The Hollowell Family Story.
At the end of the second world war, Bernard Hollowell returned to Brafield to
join his wife, Essie, and a job in the local cycle shop as a employee of Mr.Johnson.
Bernard and Essie lived in ‘The Hollies’ in Bedford Road, Brafield, where in
1947 their son Paul was born.
As time progressed after the war many changes came about, more motor cars appeared on the roads which meant the need for petrol so a hand pump was installed at the Brafield cycle shop. Soon the name was changed to Johnson’s Garage. As time moved on a little more, two more petrol pumps were installed and a few jars of sweets were added to the shop.
The business also owned two cars- a Chrysler and a Dodge which were used for private hire, taking people to Northampton and on Saturdays on holiday to Great Yarmouth, Skegness or other sea side resorts, returning them the following Saturday.
In 1952 Mr.Johnson was taken ill and died, his widow insisted the business was sold as she had no interest in it and gave Bernard’s and Essie first refusal. Borrowing money from his parents and the Bank, the business was purchased and a new era began.
Over the next few years the small business flourished. The two old cars were replaced by two second hand Humber Pullman limousines, the petrol pumps changed to electric ones; more sweets were added, as were a few groceries, cereals, soap powders. tins of baked beans, peas and many other goods. The cycle shop had all but diminished and so the village shop was born!
Having the two Humber Pullman limousines, Bernard was introduced
to the local funeral directors in Northampton and was asked
if he would supply the limousines to them for the use on funerals,
and so the Carriage Master side of B.Hollowell was started
(Johnson’s Garage had now changed to The Garage, Brafield on
the Green, and then B.Hollowell & Son). Paul, still being a boy of about eight
years old used to point to the sign over the shop door and say to people “that’s
me”
Again time moved on, the shop became busier, more and more
lines were added, more petrol was sold and more and more the
local funeral directors in Northampton, and by now, other towns
such as Stony Stratford, Towcester, Brackley, Wellingborough
and Kettering became more reliant on Bernard to supply those
all important extra Limousines. The Humber Pullman’s were replaced
with Austin Princess’s, then Daimler and Mercedes limousines,
soon six limousines could be seen leaving and returning to
the Brafield garages.More lines were added to the shop and
in the early 1960’s the old shop was demolished and a new supermarket
and petrol station was built.
After leaving Wollaston Secondary Modern School in 1962, Paul
worked in Northampton, first for W.Grose Ltd. To gain a little
knowledge of the motor trade and then at Civils Supermarkets
to learn the grocery trade. At the age of 19 he returned to
help in the family business. The whole business increased and
by now staff were employed to work in the shop and part-time
drivers to drive the limousines. Many brides in and around
Northampton were taken to church in one of those big shiny
Limousines with white ribbons on them, supplied by Hollowells.
Annette, Paul’s fiancée soon started helping run the business. In 1968 Paul and Annette were married at All Saints Church, Flore. The following year Simon was born, followed in 1972 by Ann and then in 1979 Clare, the next generation of the Hollowell family.
In 1970, owing to more people having their own cars, less limousines were required for funerals by other funeral directors, so on October 15th 1972. The Funeral Home of B.Hollowell & Son was established at 4-6 Bedford Road, Brafield on the Green. Business grew and it wasn’t long before the name of B Hollowell & Son became a household word in and around the village of Brafield. So much so that in 1978 another property was acquired and the company opened its first Funeral Home in Northampton at 148 Beech Avenue, Abington. In 1987 the premises next door, 150 Beech Avenue was purchased and the Catering Suite was added to the already growing funeral service supplied by B Hollowell & Son. Annette, who had trained as a florist was working in her own workshop at Beech Avenue supplying floral tributes to many families.
W K Burbidge owned by Mr.Bill Burbidge who was known by many Northampton people for his taxi and funeral service retired in 1992 and the funeral side of his business was acquired by B Hollowell & Son, consequently the company was known as “B Hollowell & Son and W K Burbidge Funeral Directors ”Hearses and limousines were changed from Daimlers to Fords then to Vauxhalls and now the distinctive Mercedes with the special number plates 100 BHS with only the year prefix changing. In 1990 Ann joined the company and qualified as a funeral director, four years later Simon also joined the company. 1995 saw another office open at Holly House, 2 Derngate.
Northampton Over the last 30 years B Hollowell & Son
has come from the smallest to the largest privately owned funeral
directors in Northampton and is still very much a family company,
with Paul, Annette, Simon, Ann, and Clare all working in the
company But what now? B Hollowell and Son are still a family
company with Jon, Ann’s partner and Ian, Clare’s partner helping
with the running of the company. In these modern times the
demands made on the funeral director are greater than ever.
These days families have much more input in arranging a loved
one’s funeral including the following
Coffins, traditional wood, Cardboard, Wicker, Willow or Bamboo, Music,
hymns, special music, popular music, C D’s, hymn sheets and
Order’s of Service and Photo’s. Committal Cemetery,
Churchyard, Green Burial, or Cremation ?
Repatriation. Loved ones dying on holiday in this country or
abroad.
B Hollowell and Son have the expertise to help and guide families
in all these matters.
Here at Beech Avenue we have a department that edits photographs
both in black and white and colour for hymn sheets. We also
manufacture our own memorial cards given to the families.
Now computers and the internet are widely used we have a new
website at www.bhollowellandson.co.uk listing
all our services and prices.
It must be said that B.Hollowell & Son Funeral Directors of Northampton, lead the way in the Midlands as the funeral directors to which many other funeral firms aspire to achieve the standards we have set.
B. Hollowell and Son Family Tree
