Tickenham Garage needs your vote

A FAMILY run garage in Tickenham has made it through to the finals of the national Garage of the Year competition.

Tickenham Garage, run by Richard and Gaye James, has made it through to the final in the Motor Codes Garage of the Year contest.

More than 7,000 garages across the UK entered the competition to find the best franchised main dealer of the year and independent garage of the year.

Dad of five Richard, 56, has been working as a self-employed mechanic since 1981 from the family home in Clapton-in-Gordano but in 2004 took over the garage premises at Stone Edge Batch after son Tom, 27, joined the business.

But it's not just Tom that has followed in his father's footsteps to become a mechanic – both sons Edward, 23 and Harry, 19, also work at the garage.

Over the years Richard and Gaye have seen their business quadruple in size and the garage offers a full range of services including servicing and repair, MOT's, tyres, air conditioning and diagnostic services.

A recent addition to the business is a car sales operation on the site.

Motor Codes runs the contest to highlight garages that provide a consistently reliable, trustworthy service to motorists.

As part of the competition, people were asked to vote for their favourite garage and comment on the services they received to get them through to the regional finals.

To vote for Tickenham Garage click HERE. Voting for the finals at closes at noon on Sunday, March 24.

The overall winners of the competition will be picked by a panel of judges chaired by Motor Codes managing director, Chris Mason, and including TV presenter and car expert, Vicki Butler-Henderson, Auto Express editor, Steve Fowler and Trading Standard lead monitoring officer, Tim Milsom.

Tom said: "To be named amongst the top garages in the UK is a fantastic achievement.

"What makes it especially pleasing is that it's our customers that have put us there and that's the best advert we could possibly hope for."

Everyone who votes will be entered into a prize draw to win a pair of tickets to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch with full hospitality provided by Porsche Cars GB.

They will also get the chance to pit their wits on track with a Porsche driving day as well as £250 shopping vouchers.