ONE OF Warrington's leading businessmen has died at the age of 92.

John Ashall, known as Jack, founded Ashall Construction in 1936. The business has gone from strength to strength and is now known as the Ashall Group.

Though he officially retired in 1985 and handed over the reins to two of his three sons, Jack was still involved in the company until his death last week.

"He never did take it easy," said son Michael. "Even though he had technically retired, he would still come into the office. It was his life."

Jack was born in Warrington and went to Beamont Technical School before qualifying as a quantity surveyor at Manchester College of Science and Technology. He then worked for Dolans, a Warrington building firm.

In 1933 he married May Tunstall, who died eight years ago.

Michael said: "Dolans was going into liquidation, so my father decided to set up his own company and took three of their best men with him."

Jack built houses on land around Bruche Avenue and Lambs Lane. But when war broke out, all house building was stopped so the company built air raid shelters for homes across the town, as well as working at Stretton Naval Air Station.

After the war, building materials were scarce so Jack began doing contract work. The first job was at the Warrington Slate offices and this led to business with many of the town's firms which were thriving after the war.

The building of schools also played a large part of the company's business and Jack was responsible for creating, among others, Woolston Primary School and parts of Woolston High School.

In the 1950s, Jack went to America and came back with an idea which was to revolutionise the house building industry in this country.

"He saw open plan estates," said Michael, "with no hedges or walls. A lot of people were against it because they thought they would have no privacy, but it's common practice now."

Ashall's bought the former American Army hospital site at Appleton and created what is now Appleton Park, putting his new ideas into practice. He took great pride in the fact that the town's estate agents endorsed their advertisements with the phrase 'Ashall-made' if one of the properties he built came on the market.

When the Commission for New Town compulsory purchased land owned by Ashalls, Jack used the money to get into developments. The company built offices at Gemini, in the town centre and also built supermarkets and car showrooms.

"My father's philosophy was to always pay the monthly accounts and then suppliers would always sell to you," said Michael.

"We carry this through to this day."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.