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Bird's Eye

26th August 1966, Page 49
26th August 1966
Page 49
Page 49, 26th August 1966 — Bird's Eye
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ViewBY THE HAWK

New Site for Simms

NEWS that the Glasgow branch of Simms Motor Units Ltd., a member of the Simms Group, has moved from Finnieston Street to brand-new premises in Camlachie Street, Gallowgate, Glasgow, reminds me that it was in this city where the company opened its first branch. This was on January 1, 1920, when premises at 1175 Argyle Street were acquired to provide a specialized ignition service for the whole of Scotland.

In those days the magneto was a complicated piece of vehicle equipment, the repair of which called for expert knowledge and the use of electrical apparatus not normally available in garages and repair workshops. This knowledge and equipment was used to repair other makes of British and Continental magnetos and this policy has been sustained through the years, though now, of course, applying to fuel injection and electrical equipment in place of magnetos.

Tram Fare --2t-d.

OPENING the new branch last Friday, G. E. Liardet, chairman and managing director, recalled the days when a 4-cl. tram fare took one from the old branch to Kelvin Hall. He also said that he remembered F. R. Simms, their founder, telling him that he had established the branch especially to look after the interests of Albion, to whom they were large suppliers of magnetos.

Today Simms were still major suppliers to that company, but the equipment was more sophisticated. In 1957 the branch had been moved to Finnieston Street and now a move to yet larger and better equipped premises has taken place.

Cold Comfort

BRICK hauliers in Bedfordshire, I hear, are getting restive about rates. A veteran haulier I talked to recently told me that a fourwheeler of his earned £47 in a week, out of which the driver's pay alone came to £24.

In the climate of the freeze, rate increases will be resisted fiercely. Brickmakers whose output has exceeded sales of late are likely to tell road hauliers to grin and bear it. Cold comfort!

For Vision Read Phantom

BARBARA CASTLE'S White Paper promised a new era road/rail co-operation with everyone working for the comm meal—transportwise.

So it's a pity about the latest TUC disclosure. The gene council's report to the annual congress at Blackpool has this say about union mergers: "Within British Railways itself, ASL I would not even attend a meeting about merging with the NW And—roadwise—independence is likewise the order of the di The 10,000-strong United Road Transport Union has broken merger talks with the TGWU.

Which makes me wonder all the more just what did Barbz and the unions discuss in their pre-White Paper talks recently!

AA Enterprise

THE AA is to launch a greatly expanded mobile radio co munications scheme in the autumn if some technical in can be rooted out.

Alec Dune, the AA's director general, has been very enterpris in developing comprehensive services to members and it was to expected that the AA's unique experience of mobile radio would exploited more extensively.

I gather that fleet owners—with sales and service representati very much in mind—will be the first target for the mobile ra people. Later on, operators of heavier vehicles may be approach Communications equipment advances rapidly and message Ira mission equipment now in the pipeline will offer some posit advantages.

Angel Hill—No Cars!

OUR recent article describing the battle between the market t and the private car in Angel Hill, Bury St. Edmunds (CC IITERCIAL MOTOR, August 12), prompted a reader to send m photograph of Angel Hill on market day many years ago.

One point most significant about the photograph (reprodu, here) is the absence of private cars and the methodical lining of the buses. Some beautiful old specimens are to be seen. I told the third vehicle from the right is Burwell and District's Gar ER 5087.

The view appears to have been taken looking north from region of the old Abbey gateway and should be compared NI the photograph at the top right-hand of page 51 of our August issue.


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