Beves Shed

4 Replies to “Beves Shed”

1. My father Norman Piper worked at Beves after the Second World War as a joiner until he died in 2003. He used to cycle to work every day from Eastern Avenue including coming home for lunch every day. As a child I remember that often the turn ups of his trousers would be full of sawdust!

   1. Hi Sue, Re: your message on Beves of Shoreham. My name is Sandra Maynard and my Husband is Alec Maynard. He worked at Beves as a Apprentice Joiner from 1956 to 1964. I will be typing his words to send to you. ALEC: When I started work at Beves your dad had arrived! He was working in the Drawing Office as a Setter Out of very complicated drawings (plans). There were just two men working in the Drawing Office, the other man’s name was Les Willard. The drawings were called Rods which was on a roll of brown paper and the length of a roll of wallpaper. A Setter Out had to be really clever to do this work. Your dad and Les actually had their very own office. The drawings were then sent down to us ‘the joiners’ and were given the ‘rod’ for the work to be carried out. It was bad enough trying to understand ‘the rod’ drawings, let alone actually drawing it up, (your dad was REALLY clever). It was a very close community and I can remember the names of all the joiners, machinists etc. Sandra speaking: I remember Beves very well also and the biggest thing I recall was the wonderful smell of timber, also the vastness of the buildings. The setting was lovely as Beves backed onto the River Adur and Alec and I spent quite a lot of our courting days sitting on the quay at weekends overlooking the Silver Sands at Soldiers Point and sometimes caught fish. Your dad would has also known these views and the wonderful smells of different timbers that were stocked there. There was also a brilliant Social Club and we would have Rock and Roll evening playing the records of the day and dancing of course. Alec remembers your dad as being a really nice man, Alec’s Bench was just feet away your dad’s office so he saw him every in passing. We hope this gives you a little insight to Beves back in the Fifties- good old days. Very best wishes, Alec and Sandra

      1. My late father John Floyd was also employed by Beves for a short period of time in the early 1960’s following his carpentry apprenticeship also with them. I’m not sure what work he did there.

2. Hi Karen, I could not believe when I saw your dad’s name come up on ‘Beves Shed’. The thing is what would you like to know about your dad. For a start, your dad and I were Best Mates and my name is Alec Maynard, so much so, we sent each other Christmas cards every year for years since the sixties up until a few years ago when sadly the cards stopped coming. I did not want to think the worst and thought he may have lost our new address. Your dad was a joiner at Beves which meant making doors, window frames, stairs etc. Your dad was ‘man about town’ in Lancing and his pub was The Farmers, also The Green Turtle Club also in Lancing. He had a motorbike which was a Douglas Dragonfly and WOW what a motorbike it was. We used to go to the motor bike show at Earls Court and we were very good mates. When I got married to my wife Sandy, your dad was at my Bachelor Party. When we were at Beves they had great dances etc., and John used to dance with my wife Sandy as they both loved Rock and Roll!! When he left Beves he did Sub Contract Carpentry. I do hope this gives you a little insight to your dad as a young man, he was a great friend. We do hope you and yours are keeping safe in these difficult times and we both send our very best wishes to you. Kindest regards, Alec and Sandy

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