past and present
VW and the Listerdale Motor Company
1962
As well as being the owner of the Listerdale Estate, Clifford Lister, owned Listerdale Motor Company, the Volkswagen Garage across the road from the
Secondary School at Wickersley.
Initially - on the land - was a bungalow and long before Clifford Lister bought it the previous owner converted the property to a garage.
When the property was a bungalow, it had a tall stone wall in front with boarding on top of the stone wall which made it private.
On their way to school, children used to climb this wall to see what was behind. They saw tennis courts and lawns with laid out gardens.
Before it was owned by Clifford Lister it was known as Wray's Garage as it was owned and run by Wray's - it is thought they were brothers.
A Bawtry woman worked for Wray's Garage as a driver. Doris Christison, who now lives in Retford, mentions the fact in a book that she wrote. At the time she was living in Bramley. She wrote: "I took a driving job for Wray's of Wickersley which entailed driving for spares, collecting cars for servicing and also new cars from Sheffield." Wray's was selling Volkswagen cars and caravanettes (camper van) - today 40 years later they are much sought after iconic vehicles.
The caravanette model came in different forms and was popular workhorse with trades people either as a van or in the open back version. Mr Marsden who lived on Springfield Road used it in his mobile door to door fruit and vegetable business.
A couple of mechanics who worked there in it's early days, were called Cox and Jacques. We understand Mr. Jacques is Mel Jacques, station manager at Radio Nightingale.
There was an agency for V.W. in East Yorkshire, run by Humberside Motors, and this Company used to trade with Listerdale Motors. The salesman who worked for Clifford Lister was called John and he used to drive to Wickersley either to drop something off or pick a part up. Before John worked for Clifford Lister he worked at Styring's garage. opposite the bottom of Green Lane.
A car showroom was built at the Bawtry Road end of Springfield Road in the late 1950 early 1960's, possibly where the
old black galvanised steel fire engine shed used to be. It is thought that this was first used by Listerdale Motor Company
to display their vehicles. As well as the showroom there was a piece of hard standing at the side of the showroom on which
cars were always on sale.
Listerdale Motor Company sponsored one of the show jumping competitions at Wickersley Agricultural Show - The Lister Stakes.
In 1999 the Volkswagen site at Wickersley, already part owned with Listerdale Motor Company, became a wholly owned subsidiary of J. Gilder Holdings Ltd.
It was in 1953 that J.Gilder & Co. Ltd., trading as Gilders, becomes the first Volkswagen dealer in the UK, selling the VW Beetle in the UK.
It is remarkable that after all these years the current owners - Gilders - are still selling the Volkswagen that is even more popular today than it was back then when it had to compete with vehicles produced by the booming British owned car industry that is now almost deceased.
Contributions by Don Gill & Terry Colley