Empsons Garage My Years

A Memory of Gamlingay.

I left Sandye school in 1970. We lived in Potton and I started work at Empsons garage as a trained mechanic. They also repaired lorrys there too - mainly Commer. It was owned and run by Bill Empson and Steve Whitbread worked there as a mechanic. His snooty Son Geoffrey Empson also worked there - they had a dog called Tatty Bitch.
When the miners strike was on and we had power cuts, we would wind the petrol [national benzel] and the dieslel from the tanks for the customers.
Grace would work in the reception booking in cars etc and I would work on cars lorries and all things under Steve's eye.
There was quite a large area behind the garage with greenhouses and old buildings and I would hunt in there to see what I could find
Bill and his wife were very nice people and although the money wasn't great he looked after you in other ways. Bill would have a small office just off the main workshop where he would inhabit and dabble in TV and wireless repairs.
One year, Bert Bains was riding his bike in the bad weather and he collapsed and died
so they laid his body in our glass forecourt till the body was removed.
Warboys garage was one of our competitors further down the road [I usually passed it when I went to work
There was another garage, Housden I think, going out towards Warsley - but everybody seemed to know Bill Empson and we had what seemed like some illustrious customers.
Tetworthall Estates, Woodbuy Estate and I even worked on a RR - I think it was something to do with Watney's Brewery. Dizzy Days for a 16 year old!
We also sold parafin [boom boom boom esso blue].
Geoffrey, the snooty son, crashed his car [an Escort GT], so that added a bit of excitement
and they got a tin basher in to straighten it and Bill allowed him to use one of the barns round the back for body repairs [oh happy days].
I was there for about 3 years and I enjoyed my time there. My family moved away and I went with them. I visited Bill and his wife with my wife many years later, 1987 or near abouts, at that time they were still in the same house just down the road - Mrs Empson let me in - Bill was watching TV. The garage was still there but I believe his grand-daughter was running it - I didnt think it would be Geoffrey - still, I was young and it was my first job.
So thats some of my memories from that time. If I can help with anything let me know.