stan brierley:
Does anyone remember Munro tpt Aberdeen.They had a depot on Lightbowne Rd Moston Manchester
THAY HAD A DEPOT IN SALFORD FIRST JUST BEHIND GRANDA TV THAT WAS ALONG TIME AGO
stan brierley:
Does anyone remember Munro tpt Aberdeen.They had a depot on Lightbowne Rd Moston Manchester
Here’s a photo of an Atkinson ‘Silver Knight’ Mk.2, when new in 1970:
I understand that this Borderer had once been repainted and then parked on display by the gate. Since the demise of Munro, it’s been fullt restored, but not in Munro’'s colours:
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I remember that cafe Jim,on the R/H side of the A94 between Brechin and Laurencekirk.They did a good breakfast and a nice “cootie dumpling” for dinner 
Sorry,I can’t remember it’s name either but it looked a bit “alpineish”.
That photo of the Munro MK5 Mandator is a cracker,I was still driving a MK5 8-legger in 1971
stravaiger:
always thought how strange it looked without the exposed radiator. What was that all about?
This would be '72/'73 and as these registrations didn’t have as much as an “A” suffix that put it at least 10 years old which would be half way through it’s useful working life before retiring into showland
The concealed rad was one of Atkinson’s attempts to modernise the appearance of the vehicles, but the customers wouldn’t have it! The Guardsman went nowhere, the Viewline ended up having a dummy rad grafted on the front and, when the Mk.2 was first announced and shown at the Commercial Show at Kelvin Hall in Autumn 1967, a deputation of Scottish hauliers are said to have made representations to Atkinson to reinstate the aluminium rad. Apparently they were told that it would be possible, at a surcharge of £25. Funnily enough, no-one ordered one!
I think that the Munro motor dates from 1963 - the year suffix on the reg numbers wasn’t universal until 1965.
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stravaiger:
240 Gardner:
The concealed rad was one of Atkinson’s attempts to modernise the appearance of the vehicles, but the customers wouldn’t have it! The Guardsman went nowhere, the Viewline ended up having a dummy rad grafted on the front and, when the Mk.2 was first announced and shown at the Commercial Show at Kelvin Hall in Autumn 1967, a deputation of Scottish hauliers are said to have made representations to Atkinson to reinstate the aluminium rad. Apparently they were told that it would be possible, at a surcharge of £25. Funnily enough, no-one ordered one!Well there you go 240. Aye, the Scottish hauliers might have been tight but they certainly had taste
In any case I’m pretty positive I heard it said Mr Munro almost put a pound to a charity once. Charlie Alexander, even more generously, almost gave a fiver.
So it was an attempt at modernisation then, and the official designation “the Guardsman”. They could have considered sticking a Busby on it’s roof for cosmetic effect.and 1967s £25 would be £?00 to-day? Seriously though thanks for the reply I find every post an education and, I do read them. Can honestly say I now know more about the marque than when I drove them…jim
Ah sorry, Jim - this one isn’t the Guardsman - this is the “full front” cab. More recently, people have referred to it as the ‘Bodyline’ cab, but I’ve never found a single period reference to that name, nor anyone from the factory that recognises it.
The ‘Guardsman’ was a new cab design, displayed at the 1964 Show in Bulwark livery and fitted with a 235bhp V8 ■■■■■■■■ It was destined to be a one-off, as no more complete examples were built
hiya,
240 do you recollect talk of the Atkinson people coming to Bowkers yard at Hollin Bridge st and taking particulars/ pictures etc of my then motor Bill and Ken’s first Scania 80, the cab tilt mechanism was closely looked at, it was supposedly something to do with the new design of the Sed/Ak cab to be, when you think the early Sed/Ak’s did have similarity to the Scania, i actually knew one of Atkinsons test pilots a lad from Darwen but his name escapes me and i used to have the odd jar with the man, i seem to remember the cab tilting mechanism had a good coat of looking at and a lot of notes taken, wonder if Scania gave them permission or was it industrial espionage, don’t know but i got nowt out of it not even a thank you and i got collared for that one when ready to go home.
thanks harry long retired.
harry_gill:
hiya,
240 do you recollect talk of the Atkinson people coming to Bowkers yard at Hollin Bridge st and taking particulars/ pictures etc of my then motor Bill and Ken’s first Scania 80, the cab tilt mechanism was closely looked at, it was supposedly something to do with the new design of the Sed/Ak cab to be, when you think the early Sed/Ak’s did have similarity to the Scania, i actually knew one of Atkinsons test pilots a lad from Darwen but his name escapes me and i used to have the odd jar with the man, i seem to remember the cab tilting mechanism had a good coat of looking at and a lot of notes taken, wonder if Scania gave them permission or was it industrial espionage, don’t know but i got nowt out of it not even a thank you and i got collared for that one when ready to go home.
thanks harry long retired.
Never heard of that one, Harry, I’m afraid. I know that Atkinson’s chief test driver in the late 60s and early 70s was Ronnie Joice, although I don’t know where he lived.
hiya,
Chris, come to think of it 1970 would be a bit late for Sed/Ak to be looking at the cab design surely what they was going to use would have been finalised, methinks someone was winding me up, on reflection it was maybe a publicity picture, the Scania 80 was reg NCB 463H having just sacriiced CBV 311C “the powerhouse” with the ■■■■■■■ 220 to drive that horrible 80 thing, the Akinson chap was i think called Ted Brooks and was definitely at Bowkers yard when the pics was being taken.
thanks harry long retired.
aye remember munros when i was living in aberdeen. my sisters at the times boyfriends dad was t/m but im not 100% on that as I never met him (i.e. the t/m)
harry_gill:
hiya,
Chris, come to think of it 1970 would be a bit late for Sed/Ak to be looking at the cab design surely what they was going to use would have been finalised, methinks someone was winding me up, on reflection it was maybe a publicity picture, the Scania 80 was reg NCB 463H having just sacriiced CBV 311C “the powerhouse” with the ■■■■■■■ 220 to drive that horrible 80 thing, the Akinson chap was i think called Ted Brooks and was definitely at Bowkers yard when the pics was being taken.
thanks harry long retired.
Now, Harry - I’ve just re-read this and it’s just crossed my mind that there used to be a driver at Killingbeck called Brooks - thinking about it, I’m sure I was once told that he had previously worked for Atkinson
hiya,
That could be the lad Chris, i think Peter Brooks was the lad, he worked for Atki’s for a long time and i think he passed away quite recently have’nt been in that part of the world for 37 years but keep in touch via the net and the phone so would’nt know that he went to one of my old firms Killingbeck’s.
thanks harry long retired.
aye harry remember them well running through Aberdeen.