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  4. Wright's Car Hire

Wright's Car Hire

A Memory of Hornchurch.

My grandad, Victor Wright, ran Wright's Car Hire in Ardleigh Green next to Carter's Bakery nearly opposite the school. He had 2 Humber limousines, a Studebaker and an Austin 18 for chauffeur driven hire. He and the other drivers, which sometimes included my dad Ron Wright, would wear a navy blue suit and cap when they took people to weddings, or to the seaside or Heathrow, or collected rolls of lino from Bartons in Romford. Grandad used to have a pail of water in the boot of the Humber Imperial when he was on a wedding so he could give the car a once over with the chammy while the couple were getting married in the church. That's dedication for you!

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Added 18 March 2016

#339313

Comments & Feedback

Your dad was my driving instructor - he was very strict if you made the slightest mistake. I also remember your granddad - one time he set off for the church with the bride and her dad, only to learn that she had forgotten her bouquet! He was unwilling to turn back, insisting it was bad luck, so drove all the way round the houses until he got back to the house. That's dedication for you !
By ron.beryl on Wed Apr 27th 2016, at 10:43 am
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Thanks so much, Ron. Fancy him driving back round the houses to avoid bad luck. I'd never heard that one. When I was schoolboy I used to look after the car hire office on Saturday afternoons while grampy was out on a job and there was a stack of Reveilles and Weekends in a corner that I used to 'peruse'. Do you have any other memories?
By tony.wright on Wed Apr 27th 2016, at 7:09 pm
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your dad was my driving instructor as well in 1964 he had a Vauxhall viva i believe got me through 1st attempt mind you looking at the photos it was easy driving through Hornchurch then. some 30 years ago i took up driver instructing , and remember just how quiet the roads were then.
also got married in St Andrews Church 50 yrs ago (3/9/66)
By dennis.worrell on Wed Aug 3rd 2016, at 12:16 am
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Thanks for comenting,Dennis. That must have been my Dad's brother Bert who taught you as I think he had a Viva and my Dad was Standards or Ford. Bert lived on the Southend Rd after the lights, just before Cecil Avenue. So you were a driving instructor too. I had a go at it with my Dad when we were in Clacton but I gave it up and moved up to London. Amazing, 1966 doesn't feel like 50 years ago. How time flies!
By tony.wright on Wed Aug 3rd 2016, at 4:45 pm
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