Today’s speaker was Nick Ryden, brother of our member Richard Ryden, who gave us a talk about his life in the motor trade.
Despite life starting on a farm, he was introduced to motoring by a Polish farmer’s tractor, and a broken-down motorbike from another farm labourer. He often took days off school to mend his father’s vehicles, needed for the delivery business, resulting in a less than rewarding set of GCE results from his days at Holme Valley Grammar School!
He started an apprenticeship at Sovereign Garage, but this was severely interrupted by an 18-month stint in hospitals following a severe motorcycle accident. His former boss, John Gill, spent time in the USA, and introduced Nick to American vehicles, which proved to be a passion throughout Nick’s life.
Returning to Sovereign Garage following the accident he spent time working on many car brands, but mainly Fords, and attended a Ford School in Slough, where the intricacies of trucks and buses made everyone realise how easy it was to look after and repair ordinary cars!
After the death of his father, he bought the barn and land which his father had previously rented, for the grand sum of £400, and subsequently sold it for a sum sufficient to purchase the house where he now lives with his wife.
Working solely as a mechanic proved hard work, so he undertook a correspondence course in sales, and eventually ended up with Almondbury Garages, a main BMW franchise.
Self-employment then followed for 34 years, initially in run-down premises, subsequently much improved from an insurance claim following a fire started by apprentices using a welding machine. He had to occupy the offices of GAFLAC, his insurance company, for a full day, to get his pay-out, but was successful by the next business day.
However, body-shop and accident repairs were dealt the death blow when Direct Line came on the scene and cornered all the business, and he was not sorry to retire.