THE man who founded Taylor Business Park near Culcheth, Alan Taylor, has sadly died as a result of the COVID-19 virus after 96 healthy and active years.
The family of Alan Taylor, like so many others, have been left heartbroken by their loss as he died alone.
Grandson Paul Taylor, who continued his grandfather’s legacy said: “I was self isolating due to symptoms myself when he passed away so I couldn’t even go and be with him at the end.
“It is Very upsetting that someone as amazing as my Grandad should end up dying alone but there will be so many families going through the same thing at the moment. It’s very difficult to grieve or get any closure when funerals are so limiting as well. It just doesn’t seem real.These really are awful and unpredictable times we are in.”
His grandfather was the retired Managing Director of Taylor Business Park Ltd, Cheswick & Wright Ltd and Lathom Engineering Ltd and sadly died as a result of COVID-19 on 3rd April 2020 after 96 healthy and active years. He will be sadly missed by family, colleagues and friends.
Due to current circumstances there will be a solitary cremation and a memorial service will take place at some time in the future to celebrate his life.
Anyone wishing to be notified of the memorial please write to Paul Taylor at [email protected] or phone 01925 768401.
As there will be no flowers, the family ask that any donations be made to Christie’s Hospital in Manchester or the NHS Charities Covid 19 urgent appeal fund.
Alan founded Taylor Industrial Estate Limited (which became Taylor Business Park Ltd) and was formerly involved with F Taylor & Sons (Manchester) Ltd and F Taylor & Sons (Liverpool) Ltd where at their Bolton Road, Salford premises they manufactured Hydracranes, Jumbo cranes and various special vehicles which were all generally hydraulically operated. They were the first of their kind and they were sold around the world. There was even a Matchbox toy produced of the Jumbo Crane. A refurbished Taylor Hydra Crane (the World’s first production mobile hydraulic crane from 1946) is on exhibition in the Power Hall at the Manchester Science and Industry Museum.
Most of these machines (which were lorry mounted cranes) were manufactured in Salford up to chassis level and road tested on the way to Albion Mill, Glazebury where the manufactured fabricated jibs etc were mounted to make a complete machine.
F Taylor & Sons (Manchester) Ltd sold the business to Coles Cranes of Sunderland in February 1959. The business was sold on an asset basis only but the Albion Mill in Glazebury formed part of the sale. Coles Cranes gave two years notice for the other Taylor family businesses that were housed in Albion Mill to locate and move to other premises.
In about 1962 the Ministry of Supply, Department of Atomic Energy, was being upgraded to the Atomic Energy Commission and it was proposed that they should leave their premises at Newchurch and move to a new multi-storey building at Risley. This all coincided with the Taylor family searching for alternative premises and at that point they purchased the Newchurch site just outside Culcheth on Warrington Road and moved there from Albion Mill.
The Taylor family’s company, Lathom Engineering Company Ltd, was then housed on this site producing exhaust silencers for many of the motor manufacturers and trade outlets.
At the same time new buildings were built on the site to be leased out. However with the advent of the sale of Lathom Engineering Company Ltd around 1970 to Dental Manufacturing Co Ltd and later to Tube Investments Ltd the Lathom Engineering Co Ltd title was sold and Taylor Industrial Estate Ltd was formed, adopting the titles of Taylor Estates and Taylor Business Park since that time.
Mr Taylor celebrating his 95th birthday
