AN historic former Essex business has been brought back to life in a series of photographs.

Jennie Saunders, the granddaughter of Ted Patmore, has collected many old photos of her relative's former motor shop Patmore Brothers, which used to operate from Loughton, and hopes they could form the centrepiece of an exhibition in the town later this year.

Mr Patmore, originally from Wickford, started as a cyclist apprentice but in the early 1900s moved into selling and repairing cars which were just beginning to become popular among the middle classes.

With his brother Tom, he set up his Loughton shop in 1910, at Station Road on the old address of Dumble's Cycle Stores.

He sold his first car, a Unic taxi, to a Mr W. Irons, a local cab proprietor, and soon claimed the distinction of supplying Loughton with its first fire engine and ambulance.

Sadly, Tom died of influenza in 1919, but the business began to thrive, and, in 1931, it moved to bigger premises in Loughton High Road.

During the Second World War, the company worked at converting normal motor vehicles into emergency vehicles Ted Patmore went on to buy two garages in Valley Hill, and another on the Debden Estate, and at his business peak employed around 80 people.

After his wife Daisy died in 1953, Mr Patmore lived with Ms Saunders and her father Jim who helped him manage the business as he grew older.

She said: “Basically my grandpa was a craftsman and started off by making parts for cars before they were produced en mass. I remember him as a warm, generous man.”

Mr Patmore remained actively involved in his companies until his death in 1966. His business was taken on by Lambs in 1969, and is now Marks & Spencers.

Although she now lives in Devon, Ms Saunders maintains an active interest in her grandfathers' work and earlier this year helped organise a reunion of Patmore family members which was attended by its oldest surviving relative, Winnie Patmore, 94, Ted's niece.

Her photographic collection, which she hopes to have displayed at Loughton Library, dates back to the early 20th century, and includes pictures of VJ day and Patmore's 50th anniversary celebrations.

Ms Saunders is interested in reader contributions to her potential exhibition particularly from previous employees of Patmores, and can be contacted by emailing jenniesaunders2001@yahoo.co.uk