We’ve been named ‘Top Garage’ for second time in three years

Tuesday 18th November 2025

Oldfields Garage has been named Top Garage 2025 in the 10+ Employees category at the prestigious Top Awards, held in Warwick on Saturday 15 November.

The award was collected by Tim alongside our vehicle technician Owen Llyod and site manager Sam Peters, celebrating their achievement at the gala awards ceremony in Coventry.

Tim said: “Winning Top Garage 2025, for the second time in three years, is an incredible honour for our team. It reflects the hard work, dedication, and teamwork of everyone at Oldfields Garage.”

Top Garage is a national awards programme that celebrates the very best independent garages in the UK.

Garages are judged on customer service, technical expertise, leadership, and overall business performance, with finalists invited to present their operations and team approach to a panel of expert judges. Winning Top Garage is a mark of excellence and professionalism, showing the business meets the highest standards in the sector.

Sam said: “This was my first time attending an awards ceremony of this scale. The experience has been incredible, and it’s a real privilege to be part of such a talented and dedicated team.”

The past year has been a landmark one for us. We completed a major expansion of its workshop, creating specialist facilities for electric vehicles, commercial vehicles, and motorhomes.

Alongside the new facilities, we have continued to invest in advanced diagnostics, staff training, and apprenticeships.

Community engagement has remained central to us too. In August 2025, Oldfields hosted a family fun day, offering behind-the-scenes tours, motoring displays, hands-on activities, and career guidance, while raising funds for St Michael’s Hospice and the ELY Memorial Fund.

Tim has also delivered school talks, inspiring students about careers in the automotive industry, and the garage welcomed Ellie Chowns MP, discussing key issues affecting independent garages, including MOT fees and skills shortages.

Looking ahead, Tim has announced a pause in entering garage awards as a business for 2026. “We’re proud of what we’ve achieved over the past few years. Next year, we’ll focus on some exciting new initiatives and give our individual team members the opportunity to pursue awards in their own right,” he said.

The unseen service that saves lives: ADAS calibration done properly

Saturday 1st November 2025

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) aren’t a fad, they’re now woven into everyday motoring. Parking sensors that chirp at low speeds, through to blind-spot monitoring and traffic sign recognition, up to adaptive cruise, lane keep and automatic emergency braking that can intervene quicker than most humans. At the sharper end you’ll find 360° camera stitching, radar and camera sensor fusion and, on some premium models, mapping the road in remarkable detail. However clever the badge on the boot, all of these features rely on one uncompromising truth. The hardware must be correctly calibrated to the car if it’s going to behave as expected in all circumstances.

Yes, driverless cars are coming. We’re inching forward with more autonomy and better software over the air. But between today’s reality and tomorrow’s robotaxi sit millions of cars and vans that depend on cameras behind windscreens, radars in bumpers and ultrasonic sensors in mirror housings. A windscreen replacement, a suspension job or a kerb strike can nudge a sensor a few millimetres off axis. That’s enough to move a lane line, slow an emergency response or cause distance control to surge when it should smooth things out. This is not a gadget conversation. It is about the safety of your family in that vehicle.

Are we new to ADAS?

In short, no. At Oldfields, we’ve been able to carry out some ADAS calibrations right here in Leominster, for a number of years, but we’ve been investigating enhanced ADAS solutions. We’re delighted to announce that from January 2026 we’re launching a comprehensive ADAS calibration solution that brings the whole process in-house, end to end. We will follow the correct OE references for targets, positions, ride height and load. We will use quality equipment that is verified and maintained, in controlled lighting on a level floor. Static and dynamic procedures will be completed as specified, with documented pre and post scans, and a road test to confirm the system behaves as expected in the real world.

Shortcuts create risk. Generic settings, guesswork or bargain kit that drifts out of tolerance can all undermine the very systems designed to protect you. Our approach is simple. Use OE data, use calibrated tools, record the results and explain the work.

Why should you do it properly?

There’s a customer experience piece here too. Like choosing a trusted barber or hairdresser, drivers want consistency, transparency and a result that leaves them confident to face the day. We’ll tell you what needs doing, why it matters and what it costs before we begin. ADAS isn’t going anywhere, and neither is our responsibility to keep local vehicles safe, predictable and pleasant to drive. If your car warns, watches or intervenes, proper calibration with the right references and equipment is essential.

Month: November 2025