Thank you to everyone who made our third Summer Bonanza the best yet. One word: SCORCHIO (adj.): extremely hot and sunny. Also more generally, extremely hot.
From 9am through to mid afternoon, the yard was full of trade customers, DIY visitors and familiar faces enjoying one of our biggest events of the year. With more than 20 leading suppliers in attendance including Azpects, TuffStuff Workwear, Global Stone and Keylite Roof Windows, there was plenty to see, plenty to learn and plenty of conversations happening across the branch.
The atmosphere was fantastic from the start. Free wood fired pizza from The Mobile Pizza Co kept everyone fuelled, while live demos from RUBI Tools & TIMCO kept everyone busy throughout the day. Visitors took advantage of exclusive trade deals running across the event and enjoyed the mix of product displays, expert advice, games & prizes.
As always, the competitions brought a bit of fun to the yard. The prize draw to win a PS5 created plenty of excitement, Sarah’s hook-a-duck game handed out instant wins and the ever popular challenge to win your height in beer had people measuring up with confidence. The first 50 visitors also walked away with a gift bag of goodies.
What makes the Summer Bonanza special is not just the suppliers or the sunshine, but the community feel. It is a chance to step away from the counter, catch up properly, talk through upcoming projects and see new products up close. Events like this remind us why Collier & Catchpole has always been more than a merchant. We are a meeting point for the local trade and DIY community, and have been for years.
A huge thank you to our suppliers, our team and everyone who came along to make it such a memorable day. If you missed it this time, keep an eye on our social media for event updates and more.
As part of our “50 Years of Being a Builders’ Merchant” celebrations, we recently welcomed a few familiar faces back through the gates at our Stanway branch.
Long-time customer Dave Cant (80), former yardman Mick Layzell (87), and Chris King (60), who first joined us in the late 1980s, returned to share their memories, laughter and reflections on a business that has stood the test of time. What unfolded wasn’t just reminiscence. It was a heartfelt tribute to a company built not only on bricks and mortar, but on trust, camaraderie and community spirit.
There are tales of explosive paint tins, fire-drum tea breaks in the yard and unforgettable radio jingles from years gone by. But beneath the laughter runs something deeper, a reminder that Collier & Catchpole has always been about people first. “It was the best job I ever had,” Mick says without hesitation.
That sentiment echoes throughout the conversation. Dave recalls a time when cash flow was tight and how he was met with understanding and support rather than pressure. Chris talks about a workplace where everyone was known by name and treated with respect.
One particularly touching moment reflects on former owner Roy Collier, affectionately known as “The Governor”. Roy made it his business to look after his people, whether that meant mentoring, listening, offering advice or simply sharing a laugh in the yard. His leadership helped shape the culture that continues to define Collier & Catchpole today. That culture of care, loyalty and long-term thinking remains central to who we are.
The conversation also highlights just how much the construction landscape has evolved. Materials have changed, processes have modernised and the pace of the industry has accelerated.
From heavy concrete products to lightweight plastics, from brick-dominated builds to modern systems, the trade has moved forward. But what hasn’t changed is our commitment to service, integrity and relationships. “A proper family-owned business,” as Kingo puts it. And that’s exactly what we’ve aimed to be for the past 50 years under the Collier & Catchpole name, building on foundations laid long before 1975. This video isn’t just a look back.
It’s a celebration of every builder, supplier, driver, manager and customer who has helped shape our journey. Our legacy isn’t only in the buildings we’ve supplied materials for, it’s in the relationships we’ve built along the way.
Thank you to Dave, Mick and Chris for bringing your stories back through the gates. And thank you to everyone who has supported Collier & Catchpole across the decades. Here’s to the next 50 years.
This month, Collier & Catchpole proudly marks its 50th anniversary of being a builders’ merchant — a golden milestone in a journey that spans nearly two centuries 🙌
From our humble beginnings in East Anglia to becoming a key element of the Essex & Suffolk construction industry, our steady evolution reflects an everlasting commitment to quality, customer service and the history within our family business.
Our story began in 1880 when William H Collier acquired ‘The Marks Tey Brickworks’ from a local farmer in Essex. Mr Wagstaff had been using the natural clay and sand on his land to produce and sell bricks. W H Collier and his wife Jessie expanded production and gave locals new opportunities beyond farming and rail.
The brickworks expanded into the supply of sand and gravel, running its operation from what is now its Colchester site, W H Collier having bought the land in 1898. At the same time, Edgar Catchpole was building homes, a community and a reputation for reliability in Ipswich. With a yard full of surplus materials, Edgar turned his building projects into a supply business.
