Regional Griffiths, also foundly known locally as Griff, Bomber or Reg, worked at the RAE in Farnborough, Hampshire. Ever the entrepreneur, he soon spotted a gap in the market where his fellow RAE colleagues wanted better tools to work on the aircraft.

Reg happily obliged and, before long, was making trips in a van, selling tools at the RAE, driving the streets with door-to-door sales of anything else he found on his commute, and roping in his children to help. One of his many successes was the hula hoop, and children would delight as he drove past and their parents grabbed the latest must-have toy.

Eventually, the RAE gave Reg an ultimatum to stop selling to his colleagues. But rather than comply, he opened stores on Victoria Road, Farnborough and next to the Robin Cinema on the London Road, Camberley. Fine Prices was born!

He continued grabbing anything he thought he could sell, realising that non-food items could be brought cheaper in bulk and stored in the warehouse to the rear of the shop. Then he brought it into the main store as stock supplies were demanded. He was considered an early version of what is now called The Range, A Multi-channel reseller, selling everything from tools to soap powder, eggs and confectionery. He rented out the apartments above the shop, an early form of House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). 

The yard to the rear of the Farnborough store ran from Victoria Road to Clockhouse Road and had plenty of parking, which Reg used to start purchasing various vans to collect items for the shop. Eventually, he spotted another gap in the market. He decided to hire the vans to the public: Farnborough Trans-Van Hire was born. 

A developer had their eye on the Victoria Road property, seeing its potential to develop it into a large commercial property with plenty of parking, which later became converted to residential Equinox House, and where the warehouses used to be, Grove House.

The Linsford Farm site was originally dilapidated. Undeterred, it was purchased by the family in 1984; it already had a haulage license from previous owners and allowed the family to operate the growing van hire company and rent some of the stables out for equine. Reg expanded the van hire to include a dozen vans, a lorry and a JCB 3CX, roping in his young 12-year-old grandson, David, to assist with the conversion, maintenance and upkeep of the buildings and associated grounds. 

Having repaired many dilapidated buildings, the business diversified into commercial property to meet growing local demand. One of the larger barns was converted into a large overflow car park that allowed larger vehicles to turn around without having to reverse.

When Reg died in 2003, his daughter, Selina, took over the running of the business with the help of her husband Graham and their children. Selina inherited her father's hard-working, entrepreneurial spirit and built a successful residential home in Mayfield, in Farnborough.

Despite an attempt to juggle both businesses, the hands-on day-to-day running of both companies was not viable, and the difficult decision to close the residential business was made, selling the life-long labour of love that was poured into the residential property. 

Since then, the family have continued to pour the same labour of love into Linsford Business Centre, improving the site and redeveloping all the existing buildings to serve the local community while carefully conserving the tranquil setting of being nested between lakes along the River Blackwater.

The family has focused on conforming to modern building standards, including energy performance improvements, sustainable urban drainage, connection to the main sewer, and electrical certification on all our properties. 
Additional buildings have been added, with planning approved for additional properties. 
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The continued development of the site has been aligned with Surrey Heath's Local plan for employment under policy E3. Its aim is to maintain and support employment in the county, with employment growth within the Borough envisaged as the re-use of suitably located land well served by major roads and close to residential areas.​

We would like to thank all of past and present customers, employees and business partners, and hope we can continue to serve you in the future.

Selina and David - 2005

The Family

Contact us if you would like to enquire about available commercial properties

Contact Information

01252 545072
[email protected]
Linsford Business Centre Ltd,
Linsford Business Centre,
Linsford Lane,
Mytchett, 
​Surrey,
GU16 6DJ