Recollections SMT Sales & Service 1945 |
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Thank you to Ed Thomson, Glamis Castle, Angus, Scotland for his memories of work at SMT Sales & Services in Edinburgh from 1945 until 1952 when he pursued a Military Career. This was Ed's second job after leaving school. He lost his first job as a decorator after a few months on discovery that he was red/green colour blind. Ed wrote: |
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£1:17s 6d per week "I was about to register as unemployed at the Shore Labour Exchange one day, when I met one of my ex-Wardie schoolmates who told me there were vacancies with the SMT Sales and Service at 39 Fountainbridge." I hot footed it up there that very day and succeeded in getting an interview with the General Manager, Mr Cambage. I started about three days later on £1:17s 6d per week. My workplace was in the General Shop on the second level, firstly dismantling salvageable parts from accident damaged vehicles (cars were in very short supply after the War) such as Armstrong Siddeley, MG, Talbot and Vauxhall" |
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"My Charge Hand was Alex Black who had the responsibility of driving the 'Wrecker'. He also taught me to drive when I was 17. We attended many road accidents and breakdowns in the City. One time, we had to recover Jimmy Logan the comedian from the Maybury when he had just got married to Grace Pagan he wasn't in a mood to be funny that day as he had an American Hudson Terraplane which we were unable to repair for some weeks 'awaiting spares'." Hudson Terraplane |
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My Car - Price £12 "Another workmate was Jim McNeill from Brandon Terrace, He asked me, one day, if I'd like a car. There was to be a sale of Government Surplus vehicles at Powderhall Stadium in July 1947. I went to the sale and became, for £12, the owner of a 1944 ex- National Fire Service Austin utility in grey rust finish with 'AFS' on the doors! It only had a few thousand miles on the clock and the canvas canopy was covered in moss. A couple of days later we borrowed the Garage Salvage truck to tow it to my Uncle's garage in Inverleith Terrace Lane where I had once worked. We added a second hand 6v battery from the SMT garage and a gallon of then rationed petrol. We connected the battery and the engine started at the fourth attempt. Of course it took some time to get it roadworthy but it was already registered with a London provincial number so it was soon on the road. I kept that vehicle until 1950 and hardly spent a penny on it. I was with the SMT at various branches including Croall & Croall then in York Place and also Roseburn Street. I left in 1952 to join the REME and pursue a Military career." |
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Ed Thomson, Glamis Castle, Angus, Scotland: April 25, 2006 |
Recollections Hudson Terraplane 1940s |
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Thank you to Alex Dow who, after reading the comments above, sent me some of his memories of Broughton in the 1940s Alex wrote: |
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Hudson Terraplane "The mention of a Hudson Terraplane brought back more memories. As I was born in 1935, and was quite young when I first encountered the Hudson Terraplane. It seemed enormous to me, having to take one or two steps to reach the back seat. Few car aficionados have heard of it. Hudson Terraplane I traveled in one quite frequently, including delivering wedding cakes baked by my father during World War II, and also in the later 1940s." |
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Alex Dow, Fife, Scotland: September 8, 2006 |
