We are very proud of the 45 strong team of enthusiasts at Aston Workshop who work together to restore, rebuild, maintain and improve the wide variety of cars entrusted to us. Below you will meet our different teams within Aston Workshop whose skills and expertise are the reason we are renowned for our outstanding craftmanship, ingenious engineering solutions and unique range of services.
Management Team
Robert Fountain - Owner and Founder
A lifelong obsession with everything Aston Martin is the driving force behind Bob Fountain, Aston Workshop’s owner and founder. Buying the land that would become the Red Row Estate in the 1980s, Bob started the business after his restoration of a DB5 in the shed outside his home. Since then, the company has gone from strength to strength with Bob at the wheel; nearly 40 years later he remains at the head of the business, guiding Aston Workshop to take on fresh challenges and develop new and exciting enhancements and upgrades.
Fraser Fountain - Managing Director
As the son of Aston Workshop Founder and CEO Bob Fountain, Fraser started working for the company from a young age and has lived on site for his whole life. He cut his teeth restoring a Land Rover in a garden shed and then moved onto restoring Aston Martins for the company. Fraser spent some time away from Beamish, living in London and studying mechanical engineering. He then secured a job working in a prestigious supercar garage. Since moving back to Beamish he has worked both in the workshop and the marketing team before taking on the role of Managing Director in 2023.
Workshop Team
John - Workshop Manager
I love my work at Aston Workshop and have worked here for the last 15 years. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the job is that no two days are the same, there's always a fresh challenge to keep you engaged. Prior to Aston Workshop I ran my own business and was the proud owner of an Aston Matin Lagonda from the 1980s. I loved everything about that car, so you can imagine it didn't much deliberation when the opportunity arose here. It has been an absolute privilege to deal with so many wonderful clients from around the world. It really is a hidden gem of a place, a true Aladdin's Cave for enthusiasts.
Neil - Workshop Manager
Neil Calvert has worked at Aston Workshop for 15 years, having previously worked for BMW between 2001-2007 where he completed his apprenticeship. Having spent many years of his childhood in and around Aston Workshop as a result of his father working for the company between the late 1980’s and the early 2000’s, he joined us himself and spent 10 years as a Technician, working on Gaydon era cars (having been factory trained at Aston Martin headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire). Neil then became Assistant Workshop Manager in 2017. He is married with two children and classes cars as a hobby, which gives him a real passion for his work.
Chris - Service Manager
Service Manager Chris Bateman has been in the motor trade for the entirety of his 42-year working life, serving as a Heavy Goods Vehicle Mechanic and rising through the ranks to be Workshop Manager for Mercedes-Benz (Passenger cars). Chris spent 14 years with Mercedes- Benz before moving with his family to the Sultanate of Oman where he looked after the Sultan’s personal vehicles, spending 7 years there. He was first introduced to the Aston Martin marque on his return to the UK and has worked with Aston Martin for 10 years on two separate occasions. Chris is married, and a father. He has a keen interest in motorcycles, football and golf and follows Middlesbrough Football Club.
Tony - Service Technician
For almost his entire career Tony has been working on Aston Martins. Starting out at the old Aston Martin dealership at Houghton-le-Spring Tony was one of the few Astontrained technicians in the North East following the brand as they opened their new showroom in Newcastle before moving to Aston Workshop in 2022. His factory training has proved invaluable when carrying out the repairs of modern Astons, with their complicated electronic systems. Outside of work Tony can be found camping, shing, cycling or doing any of his other outdoors hobbies, or practicing the drums.
Graeme - Service Technician
Graeme is one of the factory-trained technicians in our service department. He joined Aston Workshop as an apprentice, and has been with us ever since. Soon after Graeme joined the company we were given o cial Aston Martin Service Centre status, and as such he bene tted from a factory training programme at Gaydon giving him expertise in a huge range of modern Astons. Graeme is a sportsman through-and-through, playing basketball and football in his spare time as well as being a dedicated Newcastle United fan. He also spends plenty of time in the outdoors, camping, hiking and climbing.
Geoff - Electrical Technician
Craig - Electrical Technician
Vic - Restoration Technician
Rob - Restoration Technician
Colin - Restoration Technician
Luke - Restoration Technician
Paul - Restoration Technician
Sales & Marketing Team
Alex - Sales Manager
With over 40 years’ experience, sales manager Alex Henderson has previously enjoyed comparable roles at Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz, VW, Audi and BMW. The Chester-le-Street native has sold some of the rarest and most luxurious Aston Martins ever produced during his time with Aston Workshop, and remains dedicated to customer satisfaction. Alex is also devoted to his wife, two children and three grandchildren – and wakes up at 5am to walk his Cairn Terriers!
Jack - Marketing Executive
Stuart - Graphic Designer
Dan - Content Producer
Engineering Team
Kelvin - Chief Engineer
Heading up our Engineering department, Kelvin takes the lead on some of the most ambitious projects we’ve taken on. After a childhood on the South Coast Kelvin moved to Warrington, beginning his engineering career at an Aston Martin engine specialist where he stayed for over a decade. He then made the move to the North East to join the Aston Workshop team, becoming our Chief Engineer. He lives with his wife and three children, and spends his spare time enjoying adventure bikes as well as designing and fabricating bespoke parts for his own vehicles.
Andrew - Engineer
Michael - Junior Engineer
Bodywork & Paint Team
Colin - Foreman Painter
Shaun - Painter
One of our painters, Shaun handles every step of the 300+ hour paint process that converts Aston Martins from bare unpainted bodies to automotive works of art. Living just down the A1 in Bishop Auckland Shaun’s career has included both modern and classic car painting, with the last four years being spent in our paint and body centre. Outside of work he lives with his wife and two children, and spends his time performing, recording and producing music in his studio.
Paul C - Painter
Lewis - Painter
Lucas - Trainee Painter
Paul D - Panel Beater
Paul is one of our talented panel beaters, fabricating and nely shaping Aston Martin chassis and bodies in our body shop. Born and raised in Hebburn, he moved straight into the profession after leaving college and has been with Aston Workshop nearly 20 years. Part of Paul’s job is to carry out the delicate and time-intensive job of traditional automotive bodywork fabrication, still done the same way it was done in the Aston Maritn factory, while outside of work he spends his time modelmaking.
Paul Y - Panel Beater
Parts Team
Darren - Parts Manager
Darren has been the Parts Manager at Aston Workshop for three years overseeing over 50,000 individual parts in stock. Originally from Dudley in the West Midlands, Darren moved to the North East as a teenager and after a stint as a quali ed painter and decorator has worked in the motor trade for the majority of his career. He lives in Chester-le-Street, and has a keen interest in both motorbikes and cars; he’s the Chairman of his bike club, and his car tastes range from Land Rovers to highperformance Japanese cars and everything in-between!
Andrew - Senior Parts Advisor
Louis - Parts Advisor
Bob - Parts Advisor
Accounts Team
Richard - Accounts Assistant
Transport & Valet Team
Alistair - Driver
Peter - Valeter
