Page 1010 - Reading Mercury

Born in Denmark Street, Wokingham he started work in 1904 with his brother Eric
who was running Wokingham Motor and Cycle Works in the Market Place.
In 1906 he joined the Berkshire Yeomanry and a year later was in Australia
pioneering the use of cars for overland travel. Throughout the First World War he
served in the Pioneer Corps of the Australian Army.
On his return to England in 1919 he married Miss Elsie Pither and that year joined
his brothers Eric and Frank at Perkins’ Brothers Garage in Broad Street, Wokingham.
Soon afterwards he started the Central Garage (Eversley) Ltd., which is still in
operation.
Landmark
A landmark in his career came in 1933 when he designed and built two motorised
pantechnicon bodies for Mr. Ernest Reeves, of Wokingham, which were used for the
removal business. From this started the Wokingham Pantechnicon Company. This
company is now Modern Vehicle Construction Ltd., of Reading the name Wokingham
Pantechnicon Co. is still used on Bodies it constructs. The business designs and builds
especially for the furniture removal trade and has connections in Scotland, Dublin and
Australia.
He was a pioneer of fibreglass roofs for these vehicles and in 1958 came a major
breakthrough with fibreglass panelling. Mr. Perkins’s design is still being used today
and over 700 such vehicles were built under his guidance. He lectured and toured
extensively to train estimators in the removal trade, using a miniature removal van
into which was fitted miniature furniture.
In1960 he retired from Perkins Brothers Garage and sold to Moons Motors of
London, and in 1965 he officially retired from Wokingham Pantechnicon Company,
although he acted in an advisory position until his death.
Active Tory
A prominent worker for the Conservative Party, Mr. Perkins was among those
active in forming Wokingham Constituency Party in 1948 and was on its management
committee for about five years. He was Wokingham Borough branch treasurer for 10
years to 1955.
Rotary was another of his keen interests. He was a founder member of Wokingham
Rotary Club in 1951 and its third president. He was for some years editor of the club
bulletin and held various other offices. In the wider sphere of Rotary District 109, he
was a former club Service Committee chairman and a vice-chairman of Zone C.
The funeral service was at All Saints’ Church, Wokingham yesterday, and was
followed by cremation.
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MAYOR CHAPMAN’S CONDITION SERIOUS
The condition of Mayor, Col. H. A. Chapman is still serious. He underwent two
serious operations a fortnight ago at St. Thomas’s Hospital, London where he has
rd
been since the 3 March.

st
Thur 21 May
MAYOR CHAPMAN DIES
th
The Mayor, Col. H. A. Chapman died on the 14 May.
He had a gift of keeping debate in the council chamber short and to the point
without ruffling colleagues’ feelings. He was vice-chairman of the Wokingham
branch of the British Legion.
In private life he was a teacher. He hailed from Australia and started his
professional career in 1934 at York after completing his studies at London University.

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