History Archives - Page 6 of 20

Entries Pour In For ‘How Many Left?’

Aberdeen City, Information No Responses »

Feb 112016

Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

A car show celebrating the forgotten classics of the motoring world will return to Alford on Sunday 22nd May.

Now in its second year, How Many Left? was a new addition to the events programme at the Grampian Transport Museum in 2015 and returns by popular demand.

Unlike conventional car shows, How Many Left? shines the spotlight on mass produced cars which may now be considered ‘endangered species’ due to there being less than 500 licensed examples remaining, according to DVLA statistics.

Vehicles will descend on the Aberdeenshire village from near and far, with over 60 cars already confirmed to attend. These include a 1993 Peugeot 504 pickup, a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 – the car immortalised in the Back to the Future franchise – and a rare Granada Ghia Coupe – thought to be the only licensed examples on the road in Scotland.

A 1985 Fiat Panda 45, which participated in last year’s London to Brighton Rally, will also be making the trip north to take part in How Many Left?, with Panda enthusiast Vernon Hibberd making the 600 mile trip from his home in East Hampshire.

Building on the feedback gained from the inaugural event in 2015 a strong trade presence will give enthusiasts the chance to pick up sought after spares, consumables and detailing products to help ensure their cars remain in tip-top condition.

The museum’s Marketing & Events Organiser, Martyn Smith, commented:

“We’re delighted with the level of interest in How Many Left. It was clear at the end of last year’s event that it struck a chord with true enthusiasts and it simply had to return in 2016. One of the highlights for many of our visitors and participants was the Parallel Auto Test, which was truly entertaining to watch.”

Entry forms for How Many Left? 2016 can be downloaded via the museum’s website – www.gtm.org.uk/whats-on or by emailing events@gtm.org.uk

Oil Strike North Sea – Duncan Harley Reviews

Aberdeen City, Opinion No Responses »

Feb 112016

By Duncan Harley

As oil prices remain volatile and the UK government records its first losses in 40 years from North Sea oil and gas production, Aberdeen geologist Mike Shepherd has penned a classic.

An industry insider, Mike has produced a highly accessible and non-technical account of how the North Sea energy boom took shape, the ups and downs of the industry and the story of the people who made it all happen.

In the true tradition of all good writers, Mike writes about what he knows best, in this case the search for Black Gold.

While on a geological field trip to Skye in 1978, Mike had witnessed first hand the construction of the Ninian Central platform.

Fabricated in Loch Kishorn and weighing in at an impressive 601,000 tons, the concrete and steel structure was reckoned at the time to be the largest man made structure ever to be moved across the surface of the earth.

“The North Sea proved to be a new frontier for the oil companies … they had been offshore before … but never in waters quite so stormy or so deep,” writes Mike.

The huge discoveries in the Forties Field in 1970, the share price crash of Black Monday 1987, and the inevitable influence of big money are discussed in detail. The effects of taxation, international politics and equity negotiations feature alongside the human cost in terms of accidents, including of course Piper Alpha

The decline in North Sea reserves as a strategic resource for the nation comes under close scrutiny. Mike predicts that production will finally cease around 2050 after which a massive clean up operation costing around £31.5 billion will be required.

In a chapter simply titled ‘Aberdeen’, Mike looks at the social and economic effects of boom and bust on the Granite City. Infrastructure including both the airport and the harbour initially needed urgent investment to serve and secure the initial 500 or so oil-related companies who set up in the city between 1970 and 1977.

Amazingly in 1972:

“The airport was quite basic and the arrival/departure building was an old Nissan Hut. One end was the bar and the other end was the tickets and seats. The same bloke did both jobs.”

With a foreword by Diane Morgan who comments:

“Given the depth of its subject matter it is an amazingly readable book”,

this publication is essential reading both amongst those of us who strive to understand the phenomenon of oil, and also those of us who strive to extract that Black Gold.

Oil Strike North Sea (187pp) is published in hardback by Luath Press at £20

ISBN 978-1-910745-21-2

First published in the February 2016 edition of Leopard Magazine.

Transport Museum Seeks Dr Howie’s Daimler Photo

Aberdeenshire, History, Information No Responses »

Jan 282016

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

The Grampian Transport Museum has, at various times, published the remarkable story of the arrival of what is thought to be the second motor car in Scotland, in July 1896.

