Edinburgh Corporation

 Buses

1960s

Edinburgh Corporation Transport  -  Parcels Service

Edinburgh Corporation Transport Parcels Depot - Where and when?

©  Reproduced with acknowledgement to Adrian H Dodsley, Oakerthorpe, Derbyshire, who supplied this photo to me.

 

Question

Where and When?

I believe that this photograph may have been taken around the 1960s - but where was this Parcels Office?

The bus in this photo is a Leyland PSUC1/3 (Duple bodybuilder).  It is one of a batch of 100 similar vehicles bought in 1959-60.  This one was bought in 1960.  The last of these vehicles was withdrawn from service in 1978.

If you can tell me more about where or when this photo might have been taken, please e-mail me.

Thank you.

- Peter Stubbs:  August 22, 2007

 

Answer

1.

Douglas Beath

Burnie, Tasmania, Australia

Thank you to Douglas Beath who replied:

Shrubhill

"From roof shape and fenestration, this photo was obviously taken outside the museum seen in the photograph of Edinburgh tram No 35

©

probably in James Street, Shrubhill.

The ECT Parcel Service would only have occupied a small part (if at all) of the big building.  They did have a shop front in Leith Walk beside the tram depot gate."

Douglas Beath, Burnie, Tasmania,  August 23, 2007

 

Answer

2.

Donald Grant

Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland

Thank you to Donald Grant who replied:

The Location

"There's no doubt that the location is Shrubhill, and judging from the driver's white topped cap and dust coat it is summertime.

The lack of destination on the front blind, allied to the drivers uniform, suggests that the bus was being used for private hire at the time the photo was taken."

The Bus

"The bus is a Leyland Tiger Cub and, as you caption it, PSUC1/3. However the body is not by Duple but is in fact by Weymann as were all the ECT Tiger Cubs with this type of body.

It can be a little confusing as this particular style of body (or at
least very similar types) were built by several different coachbuilders.

Source'Edinburgh's Transport, The Corporation Years'  (D.L.G. Hunter).   This is pretty much the "bible" for Edinburgh Corporation Transport information

After withdrawal in Edinburgh in 1966 some of these vehicles were sold to Ulster Transport Authority and served there for a number of years.  That was the entire 1959 batch SWS 1 - 50 save for numbers 9 and 22 which were withdrawn in 1963.

Donald Grant, Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland:  February 19, 2008

Answer

3.

Jim Paton

Australia

Thank you to Jim Paton who replied:

Parcel Depot

"The Parcel depot sure was outside the gate to the Shrubhill depot.  I was a 'Parcel Boy' from 1957 until I started my Apprenticeship as a Fitter and Tuner with the 'Corpo' in 1958.  I was with the Corpo until we left for Australia in 1968."

Jim Paton, Australia:  November 5, 2009.

 

Answer

4.

John Dickson

(Parcel Boy 6)

Silverknowes, Edinburgh

Thank you to John Dickson who replied

Parcel Depot

"I think the photo of the parcel service was in East London Street at the side of the Central Garage,

You can still see the cobbles on the road today.  The Parcel Dept was moved into the workshops at Shrubhill until the new building enclosing the Paintshop, Printing and Museum was ready."

John Dickson, Silverknowes, Edinburgh:  August 29, 2010

Answer

5.

Ian Bremner

Fairmilehead, Edinburgh

Thank you to Ian Bremner who replied, agreeing that this photo would not have been taken at Shrubhill:

Edinburgh City Transport - Parcels Depot  -  Where? ©

Ian wrote:

Parcel Depot

"John Dickson (4 above) sure got it right. This photo would have been taken on the north side of East London Street, between Cochrane Terrace and the big house opposite the bottom of Gayfield Square.  I know 'cause I played there when I was a laddie!

The building was latterly replaced by a Telephone Exchange. Sorry, I don't have any date for that."

Ian Bremner, Fairmilehead, Edinburgh:  October 5, 2010

Ian added:

Fairmilehead

"I now live close to the old termini of the No 11  tram at Fairmilehead and the No 28 tram at the Braids."

Annandale Street

"I lived in Bellevue Road  from 1942 until 1954 when I was a laddie.  I know the Annandale Street Bus Depot entrance on Green Street well.  We used to watch the buses queuing up to be refilled with fuel there every evening  -  fond memories!"

Ian Bremner, Fairmilehead, Edinburgh:  October 6, 2010

 

Answer

6.

John Dickson

(Parcel Boy 6)

Silverknowes, Edinburgh

Thank you to John Dickson for writing again and enclosing a press cutting with a photo and caption:

 "A new Parcels Office has been constructed on the East London Street frontage of Central Garage.  It is equipped with roller conveyor for speedier processing of parcels."

John wrote:

"This photo was in ECT Report on Income and Expenditure, 1961, proving that the Parcel Office was in East London Street."

John Dickson, Silverknowes, Edinburgh:  August 29, 2010

 

Answer

7.

George Selvester

(Bus Driver)

Cromarty, Black Isle, Highland, Scotland

Thank you to George Selvester who wrote:

John wrote:

"I was driving those buses in the late-1960s.

Edinburgh City Transport - Parcels Depot  -  Where? ©

I'm sure the that the Parcel Force Office was halfway down Leith Walk (at Shrub Place) just before the lights at Pilrig Street."

George Selvester, Cromarty, Black Isle, Highland, Scotland:  February 21, 2013

 

Answer

8.

Fraser Parkinson

Pilrig, Edinburgh

Thank you to Fraser Parkinson who wrote:

East London Street

"As has been previously stated, the location of the parcel office was East London Street.

Edinburgh City Transport - Parcels Depot  -  Where? ©

It was located on the site of where the Waverley Telephone Exchange is today, at 12 East London Street. The roof seen in the distance on the top left portion of the photo is that of the end tenement on Cochran Terrace.

Telephone Exchange

Perhaps of interest on the exchange building, constructed on the site, is the tiled panel over the main entrance which was made by Malkin-Johnson Tiles

The actual tiles can be attributed to the designer Ken Clark MBE. one of London's most versatile craft potters at the time known for collaboration with architects on bespoke designed panels.

Date of the Photo

To help date the photograph, the exchange was built in 1964 (with the later addition of a third floor in the 1970s).

In short, the photograph is pre the exchange building which dates it to before 1964.

Fraser Parkinson, Pilrig, Edinburgh:  August 14, 2013

1960-64

Answer 1 above tells us that the bus in this photo was new in 1960.

So the photo must date from the period 1960-64, possibly near the start of this period if the photographer wished to have a new vehicle in his photo.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  August 14, 2013

 

 

  

 

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