In 1974, Roy Collier, W H Collier’s grandson, having sold the sand and gravel business, saw an opportunity for a builders’ merchant in Colchester and Ipswich and bought E Catchpole and Sons as a start. On the 7th of May, 1975, a new era began as the company officially started trading as Collier & Catchpole in Stanway.
A lot has changed over the last 50 years. Collier & Catchpole moved quickly from selling a small range of bricks, blocks, kerb and clay pipe to a complete range of general building materials. New ranges include landscaping, timber, plasterboard, plywood, insulation, tools, decking and chemicals.
“I often think that we have survived the ups and downs of an increasingly fast changing world because we have continued the tradition started by WH Collier of prioritising our staff wellbeing, investing for the long term and contributing to our local community. It is all too tempting for businesses to cash in today and waste the hard work that previous generations have expended, rather than be prudent and focus on longevity” – Tim Rowbottom
The Colliers team go above and beyond to ensure a seamless experience from the inquiry to delivery, and they know how to whistle whilst we work, which is reflected in the faces of their customers and people who love to work with them.
As we celebrate 50 years as Collier & Catchpole, we remain committed to the principles that have guided us since our inception. From hand-thrown bricks crafted from our own quarry clay to a modern fleet delivering building materials across the region, we’ve never stopped investing and evolving.
Thank you for being part of our journey. Here’s to the next 50!
Last week we wrapped up our 2025 Landscaping Roadshow across Lawford, Ipswich and Colchester, and what a fantastic start to landscaping season.
The branches were buzzing with trade professionals, DIY customers and suppliers coming together for a brilliant morning of live product demos, exclusive deals, games, prizes and giveaways.
📍 Lawford — Thursday 20th March
We kicked things off at Lawford, and the atmosphere set the tone for the rest of the series. The yard filled quickly, suppliers were set up and ready, and customers wasted no time taking advantage of the exclusive roadshow deals.
The conversations around upcoming landscaping projects were in full swing, and it was fantastic to see so much engagement around new products and techniques. It was great to see so many familiar faces and plenty of new ones too.
📍 Ipswich — Thursday 27th March
Ipswich delivered another brilliant morning. The weather held, the bacon rolls went down well, and the supplier stands were busy from start to finish. There was a real focus on driveway solutions, porcelain trends and hard landscaping innovations, with hands-on discussions and practical advice shared throughout the morning. Roger the cat made an appearance and kept a close watch on snacks.
📍 Colchester — Thursday 3rd April
We rounded off the Landscaping Roadshow at Colchester, and it didn’t disappoint. The team loved seeing contractors catching up with suppliers directly, asking technical questions and getting first-hand advice on product ranges. It is going to be a busy Spring/Summer!
A huge thank you to the brilliant suppliers who came along to support Collier & Catchpole’s 2025 Landscaping Roadshow.
Long Rake Spar Co – “Our extensive range of high-quality natural aggregates offers a vast selection of colours, textures and design.”
Global Stone Paving– “Global Stone is an award-winning leading provider of superior natural stone and porcelain paving solutions.”
Brett Landscaping– “A well-designed driveway isn’t simply a place where you park your car, but a space which adds kerb appeal to your entire home.”
RUBI UK & Ireland – “RUBI Tools specialise in the design and manufacture of machinery and tools for cutting, placing and maintaining tiles.”
Azpects – “We produce products that make hard landscaping EASY. The revolutionary EASYJoint has become the UK’s top-selling jointing compound.”
What made this year’s Landscaping Roadshow special wasn’t just the products on display, it was the sense of community across Lawford, Ipswich and Colchester. We saw contractors planning their spring and summer projects, DIY customers getting expert advice face-to-face, strong supplier support with valuable technical insight, and plenty of genuine networking and relationship building throughout the mornings.
It’s always great to step away from the counter and have proper conversations about upcoming jobs, new materials and what’s trending in landscaping. To everyone who attended, thank you. Whether you came for the deals, the demos, the food or just a catch-up, we really appreciate your continued support.
If you missed out this time, keep an eye on our social channels for upcoming events. Be there or be square. Open to trade & DIY, always.
We’re excited to share that our brand-new landscaping displays at Collier & Catchpole are almost complete, with the finishing touches now being added at our Colchester, Ipswich and Lawford branches.
Over the past few weeks, our teams have been hard at work transforming the yard spaces to showcase some stunning paving and patio solutions, giving you the chance to see materials laid, positioned and styled. Because let’s face it, landscaping products always look better out of the pack.
A huge thank you to Global Stone Paving for their support in bringing these displays to life. Established in 2003, Global Stone is a trusted and award-winning brand delivering distinct, on-trend natural stone and porcelain paving. Their ever-evolving range blends trusted favourites with fresh, contemporary designs, meaning there’s something to suit every taste and project.
