Flying visit
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Ailsa Trucks' hq at Barrhead was thrown into some confusion the other day with the surprise arrival by helicopter of Sir Hugh Fraser, the chain store magnate and now would-be press baron. Sir Hugh had decided that his newly married wife — a wellknown show-jumper — should have a new horsebox. A Volvo B58 would be just the thing, he was told, so to Barrhead he went.
After a quick chat with the men at Barrhead the impetuous knight decided to whiz off to Ailsa's Irvine plant to see a B58 for himself. So fast did his helicopter cover the 18 miles to Irvine that there was only the shortest time for a warning to be flashed from Barrhead. It did not reach the Irvine security man who is famed for super-tight security and for giving the Irvine compound its "Colditz" nickname.
True to form the 'copter touched down inside the wire fence but hardly had Sir Hugh's feet touched the ground that the security officer approached at the double. "You should have brought that through the gates" were his first words.
However, the story ended happily. After Sir Hugh and wife had toured the Ayrshire countryside in a B58 demonstrator they came back and placed an order for a 12m chassis. Needless to say, the Ailsa men were pleased, if a little breathless, after the afternoon's speedy turn of events.