06/06/2026
📸 WHEN EVERYTHING CHANGED
Not every chapter of a business story is an easy one to tell.
These photographs show the aftermath of a devastating fire that destroyed a dealership building and a significant amount of vehicle stock. Many local people remember the period because it happened during the time of the Meadowell riots, but the fire itself was supposedly caused by an electrical fault.
Looking at these images today is still difficult. Years of hard work, investment and memories were lost in a very short space of time. Vehicles were destroyed, buildings were damaged beyond repair and the future of the business was suddenly uncertain.
For many businesses, a setback of this scale could have marked the end of the road.
Instead, it became the start of a new chapter.
The determination to rebuild, continue serving customers and keep moving forward ultimately shaped the business for years to come. Looking back now, these photographs are a reminder that success is rarely a straight line. Every long-standing family business will have faced challenges, and this was undoubtedly one of the biggest.
Thankfully, with hard work and perseverance, the story didn’t end here.
