The cafe business was conceived on the basis of a large movement of holiday makers from the industrial heartlands of England to the east coast. During the late 1960s, things started to change – coach travel was in decline as car ownership increased; the east coast was losing some of its popularity; and people were finding that package holidays offered more choice, more sun, and the excitement of foreign travel.
All businesses are built on the skill and endeavour of its founding members. Its on-going success requires it to adapt to changing circumstances, which was to prove very difficult for a cafe business reliant on serving coach travellers in large numbers. Perhaps this business model had ‘had its day’.
Mrs Rudge married Mr Dave Willis in late 1966, and the eldest son, John, worked in the business as a mechanic. Together with Mr Willis, an attempt was made to re-establish a motor repair operation. A new workshop was built behind the cafe, and a Landrover converted to use as a breakdown truck – this can be seen in the next photograph outside the workshop.
A view of the new workshop – Mrs Rudge is on the left of the group nearest the camera.
In addition, a second-hand Seddon Atkinson lorry (nick named ‘Big Bertha’) was refitted as a heavy recovery vehicle capable of lifting/towing broken down lorries. Unfortunately, we have not been able to find any photographs of Big Bertha, but below is a photograph (published on another website) of a smaller recovery vehicle that presumably replaced Big Bertha.
In 1969, tragedy was again to strike the Rudges when Mrs Willis (Rudge) died. Mr Willis then managed the business for the next few years before finally acquiring the business from the executors of Mrs Willis’ (Rudge’s) estate in 1973.
One daughter had left home in 1962, and was now married. John was married in 1970, and bought a property in Necton. By September 1970, the two younger children had also left the family home. In 1973, John finally left the business (and moved from Necton) to start his own business in Dersingham. [A few years later, he started a pallet manufacturing/repair business in Narborough, and also started selling mobile phones! However, he was somewhat ahead of the times – although intended for use in cars, the phones were very large and heavy, and the network infrastructure was in its infancy. He did, however, demonstrate the entrepreneurial spirit that might have helped the cafe & garage business survive in some form.]
From 1973, the Rudge connection with Necton Cafe was broken.
Memories
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