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. John Belsey comments "I lived in Warwick Avenue from 1938 until I left in the early 1970'S, mainly because the M25 was going to run through the site we rented. The M25 cut right through Clock house lane which is now a now through route, Thorpe Lea House was demolished and the small cottage sits on the other side of the M25. (Courtesy National Library of Scotland)
1957 Thorpe Lea Nurseries, packing products for Premier Supermarkets ‘Time for Leisure’ film. Glenda Seabrook comments "I worked there on Saturdays and summertime, stringing carnations and making up boxes to put them in." Sue Whiteington adds "I had a Saturday job in the very late fifties at Masons nursery in Clockhouse Lane-stringing and debudding carnations." Betty Beaumont adds "I worked at the Fiske farm in the school holiday of 1957 picking and packing potatoes. Hard work but I enjoyed it." Linda Cooper remembers "I worked there when I was 15, had a great time." John Belsey comments "Thorpe lea Nurseries is now a housing estate and the M25 passes through some Masons' land and contines across Johny Glen's farm where it connects with the M3-it never crossed Thorpe Lea Nurseries." Pip Goode adds "Assume this was just off Clock House Lane, I had a Saturday job there as a 15 /16 year old, back in 1982/83. Perhaps was still owned by the same family back then. Always remember a beautiful old classic 1930’s Rolls Royce collecting dust in one of the sheds. It was a flower farm then, do not recall fruit and veg. Happy memories.😀" Yvonne Peet remembers "I had a school holiday job there picking potatoes, would have been in the mid '60s." Frances Townsend remembers "My first after-school job was cleaning and packing chives at Fiske’s. Great big pile of chives in the middle of the table and we had to pick handfuls and clean out any weeds or dead bits and put them in a pile until there were enough to fill a bag." (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)
1960's Goldhanger Fruit Farms, Maldon, Essex with canteen, welfare and laboratory block. (From Express Story 1864 - 1964)
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)
