IBM Transport

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

[+bughtmaster]

On ‎5‎/‎28‎/‎2016 at 9:46 AM, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

Got a feeling that might have been the Rossleigh Garage took over.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

[Charles Bannerman]

6 hours ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

I believe these are some of the very earliest cars in Inverness, at least one of which belonged to Dr Kerr (otherwise known as Dr England-Kerr) who was a local GP and was the first to use motorised transport to do his rounds. I've seen the photo before and think Dr Kerr's car may be the one on the right.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

[Charles Bannerman]

4 hours ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

I don't know who originally registered ST1 but by the 60s it had got into the acquisitive hands of ex-Provost Robert Wotherspoon whose legal firm MacAndrew and Jenkins also had the phone number Inverness 1 - and I believe may still have it successor 01463 233001 somewhere in their repertoire. It may be that Mr Wotherspoon considered himself Inverness's No 1 citizen. It was said that the company that produced The Saint tried to buy ST1 off him for use in the programme but he wasn't selling although he gave permission for the number to be used.

[IBM]

I would never have got these cars away before my time!  The telephone number 233001 used to be for John Aird who died a few years ago he was a Solicitor with Anderson Shaw and Gilbert and was also a Colonel with the Army Cadet Force until 1988.

[+snorbens_caleyman]

10 hours ago, Charles Bannerman said:

I don't know who originally registered ST1 but by the 60s it had got into the acquisitive hands of ex-Provost Robert Wotherspoon...  It was said that the company that produced The Saint tried to buy ST1 off him for use in the programme but he wasn't selling although he gave permission for the number to be used.

My Mum used to work at M&Js, and said that whenever the Saint's car was being taken on the road for filming - usually in the leafy lanes around Elstree, just down the road from where I am now - they used to phone to find out where the real ST1 was, in case of confusion. One was a big black Bentley saloon, and the other was a white Volvo P1800 sports car - so there wasn't much scope for confusion!

RW also used to own JS1, the first Ross & Cromarty plate, and M&Js staff were under standing instructions to decline politely whenever a certain Mr Savile used to phone up to try to buy it.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

[Caley Mad In Berks]

Bit off topic but reading that these cars were owned by a Dr Kerr, it reminded me that, in my youth, a Dr Kerr lived in a very imposing house on high ground at the junction of Culduthel Road and Old Edinburgh road, (just at the top of the hill at the top of Castle Street).  I remember it because it had a cannon in its garden pointing roughly in the direction of the castle.  Anyone else recall this house?  Just wondered if it might be the same family of Kerrs.

[Charles Bannerman]

1 hour ago, Caley Mad In Berks said:

Bit off topic but reading that these cars were owned by a Dr Kerr, it reminded me that, in my youth, a Dr Kerr lived in a very imposing house on high ground at the junction of Culduthel Road and Old Edinburgh road, (just at the top of the hill at the top of Castle Street).  I remember it because it had a cannon in its garden pointing roughly in the direction of the castle.  Anyone else recall this house?  Just wondered if it might be the same family of Kerrs.

If she does not still do so, that house was occupied at least until relatively recently by a Jennifer Kerr-Smith who is a relation - Dr Kerr's grand daughter, I suspect. It is still there in all its grandeur. I also had a recent query from a friend of this woman whose father (I think) was a George Kerr, who would therefore possibly have been Dr Kerr's son. The query was about a sports cap she had found and which was inscribed "IRASC 1926-27". It didn't take too long in the school archive to unearth details and a photo of George Kerr as Royal Academy shinty captain for that session. I think there was a (youngest?) brother as well called Eric (England) Kerr whom I remember as a kid in the 60s. I think he was in the motor trade (a garage in Anderson St? IBM?) and for a short and unsuccessful period sold air cooled Dutch cars called DAFs. I think DAF were rather better at making trucks.

I do indeed also remember JS1 as belonging to Robert Wotherspoon. He must have had some obsession or ego trip about being number one!

[+snorbens_caleyman]

5 hours ago, Caley Mad In Berks said:

Bit off topic but reading that these cars were owned by a Dr Kerr, it reminded me that, in my youth, a Dr Kerr lived in a very imposing house on high ground at the junction of Culduthel Road and Old Edinburgh road, (just at the top of the hill at the top of Castle Street).  I remember it because it had a cannon in its garden pointing roughly in the direction of the castle.  Anyone else recall this house?  Just wondered if it might be the same family of Kerrs.

I used to live up Culduthel Road, so I do of course know it.

Another thing about the house is the observatory-like dome on it. When I was in Inverness about 6 weeks ago, I noticed that the sun was glinting off the dome - I don't think I'd ever seen that before.  The picture below won't win any awards - I have a cheap phone and it was into the sun - but here you are anyway!

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

[Charles Bannerman]

8 hours ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

IBM will keep me right, but the cars sort of look a bit mid-80s? I only have a passing memory of these premises being called The Gateway but if this photo is mid 80s, then the Hayloft must have lasted for a shorter time than I thought.

[Charles Bannerman]

On ‎6‎/‎7‎/‎2016 at 11:58 AM, Charles Bannerman said:

If she does not still do so, that house was occupied at least until relatively recently by a Jennifer Kerr-Smith who is a relation

I have since been told that Jennifer Kerr-Smith died last year and the house is still occupied by her husband, retired Dr Tony Smith. George Kerr was indeed her father and Dr. England-Kerr's son.

[IBM]

9 hours ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

Ford Capri Mk2, Sunbeam Talbot, Renault estate?, Fiat Panda,....................., Cortina Mk4, Hillman Avenger, Ford Granada I think!

[Charles Bannerman]

1 hour ago, IBM said:

Ford Capri Mk2, Sunbeam Talbot, Renault estate?, Fiat Panda,....................., Cortina Mk4, Hillman Avenger, Ford Granada I think!

Yes, but what's the approximate date? It will give a clue as to the demise of that vital Inverness institution which was the Hayloft!

[IBM]

45 minutes ago, Charles Bannerman said:

Yes, but what's the approximate date? It will give a clue as to the demise of that vital Inverness institution which was the Hayloft!

Early 80's I would say, the Capri is a Mk3, I am sure IHE would know when the Hayloft changed to the Gateway!

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

I would have said that the name changed in the late 70's 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

[IBM]

The new Triumph dealership on Harbour Road which would have been late 60's with Triumph 1300's and a Herald estate on the right corner, the photo must be from the P & J.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

[IBM]

They are all Austins!  Don't recall ever seeing an Austin shooting brake though.  The Austin lorries you can see were very similar to the Bedford OL range which were built in the early 50's.  I think this must have been at a Highland Show when it was held in Inverness.  

[Charles Bannerman]

5 minutes ago, IBM said:

 I think this must have been at a Highland Show when it was held in Inverness.  

The photo certainly has that ambience of a Highland Show at the Bught where there were various stands on the park outside the stadium. IBM... I'm sure you know more about historic vehicle prices than I do, so what do the price tags tell you about the possible date?

[IBM]

I have no idea about the prices but it is more likely to be the late 40's and not the and not the early 50's as stated above.