MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS
We all have memories but Alan Dean’s seem to be more vivid than most. True, he’s just on OAP status so he has been around a bit longer than some. But Alan’s recollections also include the thoughts and reminiscing of many others of the Dean family – or anyone else who had dealings with a business that has been serving the needs of this part of Yorkshire since 1897. Yes, Alan has a blotting paper ability to soak up (and then recall) so much of the detailed facts that are dear to his heart.
His time spent at the ‘University of Joe Dean’ hasn’t all been theory as the years he’s spent grafting away have also seen all manner of practical problems surmounted. A great spin off to this enhanced personal expertise in Alan can be seen in the current picture-perfect restoration of the 1941 Leyland Lynx HJJ 56.
Alan is the first to say that huge credit must be given to Bridgend (South Wales) based Richard Teasdale for originally saving this rare piece of Leyland’s heritage. However, the project – to its fantastic fruition – was something Alan undertook all by himself. This isn’t the first such project this man of many talents has undertaken (we hope it’s not the last) and what a great job he’s done.
Dean and Leyland Intertwined
It’s more than apt – especially for this particular story – that both the Dean family and the Leyland dynasty can trace their roots back to a start off day in the mid 1890s. The one big difference to such a comparison is that the Leyland branding was officially withdrawn from production at the start of the new
