VIDEOS
Thorpe Lea Nurseries in Egham, Surrey UK was owned by Express Dairy and was a key supplier to Premier Supermarkets, the first 'US style' supermarket chain in the UK, in the 1950's. The nursery also grew flowers, vegetables and fruit for major exhibitions and the Chelsea Flower show, under its manager Roy Fiske.
1955 Location of Thorpe Lea Nursery. The M25 now passes over the site, together with the Thorpe Lea fishlng lake. (Courtesy National Library of Scotland)
1957 Thorpe Lea Nurseries, packing products for Premier Supermarkets ‘Time for Leisure’ film (Yorkshire Film Archive)
1957 Thorpe Lea Nurseries, growing products for Premier Supermarkets ‘Time for Leisure’ film (Yorkshire Film Archive)
1957 Thorpe Lea Nurseries, packing products for Premier Supermarkets ‘Time for Leisure’ film (Yorkshire Film Archive)
1957 Thorpe Lea Nurseries, packing products for Premier Supermarkets ‘Time for Leisure’ film (Yorkshire Film Archive)
1960 Walter Nell reviews progress, with the acquisition of Allied Dairies in Manchester, the Surrey Sterilised Milk Company at Nine Elms, Hornby and Clarke in Richmond, Towers Holdings (Mitcham Foods), and Goldhanger Fruit Farms in Essex. (Express News Summer)
1962 Goldhanger Fruit Farms, Maldon, employed 250 staff. (Express News Christmas)
1962 Goldhanger Fruit Farm staff visit South Morden. (Express News Spring)
1965 Packing whole carrots at Goldhanger Fruit Farms
1965 Roy Fiske, manager of Thorpe Lea Nursery, Egham. (Express News Spring)
1967 Royal Dairy Show, Express garden designed by N. R. Fiske. Richard Clarke shows Princess Margaret. (Express News Christmas)
1967 Royal Dairy Show, Express garden. (Express News Christmas)
1967 Royal Dairy Show, E.K Robarts explains. (Express News Christmas)
1968 Royal Dairy Show stand, designed by Roy Fiske of Thorpe Lea Nurseries. (Express News Christmas)
1970 Thorpe Lea Nurseries, part of Express, at the Chelsea Flower Show
1971 Thorpe Lea Nurseries and Petersham Farm success at the Royal Egham and Thorpe show
1973 Roy Fiske explains the Bramley Apple to the Queen at the Chelsea Flower Show. (Express News Christmas)
1974 Official opening of North Tawton
1975 Roy Fiske of Thorpe Lea Nursery with Ken Northover of Petersham Farm
1979 Exel Horticultural project at Drax
1979 Exel Horticultural project at Drax
1979 Exel Horticultural project at Drax
1979 Exel Horticultural project at Drax
1979 Exel Horticultural project at Drax
1979 Exel Horticultural project at Drax
1979 Exel Project at Drax. Brian Gray (Express Foods Director) with Malcolm Taylor (CEGB) (Courtesy Tim Gray)
1979 Exel Project at Drax Malcolm Taylor-CEGB, Deryck Ryall-Manager and Horticulturalist, Brian Gray (Express) (Courtesy Tim Gray)
1979 Exel Project at Drax: Deryck Ryall-Manager and Horticulturalist, Brian Gray (Express), Malcolm Taylor-CEGB (Courtesy Tim Gray)
1979 Exel Project at Drax Malcolm Taylor-CEGB, Deryck Ryall-Manager and Horticulturalist, Brian Gray (Express) (Courtesy Tim Gray)
1979 Exel Project-Julie Hannah picks out unwanted shoots to ensure vigorous growth in the Drax greenhouse
1979 John Travers Clarke announces the purchase of Littleglade (salads) who were based in Ebberns Road, Hemel Hempstead. (Express News Summer)
1981 Joint venture between Express and the CEGB is celebrated at the official opening of Drax glasshouse, as Exel. John Southwell comments "The person in the picture to the right of Tony Good was Derek Ryall, who was managing the unit on site. I had overall responsibility for it, together with a salad factory at Hemel Hempstead, a burger and frozen food factory at Aylesbury and a pate /smoked meats factory at Worlingworth in Norfolk - supplying Harrods and other similar outlets." (Express News July)
1981 Joint venture between Express and the CEGB is celebrated at the official opening of Drax glasshouse, as Exel. (Express News July)
