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Property Services offer high caliber craftsmanship at realistic prices,
providing a quality and reliable service.
We
specialise in all types of house refurbishment or
maintenance work.
ABL
Property Services re-active and planned maintenance services
are
tailored to suit your timescales and budget requirements.
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711 2002
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ABL Property Services -
Featured Works
November
2005
Story behind wartime
inscription at Tudor Grange House uncovered
The wife of
a mystery
plumber who left his initials in the roof of Solihull
College’s
Tudor Grange House in 1944, has come forward following an article
published in the local papers last week.
Solihull
born Irene Mary Burrows, wife of the late William John Leslie Burrows,
contacted ABL Property Services (who are carrying out restoration work
on the 19th Century Tudor Grange House) after seeing a photograph of
her husband’s inscription in the paper. His markings were
found
alongside numerous lead engravings in the property’s roof
last
week – some of which date back to 1894. 83 year old
Irene
recognised the inscriptionWJLB and JEJ, June 1944, In memory of the 2nd
Front’ as the work of her husband and his assistant
immediately.
Speaking about the inscriptions, Irene said:
“I
could’t
believe my eyes when I saw the initials of my husband in the paper and
I had no doubt that they belonged to him. I clearly remember that Les,
as we called him, was carrying out structural work on Tudor Grange
House in 1944 as this coincided with the birth of my twin daughters,
Margaret Ann and June. I also recognised the initials of JEJ as
belonging to my husband’s assistant at the time, James Edwin
Jones.
“Les
had a
habit of leaving his initials on everything he worked on and now,
I’m really glad he did. This has been such a lovely surprise
and
in a way it feels like it’s brought us closer
together.”
 Andy Munn, Property Manager,
Solihull College, added:
“It’s
great
to find a local story behind these inscriptions. We had hoped that the
story would encourage someone to come forward, but never imagined it
would be someone so closely connected to one of the initials.”
Tony Roe, Contract Director, ABL
Property Services, commented:
"It was wonderful to meet Mrs Burrows and see how finding the
inscriptions had brought back wonderful memories of her husband,
William. We hope that the inscription will remain in-tact for decades
to comes and help to keep his memory alive for his Children and
Grand-children."
Irene Mary
Burrows
married William John Leslie Burrows (Les) in 1942; Irene was 19 and Les
was 26. They met in 1939 when Irene was a housemaid at the Crescent (a
large private residence off Streetsbrook Road, Solihull) and Les, who
was working as a plumber for Lode Lane based George Lines and Son, came
to the house to fix a burst water main. Irene gave birth to twin
daughters on 1st June 1944 and a son 7 years later. They spent most of
their happily married life living in Grove Road, Solihull until William
passed away in 2000.
At ABL Property
Services we endeavour to supply all your needs with one
helpful and friendly telephone call - so call us now on:
0121
711 2002
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