After serving in the British Army during World War II my grandfather Lenny Cole began his career in the motor trade in Dorset. Over the course of many years he gained a reputation for being a true gentleman in the way he conducted his business. I would love to think that Grandpa Lenny would be proud of me today.

During the late 1960's Lenny taught my father Barry the business at his original car sales site in Christchurch, Dorset and together they proved to be successful, later buying the building next door to expand the premises (all three pictures are of the same property through the years). We are proud to have this trio of black and white photos on the wall in our office today.

Years later, with Lenny retired, history repeated itself when my father Barry taught me the industry. From 1995 (aged 16) to 2005, we worked together supplying cars to the trade. This was the most educational period of my career, visiting various dealers every single day to supply them with their stock, watching the best way to run a car dealership by seeing how these dealers operated, learning the way to do things and how 'not' to do things. In 2005 after almost a decade, I separated from my father in business but maintained a lovely personal relationship with him. My wife Sarah-Louise and I set up a new company called BJC Car Sales and we opened our first retail premises which over three hard-working years grew to 9 forecourts. By 2008 having had a few full-on years with very little time for family we re-evaluated our life and decided to sell the business and focus on dealing in luxury cars from the grounds of our Dorset country home. We are still at the same property operating in the same way to this day.