Peter Bainbridge Motors & The Block Cafe

Peter Bainbridge Motors & The Block Cafe

568-570 Blockhouse Bay Road

Aerial veiw of The Block Cafe

Aerial veiw of The Block Cafe
The Block Café in July 2018 with Peter Bainbridge Motors workshop and parking area behind. Photo NZ Herald

Motor mechanic Peter Bainbridge has had a long association with the Bay, and in his years in business has a gained a reputation of giving great service to the local motorists. Peter is retiring, and in July put the 1111 sq m site on the market, this property having a Business – Local Centre Zoning, permitting a broad range of uses and a total building height of 18 m, so some changes may well be coming into the Village.

Cleaves Garage circa 1960
c.1960

The front building was originally a service station and garage, purpose built by local resident, Vic Cleave, in the 1950s. The next proprietor was Harry Bainbridge in 1987, who ten years later moved into the back workshop and the original garage became a hardware store on 1st May, 1997. It was still a hardware store when it was converted in 2012 into what we know today as The Block Café.

Harry’s son Peter took over the motor repair business, so the Bainbridge family has had a long association with Mainstreet. We wish Peter a very happy retirement.

Published in the society newsletter August 2018.

Update December 2018.

sign

Bay Auto Repairs
New sign for workshop

The workshop is still in use and has been renamed to Bay Auto Repairs.

See Beacon Blockhouse Bay, December 2018, page 5 for details. Click