Established 1919

 

Plough Garage was established in 1919 by George Evans, known locally as "Kelly". Born locally he started work as an apprentice shoemaker for Willcox's of Minsterley. He moved to Plough Cottage in 1912 and married Jane Mathews who had lived in the Plough Cottage with her family since 1892. He was conscripted into the Welsh Guards during the First World War until a shrapnel wound and an enthusiastic surgeon severed the tendons in his right hand. This made it impossible to continue working in shoemaking. George worked for Stanton's Garage Shrewsbury and obtained a motorcycle and sidecar. He commenced taxiing local people to Rhyl and Aberystwyth, North Wales, on day trips. He progressed to a Model T Ford and expanded his business to repairing other motor cars in the area. His friend at the time, Fred Griffiths painted a sign for the garage which read "Whizz Bank Garage, Proprietor G.Evans. Taxi's for hire.", under a painting of a Harley Davidson motorcycle and sidecar.

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He and his wife, Ginny, had 11 children in the two bedroom cottage attached to the business which was then an amalgamation of sheds. He pressed his eight sons and two daughters into helping the business while they lived at home and he acquired a "Charabang" to transport larger numbers of people. He indulged his passion for big American cars by purchasing a brand new showroom model Dodge which was used for many local weddings.