Ladies' Guild Meeting - November 2009
The meeting on the fourth of November was addressed by a very local resident who had stepped in at the last moment, as the planned speaker was unable to attend. This resulted in an unusual talk, for a ladies club, about a local company, which proved to be very interesting, especially to those who have been born or have lived here for many years and so remember the places and events. Geoffrey Farr MBE DL spoke with assurance, sometimes nostalgic and humorous, of the family company, Farrs of Collingdon Street.
The story began in 1880 when a shepherd’s wife appeared at the door of the workhouse in St Albans with a baby boy whom she could no longer keep because the mother was no longer paying for the upkeep of the child; the mother, a nurse, had died of cholera. George Frederick Farr was lucky enough to be taken into the house of the Master and Matron until he was about four so he was well cared for. Later he lived with the other children, receiving a good education, being taught by the workhouse governess until he was ten and then being sent to the board school where he was a star pupil. He was apprenticed to Frosts, a sewing machine repairer, in Luton at about fourteen. He had a very hard master but the master’s wife was kind. For the first eighteen months he had six pence a week, then raised to one shilling. George learned about machinery from his experience with the sewing machines and attended the Methodist Church in Cardigan Street, the warmest place he went. He later became a Methodist Preacher, travelling many miles on his bicycle to churches in the area.
His experience with machines led him to other employment. He had a variety of engineering experiences in the several companies he worked for, becoming a competent engineer in the process as he had to repair, dismantle and reassemble machinery that had come from abroad before it could be used here and even produce new plans for the machines as the ones sent had been ruined by sea water in transit. This ability led to him to decide to set up his own business. By this time he was married, he moved into a house in Collingdon Street, which was on the edge of town in those days. No work came his way for six weeks but he firmly believed that his prayers were answered when a sewing machine was brought in for repair. This led to more work as the customer was very impressed with the work. The company grew and by 1912 was turning over £1,000 a year. The stable next door was acquired, as more room was needed. One idea of his led to the introduction of a footbrake when he was working on traction engines.
The long established industry of the hat trade supplied work as machines became essential; the trade was for straw hats before WW1 and for velour and fur after the war. Vauxhall came to Luton in 1914 and opened up greater possibilities for expert engineers. At the start of production there was no production line, each man built his own car, selecting whichever nuts and bolts as were available so each engine was different, George standardised the screw threads which was a great step towards modern times. The two wars created engineering work; Farrs flourished and grew in size. George made two “world tours” selling his products to what then was still our Empire and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, George pursued his passion for plants. There was no room in Collingdon Street for a garden so he bought a strip of allotment on New Bedford Road, by the Lea, where he planted his own garden. He acquired more of the strips over time, having flower, fruit and vegetable gardens. Later he was asked to allow visits from the public so he set up a collecting box for blind charities which earned cash for those whom George felt were more disadvantaged than himself; he having been deafened while working. This was later given to the town as a gift to be maintained as a public garden. Many wedding groups go there to have the photographs taken.
George’s sons George and Frederick worked for the company, George married Gladys in 1931, Margaret Farr was born in 1933, Geoffrey Farr in 1937. Geoffrey worked, payless, for his father from very young. One day, he was out and about on a bike when stopped and asked why he was not at school, marched back to Dad who assured the enquirer that he did not pay, therefore employ Geoffrey, and so no law was broken.
The story continues with a disastrous fire in Collingdon Street, which was no longer an engineering works but still a Farr Company, rebuilding and eventual closure of the company. The other family passion for gardens came to fruition with the purchase of the garden centre at Caddington which was very successful but leased, then sold, to Wyevale because Catherine, Geoffrey’s wife, felt he would die of overwork at the rate he was going. Sarah, Nicki and Lizzie, the Farr girls, great grand-daughters of George ran the new garden centre at Maulden which was beautifully situated and filled with delightful plants, a place I often visited after a stressful day to calm down and buy myself a colourful plant. This closed in 2003 as the business contracted.
Geoffrey based his talk on a book he has published about the family firm. It is a celebration, not only of the family story, but also of many aspects of Luton life, the employees, the many companies they worked for and the contributions such smaller companies made to the life of the nation. He started it because of his admiration for his grandfather who worked very hard, had great ability and energy as well as great belief as a Christian.