History: The Twenties
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This was probably prompted by the Ford Motor Company demanding an exclusivity agreement for their products. George did not want to put all his eggs in the one basket and so stopped selling Fords. He still had the agencies for Rover and Humber, virtually every make of motor cycle and bicycle, and although vehicle sales halved in 1921 after Ford had gone he was not particularly worried. In 1922, George's eldest son, John joined the business to form G R Barrett and Son. At the same time a large investment was also made in building an extensive new showroom fronting Pound Lane and the last undeveloped area behind was filled with more garage and workshop facilities.
1927 saw Councillor George Barrett becoming Mayor of Canterbury; sadly one of his first duties was to start a Mayor's Fund to help the large number of people in Canterbury whose houses had been flooded when the Stour burst its banks after heavy rain on Boxing Day 1927. However his year in office did have its high point when he bestowed the freedom of the City on both the Archbishop of Canterbury (the first time it had been offered to the Primate of all England) and to Admiral Lord Jellicoe. 1928 was also the year that John married Violet Turner. |
The 1920's saw George Barrett endeavour to consolidate the business that he had developed up to the First World War. Prior to 1918 all manner of sports goods: cars, bicycles and motor bikes were sold and maintained; but with the outbreak of peace the market conditions started to change and a little forward thinking was required. 
Customer service and satisfaction was at the top of the father and son's business ethos, and there can be no doubt that they offered the people of Canterbury everything for their mechanized mobility. 
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