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Leo A. Richardson, Oulton Broad.

RichardH

By RichardH
in The Historic Broads

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RichardH

RichardH

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In the 1940s, so I am lead to believe, the business of Leo A Robinson, Bridge Stores, Oulton Broad covered a multitude of interests but my interest is in the Company , the premises and its  involvement as Agents for the AGA Cooker.

In 1941 (and possibly in preceeding years) the Company teamed up with another AGA Agency - H Warner (Kings Lynn) Ltd, 23 - 24 Market Street , Kings Lynn and occupied Stand 200 at the Royal Norfolk Show where they demonstrated the Model C AGA Cooker in a Caravan of all places - the advert in the Show Guide for 1941 actually shows a drawing of the Caravan and the text states "In the AGA Caravan you see Model C cooker actually burning." The sponsors were AGA Heat Ltd in co-operation with the authorised Service Distributors for the area (Robinson & H Warner.)

 

I should like to source images of the Robinson premises in Oulton Broad in the early 1940s and all information about their time as an AGA Agent  - this may not be the most appropriate site to post this query but coming from Devon and knowing very little about the Broads I had to start somewhere.

 

My interest is reflected in the link here:-  http://www.exeterfoundry.org.uk 

and visit the AGA Page

for my  family's busines of Garton & King Ltd, Exeter were AGA agents from about 1932 & the successors still are.post-30287-0-00818900-1406241081_thumb.j

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JennyMorgan

JennyMorgan

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I know that I have a picture of the premises when it was Leo's booking office, only I can't find it, yet. I don't recollect any mention on the picture of AGA but maybe I just didn't notice. I'll have a look through my postcard collection, nothing in my p.c. files.

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JennyMorgan

JennyMorgan

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In 1941 Leo Robinson was building M.L's and M.T.B's for the war effort. I wonder if the AGA connection was in part to do with their admiralty contracts. Not sure that 1941 was a time when civilians took many photographs. Indeed many had evacuated Oulton Broad & Lowestoft at that time. 

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C.Ricko

C.Ricko

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Great Pictures JM, Thanks for sharing them..

 

My Dad bought an Aga from Robinsons, he paid £100 cash for it, a while later the police visited him as it is thought that perhaps the man in the shop had not put all the money in the till (or any of it)!! There was a Mr Winterbone in the office working for Leo Robinson but with the demise of Robinsons he moved to Loynes in Wroxham

the Aga was installed in Old mill house 29 Commodore Rd.

My Grandad worked on the MLs at Robinsons during the war.

Dad seems to think that the Fella in the captains hat in the colour postcard looks like Jack Robinson (but could be wrong)

Gooch let row boats on the 'Free Quay' at Oulton as did my Grandad.  My Great, Great Grandfather owned the Lady of the lake (in the picture)

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JennyMorgan

JennyMorgan

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Clive, I take it that you mean the handsome bloke with the five o'clock shadow, seen below. Your old fella is probably right, I just assumed it was Wally Hoseason, Jimmy's dad. 

 

The second snap is an enlargement showing my old fellows name on the shop so it's certainly post WWll

post-30277-0-79877300-1406292591_thumb.j

post-30277-0-33021700-1406293442_thumb.j

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C.Ricko

C.Ricko

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he says he could be wrong but Wally was a much bigger chap, bigger than James Hoseason and walked with a sort of slight stoop and limp?

I love a good thread drift!

 

It is good to see some photos facing this direction, I have a few but they are mainly taken from the jetty..

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JennyMorgan

JennyMorgan

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Hopefully the NBN has been able to help Richard H.

 

I have just found this one, a 1960's snap of Robinson's boatyard.

 

Avocetone.jpg

 

A busy scene that, for me, is full of memories.

As a youngster I delivered groceries to the boats at Robinsons so got to know both the boats and the staff, great place to be around.

 

In the background is a counter sterned boat, an ex admiral's barge, called, strangely enough, The Admiral. Double diag. teak built, a lovely old liveaboard. Tender as a rotten apple! She was slipped nearby and just sagged on the cradle. She was quickly relaunched, don't know what happened to her after that.

 

On the right, outside the Wherry Hotel, is the Elizabeth Simpson, an ex lifeboat with a history, I used to scrounge trips on her. Worth googling.

 

Ahead of her is Rulu, a double ender, belonged to a well known pathologist who was also an excellent photographer. Great bloke, taught me a lot.

 

In the foreground there are a couple of trip boats. The one at the front was owned by a Joe Garwood, once a quality boat-builder. He always worked in a tweed jacket, shirt & tie, shabby but smart. He built my father a rowing boat which, many years after, I set some new planks into. She looked perfectly formed but I was soon to realise that she had eight planks in one side but only seven in the other! Joe had used whatever planks he could find, built her by eye and got it just right and none of us had realised!

 

Laying on the other side of the jetty is a 27' boat called Avocet, built for the Colman's Mustard family but then owned by my father. A boat that I sailed to Holland a number of times and cruised the East Coast, a privileged upbringing! 

 

A picture with so many memories, for me at least. 

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jillR

jillR

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hi richard

 

a few years ago I started a flickr group for "boats on the Norfolk broads" and one of the people who joined was jack robinson in search of bits on his family history.

here is his family album on flickr.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jackarobinson/sets/72157621509531098/

there are over 8000 images on the boat group now and here is

the link in case you wish to sift through for relevant pictures.

https://www.flickr.com/groups/boats-on-the-norfolk-broads/

jill

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RichardH

RichardH

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Hi all - many thanks for ALL your contributions - its easy to get sidetracked into other areas but at least the postings confirm that they at least Sold AGAs and thank

s Jenny for the images you posted.

I would have responded sooner but I realise if there was somewher to click to be notified of any postings then I hadn't done so - there was me thinking no-one was interested !!

Strange how you from your neck of the woods always manage to turn the subject to BOATS !

Down our way we have a choice of the Atlantic or the English Channel!! My brother has a Rayburn installed in his Narrow Boat which links in - sort  of - as Rayburn and AGA are now one and the same.

Thanks again

Over and out.

Richard H

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