It was purchased by a truly remarkable GP, Dr P. E. Howie of Strathdon.

The German Daimler was previously owned by F.R. Simms, the ‘Father of the British motor industry’, who founded the Coventry Daimler concern that year.

Fortunately the training session given to Dr Howie in Alford Main Street at the dawn of the motoring era was photographed which in itself was quite a notable event.

Now the GTM wants to tell the story as part of a new introduction to the museum to be housed in a new reception building currently under construction. To do this properly a good copy of the Dr Howie photograph (attached) is needed that can be enlarged to be included in a photo mural.

The museum is hoping to track down a good copy or preferably an original photographic print or glass plate negative to use in the new exhibition. Does anyone out there recognise this image?

We are also keen to discover more about Dr Howie and any photographs of him or his later Daimler cars would be of great interest.

Any help would be really appreciated by all involved with the GTM.

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SpeedFest 2016 – Annual Event Returns Sunday July 3

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Jan 212016

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

Jim Robbins Indanapolis 500 race car.

Plans are now well underway for the 7th annual Alford SpeedFest, the flagship event held at the Grampian Transport Museum.

Up to 120 vehicles, each of which has been invited to attend, will participate in a variety of activities including pursuits, where direct performance comparisons are made between pairs of performance cars.

The action will get underway at 11am with the ever popular Early Bird Rides, giving members of the public the chance to ride around the museum’s purpose built road circuit in a high performance sports or supercar.

This year’s main theme is centred around record breakers and will include record breaking motor, steam and electric cars.

The museum is in the unique position of being able to call upon a number of major UK transport museums to borrow some of their prized collections. A number of spectacular vehicles will be brought in, from all over the UK, to complement the array of vehicles entered by local enthusiasts.

Plans are already afoot to begin a run at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, picking up additional vehicles at a number of museums on the 600 mile drive north.

Museum curator Mike Ward commented:

“The team are really excited about SpeedFest 16 because the record breaker theme has captured the imagination of colleagues in other UK transport museums and we are being offered many truly fantastic vehicles, never seen before in Scotland“

How Many Left? Rare Car Show Returns May 2016

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Dec 172015

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2

A popular car show, putting the spotlight on vehicles which are considered ‘endangered species’ is set to return to a top Aberdeenshire museum next year.
The inaugural ‘How Many Left?’ took place at the Grampian Transport Museum in May 2015 and unlike conventional car shows, focused on some of the cars which are not thought of – and perhaps never will be thought of – as classics.

Entry criteria was set for those cars which have less than 500 road licensed examples remaining on the DVLA database.

Especially welcome are cars that were truly popular, mass produced in large numbers making them very rare survivors.

With a mix of static displays, public passenger rides and an entertaining parallel auto test the maiden event was considered a success by both participants and the public alike and the staff at the museum, which is currently undergoing an expansion project, are delighted to announce its return in 2016.

Curator Mike Ward commented:

“’How Many Left?’ was an interesting exercise in that we turned the idea of a car show on its head and celebrated cars which don’t seem to get the attention that they deserve. Rather than making a fuss about cars which are already considered classics, we gave visitors and owners the opportunity to showcase some of the cars which we’ve all had an affiliation with and those which are fast disappearing from our roads.

It’s interesting to look at the relationship between the production runs of some of these cars and then compare the data with the number of examples remaining on our roads. The relationship between these two numbers is often very striking! It’s obvious that this was a winning formula and so we’ll be bringing back “How Many Left?” and will be looking to ensure that it’s even bigger and better in 2016!”

Entry forms for How Many Left? 2016 are available to download now from the museum’s website at www.gtm.org.uk/whats-on or by emailing events@gtm.org.uk.

Donald’s Degree Fae RGU: Remembering Bob Smith

Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Featured 2 Responses »

Dec 112015

Aberdeen Voice’s ‘poetry mannie in residence’ Bob Smith, who passed away on March 5.

In March 2015, Aberdeen Voice lost one of it’s most prolific writers and best loved team members, our ‘poetry mannie’, Bob Smith.