Natural stone is renowned for its unique beauty, with each piece offering its own colour variation, texture and character. Porcelain paving provides sleek, modern finishes with durability and low maintenance. Whether you’re designing a garden retreat, driveway upgrade or seamless indoor-outdoor space, these products truly elevate a project.
We’re proud to showcase a selection of their ranges across our branches, seeing them in-person makes all the difference.
We’d also like to say a big thank you to RUBI Group for helping us prepare the displays using their DCX-250 Xpert Cutter. Speedy. Professional. Perfect cuts. The precision cutting ensured every slab was finished cleanly and professionally, exactly how it should look when installed on your own project.
If you’re planning a patio, driveway or garden transformation this year, visiting our branch landscaping displays gives you the opportunity to see natural stone and porcelain laid in real settings, compare colours, textures and finishes side by side, gather inspiration for patterns and layouts, and speak directly with our team about the best products for your project.
Our landscaping displays are now nearly complete at Lawford, Ipswich and Colchester, so whether you’re trade or DIY, pop in, take a look and get inspired, perfect patios start here. We look forward to welcoming you soon.
We’ve got an exciting calendar of trade & DIY events lined up, and we’re ready to make our 2025 events the talk of the industry 🤝
See below our upcoming events and mark your calendars, open to both the trade and public. Come along and meet the team, talk projects with the experts, grab some food on us, play some games and win some prizes.
Keep an eye out on our social media for more details and updates on upcoming trade events and we will see you there.
Suppliers and our team will be exhibiting at our events representing a range of product categories, including bricks, blocks, timber, landscaping, tools, workwear and drainage and are available to provide advice and guidance. Also explore the vast selection of building materials and landscaping products that Collier & Catchpole offers for both delivery and collection.
“The perfect way to finish this year’s trade shows — great suppliers, a few cheeky churros & exclusive winter trade deals”
On Thursday 28th November, we hosted our first Winter Wonderland event. It was certainly one for the memory books. A great turnout of customers and suppliers, paired with winter sunshine, giveaways, games, hot churros & chocolate. We couldn’t have asked for more.
🍫 Fried churros & chocolate sauce (9.30am – 1.30pm) 📻 Prize draw to win a Makita UK DAB Radio & D.I.Y S’more Kit ❄️ Competition to win your own height in beer 👏 Live demos, displays & giveaways from RUBI UK & Ireland, Azpects Ltd, TIMCO, Mannok, Pavestone UK Limited, Sika, Brett Martin, Keylite and Colchester Institute.
“It was a great day and well organised, looking forward to the next one!” – Adrian. “Fantastic event, very welcoming environment and an amazing team at Collier & Catchpole. Well done to all involved” – Tristan. “Really enjoyed this event, great marketing again, a pleasure to see hard work come together” – Carl.
Meet The Winter Wonderland Exhibitors
Brett Martin Ltd is a global player supplying specialist plastic products for the construction, fabrication sectors worldwide. “Brett Martin is the UK and Ireland’s leading independent building products manufacturer with a comprehensive Underground, Rainwater and Plumbing product range, including the innovative Cast Iron Rainwater and Soil system, Cascade.”
Colchester Institute‘s Trowel Trades & Wood Occupations department: In partnership with industry leaders like Collier & Catchpole. “We deliver hands-on training and real-world experience. Our learners gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence to excel in the construction industry, preparing them for the next step — higher education, apprenticeships, or employment — ensuring they are workplace-ready and poised for success.” – Tristan Edwards / Chris Coe, M.Ed.
Established in 1972 — TIMCO imports and supplies more than 8,000 quality products from around the world. “From screws and fixings to power tool accessories, hand tools, adhesives, chemicals, personal and site protection, security, ironmongery, building hardware and beyond”
Based in Ipswich, Suffolk — Azpects Ltd have been developing, manufacturing and distributing hard landscaping products since 2009. “We produce products that make creating and maintaining hard landscaping EASY. The revolutionary EASYJoint has become the UK’s top-selling jointing compound amongst landscaping and building professionals.” Mica / David.
Keylite Roof Windows offers a full range of roof windows, blinds, timber loft ladders, flashings, electric operation kits and accessories. “We believe that every product produced should provide the very best in innovation, quality and value for money.” – Abie Jackson.
