Agricultural implements have always been an important part of the Gibbs work. Equipment was designed and built for the very different jobs which farmers and growers had to do during the season and to ensure the cultivation of different crops was ach…
A specially designed implement for sowing grass seed into existing turf for stronger growth. This drill was designed in a partnership between Gibbs and ICI to enable the sward (grass crop) to be improved without having to plough and cultivate the fi…
Although a very common machine now, Gibbs was the first company in the UK to import wood chippers from the USA in the 1970’s. They bought in the mechanism and built the trailer around it. This photo shows an early tree chipper being used by staff…
A wheel made by Gibbs wheelwrights and used on a Gibbs built strawberry van found a new life as the centrepiece for exhibits at shows. In 1953 it was used by the National Farmers Union (NFU) for their award winning display. Later it was used in a G…
The firm’s reputation led to their regular attendance at both local agricultural shows and national shows where they exhibited every year from 1926-1997.
The flag poles and name panel on the show caravan folded down for travelling and could be reversed showing the name Coles or Gibbs depending on the venue of the show.
The caravan, which acted as a sales office at shows, was built by the body builders in Gibbs workshop on a war surplus bomb trailer chassis. As you can see from the photographs the caravan style changed over the year; it was a prominent feature at n…
The white building in the central foreground was the Gibbs showroom in Ripley, Surrey. The workshops were located to the rear of the building.
COLES OF BRACKNELL
Gibbs acquired the firm Coles of Bracknell, Berkshire on 1st February 1947. Thi…
The original motor vehicle workshop was situated on the Staines Road in Bedfont. In 1949 Longbridge House was built on the Stanwell Road site and this heralded the expansion of the motor and commercial vehicle division.
Herbert continued the family tradition, designing many items including the horse-drawn marker seen here. This was used to mark out the fields so that the seed could be planted quickly and evenly.
