Following its inaugural success last year, Halfords Garage of the Year competition returned for 2022, and one winner has now been crowned the owner of the UK’s best home garage. The pandemic saw an increase in Brits spending time at home, and continuing their personal passions.
This meant motoring fans continued to kit out their home garage and so Halfords continued its yearly hunt for the garage that ‘brakes’ all boundaries and crowned it 2022’s best. Before this decision was made, Halfords technicians, along with Daniel Rowbottom and Gordon Shedden - Halfords Racing with Cataclean professional racing drivers - created a shortlist of five entrants that were all worthy of the crown.
Neil Griffith, Malvern
Small but mighty, the single garage has seen a fair share of work inside. Neil’s love for Minis has only ever grown stronger since the age of 18, and his garage has helped transform his 1987 Classic Mini into a thing of beauty. Following a huge oil leak earlier in the year, Neil spent time rebuilding his Mini’s 1275cc engine which he said couldn’t be done without the help of his garage which he describes as “small but perfectly formed, just like my Mini”.
Miles Vincent, Inverness
Miles Vincent - full-time carer for his wife, uses his garage as a refuge where he can store, clean, and tinker with his classic vehicles, “Gulf” Escort van, and Raleigh Chopper bicycles. In 2020, after enduring over fifty years of Highland weather, his previous garage collapsed, giving him the opportunity to build a bespoke space in which he could give his vehicles the love and attention they deserve. Passionate about motoring, Miles has been a “Highland Classic Motor Club” Events Organiser for twenty years and more recently created “Cars And Coffee - Inverness” which takes place on the second Sunday of every month.
David Clark, Fairseat
Eighteen months ago, David Clark received news that the storage facility where his car was stored was completely lost in a fire. Luckily, his vehicle was at another workshop being repaired for an upcoming race but sadly lost fourteen years worth of spare parts. Faced with a dilemma - that being where to store his vehicle in a time where costs were rising, David chose to build his dream garage at the bottom of his garden. Since then, David and his motorsport-loving family have used the space to turn their Renault 5 GT Turbo into a competitive motor vehicle fit for racing, finishing in pole position at Brands Hatch.
Christopher Ho, Boroughbridge
Christopher Ho built his impressive garage himself over the course of nine months. Assembled with three bays, Christopher’s garage homes his vehicles - including a S2000, MR2, and a modified Honda Ruckus, his range of tools - including his first ever tool kit from Halfords, and best of all, a projector and hammock to watch - and fall asleep - from. The garage has allowed Christopher to build his mechanic skills from nothing to successfully completing a Mechanics and Vehicle Maintenance course. Christopher hopes to improve his garage further within the next year, adding a roof ramp, roof storage, and insulation for the colder months.
Jack Robinsons, Farndon
Jack Robinsons’ double garage with a wooden side extension was built from scratch and is used as a workshop to restore and work on classic cars. Currently, Jack is working on a Figaro, a Volkswagen Type 2, and a Beetle. Alongside its more practical benefits, Jack’s garage doubles up as the social spot for his wife and friends, following the installation of a bar, with pumps and a fridge, as well as a seating area that allows you to observe what’s going on in the garage. Jack - whose love of cars originates from his father, hopes to put flooring down, change the garage door, and get a brand new tool kit having only had hand-me-downs.
Following a difficult decision-making process, the judges chose Jack Robinsons as this year’s winner.
Gordon Flash Shedden – Halfords with Cataclean Driver said: “That was a really tough call to make, all the shortlisters had something I liked, but this one stood out as being Scottish, the inbuilt bar was an attraction. We could tell how much love had gone into this garage, and what it means to have a spot to socialise with his loved ones, so we felt that with Halfords fantastic prize, this garage could be kitted out even further."
Daniel Rowbottom – Halfords with Cataclean Driver added: “I agree with Flash, this garage has a real homely feel about it, but also has great scope for further development and the prize fund will certainly help with that, I wish I had a garage like this! Keep up the great work guys.”
Jack Robinsons - winner of 2022’s Garage of the Year, said: “I’m over the moon that I’ve been crowned this year’s Garage of the Year winner. I never win anything, so for me, this was such great news to receive! I’ve had so many ideas on how I want to develop this garage even further, and now with Halfords help, I’ll be able to do it way quicker than I could have done on my own.”
