Restoration of classic Holes Brewery lorry
A LABOUR of love has paid off for three friends who have spent years carefully restoring a Holes Brewery lorry.
Mr Paul Harrison worked on the project with lorry renovators Mr Steve Mayle and Mr Damien Curry for seven years.
Mr Mayle said: "When we bought it the lorry was in a very poor, dilapidated state.
"More or less everything has been completely rebuilt, with an exception of the engine and gearbox.
"We have had to weld parts back into the chassis where it was completely rotten and replaced and sandblasted all the panels.
"It has been a long, hard job but we are all very happy with it, the result speaks for itself."
The trio met at a classic vehicle show and took on the project.
The lorry is a 1948 Leyland Beaver and has been painted in the iconic black and yellow colours of the Newark-based James Hole & Co Ltd.
Mr Harrison, who owns Harrisons Commercials, New-ark, said: "I have always been interested in local history and it was an interesting project to do.
"There were points throughout where I questioned why we even started but could see the end goal and I am more than happy with the finished product."
Mr Harrison took the restored lorry to the Nottinghamshire County Show at Newark Showground earlier this month and it won The Gash Perpetual Challenge Trophy for classic and vintage commercial vehicles.
Mr Harrison said: "I didn’t really feel much when I won because I was so exhausted, more than anything. I was happy just to be at the show.
"On the Monday beforehand the windows were still in Glasgow and we were working on it until 10pm the night before, so it was a just a relief to actually get it there."
My Mayle said it was the icing on the cake for Mr Harrison to win the award at the county show because the hard work has paid off.
Mr Harrison intends to showcase the lorry at classic and vintage vehicle events around the county.
James Hole & Co was launched when it bought Castle Brewery, Newark, in 1885 and continued to successfully run it until 1967, when the brewery was taken over by Courage & Barclay and later John Smiths. It closed in 1982.
