Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Businessman who steered company through change
The chairman of Canterbury’s oldest motor dealership, Geoffrey Barrett, has died aged 84 following a short illness.
The popular and respected businessman had rejected a place at Cambridge University to start his extraordinary career in the motor trade as an apprentice with Austin Automobile at Longbridge.
He joined the family business in Canterbury in 1956 as service director, and became managing director in 1974, following the death of his father, John Barrett.
Geoffrey’s son, and current managing director, Paul Barrett, said: “When my father joined the company, life in a service workshop was very different from today, with 1,000mile service intervals and a labour rate of 12/6d per hour.
“Consumer legislation was virtually unknown.
“His arrival in the motor trade coincided with a time of great change; the retail motor industry was starting to respond to the post-war boom and innovative designs like the Mini were on the drawing board.”
Geoffrey’s working life with Barretts was preceded by a commission in the army in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, after which he took command of a Light Aid Detachment in Nigeria, giving him valuable experience in the art of leadership, workshop control and engineering improvisation.
Paul said: “My dad recalled that text books weren’t a great deal of use when it came to a body repair hundreds of miles from base – when the only workshop was a native-style hut with a tree growing through the roof.
“However, the tree proved a vital workshop tool. It served as a fulcrum for a chain and hook that was utilised to pull panels straight before they were attacked with welding equipment.”
By the early 1970s, Barretts had grown substantially and Geoffrey oversaw continued growth of the business.
In 1978, he was responsible for the rebuilding of the current showrooms in St Peter’s Street, replacing the post-war buildings.
He was also secretary of the London section of the Austin Ex-apprentice Association – a role which he carried out for more than 50 years.
In 1984, Geof frey was appointed national chairman of the Austin Rover Dealer Council, driving thousands of miles every month to attend to its business in the interest of the dealer networks.
He was married to Mary, who he had met at Longbridge, and married in 1957.
They had a son, Paul, and daughter, Sarah, and grandchildren Kathryn, 23, and Alicia, 21.
Paul joined the family business in 1983, and he and Geoffrey continued to work closely together before his father’s retirement in the company’s centenary year in 2002.
Even in retirement, he retained a keen interest in the business, regularly visiting its various dealerships until only a few weeks before his death.
Geoffrey and Mary moved from Canterbury to Littlebourne after his retirement and he quickly became involved in village life. He served as a parish councillor, only standing down in 2015, and treasurer for the 4 Villages Post Office and Shop Association.
A private family funeral service is being held at Barham Crematorium today (Thursday) and there will be a memorial service at Canterbury Cathedral at 11am on Wednesday, August 24.
‘When my father joined the company, life in a service workshop was very different from today’