Mannok is one of UK & Ireland’s most diverse and experienced manufacturers of premium construction products. “Manufacturing and service excellence coupled with a passion for quality is at the core of our business and our aim is to provide an unrivalled technical support to architects, designers, engineers, contractors and building owners” Adrian Downes
RUBI Group specialise in the design and manufacture of machinery and tools for cutting, placing and maintaining tiles. “At RUBI we evolve day by day hand in hand with professionals from all over the world, providing them with the necessary tools to obtain the best results”.
Sika (Everbuild) is a specialty chemicals company with a globally leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing, and protection. “The reputation for Sika for quality and reliability is virtually unmatched, illustrated through a comprehensive portfolio of problem solving products that have been employed for many years” – Chris Forsyth.
This year we have done our best to ramp up our in-house events and the support we have received from our suppliers and customers has boosted the Collier brand and paved the way for the future trade days.
Mersea Sea Scouts have given their Scout Hut a makeover. Well done to everyone involved 🏕️👏
We are happy to share that the Mersea Sea Scouts have given their historic Scout Hut a much-needed makeover, with a little help from Collier & Catchpole. After two days of hard work with 20 dedicated volunteers, the transformation is complete — and the space is looking better than ever.
Originally repatriated from the Colchester Army Barracks in the 1960s, the timber-framed hut had not been painted for over 20 years, leaving it in desperate need of a refresh. The volunteers worked tirelessly to repaint and restore the building, breathing new life into this important community space.
“Sincere thanks for supplying the paint to repaint our Scout Hut. We have just spent two days with 20 volunteers getting it done, and it looks great. The hut was originally repatriated from the Colchester Army Barracks in the 1960’s and it desperately needed a freshen up.
It had not been painted for at least 20 years, not great for a timber framed building! We could not have done it without you and sincerely appreciate your support and help.” – Mersea Sea Scouts
We’re proud to have supported this project, and to support the incredible work of the Mersea Sea Scouts. We hope the new and improved space serves you well into the future.
Proud to support a lasting tribute to heroism, courage and sacrifice. Memorial unveiled in local ceremony 🌹 #LestWeForget
“On the 20th September 1944, two RAF Lancasters of 622 Sqn RAF enroute on an operational mission, collided mid-air, and both aircraft crashed to the ground- all 15 aircrew were killed instantly. The bodies of the aircrew were recovered. Four of the crew were from New Zealand, one from Canada, and the remaining 10 British.
The knowledge of this crash location, and the death of these aircrew has been gradually lost to memory – they were just a few of the many thousands killed in Bomber Command. However, a discovery of a newspaper article in the Museum, and then further research including the Essex Record Office in Chelmsford, led the Museum to identify the actual locations.
We were then given permission to install a memorial close to the junction of Americas Road and Tey Road. This will be installed on 20th September 2024 for the 80th anniversary.” – Earls Colne Heritage Museum
“I would like to thank Collier & Catchpole for the very kind donation of bricks to the Museum via Robin Bragg to help us with the construction of the War Memorial” – Gordon, Chairman
We did it! On Thursday 12th September, we hosted our second annual September Sizzler trade event at our Ipswich branch — 10/10 weather, food and people.
Thank you to the Collier & Catchpole team, suppliers and customers who came along to network, enjoy a free hotdog and discuss projects with the professionals that manufacture and supply the building materials that are used throughout our communities.
Founded in 1989, the Hot Sausage Company (a family business based in Ipswich), returned to grill their famous sausages from 10am – 2pm. “At the Hot Sausage Company, we take great pride in being a well-run business that uses only top-quality ingredients for our tasty hot dogs.”
Visitors took part in a prize draw “To Win a Weber BBQ” which was collected on the day and the #StickWithACO target game returned for customers to compete to “Win Their Height in Beer” (just in time for the weekend) 🎯
There was exciting demos from RUBI Tools, various displays and plenty of giveaways throughout the day. Customers were able meet the team, take advantage of trade deals and talk projects directly with the suppliers.
We were joined by top suppliers: Azpects, Bradstone, Pavestone, Long Rake Spar Co, ACO Group, RUBI Group, Cladco Profiles, TIMCO & Sika.
“Thank you Karl Flintoff and all at Collier & Catchpole for inviting Timco. Really enjoyed the day” – Gareth Walker Merchandiser for TIMCO in South East
“Many thanks for the opportunity to be there” – Steve Palmer, Installer Development Manager – Pavestone UK Ltd
“A pleasure Karl great marketing as always from you guys Louise Parkes top effort 👏👏👏” – Carl Holder, Regional Business Consultant at TIMCO
Thanks to the involvement of both suppliers and customers, the September Sizzler was more than just a trade event; it was a community-building experience. Watch this space for future events for more opportunities to network, explore the latest products & tools, and for the chance to take part in fun competitions.
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