IBM Transport

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A thread fer IBM

[IBM]

The most impressive thing about Macrae & Dick when I moved into Inverness in 1968 was the showroom for Rolls Royce on the left as you went along Strothers Lane, I can't remember it being there very long. When I started driving in 1973 I had an old Ford Corsair and you drove into the garage from Strothers Lane and exited out onto Academy Street, the attendant dispensed the petrol £1's worth on a Friday night and it would last all weekend!

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Mmmm

 

 

[Charles Bannerman]

The most impressive thing about Macrae & Dick when I moved into Inverness in 1968 was the showroom for Rolls Royce on the left as you went along Strothers Lane, I can't remember it being there very long. When I started driving in 1973 I had an old Ford Corsair and you drove into the garage from Strothers Lane and exited out onto Academy Street, the attendant dispensed the petrol £1's worth on a Friday night and it would last all weekend!

Was the Inverness Motor Company part of MacRae and Dick and if so, did they have the Rolls franchise? (I also bought the somewhat unreliable Simca, my first car which I mentioned elsewhere, at the Inverness Motor Company in 1976.

I also have memories of cheap petrol in days of youth. My pal had access to the family Hillman Imp and since he had a March birthday he passed his test with some of Sixth Year still remaining. Four of us would chip in half a crown each and the 10 bob's worth of 91 octane would take us all over the place.

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And there were competitors

[IBM]

 

The most impressive thing about Macrae & Dick when I moved into Inverness in 1968 was the showroom for Rolls Royce on the left as you went along Strothers Lane, I can't remember it being there very long. When I started driving in 1973 I had an old Ford Corsair and you drove into the garage from Strothers Lane and exited out onto Academy Street, the attendant dispensed the petrol £1's worth on a Friday night and it would last all weekend!

Was the Inverness Motor Company part of MacRae and Dick and if so, did they have the Rolls franchise? (I also bought the somewhat unreliable Simca, my first car which I mentioned elsewhere, at the Inverness Motor Company in 1976.

I also have memories of cheap petrol in days of youth. My pal had access to the family Hillman Imp and since he had a March birthday he passed his test with some of Sixth Year still remaining. Four of us would chip in half a crown each and the 10 bob's worth of 91 octane would take us all over the place.

 

The Rolls Royce showroom was opposite the main entrance to the garage on Strothers Lane.  There was a large ramp where you could drive up to the top floor where I think the body shop was.  An old neighbor Alex Macdonald (dabbers) was the foreman paint sprayer with M & D and brought home a large Fanta bottle filled with a special polish (T Cut) for my fathers black Wolseley 16/60, with a lot of elbow grease it worked a treat!  The Inverness Motor Company was along at the corner which was a furniture warehouse (Queensway I think) is now the PO sorting office.  It had large windows then, the salesman must have seen you coming Charles when he sold you the Simca  

[IBM]

And there were competitors

Was that King Street IHE?  Chapmans had a garage on King Street (now flats) to the rear of the Caley Club and I think the Caley Club may have been used as offices by them.  I think it closed after Cordiners either took them over or won the Ford franchise and moved to Harbour Road.  There is a mechanic I know an ICT Supporter North Stand who started as an apprentice with Chapmans then moved to Cordiners and still works at Macrae & Dick Ford. 

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King street it was

[IBM]

A Morris JB van from the late 50's, the name Brooman is not one I have ever herd of in Inverness.

[Charles Bannerman]

A Morris JB van from the late 50's, the name Brooman is not one I have ever herd of in Inverness.

John Brooman was a leading light in Caley and may well have been on the committee. He was great mates with Diggar MacGillivray to the entent that Diggar could be cutting your hair in his shop one second and the next was out on the pavement shouting good natured abuse at John Brooman as the latter made his way down Greig St.

As the van says, Brooman's was a wholesale business and its premises were down in the Abban St area. My dad built a shed in our garden in Dalneigh from wooden package cases which were surplus to requirement at Brooman's.

John Brooman's grandson was a leading Caley Rebel during the merger.

 

Regarding the earlier post about the Inverness Motor Company salesman who sold me that Simca, this former Jaggie is now a good friend of mine and is one of the ICT "meet and greets" at the Stadium on match days

 

Chapman's Garage... was that down at tyhe bottom end of Academy St by any chance? Or was it Millburn Rd?

Edited February 1, 2015 by Charles Bannerman

[IBM]

I can only remember Chapman's being on King Street and the bottom end of Academy Street was SMT Vauxhall with the showroom and stores now Farmfood's and the workshop across the road where you drove through what in now the Panasonic shop to the garage which was at the rear.  On Millburn road what is now Farm & Household was the Standard & Vanguard garage but I will have to sleep on it to remember the name    

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Here is a blast from the past.

[IBM]

Is that Pagliari's first ice cream van out Fort George way?

[Charles Bannerman]

Is that Pagliari's first ice cream van out Fort George way?

I believe you may be right! Certainly Pagliari's little pale blue "bubble van" which played the "Harry Lime" theme around the houses in the 60s was a quantum leap up in technology.

[IBM]

I remember the wee blue van coming out to Fort Augustus on a Sunday, what a treat then I moved into Inverness and you could get real ice cream any day of the week

[Charles Bannerman]

I remember the wee blue van coming out to Fort Augustus on a Sunday, what a treat then I moved into Inverness and you could get real ice cream any day of the week

Plunky plunky plunky PLUNG

Plunky plunky plunky PLUNG

Plunky plunky plun - ky plunky plunky PLUNG.

Plun - ky plun - ky PLUNG.....

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To the tune of the Reguero song - Enrico !!

[IBM]

You guys know your music   

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And did you own one of these

[IBM]

No the nearest I got to that was a Motorola radio and the on to a radio cassette, what luxury!

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10:4

[IBM]

Good buddy.....................glad I never got into that

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Double whammy !

[IBM]

Think it is Eastgate looking towards High Street with the only shop I recognize Riggs the butcher on the right.  Mk 1 Ford Cortina, Mini, Mini? Austin A40 van I think, going other way Ford Popular or Prefect I think and Bedford Dormobile.

[Charles Bannerman]

Yes, definitely Eastgate looking towards High St. The big giveaway for me is the chip shop on the right. I think the photo may have been taken not far from where there was that big fire a year or so ago.