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Alexander's Edinburgh & Glasgow |
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Recollections |
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1. |
- The Alexander Family |
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2. |
Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland |
- Early Vehicles - Where are they Now? - 'Model T' Ford - More trips up Ben Nevis - Photo 1 - George Simpson - More Photos |
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3. |
- The Alexander Family |
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4. |
Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland |
- 'Model T' Ford - Ben Nevis Trip - Centenary |
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Recollections 1. Lorna McKay |
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Thank you to Lorna McKay for writing about some members of her family and the businesses that they used to run in Edinburgh: Lorna wrote: |
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Driver and Pilot "My Great Grandmother (Jane Fairley, née Alexander) was the driving force behind Fairley's Restaurant and Ballroom in Leith Street, Edinburgh. We believe that she was one of the first women to get a driving licence in Edinburgh and also the first woman to hold a pilot's licence. That doesn't surprise me, as she was the daughter of James Alexander of Edinburgh, founder of Alexander's car dealers in Semple Street, one of the main Ford dealers in the UK. I think the family also had an Alexander's in Glasgow." Ben Nevis "My great great uncle was the first man to drive up Ben Nevis in a Model T Ford. He still holds the record." Motor Cycles and Planes The Alexanders family were great motorbike fanatics. My brothers are both 'off-road' fanatics, and we all like bikes and planes!" My Dad has restored many beautiful vintage bikes and built two aeroplanes. He sold the first one and still flies his 'Mark 2' plane. My Dad is a genius and a very wonderful man. I've never met anyone like him. On VE day he and his brothers cycled along Princes Street, much to the amazement of American and British soldiers, on a bicycle made for 3 that had been found in a basement, very rusty, and refurbished at Alexander's. Sadly, I don't know where the 'Ben Nevis car' and the 'bicycle for 3' are now." Lorna McKay: May 3+4+16 + 21, 2014 |
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Recollections 2. Bryan Gourlay Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland |
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Thank you to Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland, who wrote: |
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Where are they Now? "It was interesting to read Lorna's Recollections 1 (above) of her family. While I cannot throw any light on what happened to the 'bicycle for 3', I can hopefully throw some light on the whereabouts of the 'Model T' her great great uncle Henry Alexander drove to the top of Ben Nevis in May 1911." More Trips up Ben Nevis "Henry actually repeated his trip up Ben Nevis around Sep 1928, this time in a Model A Ford. This spurred a young Edinburgh man, George Simpson, and a group of friends to go to the top of the mountain the following month in an Austin Seven Tourer - up and down in a single day." "George somehow found Henry's 'Model T' in Ireland later, where it had been for many years. He lovingly restored it during the 1950s and used it to take part in 'Model T' Ford Register of Great Britain events." Photo 1 "There is a photo of George and Henry Alexander on the Scran site prior to George taking part in a Brighton run." George Simpson "I met George in the mid-1960s when I worked for Ford Motor Company in Edinburgh and actually saw the Model T that Henry had used all those years before. George was arranging with my boss, Des Fippard, the Ford District Manager, to donate the car to Ford's Heritage Collection in Dagenham. I think it is still there today. Indeed, Ford may have taken it to Fort William in May 2011 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Henry's amazing feat, together with many other Model Ts and their owners. They all drove through Edinburgh a few days later. Their journey through Edinburgh was covered in the Evening News at the time." More Photos "The 'Model T' Ford Club of America web site has photos of George Simpson driving the 'Model T' with Henry Alexander in the passenger seat. According to the Model T Ford Forum, these were taken in 1961, during the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Henry's first accent of the Ben. Brian Gourlay, Bigger, Lanarkshire, Scotland: May 19, 2014 |
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Recollections 3. Lorna McKay |
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Thank you to Lorna McKay for replying. After reading Recollections 2 above, Lorna wrote: |
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Centenary Celebrations "My goodness how very interesting is all that!!! I knew there had been centenary celebrations and remember my brother making inquiries before the centenary about re-enacting the whole trip up the mountain. He really wanted to do it, but Ben Nevis is now protected - and rightly so! Historic Scotland said 'No' as the Ben is already quite damaged with all the walkers, never mind any more vehicles going up!" Lorna McKay: May 19, 2014 |
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Recollections 4. Bryan Gourlay Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland |
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Thank you to Bryan Gourlay for writing again. This time Brian has sent a link to the Edinburgh Evening News report written in May 2011 about a 5-day event to be held at Fort William to mark the centenary of Henry Alexander's drive in his 'Model T' ford to the summit of Ben Nevis in 1911. Bryan wrote |
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Centenary of Trips up Ben Nevis "Here is a link to the Evening News piece on the 100th Anniversary Celebrations." Brian Gourlay, Bigger, Lanarkshire, Scotland: May 20, 2014 |
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Here is an extract from the article in the Evening News "Health and safety laws, and conservationists tasked with looking after the mountain, put the brakes on ambitions to repeat the exact mission. Instead, a specially-made version of the car will be shipped up from Buckinghamshire in pieces, carried up the mountain by participants then rebuilt at the summit." Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: May 20, 2014 |
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Recollections 5. Allan Dodds Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England |
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Thank you to Allan Dodds who wrote |
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Health & Safety "My epitaph will be 'And who are these people, anyway?'. I'm glad that I was born in Edinburgh: - to enjoy freedom of expression. - take risks. - tell the truth. - be a bit naughty - but prepared to own up when caught out. - etc., etc." Allan Dodds, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England |
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