Before their time!

I called over to see a bus friend today to collect this picture that he'd acquired.  When I got there he'd left a note to say he'd forgotten about a hospital appointment but left me an envelope under the porch.  Now that was a good idea because I'd turned up 2 hours early as I'd given him the wrong time due to me forgetting what time my Physio was punishing me.  Our wives have now banned us from making our own arrangements.

The pic above is one from 1905 and shows the Orkney Motor Services fleet belonging to Mr EJ Robertson-Grant (related to James Grant, founder of Highland Park Distillery - thank you sir).  The vehicles are parked outside of Mr Tullock's Kirkwall Cycle and Motor Depot.  The current WR Tullock and Son hold the title of being the longest running independent Ford Motor dealer in the UK!

Mr R-G's venture only lasted 3 years as the rough road to Stromness, his only bus route, was so bad that he kept breaking down, so that the locals stopped travelling by bus and returned to the horse drawn services of Mr Nicolson of Kirkwall and Mr Couper of Stromness.  Mr R-G sold up and moved to Argentina to take up ranching.

For those who have reached this far down the Blip note they may be interested to know that bus S486 and S487 are Stirling 24hp vehicles, BS32 is a Daimler 1 ton bus and S534 is of Durkopp manufacture.

Those of a nervous disposition should not attempt to try and locate young Iain at Creel, of Blip fame, in the background.