's? An advert would be fantastic.

Thanks
Gobby

 

[Eric Gibson]

We used to get all our Vauxhall and Bedford spares from Prestage at their main showroom and parts dept in Suffolk Street in the 50s.
That closed down and they moved out to Coventry Road Yardley and I think they or their successors are still there. E.

 

[Astonian]

There Heavy Vechicles ,and Traing Was Done At Steward Street Not Suffolk Street Including Fire And Ambulances
I Lived In King Edward Road And Went To Stewart Street Infants School ,and The School Gates Was More Or Less Right
Next Door To Prestiges
Harry Cresswell And His Brother Maurice ,
Founders Of Bristol Street Motors ,also Had A Repair Depot In
Charles Henry Street Next To Prestige,s And Where They Done There Valeting And Putting There Logo In The Back Window Of Cars Before Bringing Them Into Bristol Street For The Customer
They Also Had A Depot At Vittoria St Winson Green ,
Have A Nice Day Everybody Best Wishes Astonian ,

 

[Barney martin]

Hi Gobby,
I started work at Prestages Ltd. in 1944, as the war was still on there were very few new spares, and most things had to be repaired as best possible, the Holloway Head
depot was only for cars, as someone else has said the lorries, etc. were done at Steward St depot. The service manager at Steward St, was Mr. Bullock, a fearsome individual, who did not suffer fools gladly!. The Holloway Head showrooms were in
Suffolk St. with the service dept. at a much higher level in Ellis St. I remember that the foreman was quite a reasonable man Mr. Alf Roberts. I left in 1946, and got a job as a storeman at the G.P.O. Stores, Fordrough Lane, Bordesley Green, as I thought that I would like to keep my hands clean, but after doing my National service in the Royal Signals, went back to getting my hands dirty!, at Meteor Garage, Moseley,
(1950 to 1992.)

 

[tali]

Iirc Prestage became Mercedes dealers in mid 80s and were then taken over by Gerard Mann- who later moved from Holloway Head to their current Aston location

 

[robert]

There used to be a showroom on the Stratford road near the old Springfield picture house.

 

[nickcc101]

Prestage used to be the main Vauxhall/Bedford agent and supplied new vehicles to other Vauxhall/Bedford agents. When i worked for Ryland garage in the early sixties we used to collect new cars from Prestage's compound near robin hood island. Bit of a scandal when it was found that quite a few new cars had gone missing and somehow had been taken from the middle of hundreds of new parked cars.

 

[Vivienne14]

This looks fun! Viv



Source: British Newspaper Archive

 

[jamjar]

Hi Gobby,
I started work at Prestages Ltd. in 1944, as the war was still on there were very few new spares, and most things had to be repaired as best possible, the Holloway Head
depot was only for cars, as someone else has said the lorries, etc. were done at Steward St depot. The service manager at Steward St, was Mr. Bullock, a fearsome individual, who did not suffer fools gladly!. The Holloway Head showrooms were in
Suffolk St. with the service dept. at a much higher level in Ellis St. I remember that the foreman was quite a reasonable man Mr. Alf Roberts. I left in 1946, and got a job as a storeman at the G.P.O. Stores, Fordrough Lane, Bordesley Green, as I thought that I would like to keep my hands clean, but after doing my National service in the Royal Signals, went back to getting my hands dirty!, at Meteor Garage, Moseley,
(1950 to 1992.)

 

[nickcc101]

I remember buying Bedford spares from Prestages NewJohn st West parts dept also collecting new cars from the compound near Robin Hood roundabout back in the sixties. Waiting times for the spares was quite long but nowhere near as bad as Leyland Motors on the Wolverhampton new road where you needed to take your bed.

 

[big ben]

My dad worked for Prestages steward street for many years .He did all the breakdowns and recovery of vauxhall cars,bedford trucks with his landrover or thornycroft big ben wrecker.
i still have a folder of prestage pictures of staff ,premises .few pictures of old days

 

[Brookfields Lad]

City of Birmingham Bedford SB Fire Engine LVP 118 at the Transport Museum Wythall

www.wythall.org.uk

Here's an example of the type of work that Prestage did.

 

[big ben]

i have seen that at wythall.
prestages fitted the pumps to a lot of them if i recall.

 

[tackleman]

I was an apprentice at Prestages in Sparkhill in the early 1970s. Roger Hemmings was the Service Manager and Peter Sturdy was the Sales Manager. I remember working with Micky Bowe in the service reception, Albert Burrows was the foreman, mechanics included Frank Geiss, Terry Westwood, Jack Oaten, Sid Newbold, Arthur Windmill. They sold and serviced Opel, Bedford Vauxhall vehicles. Other vehicle repairs were taken on too.

 

[nickcc101]

I was an apprentice at Prestages in Sparkhill in the early 1970s. Roger Hemmings was the Service Manager and Peter Sturdy was the Sales Manager. I remember working with Micky Bowe in the service reception, Albert Burrows was the foreman, mechanics included Frank Geiss, Terry Westwood, Jack Oaten, Sid Newbold, Arthur Windmill. They sold and serviced Opel, Bedford Vauxhall vehicles. Other vehicle repairs were taken on too.

I remember collecting new cars from the storage compound off Robin Hood Island, whilst Prestage’s where the main Vauxhall dealer Rylands, who I worked for from 1960, were a secondary dealer. Later on in when I moved to a coach company we bought our Bedford spares from prestage’s spares department.

 

[Dave P]

I was an apprentice at Prestages in Sparkhill in the early 1970s. Roger Hemmings was the Service Manager and Peter Sturdy was the Sales Manager. I remember working with Micky Bowe in the service reception, Albert Burrows was the foreman, mechanics included Frank Geiss, Terry Westwood, Jack Oaten, Sid Newbold, Arthur Windmill. They sold and serviced Opel, Bedford Vauxhall vehicles. Other vehicle repairs were taken on too.

Micky Bowe was foreman at Ryland Vauxhall workshops 73/74 ish. From memory he lived on Bromford Esate.

 

[nickcc101]

Micky Bowe was foreman at Ryland Vauxhall workshops 73/74 ish. From memory he lived on Bromford Esate.

Hello. As an ex Ryland employee from the early sixties I”m curious as to where Ryland Vauxhall was located as all the car repairs were carried out in Ryland street whilst I worked there. Thanks.

 

[Dave P]

Hello. As an ex Ryland employee from the early sixties I”m curious as to where Ryland Vauxhall was located as all the car repairs were carried out in Ryland street whilst I worked there. Thanks.

As you say Ryland St, at the bottom, showroom on the right, Bedford/CV workshop down the ramp, Vauxhall next door then Rydale (BMW) on the next corner. All linked. As an apprentice mechanic 73-75 did stint in all 3 w/shops although Vauxhall was my main place. Bill Evans and Brian Crawford ran the service dept. Worked with Steve Nash, Cyril, Alan, Malcolm Sargent, Tommy, little Dave, and more whose names I forget.

 

[nickcc101]

The only name I remember was Brian (crankle) Crawford who was the chargehand when I left in 1964. I started 1960 as trainee mechanic as only 14 so paid petty cash thanks to Frank Griffin. Did stores, car section, auto lube, Hgv, then finished in car section. Great fun times.