BRIGG BLOG TAKES A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LAYNE

 

Brigg town centre has seen some changes  over the years.
Older Brigg Blog followers will be able to recognise the location seen above but those of more tender years might struggle,
This picture from 1947 was taken to mark the 60th anniversary celebrations of G.H Layne and Company Limited and shows the frontage of  premises which extended back a considerable distance, with extensive workshops.
Following the closure of the car and lorry sales and servicing business in the 1970s, other uses came along, including Brigg Snooker Club and today's attractive housing development that occupies the most visible part of the site.
A motif set in the brickwork, carrying the date 1914 when Layne's moved in, gives passers-by a reminder of the former use,
George Henry Layne started a cycle repair business at Winterton in 1887 and later moved to Brigg.
Always keen to tap into new markets, he started making Glanford bikes, using the slogan Ride Glanford Cycles and Be Happy.
A small factory was established behind the Bigby Street showrooms, originally employing six men.
In the early 1900s he also began selling well-known brands of motorcycle before deciding to build his own, also called Glanford.
The next step was selling and servicing cars.
At the time of the Diamond Jubilee in 1947, Layne's occupied a very large site in Brigg and employed 65 people in the town.
The firm also had outlets in Scunthorpe, Crowle and Market Rasen.
For many years Layne's sold Vauxhall cars and Bedford lorries.

Having the main Scunthorpe-Grimsby road passing by its frontage (long before pedestrianisation) must have helped petrol pump business.

The 1914 Layne's stone set into brickwork on the Bigby Street housing development.

A view of the town houses taken earlier this week from the same standpoint as the Layne's showroom picture at the top of this post.

Brigg Snooker Club occupied the former Layne's showrooms for some years. The entrance to the Dying Gladiator pub beer garden can be seen on the right and is little changed today.

The entrance to Layne's parts department

Serving a Layne's customer.

The yard behind Layne's in 1947 with 'Service Reception' in the white building on the right.