END OF AN ERA
Beloved family-run garage closes after 96 years as long-time boss cries ‘it’s been my life’
Family-run garage closes after 96 years as boss cries ‘it’s been my life’
A BELOVED family-run garage that’s been serving its local community for nearly a century has closed its doors for good, leaving its long-time boss heartbroken.
The Green Garage in Walmer, Deal, has been a staple on Station Road since 1928.
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But after 96 years, the independent garage has shut down, as the lease has run out and the landowner has decided to sell up.
Archie Shorter, 83, has been the heart and soul of The Green Garage for the past 44 years, having taken over the business in the early 1980s with his partner, the late Brian Olby.
Archie told Kent Online: “It has been my life for 44 years. I used to always look forward to coming into work every morning.
"When someone brings a car in and we repair it, what I want to see is them getting their car back with a smile on their face.”
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Since the early 1980s, the garage has carried out over 20,000 MOTs and has become known for its expertise in maintaining classic cars.
After Brian retired in the mid-2000s, Archie took over as the sole boss, running the business alongside his son Wayne, 55.
From the start, Archie was determined to keep the garage’s vintage charm intact.
The 83-year-old said: "From the time I took over the premises, I have not changed a thing.
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"The inside still looks the same as it did then," he said. "But there are fewer and fewer independent garages like mine.
"In Walmer and Deal 30 years ago there were at least 30 - now there are only three or four."
The closure is part of a worrying trend for family-run garages in the area.
The garage has been listed on Zoopla for £330,000.
Earlier this year, another local business, B D Motors in Whitstable, was forced to close after 53 years due to a lease renewal issue, with the site potentially being redeveloped for housing.
As for The Green Garage, the landowners—who’ve kept the site in the family for 96 years—have decided it’s time to move on.
Archie said: “They are getting to the age where they want to do something about it, so that’s why we’re packing up.”
Over the decades, Archie has witnessed the evolution of car maintenance firsthand, with vehicles becoming increasingly sophisticated.
He added: “Mechanics are now modern technicians with diagnostic equipment.
"If they were given a car that was 30 to 40 years old now and opened the bonnet, they would hardly know what they were looking at. In the old days, it was all hands, touch, and look."
The closure has stirred emotions in the local community, with many expressing their sadness on social media.
By Friday, the Deal Local Kent History Facebook page had seen 88 comments about the garage's closure.
Phil Olby, son of Archie’s former business partner, wrote: “A great loss. I used to man the petrol pump whilst on my summer school holidays.
Archie, who turns 84 in November, is now retiring but plans to keep up his passion for riding and repairing motorcycles.
Meanwhile, Wayne will take a few months off before seeking new employment.
The Green Garage was originally founded in 1928 by Ernest Kennett, who offered repairs, haulage services, and even ran a taxi service under the name E Kennett Junr.
As the garage closes its doors for the last time, it marks the end of an era for the local community—a cherished piece of Deal's history now consigned to memory.
Whilst the closure of this beloved garage will certainly be felt by many, it's not all doom and gloom for family businesses.
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