We're going back to Little Aston Road in Aldridge, one of the first locations where the business started while Alan and Wyn were still working part-time. When we shared our story about the years spent in the 'hole in the wall', we received several messages about memories from Little Aston Road. These sparked Wyn's recollections, leading to another story about the true beginnings of the company, dating back to the 1950s.

I [Wyn] remember in the early 1950s, when I was very young, my father worked part-time on Saturdays and Sundays at James Hill Garage. He repaired Jukes Brothers' work vans, which were painted light green. The garage manager was Mr. Jack Conniff, who lived on Walsall Wood Road near the Leighswood Road junction. He wore a white work smock and oversaw car repairs and petrol sales. He also had a small section of the garage where he sold sweets and chocolates to customers and passers-by, a fond memory for many in the area.

My older brother often accompanied my father to work. He soon found himself wandering to the back of the garage, to an outbuilding that was formerly part of a flour mill. I recall him saying that the rats were white to blend in with the surroundings! A gentleman in this building gave my brother his first job, sorting boxes of quarter light window levers into left and right hands. It kept him busy for a while!

The gentleman in question was Bill Langston, a name you may recognise. He had come out of the RAF after the war and worked for Petters Ltd, the diesel engine manufacturer. He taught my brother how to repair Villiers, Petter, and Lister engines on weekends at the back of the garage. After my brother left college, Bill offered him a full-time job. If you didn't recognise the name, the man who took my brother from sorting levers to repairing engines was the founder and owner of Reliant Plant Services, later bought by Ashtead Plant. After some years, my brother became the director of Reliant Plant, all thanks to a chance encounter.

When I left school at 15, my brother secured me a job at Reliant Plant. Despite my brother working there, I started at the bottom and worked my way up, just as he did when he first met Bill Langston. My tasks included:

• Sweeping and cleaning the workshop and yard
• Making tea for the fitters
• Lighting and maintaining the three coke stoves all day in cold weather
• Fetching goods from the local shop for the foreman and fitters, including milk and cigarettes
• Picking up sandwiches from the café
• Going to the post office
• Getting fish and chips on Fridays, always managing to get change from £2.00 for 15 dinners!
• Cleaning concrete from mixers with a Kango Hammer, which was very noisy inside the drum!

Plus many other jobs that many of us can relate to when starting work as youths. After several years of hard work, I had the chance to work in the stores with Mr. Arthur Feasey, who taught me a lot about spare parts. I served the fitters and customers, and when Mr. Feasey left, I was put in charge of the stores, where I remained until I left in the early 1970s to start L&S.

The birth of L&S began through a series of events that led me to build my own business. It all started with my father working at James Hill Garage in the 1950s, my brother exploring the back and finding Bill Langston, and my own experience at Reliant Plant in the workshop and stores, gaining knowledge of spares. Finally, I saw the opportunity to start my own business in the same building where Reliant Plant Services had been founded all those years ago.

To this day, L&S continues to plant acorns. Every person who works with us is encouraged to broaden their skills and knowledge for the future, whether with us or elsewhere. Wyn is always pushing the business forward in innovative ways and isn't afraid to try something new. If you don't move forward with the times, you risk falling behind, as many have.

As we continue to explore our archive of information from the beginning of L&S, we want to know what you want to see! Drop us a comment, and we'll see what we can do, whether it's more photos, vintage engines, or just more history of the business. Don't forget to keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates on all our upcoming posts!

Copyright:
In all cases, every effort is made to contact the original creator of the images / owner of copyright. In cases where this is not at all possible, images are only used in a fair use context. No copyright intended. All images are reproduced for informational purposes only.
First Image: Reproduced in 'Aldridge Revisited' by Author Jan Farrow 1998 (Page 52). Be sure to check this out if you like history. Covered under Fair Use, used for informational purposes only, not to sell or advertise. No copyright intended.
Second Image: Produced in 'London & Northern Group Limited 1978 Report & Accounts' Page 13, no copyright ownership is stated in the book, image used under fair use, used for informational purposes only, not to sell or advertise.