Firedrake files no.13 - Mr Solway's Clayton & Shuttleworth
Dennis Solway's Clayton & Shuttleworth engine soon after restoration (Photo : the Solway family) This steam engine was the first one to fascinate me. Mr Solway was the proprietor of the garage at Marazanvose on the A30. His was the nearest garage to Callestick where we lived and an easy walk through the lanes if you had a car to leave or collect. Fortunately, he was a trustworthy soul. In a small community like ours, reputation counted for a lot. Word of mouth would soon advertise good tradesmen or those to be avoided. Solway's Garage was also signwritten as Agricultural Engineers so any firm that farmers patronised - with wheat in the field and a broken down combine - was sure to be a good one. Dennis Solway was where our neighbours went for their car repairs. One of them, John Holland, even worked there. The back of the garage, with an open view across the fields to the engine house of West Chiverton, was an over grown paddock of fascinating old cars. I got locked into a...