History of Brown and Warren
The Garage Business was started in 1920 by Bert Warren and his brother-in-law, Percy Brown. The Warren family came originally from Yorkshire and Bert’s father was at one time headmaster at Great Shefford School; during the 1914 war, Bert Warren was in the RASC maintaining lorries and motorcycles. The Brown family were farmers at Manor Farm, Great Shefford.
Roy, along with his brothers Peter and Tony (who were to become a bank manager and schoolmaster respectively) attended St Bartholomew’s Grammar School in Newbury but due to labour being in short supply Roy left early at 15 to help his father. Roy started working with his father in 1939 when the other employers were called up for National Service. In 1940 the Workshops were requisitioned by the army and Roy and his father made armament parts for Wantage Engineering Works.
Bert Warren died in January 1974 and his wife Mary, who had helped with this family business whenever she was needed, died in May of the same year.
Percy Brown and his family had left the village in 1935 and later emigrated to America where he died in 1985 his widow continued to live in Florida.
In 1932 after the mains electricity supply came to Lambourn, Mr George Scarrott the Showman purchased the old generating plant which he continued to use for many years in his Fairground.
The premises in Station road purchased for the business had previously been used as a Corn Merchants and stabling and Bert always recalled his first sale of two bicycles from the premises sold to a trainer at Park Farm for his two young daughters. The cars repaired in the early days were mainly Model T Ford and the ‘Bull-nosed Morris’ and in 1934 the firm became Ford retail dealers, a franchise which they held until 1987. One of the first cars sold was a Ford Model Y costing £100 which was supplied to Miss E Day, a teacher at Lambourn School. Cleveland petrol at this time was 1s/2d a gallon (6p)
Roy’s wife, Joy (Nee Hamblin) helped with the office work as did her sister Jill. Over the years, quite a few Lambourn lads have received their ‘motor mechanic’ training from Brown and Warren and went on to prove the excellence of this training by doing well and often forming their own businesses. Colin Spanswick joined the firm in 1969 and Graham Warren kept the family tradition by joining it in 1972.
In 1952 the old building was demolished, and a new workshop and frontage built. This was replaced in 1990 with a new forecourt, office, and shop.
The firm always had a reputation for service and integrity and although Roy and Joy didn’t take place in any leading roles in the community, they always supported it in activities and organisations most generously, especially the Church where Joy and an old Newbury High School girl, was a very talented flower arranger.
For many years they played tennis for the Lambourn mixed and men’s doubles team with Roy striking up a very long and successful partnership with Bill Quallington and being remembered as the last player to play for Lambourn in ‘white flannels’!
After many years of serving the community the business was sold and Roy and Joy retired in 2002 and moved to Great Shefford. Sadly, Roy died in 2005 and Joy in 2013. They will always be remembered as will ‘Warren’s Garage’
Sadly, the beautiful Coronation House and garage was eventually demolished in 2005 and replaced with houses and flats.
The postcard depicting 1915 with the cottage on the right where Mick Nims’ seat for ‘Many Clouds’ is now and, on the left, part of Freddie Templeman’s racing establishment.
There were three petrol ‘stations’ in the village at one time, Lambourn Garages, Goslings (both in the High Street) and of course, Brown & Warren’s, in Station Road.
Liz Beard 2021
