Inebriation Reputation
The image of the red-nosed inebriated Scotsman seems unjustly ingrained in UK culture. Above is a postcard drawn by Isle of Wight resident artist Rupert Besley and printed by Dixons locally on the Island. Much of the "credit" for this image must go to Scottish actor Will Fyffe and a recording issued in 1929.
The record (they did not have "discs" then!) includes a monologue which would be regarded as very non-PC today, by virtue of being offensive to the Scots!In his early interaction with the wee Scots lassie who became Mrs fbb; and has remained so for 52 years and counting, fbb did meet a slightly unsteady gentleman whilst investigating the crane on Finnieston Quay ...
... and the Clyde foot tunnel.
For some mysterious reason, the future Mrs fbb did not accompany her beloved (???) on this expedition.
Anyway, it was on Finnieston Quay where fbb met said gentleman who was at pains to adulate the local bar (long since demolished) in a slightly slurred voice whilst swaying gently in the breeze,
fbb demurred and was waved on his way by his potential drinking pal without further incident!
Decoration Fascination
On spasmodic visits, bravely crossing Hadrian's Wall, fbb took a great interest in the buses and trains of greater Glasgow.
It seemed complicated!
Apart from Glasgow Corporation Transport ...,_2012_Glasgow_Show_bus_service,_Greendyke_Street.jpg)
... which changed its colours whilst in the early days of the cosy couple's coming and staying together ....jpg)
... there were buses marked Midland, Eastern, Western and, bafflingly, Central, the latter travelling westbound passing Mrs fbb's father's shop on the Great Western Road.
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What was even more strange was that some of these red "Central" buses were Bristol Lodekka's, which fbb knew very well from ex Tilling Group member United Counties which plied the roads of his home area, Northamptonshire.
And here is a picture of one such in red (NOT Tilling red) and labelled "Central", probably going west of Glasgow.
"What", thought a curious blogger-to-be, "is it all about"?
Organisation Complication
Two names dominated "country" bus operation in Scotland. They were Walter Alexander of Falkirk and Scottish Motor Traction (SMT) of Edinburgh. Despite their different origins they were jointly owned and managed from 1929!
Here is a summary of what Wikipedia says about Alexander.
Alexanders' Motor Services began running 'omnibus' services in the Falkirk area from a base in Camelon in 1913, and by 1924 the company was registered as W. Alexander & Sons Ltd. It was run by father and son, Walter Alexander (1879–1959) and Walter Alexander (1902–1979).
From 1929 the company was controlled by the Scottish Motor Traction Company (SMT), which had itself come under control of the LMS and LNE Railway companies the previous year. Expansion was rapid, partly achieved by acquisition. An early gain was the Scottish General Omnibus Group, which, through a northern subsidiary, took the growing Alexanders empire as far away as Aberdeen and Inverness by 1930. Expansion continued rapidly.
Although under common ownership, Alexanders and SMT maintained separate identities.
SMT grew partly through the acquisition of smaller companies. Operations were decentralised to local areas, such as Central SMT in Lanarkshire, and Western SMT in south-west Scotland (both with red buses). The east of Scotland services operated as SMT (with green buses), only later carrying the name Eastern Scottish.
The Alexander company also had regional branding, and the Glasgow area buses were blue and bore the name Midland.
We have already met a Central bus above, so herewith we have vehicles labelled Western ...
Identification Alteration
... Midland ...
... and Eastern!
Information Anticipation
One key factor excited the youthful and as yet not too chubby one, back in those halcyon days. The four operators each produced a splendid timetable book ....jpg)
... appropriately colour coded ....jpg)
... readily available in Glasgow ** ... .jpg)
... and only four pence each!
And that's four of these pennies.
** Never found an Eastern Scottish edition in Glasgow. And the timetable books did go up to sixpence!
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Then it all got very complicated!
But fbb will save that tale for Monday's blog.
Next Variety blog : Sat 1st March
The timetable books were also available at the London office of the Scottish Bus Group at 298 Regent Street (close to Oxford Circus) - actually the registered address of Western SMT, alone amongst the group in not being a company registered in Scotland. Oh, and that Central Lodekka has gone east - it is in St Andrew Square Bus Station in Edinburgh. 122 is an Eastern Scottish route number, so was probably either on loan, or perhaps pinched between other workings.
ReplyDeleteB148 was acquired by Eastern in 7/77, being withdrawn just under 2 years later. The images probably dates from not long after transfer.
Delete298 Regent Street was also where the coaches between Scotland and London were 'charted' - i.e. seat numbers issued. Each passenger had their own numbered seat (and coach number too when duplicates were operating, as happened frequently), it wasn't the free-for-all of National Express.
ReplyDeleteIt is perhaps worth pointing out that the Alexander "regional branding" - as FBB describes it - was introduced in 1961. Prior to that, all of the buses were in the blue-based liveries except for those used on Perth city services, and those operated by the Lawsons subsidiary also had their own identity (there may perhaps have been other small subsidiaries as well). The "regional branding" did in fact involve the creation of separate companies - but then, FBB would have been only a teenager then!
ReplyDeleteRC169
Kirkcaldy Town Services were red as well. I think the distinction here and at Perth related to tram replacement.
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