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+---
+category: "10"
+changed: "2019-09-13T06:46:18.000Z"
+comment_count: "0"
+created: "2014-04-30T16:27:00.000Z"
+featured_image: "Stokoe Bros 1967.jpg"
+images: "stokoe_bros_celebration.jpg,stokoe_bros.jpg"
+ix: "35"
+nid: "32"
+original_author: 
+path: "content/stokoe-brothers-garage-business"
+title: "Stokoe family stories: Stokoe Brothers Garage "
+type: "article"
+uuid: "7d7542f3-b056-45d7-b0ee-16c728430d17"
+---
+This photograph was taken in April 1967 (by William Grier of Arlington Studios, Loftus). It shows the garage in West Road which was purchased in 1964 by Stokoe Brothers. The brothers were Charlie, who ran the garage until his death in 1975 and Stan who was at that time teaching Kenya. The family were originally from Metal Bridge in County Durham. Stan wanted to buy into the business to support his brother; he was initially a sleeping partner, but when he finally left Kenya, and after Charlie had died, he did take on the management of the business alongside Trevor and Rosemary.
+
+Charlie wasn't a mechanic but he knew a young man from Spennymooor, Trevor Harding, who he know would be an excellent engineer. He persuaded Trevor and his wife Rosemary to leave Durham and come and work in the garage. They moved to Skelton where they lived until 2013\. Charlie and his wife Madge lived close to the garage in Co-operative Close, Loftus.
+
+When Charlie died aged only 56 Stan was still in Kenya running a teacher training college so he asked Trevor and Rosemary to take over the management. They agreed and were very successful at it, running a thriving Saab Agency, a very popular workshop and MOT facility as well as the petrol station - serving generations of primary school children with sweets on their way to school.
+
+Stan's son Mike joined the garage in the 70s as a mechanic, he completed his training with Trevor and and worked there for several years.
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+In 1984 Stan retired from Kenya and, with his new wife Wendy, moved to Loftus to help out with the running of the garage. By this time supermarkets were starting to sell petrol at prices that forced small garages out of business and in 1996 the garage closed. As well as employing Trevor and Rosemary, Mark and Kevin worked in the workshop and Barbara, Lesley, Mary, Greta and Pam were the wonderful petrol ladies.