HISTORIC BRIGG GARAGE FEATURES IN PICTURES SENT TO US FROM THE STATES

Layne's was arguably the biggest garage in Brigg for much of the 20th century until its demise around 50 years ago.
It was located on Bigby Street, next to the Dying Gladiator pub and opposite St John's Church.
Workshops and other facilities behind the showroom occupied a sizeable site parallel to Elwes Street, which many of our more senior Brigg Blog followers will remember. 

The company's Bigby Street base was established in 1914 - town houses occupying the frontage today. Prior to this residential development, Brigg Snooker Club operated from the former Layne's building on Bigby Street for some years.
The company's founder, George Henry Layne, had started in the cycle business in 1887. Layne's later diversified into mechanised two-wheel transport with its Glanford range and sold and serviced vehicles, including Vauxhall cars and Bedford trucks . G. H. is seen below with an early Minerva-engined model.
Brigg Blog recently received an unexpected but very welcome email from America on behalf of a member of the Layne family - accompanied by a selection of archive photographs, a couple of which are seen here.
It told us that David Layne was happy to share them - his father, Walter 'Wally' Layne, being the youngest child of the garage owner.
David has written a great deal about Wally's war record.
Wally volunteered for aircrew duties just a day after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced the start of hostilities in September 1939.
Flt Sgt Layne, a wireless operator on RAF bombers during the Second World War, served at some bases in Lincolnshire and elsewhere.
He eventually became a prisoner of the Germans, having been forced to bale out of his blazing plane following an attack by a night-fighter over France while taking part in a Mannheim raid in September 1943. He parachuted down into a forest and evaded capture for 10 days.
In one of his PoW letters home from Stalag Luft 6, he wrote in November 1943: "I have met a great number of old friends here; yesterday I met Harry Warton’s brother in law - he comes from Scunthorpe and has been here about eight months."
In further correspondence, Wally made references to letters sent to him from Brigg.
View the full contents of Wally's War here. It's well worth a look...

The family firm, G. H. Layne & Co Ltd, celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in 1947 by producing a souvenir booklet - 60 Years of Progress. George Frank Lane was managing director at the time, with Mr F. Parkinson as sales director and Mr N. F. Button the parts service manager. Its Brigg premises covered nearly 50,000 sq ft and employed 65 people.

Read more about the history of Layne's in Brigg, when it was a sizeable employer, here...