Barretts of Canterbury: 28-30 St. Peter's Street, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2BL

The post war years were not good times to sell cars because the economic climate ensured that demand was limited and the government required most car production to be exported. Barretts had been Rover agents since the company began and had been appointed the Austin distributor for East Kent in 1946. By 1952 the economic climate warranted some investment and the surviving front section of the 1938 store in St Peters Street was refurbished to make an Austin and Rover Showroom, in preparation for the better times ahead.

The showroom was opened on 1st February, in the week that George VI died, and almost exactly 50 years to the day since GRB had first opened his shop. Barretts were now employing nearly 90 people and whilst Reg oversaw the shop activities John oversaw the motor business, and this made 1952 a very busy year for him as he was also elected Mayor that year.

That same year a new commercial vehicle workshop was built in Linden Grove, next to Westgate Court. This was constructed using the only materials then available, a light steel frame covered with asbestos sheeting, and is well remembered by all who subsequently worked in the building as being incredibly hot in the summer, and very cold in winter.

The post war rebuilding was finally completed two years later when 16,700 square feet of new workshops together with parts storage and offices were built on the bomb flattened area behind St Peters Street. This was built with a curved front to follow the proposed road line down Pound Lane. The workshop was designed by the service manager, Charlie Dean, to work on a through flow principle, but the real advantage for all the mechanics working in it was that at long last they had all the latest modern facilities.

In spite of the proposal to demolish 26, 27, and 28 St Peters Street and rebuild them as car showrooms being delayed by planning politics (and subsequently scrapped) Barretts were back to the 1939 position of having the best electrical and motor retailing business in Canterbury.