Ridout and Lovewell's Garage

Another of their ventures was the building of 15 Unit Factories on the site of the former Railway Station. These were opened by Mr. John Hill, then M.P. for South Norfolk, in October 1973. Two of these were occupied by Modus Cars and their racing exploits have carried the name of Modus, and therefore of Watton, throughout Britain and Europe with considerable success. In 1975 they won the John Player Formula Atlantic and British Super Vee Series and were second in the B. P. Formula Three championships. In April 1976 the new Modus M/7 Formula Two Racing Car was unveiled at their Watton factory, having been built in 9 weeks.

Due to the economic climate, inflation, flatness in house sales, owing to the high cost of borrow­ ing money, the Modus Group of companies ceased business in November 1976. Shortly after that their impressive 'Barn Ruche' headquarters were taken over by Millhouse Poultry until they also went out of business in May 1982. Three months later the Macro Group acquired the Barn Ruche complex and it was further extended to provide Industrial Units for letting. Having now centralised their building and property development group at Barn Ruche, Macro's have recently converted the old honey processing factory in the centre of the complex into a modern joinery and customised timber- workshop.

The oldest business still in existence on the Brandon Road is Abbey's Engineering Works. Founded in 1910 by James Abbey, who in the same year built his own bungalow, believed to be the first in Watton. During the First World War the firm was making small specialised parts for use in our war­ ships. Soon after the war they became one of the pioneers of wireless in East Anglia and manufac­tured thousands of aerials and other apparatus, many of which were exported all over the world. At this time they also manufactured Galvanised pig and poultry troughs, tanks, barrows and water carts. These works were considerably enlarged in 1932 when they started manufacturing hand- operated petrol pumps. The Second World War saw the firm once again switch over to important government contacts to assist the war effort. Mr Abbey was also in charge of the Royal Observer Corps during the last war. To-day, the firm are still working on government contracts and also manufacturing garage equipment.

Ridout and Lovewell's Garage about 1929. right: J. Freestone, J. Ridout and B. Green.

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