The partnership of Reginald Adam Carter and George Reginald Lidstone was formed in 1916 at premises in Green Lane, Little Common. They introduced a local bus service in 1919, under the name of “Bexhill & District Motor Services”, but they sold this, in 1926, to the “Maidstone & District Motor Services”.
In 1922, they converted the Cinema de Luxe into a motor garage and later extended the building to the east. The partnership seems to have dissolved c1929.
CL-001 Design sketch of the Cinema de Luxe, Western Road by Peter Stonham, architect. Built in 1913 and managed by George L Tichbourne. The adjoining Picture Playhouse (later Curzon) was built c1921, the two cinemas run together in 1922 by Ray Allen.
CL-002 In 1922 the Cinema de Luxe was converted to become Western Road Garage by Carter & Lidstone. The building was doubled in size c1927 with the façade reflecting the design of the old cinema. _
CL-003 The rather sparse interior of the Western Road Garage repair workshop in 1924.
CL-004 Interior of the new portion of Western Road Garage showing period cars and motorbike & sidecar combination c1927.
Western Road garage remained in business to at least 1940 but was twice damaged by bombs during the Second World War on 8 October and 24 November 1940. After post-war repairs and rebuilding, F J Parsons, publishers of the Bexhill Observer acquired the property in 1947. Their premises in Devonshire Road was demolished by a bomb on 9 May 1942. Recently it was part of the Indoor Mall and soon likely to be part of Wetherspoon’s development.