Trip down memory lane

Photograph courtesy of Clare McMicking, CraicN Communications

Blairgowrie residents enjoyed a trip down memory lane this week thanks to Chris Board who visited our town with his restored Blairgowrie Co-operative Society Limited truck.

Enthusiast Chris, who bought the 1950 Albion truck, registration number DES 776, as a non-runner and brought it back to life, drove it to east Perthshire all the way from Colchester in Essex – nearly 500 miles away.

He was in Scotland to attend a gathering of fellow Albion truck and bus enthusiasts in Biggar in South Lanarkshire, and decided to bring the truck home to Blairgowrie for a visit.

While here, he met lots of local people who had connections to the truck – everyone from people who had driven it, or whose fathers had driven it, to people who had worked on fitting it out or stacking the shelves of the mobile shop.

Many more stopped by to say hello, share photos and reminisce over using the shop when it called by.

He stopped by the current Blairgowrie Co-op on Perth Road, as well as the site of the former Co-op store garages on Croft Lane, photographing DES 776 at its original home.

Chris said: “I wanted to come to Blairgowrie to learn more about the history of the truck, and I got so much information that I could write half a book on it now!

“I found out why my one looks the way it does, and spoke to lots of former co-op drivers – and even the man who built the body, Wilson Graham from WA Crole!

“I believe that this particular lorry was built with a rear door for example, but was then modified in 1964 or 65 to have a side door.

“Albion has a really good record of the mechanical side of these trucks but I wanted to get a feel for what it meant to people – the social history that you can’t get without talking to people.

“I posted on the Albion Trucks and Buses Worldwide Facebook page and people started commenting – the response has been amazing, they really wanted to see the van!

“I never thought I would get as much information as I have, it’s been great, everyone in Blairgowrie was wonderful and I’ll definitely be back – hopefully with DES 776 for the Glamis Extravaganza next year!”