Ward’s 1930 directory shows William Outram residing at No. 85 Cauldwell Lane, Monkseaton. Little is known of the Outram family; however, in 1926 William Outram established and built a service station known as South Grange Garage on Earsdon Road, West Monkseaton which continued under this name into the 1940s.

The actual building was based on a South American design which Outram brought back from Brazil during the early 1920s.

Prominently situated on the west side of Earsdon Road, at the junction with Cauldwell Avenue, the external appearance of the building has barely changed, and in later years became better known simply as ‘Outram’s Garage’.

Since the business was established, it has provided all the usual facilities associated with a garage including a personal forecourt service and petrol pumps.

The letterhead below, which dates from the early 1930s, claims that there were facilities to garage 40 cars at the premises, but this may be somewhat exaggerated.

As a family owned business, the 1950s and 1960s saw the business appointed as a Rootes Group dealership, selling a small range of new cars.

In later years, the advent of larger service stations with cut price fuel meant that smaller garages such as Outram’s were unable to compete, and as a result the forecourt services were withdrawn in the 1970s leaving the garage to concentrate on motor repairs, servicing and MOT testing.

By the 1980s the business had changed hands and whilst it continues to retain the well respected name and is one of Monkseaton’s oldest established businesses, it is no longer in Outram’s family ownership.

The garage still thrives as an independent concern, offering a full range of automotive services as well as used car sales facilities.