An interetsing topic came into my head while doing my research into Entry lists from Brands Htch in the 60 's.

The advertisers would make a good topic for discussion, do they still exist and in what form, what resides at that address today. And who if anybody did they sponsor.

Looking at the Boxing Day Brands meeting 1963 we have adverts from the following;-


The Chequerd Flag, perhaps one of the most well known sponsors of the day .

J.E.Bird-Jaguar Dealer- 118-120 Lee High Road, SE13.

Gold Seal Car Company Ltd-253-255 New Cross Road, SE14
Well known for supporting the Richard Lloyd Triumph Spitfire alongside Chris Marshall.


Minters -Caterers-327 High Street-Rochester. anything to do with Derek Minter Bike racer?


WT Richards(Bexleyheath) Ltd-74-78 Broadway & Market Place-Bexleyheath.
Jaguar/Rover/Triumph/Austin Dealer

Western Motor Works Ltd-PerryStreet-Chislehurst and Princes Road-Dartford
Vauxhall Dealer

Finally the Kentish Times , which must still be in existance in some form .


Pete

Chequered Flag thread

The Kentish Times Group is now part of Archant London.

Starting in reverse order.....the KM is still around, though it amazes me that people still buy it with the plethora of free newspaprers around, however, it is the "County" newspaper.

WMW, sold their interests to W.J.King Ltd, who own the Vauxhall franchise on Farningham Roundabout also (amongst others).

W.T.Richards became Lex Bexleyheath, but their old site has now been redeveloped.

Minters are not in the High Street anymore, not sure when they went, and if they are connected to Derek Minter (although he was a Kent lad I understand).

Gold Seal, on this site in New Cross, when I last crawled past at 1.5 m.p.h. ( I kid you not!) the site was selling bric-a-brac and antiques, has not sold cars for a very long time.

Birds, sold Jaguars in the '80s, but not as a franchised dealer, site redeveloped (along with Fry's of Lewisham, remember their white tow trucks?)

So, from your list Pete, only the KM is still around in a similar format to its 1963 style.

Is the Kent Messenger the same as the Kentish Times, then?

The Bird's site in Lee High Road became a Ford Dealer (Hartwell), then shut up shop in around 2001. It may have become an MOT test centre after that, but's it's now boarded up and ripe for redevelopment (ie standing vacant and unloved with 12ft tall weeds showing above the hoarding). Just a bit further up the road is a Vauxhall dealership, Penfold's. Can any TNF member connect that company to motorsport?

I remember Frys of Lewisham - We were on our way to Brands and the Merlyn needed the front wheels balancing; took the car in and they did it for free. They had an "On car" wheel balancer, so the hubs and discs were included in the wheel balancing.