This week’s photograph was taken in the late 1930s and shows the old Anna Valley Motors garage in Salisbury.

The business started on the former site of Rowland and sons’ garage at 84-106 Castle Street and the name Anna Valley Motors (Salisbury) Limited was registered on 16 December 1936.

The firm functioned fairly well for about forty years until, in 1972, it was taken over by Knowles Motor Group and it was later moved to Brunel Road on the Churchfields industrial estate.

The original firm was dissolved, and on March 21 1985 its name was struck off the business register.

Some of the personnel involved with the garage in the early days included the directors and managers – WG Duncombe-Anderson, WJ Lansley, WM Martineau, AF Ambrose and the company secretary, CH Piper.

Mr D Stroud worked for the firm from 1960 to 1970 and recalled that they were agents for Vauxhall, Bedford, Land Rover, Rover and Alvis. Many readers will still remember the building with its frontage of 170 ft. and the six concrete pillars which cleverly hid the petrol pumps. Many will also remember the tower displaying the A.V.M. sign and the electric clock with three faces. This was very distinctive feature which was no doubt appreciated in that part of Salisbury. I am told the clock faces were given to St Mark’s School…

Looking at our photograph it is interesting to see that there was once a public convenience to the left of the Anna Valley building – now long gone of course. This is not surprising as the site has been completely re-developed three times over the years.

The site of the Anna Valley Motors Garage was finally re-developed in 2020 by the McCarthy Stone Group and is now the Castle Gate/Monument Place Retirement development.