P R Motors / Newage Engineers

Hi WalterB Thanks for message, Yes I did know Mick Major then very well, you may have read a previous thread from Gilly who is George Gardener's nephew! I can't remember George's brother Ray, but that is not surprising with my memory just lately. I can neither remember Robert Franklin from the assembly department yet I thought I knew everybody there, Sid Wheeldon, the foreman, Ian Oliver, Eddie McMahon, Paul Grant and my brother Bill Wright was on gearbox assembly too, there were obviously many more names I have not mentioned. I really wish that I had the good memory that some of the other contributors to this forum have, the likes of Kaga Simpson, Morgana, and others put me to shame with their memories.

I am still trying to trace old colleagues from my old work place P.R. Motors/Newage Transmissions. I have had a couple of responses but still haven't been able to contact any other people. I am specially interested in finding the young lady who worked with me in the stores at P.R. Motors, Warwick Street, Earlsdon. Her first name was Lynne, and I think her surname was Poyntner, She lived, I think, at Staverton Close, just off Broad Lane. Lynne was learning dance and drama and about 1969 got a dancing position in a Jimmy Clitheroe stage show up north somewhere, we kept in touch for a while but lost contact when we moved to Devon. I just want to know how her career turned out and how is she now. It doesn't seem that long since I knew her but just think she has had her career and probably retired now!! P.R. Motors seems like Brigadoon to me, it only appears every so often and I'm the only one who knows about it. I am sure it existed, I am sure I knew the people there but they all seem to have disappeared! I am wondering if some of our fellow forumites know anyone who worked there. I'm thinking of the likes of PhilipinCoventry who gets around all over Coventry, surely you must have had a bacon butty with someone who worked there or knew someone who worked there? Morgana, you know so much about Coventry don't you know someone? And of course Kaga Simpson, I'm always in awe of his extensive knowledge of Coventry so if he doesn't know not many people will. And of course all the other contributors to this wonderful site, too numerous to mention, someone must know someone who perhaps knew someone else who worked at this Brigadoon factory called P.R. Motors/Newage Transmissions. By the way the factory in Earlsdon has been demolished and a block of flats built in its place! Many regards and thanks to all John Wright.

All, My dad, Ernie Holmes, was the guy who ran the manufacturing side of the business. He was responsible for the move to the new factory in Alderman's Green. I've seen mention of Jack Sanders, David Davies, Sid Wheeldon, the Hadlands, Bert Bates - all names familiar to me. Sadly, Ern passed away June 6, 2015 after a long battle with cancer. David Davies departed this world a few years ago, as did Sid and Bert was the first of the gang to die. Seems like eons ago now. My dad's funeral is Monday June 22 at Kenilworth cemetery (12:00) if anyone remembers him and is interested in going. My mum Audrey (Williams) worked in the wages department at Aldbourne Road, where she met my dad when she was 16. They married two years later and managed just over 60 years as man and wife before dad left us. My uncle Ron also met his wife at PR (she was also Audrey) and many years later, my auntie Rene (Irene Spalding) worked in the wages department too!! I remember visiting both the Aldbourne Road, Earlsdon and Alderman's Green works many times and PR Motors/Newage was indeed responsible for me following a career in manufacturing engineering. Sid Wheeldon was one of my dad's best friends along with Bert Bates, Ivor Trill, Len Ilsley, & Arthur Croft. My dad's brother Ron Holmes and brother-in-law Tom Spalding worked there too. They were all members of The Coventry Coachmakers' WMC in Radford and used to go out to play bingo every Thursday night which continued until Arthur passed away, leaving my dad as the sole survivor of the group. I'm sure the convenor was a woman called Jean Isles - she and my dad appeared together on the BBC's The Money Programme many moons ago. Other names I recall are Terry Philips, Brian Farnell, Doug Fisk, Rod Small, MD's secretary Aileen ?, George Smart and from way back when, Chas & Imelda Kirby. There was also a tea lady called Nell and she had a caravan at Wells next the Sea in Norfolk. We used to go there on holiday to "Auntie Nell's Caravan". I always look out for the PR Motors gearboxes - they seem to end up everywhere, including fishing boat winches at Hastings as I recall!! Feel free to message me if you want to ask anything. Sincere best wishes, Pete Holmes

Hi Pete. I did know your father Ernie Holmes and am sorry to hear of his passing, my condolences to you and his family. Having worked at P.R. Motors from 1964 to 1972 I knew all of the people you mentioned and many more. I have tried to reply to you directly on three occasions this morning with quite long messages relating to the people you mention, on each occasion they failed to send which is very frustrating. It would be nice to hear more of you memories of the people we both knew, many of them no longer with us. Maybe you could try the "contact" direct to me. Regards John Wright

Does anyone remember P.R. Motors/Newage Engineers who used to be in Warwick Street, they made gearboxes. The P.R. were the initials of Percy Riley of Riley cars.

Does anyone remember, or work at a small factory call P.R. Motors, in Warwick Street, Earlsdon? It later, after a takeover, became Newage Engineers. They also had a factory and offices in Aldbourne Road, Radford. The business, which made gearboxes, eventually moved to an industrial estate in Deedmore Road. The factory premises in Warwick Street were demolished and a block of flats built on the site. The last I heard was that Newage Engineers has now moved out of Coventry to Atherstone. Any info' on this would be appreciated.

PRM Newage are still at Aldermans Green - see this link. Their history can be found here.