STRINGER BUILDERS - Key Persons

A little bit of history about Paul for those who are interested… Paul is the grandson of two of the early inhabitants of Welwyn Garden City, George Henry Stringer and John F Eccles.

Henry Stringer (he used his middle name) was born in Salford; he attended Manchester Grammar and Art School and trained as a lithographic artist. He moved into his new house in Longcroft Lane, Welwyn Garden City with his wife in 1931, where they went on to have three boys. Henry was an accomplished commercial artist until 1940 and worked on wartime training films for the War Office. He returned to commercial art in the 1950s and was a life member of the London Sketch Club. He produced a series of posters for British Rail which can be seen at the York Railway Museum. In 1929 John F Eccles was appointment financial secretary of Welwyn Garden City Ltd and played a major role in the reorganising and restructuring of its finances, steering the company through the difficult times of the depression and ensuring the solvency of the company, in 1936 he became General Manager of Welwyn Garden City Ltd. He also ensured the profitability of Welwyn Department Store, later to be bought by the John Lewis Partnership in 1983, in 1945 he was rewarded with a seat on the board and became managing director of the Company and Store and later Managing Director of the Howardsgate Trust.