On Thursday 9th February the curtain finally came down on the offices at Epsom garage, as they were demolished to make way for a new shop, for builders merchants, Travis Perkins.
The Offices were built as part of the then new garage and opened in June 1971. Originally, the offices were confined to the ground floor, with two flats complete with a patio, for staff on the first floor. There was no internal staircase then and “going upstairs” meant going outside. In the eighties, an internal staircase was installed, giving access to one of the flats, which accompanied a growing number of staff. For many years, the home of accounts and used for training. Eventually, the Directors moved upstairs, to allow the team to get on with day-to-day operations. The second flat, last occupied by Steve Harris and family, was eventually converted into a training centre. Only 8 years ago, the final part of the 2010 re-development, was finished, building over the patio.
Over the years, the offices underwent many changes. This work was often carried out by the in-house team and on many an evening, work was carried out to avoid disturbing the day staff. Walls were removed and installed; air conditioning was added to complement our all A/C fleet. Suspended ceilings were installed to hide a growing mountain of wiring, which was necessary as computers were installed, as early as 1981! With the redevelopment of the garage in 2010, the outside appearance changed completely, as the building was clad to match the new workshop. Although the building was over 50 years old, it adapted well to the completely different world in which it grew older, being constantly updated.
A building is just that, but the memories it held for so many people will go on. Laughter, sadness, good and bad news, the building witnessed it all. So here is a big thank you for the part that building played in Epsom Coaches history, recalled in the photographs of those years.