WOODLEY & ROUNSEVELL

Here we have two people who played a major part in bringing our area abreast of the times. They had a hand in getting a great number of us mobile and keeping us on the road. Arthur served his apprenticeship with Beech’s garage of Liskeard, commencing before the war. On completion he soon established himself as a highly skilled mechanic. He lived at number One the Village with his mother who was the district Nurse. This soon became the meeting place of all the men with motor cycles, in the evenings and at weekends for Arthur to repair or tune, or just for a get together. Anyone with a new exhaust or fortunate enough to have a new machine, he would adjust the carburettor to prevent the exhaust from turning blue. One could purchase a new 250cc Panther motor cycle for £37.10 shillings. Unfortunately he had a serious motor cycle accident in Liskeard, he got caught between two motor cars, and the running board of one severed his leg above the ankle. This proved quite a handicap to him, as in those days artificial legs were rather crude affairs made mostly of iron and leather. Great strides in this field were made during the war and he was soon fitted with an improved lightweight wooden one. On my return from the R A F, each time he had a new leg I was called upon to file and polish the inside spot where it was rubbing his leg.

By the end of the War Arthur started his own business in the redundant wheel-right shop, which was part of Mr Edgar Crapp’s workshop. Once petrol became available to the general public, on ration of course, he soon became a very busy man as the cars would have been all pre-war and most of them on their last legs. Spare parts were very difficult to obtain, if at all, but somehow he always managed to keep them going,often achieving the impossible, he soon built quite a reputation for himself. Soon he had so much work coming in, his brother in law Eldred went into partnership with him. Eldred at that time was farming at Cardinham, but his interest was always in engineering and was an accomplished welder. They soon formed a good working relationship.

Arthur had already installed a generator for supplying the electricity to his workshop and for charging accumulators which by now was very much in demand, as almost everyone had radios. No longer did one have to limit the time you had the radio switched on, as one could have your accumulator charged at any time and not have to wait until you went to Liskeard to get it charged. Soon they set up a collection and delivery service once a week covering most of the parish and other villages nearby. For this service they purchased an early 30s baby Austin ( this model was often called Chicken Chasers)

Edgar and I took out the back seats and cut a door in the back and made a wood frame and surround and installed a wooden floor. This they used for many years up to 1954 when electricity came to Duloe. Now the Reading Room ceased to function, the Garage became the meeting place for the locals. Somewhere to hear all the news of the village and the goings on in the area and relate some events of their own. This proved very handy for the local Policeman, who usually paid a visit there once a day to get up to date with events enabling him to solve crimes almost before they were committed.

As I have said before spares were hard to come by just after the War .I can recall an amusing incident. One Farmer who had a big Armstrong Siddley tourer with a canvas roof, complained that it was leaking and as no materials were available to replace it.

someone told him that they had treated their roof with black boot polish. Several tins of polish were duly purchased and applied. The following Sunday the Family set off to Chapel on the way there it came to rain. They arrived at Chapel looking like the Black and White Minstrels with black streaks all over them. However Arthur managed to obtain some sheets of thin iron and shaped a new roof secured with rivets. So once again they were dry, but the noise was horrendous when it hailed or in heavy rain. The Garage was also headquarters and committee room of Duloe Blue’s Football Club. I think I am right in saying Arthur was the Secretary for the whole time the Club was in existence.

As more people became car owners their business increased and the premises became inadequate, in about 1960-61 they built a new garage with petrol pumps, on the site part of no.1 The Village garden and the adjoining field. This proved to be a good move at the right time. The Business expanded and soon they were stocking a large amount of spare parts. People were coming from far and wide to get them and some to get them fitted They also started to sell cigarettes, sweets, chocolate and other commodities. Joan & Molly became involved attending petrol and the shop.

This continued for many years. But the wind of change was beginning to blow.

Cars were becoming more advanced, each make of car had its own special equipment which meant one had to go to the agency to get it serviced. However they were kept very busy up to the end.. Which came with the sudden death of Arthur and the ill health of Molly, Eldred’s wife, they sold the business. Closing another chapter of our Village History.

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