My family & friends will know that when I left school (many moons ago!) I started work at Greater Manchester Police workshops as a panel beater. As a family we moved South & I finished the last 3 years of my apprenticeship in a Rolls-Royce bodyshop. This was my first experience of seeing true craftsmanship up close. I decided it would be a great personal photography project to try to capture a collection of these dying skills. Where better to start than with proper ‘old school’ panel beating. There are few better places than G&A Fabrications.
I don’t like to stage my photos preferring to let things happen naturally around me. Using my 70-200mm zoom lens meant Lawrence (The Boss) & Grace soon forget I was there.
Lawrence Kett started work at British Aerospace before moving to an AC Cobra specialist in Brooklands. After 12 years, realising that his vocation lay in historic road and race car restoration, he set up his own workshop. Restoring as much of the original metal & coachwork is paramount for historic cars. Specialising in AC Cobras and Classic Aston Martins, Lawrence’s skills & experience make G&A Fabrications stand out to owners and race teams across the world.
Specialising in AC Cobra and Classic Aston Martins he has over 45 years experience in those hands…which he is now passing on to Grace.
It was great to be back in a proper panel shop…not a tin of body filler in sight!! Watching them work the metal by hand was fantastic to see again. The skill and craftsmanship from Lawrence and Grace is quite literally hanging off the walls.
To see a gallery of my favourite shots from my visit to G&A Fabrications just go to PERSONAL PROJECTS under the Portfolio tab. Or just click the HERE
