Description:
The rear of the Market Garage (derelict) on the corner of Lower Parliament Street and Beck Street. The red brick building in the background is the General Post Office Sorting Offices and behind that is the General Post Office Telephone Exchange building.
Website contributor Marilyn Husk very kindly offers this information: 'Market Garage was run by members of the Husk family until its closure in the 1970s, largely due to changes in the traffic system around the premises which effected customer access, and double yellow lines that prevented parking. This white end was always known as 'Cordwall's End', I suspect it had been a seperate business at one time. There were petrol pumps and fuel sold here. The main repair work was all done at the red brick end where there were more petrol pumps and work shops. There was a spray shop upstairs and an Accessories shop on Lower Parliament Street. It used to be open 24 hours and had a red and green neon sign that said 'We never close' looking out towards the market. In the 1960's they decided to try selling cars and created a showroom in which there were displayed three BMWs Red, White and Blue. Maybe it was too close to the war, nobody wanted to buy German cars. Legend has it they had to practically give them away. There was a little cafe in Beck Street called Dilk's where they catered for local workers from the garage, post office, market etc. They had a single light bulb to light the place and a small glass display case on the counter. I remember eating bread and dripping there as a child.... it was delicious'.