Family memories, from Fay Hampson

Charles Street bakery embraces the new...

My grandfather was a countryman at heart. He loved his horse-drawn bread vans (where are they now?) but he embraced the new.

In the photo above, he is wearing his breeches and gaiters as he still had horses.

The van was the first Ford Model T van in Wrexham and only had two forward gears.

Grandad’s final car, which he had in his 90s, was an Austin 1300 GT and old habits returned - he only used second and fourth forward gears!

The van has a Stepney spare wheel. This was invented by brothers Thomas and Walter Davies of Llanelli and patented in 1904. It was the first practical spare wheel for motorised vehicles. It comprised a rim and a tyre of a larger diameter than the original. This was clamped onto the wheel which had the punctured tyre.

It was not designed for long distances, but to get you home. In 1906 they formed Stepney Spare Motor Wheel Ltd and had agencies all over North America and Europe. The brothers had a cycle and motor repair shop behind the Stepney Hotel (now demolished) in Llanelli and presumably it is from this that they took the name.

The Leader:

Above is a newer van. Isn’t it beautiful? Thank you to Wrexham Museum for permission to use this image.

• If you have any memories or photos you would like to share, you can do so here or email claire.pierce@newsquest.co.uk