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The Trenchard family - Celebrating 100 years in Removals
James Hogan • Nov 15, 2019
The Trenchard family - 100 years of removals
Part one:
Britannia Legerstar self store can trace it's origins in Bournemouth back 100 years. The family business was started back in 1919 by Victor Trenchard who had moved to Bournemouth after discharge from the forces at the end of the First World War. He and his wife settled in Bournemouth with their two baby sons, both of whom would join him in his business when they left school. Initially, Victor used his pony and trap to carry out small moves and also to move luggage and packed boxes to and from the local Railway Station. In those days much of the long distance moving was just personal effects and the railways were the most effective means of transport between Towns and Cities throughout the Country.
As the business grew, Victor bought a Model T Ford from a local Off-license owner (Mr Sidwick) on Alma Road in Bournemouth. This modernised his transport and it had a lift on/off at the rear section, this was either for passenger seats or a goods box and he could use this to transport his family or move goods. Victor’s grandson, David Trenchard (the current owner of Britannia Leatherbarrows and Legerstar) is still very good friends with descendants (Eric Sidwick) of the former Off-License owner who sold the Ford to them all those years ago. (to be continued…)
Part two:
Victor Trenchard was an incredibly tough individual, he came from a family of Butchers in Crewkerne, Somerset. Following the outbreak of WW1 Victor had joined up with his two younger Brothers, James and Jack. All three survived the war on the western front, although Victor himself was severely wounded in 1918 after being hit by a bullet in his knee. In those times little could be done other than to provide him with a special boot with a leather and steel brace to keep the knee from bending.
Imagine starting out a removals business with all the lifting, carrying and bending and originally with his pony and cart. Later he was driving a truck for a living with a leg that didn’t bend at the knee! Indeed in later life, he was able to have a car with a hand clutch on the steering wheel to save him trying to depress the foot clutch and twisting from the hip as this was before automatic gearboxes had evolved.
In 1927 Victor Trenchard had his first customised coachbuilt van built on a new Model T Ford Chassis (see photo at the top of this page of Victor with his younger son, Bert, age 14). Victor eventually leased out the shop and concentrated on the removal business and when Jack left school at 14 he did a Motor Mechanic apprenticeship and then worked within the family business until he retired, while Bert branched off into the Leisure Industry in the early 1950’s.
During WW2 Jack was then called to arms and saw active war service as a member of the Royal Hampshire Regiment, he was taken prisoner in the battle for Tebourba Gap near to Algiers in 1941 and was taken to a prisoner of war camp in Italy and then Germany. (to be continued…)
Part three:
After the 2nd world war, Jack was finally released from the prisoner of war camp in Germany and returned home to Bournemouth. He re-joined the family removal business and started a family of his own. When Jack’s children were young he gave further community service by becoming a Police Special Constable for many years.
Jack was an active member of the British Association of Removers which the family firm of Trenchards of Bournemouth had joined in 1946. He attended regularly the Bournemouth Sub Area and Southern Area Meetings taking his turn as chairman. Jack and his wife Edna also attended many conferences of BAR and also in latter years of FIDI and Eurovan. Jack was also very active in the local Chamber of Trade and was President for a term. He was a founder member of the Rotary Club of North Bournemouth and when he was in his eighties transferred to the Past Rotarians Club of Bournemouth.
The old family firm of Trenchards passed into the hands of Pickfords. But a new descendant, was ready to make his mark and not just revolutionise the family removal business, but make a huge impact on the local economic landscape.
(to be continued…)
Part four:
For those of you who don’t know David Trenchard, or don’t know the history, he is much more than the grandson of Victor Trenchard. Much more than a removals man. Here at Britannia Legerstar, we are very proud of his legacy and the impact he has made, not just to our company, but to the local economy.
David had been steeped in removals since his first breath. In fact Trenchards became a limited company the same year that David was born and also Trenchards Bournemouth Ltd became a BAR member. David is the 3rd generation to run a family removals and storage business in Bournemouth, he joined straight from Bournemouth Grammar School (photo below) in 1962 and had already worked with his father and their workforce during school holidays and at weekends. He went on to do business studies and learned a great deal, the foundation of what was to come.
The family continued to offer removal and storage services in the Bournemouth area right up until today, over the years they acquired many of their competitors’ businesses and contracts, helping to continue to employ loyal staff as fellow family business owners retired. The business adapted to change as customers and the market place demanded. In the 1970’s they converted all the storage service into the wooden containerised system which offered dust free environment and improved security. These were later replaced by metal shipping containers at the end of the 70’s.
David continued to work for the family business before acquiring and owning his own removals business, Leatherbarrows in Hounslow. He later returned to his home town of Bournemouth and his company became a member of Britannia; it remains so today.
BAR (British Association of Removals) has remained an important driving force for David through his career. In fact it’s more like David was driving BAR. In 1977, David, with Joe Luxford and Derek Blatchford, was the brains behind the creation of BAR Services, the subsidiary company that supplied materials to the industry and returns its profits to participating BAR members. He chaired the Board for the first 14 years and remained a Director until May 2011. In 2011 David was awarded an Honorary Life Membership of BAR.
His list of appointments and accolades are too long to list here and are extensive, but one that has made the biggest impact locally on jobs, trade and development was featured in the Bournemouth Echo, “The true story of how American banking giant JP Morgan came to Bournemouth in 1980’s.”
This article tells the story of David’s involvement and why JP Morgan (photo above) moved to Bournemouth.
As the demand for storage kept growing and growing, the business responded to the market interest in self storage by investing in 20ft containers, and in 1985 Britannia Legerstar Self Store Ltd was formed.
Due to the success of self storage in Bournemouth, in 2019 the Andover warehouse was fitted out with metal storage locked rooms thus providing internal as well as external self-storage. Taking David’s first name and his son-in-law’s surname, Vale & David Self Store Ltd was born.
Over his years in the industry David has been something of a pioneer. He has, for example, been offering self storage long before his competitors were. During this long illustrious career, David has always been supported, encouraged, and consoled by his wife Diane. “Diane has worked with me the whole time,” said David, “and has been just as important to the businesses as I have been.” Diane has also been at David’s side throughout his industry relationships with the two seemingly inseparable.
His forthright style and his enthusiasm has made David many friends in the industry. Few, if anyone, have done more for the industry or are more deserving of its gratitude. David has undoubtedly earned a long and happy retirement, and when he does choose to take a back seat, it will take someone with remarkable qualities to fill his shoes.
Today the Trenchard family, now with daughter Sarah (photo above) also as a director, and son-in-law Darren Vale managing the self storage, David’s long-established management team are all able to keep responding to the needs of the market and provide the people of Bournemouth with all the services associated with moving and storing homes and businesses.
1919 - 2019 We celebrate a Century of Personal Service.
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