Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Fountain Garage (Herrons) Rake lane Wallasey

What a great garage. I worked there in the 60's. The real McCoy, complete with its own petrol pumps, car salesroom, spare parts dept. and a team of mechanics, panel beaters and paint sprayers, each tradesman had his own apprentice.
They don't make 'em like that any more.

That the 1 on the bend?

They certainly don't lol

Opposite the Nag's Head pub.Pulled down a couple of years ago.I think that there are apartments there now.

The Garage was built on the former site of 'Fountains Lodge' where Edward Bennett once resided.

I can't believe how few garages there are now in Wallasey compared to just a few years ago.

Not half!

We used to have all our "Telefusion" vans serviced at "Herrons"
Wasn't it also "Apperleys" garage at one time with Mr. Apperley living in Atherton St.?

Don't ever remember Apperleys but I didn't live in Wallasey at the time. When I was there Teddy Herron owned it, and had done for many years. He also owned the big 'Herrons' garage at the Park Entrance in Birkenhead.

A friend of mine was telling me he completed his panel beating apprenticeship there. One part he wasn't keen about was the rustproofing he had to do, think he called it dinitroll.

it was owned by bob weston and billy jones part owned it until it was sold to be demolished and thank god they don't make em like that as i worked there 11 years ago and had gone down hill was a yugo dealership a long time ago and one of mate's started there when he was 15 before he started his apprentiship that he did at windsors and he is now 37 and he worked in fountain 12 years ago and left just before i started working there and the car sales was run by nigel thomas and he was a complete idiot and we had excutive and sports performance cars but he did'nt want to spend out on fixing them properely may of been ok in the 60's but i've worked in a few garages and they have good reputations but i have no idea how as one of them ripped people off all the time not mentioning any names but they are in birkenhead by art gallery.
good garages are far and few now days as all they are interested in is the money and always ask for the old parts from you car and if they have fitted new suspension ask for them to show you on a ramp before you pay for any work as it's the only way to make sure that the garage have done what you ask as far too many cowboys out there and thats why i left those garages as did'nt agree with the way they were run.
i remember pulling cars up on the lift that used like a chain hoist system and did have a spray booth at the back but was taken out before i started there and had pit's aswell as ramps and the mot's used one of the pit's and had a huge yard at the back that you could get lots of cars in.

Most of which were for sale but iether didn`t run properly or didn`t run at all!

used to do valeting for fountain garage,they did have the odd cool car sittin out back then!

Map from 1952 showing the garage

i remember one of the valeter's starting a senator auto up that had a fault on the inhibitor and it started in reverse and went straight through the fence and we had to drag in back onto the forecourt with one of the rangie's we had in at the time funniest thing i have ever seen a senator balancing on it's sills.lol
wasn't you was it dave g?

no i didnt work for them,i worked for a valetin firm in birkenhead.we used to do work for a load of garages on the wirral.

Just realised that Apperleys was in Rowson St & is now the Suzuki place. Oops!

At one time I think early seventies the Fountain Garage had a restored Consul mark two convertible on show in the window. It was white with a black hood.

Just found this post. Teddy Herron was My late Mums cousin and only relative. I did not know him much only to talk to on the phone at Christmas. When he died I had to go and sort out his funeral etc. I would be very interested to know what happened to his garages. We had to put in some money towards his funeral - he had nothing in the end. We have a few bits and bobs left from the garages. Some Anglia book matches, a sash from the launch of the Consul (i think), and some photos of the Fountain garage with all the workforce in a group in front. Wish I got to know him better when I had the chance.

CockleCottageWhi would love to see that photo my uncle was foreman there in the 60/70`s

The Rake Lane garage is all built on now, check on Google earth.

Does anyone know what happened to herrons? Did it go bust or was the business sold?

I would like to know what happened to Herrons garages as I worked at park entrance from 1946 to 1952. At the time George Herron, Teddy Herrons father was the boss. George was a true gentleman in every sense of the word and kept Teddy in check. I cant say the same for Teddy, he was full of self importance and when George died he started to expand the business and bought Fountain garage and another garage almost opposite Park station and from then on things seemed to go downhill.

Hi, I served my time as a mechanic in the 1970s. In Fountain Garage.George Herron would come round every Friday and hand out your wages. I still keep in touch with three mates. Would love to contact more for a reunion. Would love a copy of the Photo as I remember it been taken. So many stories in that garage. Great time. Thanks

The garage was on Rake Lane, Fountain Lodge was on Fountain Road, the garage actually adjoined the back garden of Fountain Lodge. I know, as I was born in Fountain Lodge (in 1954) and lived there until we left for Kenilworth in 1961

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