Yes, it's the Newbury Diesel Company where they made marine diesels for their parent company Everard Shipping. Actually to be pedantic, it's where the entrance to Sainsbury's and Scats is.
OK, why is the road there called "Hector's Way" and who or what was Hector.
Clutching at straws here. "Some talk of Hector and Lysander". Did they assemble the famous agent dropping plane? Did the British Grenadiers picket there? There was a vessel called the Hector that took colonists to Newburyport,Mass.(USA) Roads nearby,thanks google are Connought and Denmark. That doesn't help the braincells said Poirot. David Suchet recently garlanded. First job was at the Watermill. I have the programme of his first performance. Thanks Pentalith.
Anyway to cut a short ramble short I am stumped. Kept me busy for the afternoon! ce
Yes, it's the Newbury Diesel Company where they made marine diesels for their parent company Everard Shipping. Actually to be pedantic, it's where the entrance to Sainsbury's and Scats is. OK, why is the road there called "Hector's Way" and who or what was Hector.
The area to the right become a parking yard for the Royal Mail vans.
The buildings were green.and good for a p--s behind! Good...back to the more interesting things in Newbury.. Not that WBC twattle! which in fairness probably only interests the three of you!
OK then, in 1938/39, just pre war, a company who manufactured mobile plant for road repair work, compressors etc suddenly found that the Mercedes engines, made in Germany were no longer available. Newbury Diesel Company designed and manufactured for that company small high speed diesel engines. The company was called 'Hector Engineering' and the engines built by NDC were known as Hector engines. Somebody did their homework when they were looking for a name for the road and the rest is history.
OK then, in 1938/39, just pre war, a company who manufactured mobile plant for road repair work, compressors etc suddenly found that the Mercedes engines, made in Germany were no longer available. Newbury Diesel Company designed and manufactured for that company small high speed diesel engines. The company was called 'Hector Engineering' and the engines built by NDC were known as Hector engines. Somebody did their homework when they were looking for a name for the road and the rest is history.
OK then, in 1938/39, just pre war, a company who manufactured mobile plant for road repair work, compressors etc suddenly found that the Mercedes engines, made in Germany were no longer available. Newbury Diesel Company designed and manufactured for that company small high speed diesel engines. The company was called 'Hector Engineering' and the engines built by NDC were known as Hector engines. Somebody did their homework when they were looking for a name for the road and the rest is history.
Just in case you wondered what went on in that big tin shed, here is part of the main assembly workshop. You can judge the size of the marine diesels they built by comparing their size on the right hand of the picture with the chappie standing by them in overalls.
Just in case you wondered what went on in that big tin shed, here is part of the main assembly workshop. You can judge the size of the marine diesels they built by comparing their size on the right hand of the picture with the chappie standing by them in overalls.
Bloody hell, they look as if they could push a church over! What was the spec?
Bloody hell, they look as if they could push a church over! What was the spec?
They produced a range of slow speed(200 rpm) two stroke reversing diesels, this meant that to go from ahead to astern the engine was stopped and reversed. Took no more than 15secs to go from full ahead to full astern. In the fifties they produced 6 cylinder turbo charged versions rated at 1,600 bhp. This is a picture of the installation crew from Newbury, assisted by the builders, installing such an engine in the new ship MV Frederick T Everard at the Goole shipyard in 1954. The FT was a 265 ft 2,500 ton cargo. If you thought this engine was big, you should have seen some of the Doxford engines built up north for ocean going merchant ships. They were at least as tall as a three storey house. If you want the full Newbury Diesel Company story look here http://rowifi.com/ndc/index.html
Further to the right of these buildings was an old garage. Nias of Newbury (Rootes Group) took over the garage for a while, when they had to move out of their existing premises, which was across the corner of Market Street and Bart Street, where the bus station ended up in the early/mid 70's. I believe the owner was a Phillip Whelan, who lived in the Chieveley village area. The garage degenerated into just a filling station before being demolished to make way for development.
Behind the garage, and accessed by a narrow road which ran along parallel to the A339 to a station goods yard, and behind the Railway Hotel, housing a local coal merchant, was a timber and builders suppliers. Berkshire Builders Merchants.
That corner, across Market Street and Bart St., also housed another car showroom, Central Newbury Motors, who were I believe Mercedes dealers. They moved to new premises where the BP garage on the A4 opposite B&Q now stands.
Does anyone remember the garage (now the Total petrol station) on the Andover Road, at Wash Common. I believe they were originally a Talbot/Sunbeam dealer, but may be mistaken.
Does anyone remember the garage (now the Total petrol station) on the Andover Road, at Wash Common. I believe they were originally a Talbot/Sunbeam dealer, but may be mistaken.
Yes, I worked for them for a while...they were a Nissan franchise owned by Mr Whelan's business partner Tom Thompson. They were also the owners of the Nias site in Kings Road, and the London road site of Nias...All did very well in the area,...escpecially when Sainsbury's wanted in!!!!
Behind the garage, and accessed by a narrow road which ran along parallel to the A339 to a station goods yard, and behind the Railway Hotel, housing a local coal merchant, was a timber and builders suppliers. Berkshire Builders Merchants.
You seem to have moved the Railway Hotel - which was south of the railway (where Halfords is now). The builder's merchants fronted on to what was left of Winchcombe Road after the relief road (now A339) totally distrupted the roads in that area.
There was also a large malthouse back there on what is now the Sainsburys/Scats site.
I'm sure BrianB won't mind but if you look in the top left hand corner of this aerial view, you can see the whole lot including the still standing diesel works and the cottages that fronteed onto the link.
I don't know, but it is after the Kennet Centre car park was built, but before the Market St bus station, 'WH Smith car park' and the current WBC offices (pre 1982) were built. I notice the Old Mill on Kennet Rd is still standing. I can just see Snowy going for a pint in the Clocky.
Elliots, the large factory connubation to the west of Northbrook St, is still standing and I believe it was demolished in the late seventies to make way for Strawberry Hill and Bayer. The large housing estate behind West Street has not been started by Trencherwood so my guess has to be 1979.,
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