About Dale » Dale Gosine

This website is therefore a celebration and a time capsule. A celebration, because I want to thank and showcase my many inspirations: from friends and family to towns, music and countries. It is a time capsule, because I want to credit and remember those who’ve helped in my journey. As this site tracks the ongoing trajectory of my business ventures, so too does it mark my values and life philosophy.

Early Days

I was born and brought up in the hot, luscious islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Coming from a large family of Gosines (my father was one of 18 siblings) I grew to love and respect family values, cooperation and collective cheer. From a young age I adopted a go-getter, DIY attitude that set the framework for my adult life.

When I was in school, my big brother Clifton would call me to help stack shelves at D’abadie Discount Hardware. One of my many mentors, he got me into the groove and instilled my teenage self with a sense of resourcefulness and discipline. Looking back, I realise how intrepid Clifton was, enlisting the free services of his wide-eyed younger brother! He continues to reside in the Caribbean, where I am assisting him with a quality hospitality business.

My unwitting internship paid off, and by 17 years old Clifton waved me off on a business course at Deltasoft in Port Of Spain. There I complemented my practical skills with an academic knowledge of business and computers.

Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse

Early Business

Growing up, I was surrounded by practical and creative inspiration. My father – a former tailor and not somebody who’d let things go to waste – could frequently be heard welding, hammering and fixing things across the family home. He founded Gosine’s Stage Rentals, a stage management business whose vans could be seen driving to and from Trinidad’s gig venues and shopping malls.

As I acquired my driving license and showed an increasing interest in the family business, my father asked if I’d like to help. I was all too willing. Show after show, I learnt the principles of managing a business on the move. In rain or sunshine we’d haul the equipment from the van, set up stage, watch the show then pack up in the hour of darkness. Whether for Christmas, Easter or Diwali, our work was held together by a great atmosphere, my father’s leadership and of course, the trusty vans. I did not know at the time, but those vans would transport me to places far greater even than Carnival!

York & Beyond

By 2010 the time had come to settle to England. My brother Ralph and I were drawn to York, a wonderful city that we’ve proudly called home ever since.

My initial plans were unclear. Previous experiences in Trinidad made me eager to run my own business, but I couldn’t pin down the exact path. It was while working as a sales consultant in NEXT that I recalled the running theme in my life. Whether in the passenger seat of Dad’s car, transporting amps for Blue Ventures or exploring the Caribbean coastline, my go-to tool was the van. Transport had always been a major part in my life, and now was the opportunity to weave that thread even further.

I acquired 1 Van 1 Man in 2010 with the aim of marrying my love for transport and family values. What better way to celebrate these passions than by driving around all day, helping people move into their new home? Seven years on and the company has grown into a happy family. As for myself, I haven’t looked back since.

My Inspiration

The towering inspiration in my life has been my father, Stephen Gosine. Ever resourceful, kind and professional, he was a rock to my family and will continue to inspire us for generations.

Even as a boy, I could see a professional creativity in my father that has stuck with me through the years. It seemed that everywhere there was a need, my father provided a quirky and lucrative answer.

In the sweltering Caribbean heat, my father would park his lorry by the motorway and emerge with a crate of juicy watermelons. Drivers would stop in their dozens to get a piece of the refreshment, and he would wave them off as they drove away, quenched and happy. Luckily for him, I would run to and fro delivering him sandwiches that my mother made. It was a happy time for all.

As is often the case with parents, my father’s influence has grown in the years since his passing. I’ve begin to appreciate all the values he instilled in me – from my early forays into business to sage advice as an adult.

I mentioned above that I wish this website to function as a time capsule. A big part of that is remembering Stephen Gosine – father, husband, boss, friend and mentor.