Bob was a fierce critic of Donald Trump, and would never miss an opportunity to ‘mention’ Trump in his popular poems, which he contributed weekly in Aberdeen Voice for a period of over 4 years.

In all, Bob contributed in excess of 200 poems, and a monthly column entitled ‘Smithy’s Scribblins’

As we digest the news that Donald Trump has had his honorary degree revoked by RGU, His Global Scot status revoked by Nicola Sturgeon, and a petition to ban him from the UK, launched by ‘Voice’s Suzanne Kelly, becoming the most popular petition ever to appear on the Government’s petition site, with, at the time of writing, nearly half a million signatures, our thoughts turn to Bob and how we miss his unique brand of humour.

Bob would have loved to have seen this day, and undoubtedly would be frantically scribbling down some new verses to mark the occasion.

Therefore it seems fitting to republish one of his many poems, this from September 2010, and raise a glass to a warm and genuine friend we were glad to know and very much miss.

– Fred Wilkinson, Editor.
.

(Noo the Richt Gits University)

by Bob Smith.

The Donald his been awarded
A University honorary degree
His the principal gin aff his heid
At yon learned placie by the Dee?

Continue reading »

Glassel Dark Mist Rounds Off 216 Years Of History

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Nov 262015

Glassel Dark Mist and Ian Lockhead Anderson, (Claire Lockhead’s son/Sir Moir Lockhead’s grandson)

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

When William McCombie established the first prize winning herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle at Home Farm, Tillyfour, in 1832, little could he have imagined the impact that would have on the history of Alford and the highly acclaimed Grampian Transport Museum.

To the North East farming community the story of Aberdeen Angus is very well known but the links may come as a bit more of a surprise.
When McCombie’s herd began winning prizes, interest rapidly grew and there was an increasing flow of cattle between the North East and the rest of Britain.

This, combined with the quarrying activities at Kemnay and Tillyfourie, led to the extension of the railway line, in 1859, from Kintore to a point two miles east of the hamlet now known as Bridge of Alford.

At the time there was very little where the line stopped but the village of Alford rapidly grew around the railhead, whose main business was transporting mainly cattle and agricultural materials to and from Aberdeen. This link between Alford and the Aberdeen Angus breed is commemorated by the bronze statue of the bull ‘Jeremy Eric of Bridgefoot’ at the entrance to the village on the A944.

In 1896 there was a fascinating twist to this story. The motor car industry had very recently been born in Germany and a man widely referred to ‘The father of the British motor industry’, engineer FR Simms, had been importing Daimler engines since 1890 to power launches. In 1895 he founded ‘The Daimler Motor Company Limited’ to manufacture Daimler engines and cars in Britain.

FR Simms with his car in London just before it came to Aberdeen

A factory was established in Coventry and the first Daimler engined cars rolled out in March 1897.

Prior to these British Daimlers being built FR Simms imported a German built demonstrator for himself in 1886 and showed it in London and then sent it to Aberdeen. When it arrived it was just the second car in Scotland. On Saturday 18th July 1986 It paraded up and down Union Street and was seen by Dr Howie of Strathdon, who immediately purchased it.

The car was delivered to Alford by the railway (which had been established to transport William McCombie bred Aberdeen Angus cattle) and was driven off to Strathdon.

Therefore the second car in Scotland ended up in Alford thanks in part to Aberdeen Angus, and Alford is the site of one of the country’s best transport museums. Established in 1983 the museum is now being extended with the help, once again, of the world famous Aberdeen Angus.

On this occasion the breeder is Sir Moir Lockhead and his daughter Claire, from Glassel Farm, Torphins. Sir Moir is Patron of Grampian Transport Museum and his gift to the funds for the new visitor reception is the beautiful bull, Glassel Dark Mist, which is to be auctioned at the Thainstone Christmas Classic Sale on the afternoon of Tuesday 1st December.

In another amazing twist to this story, Glassel House itself, the residence of Sir Moir and Lady Audrey Lockhead, was purchased in 1915 by no less a person than the Chairman of Daimler, Arthur wood, who lived there until his death in 1935.

Now Glassel Dark Mist, whose involvement has brought this historic tale full circle, will be remembered forever in a beautiful painting by highly respected local artist, Howard Butterworth. This painting will also be auctioned at the sale with the proceeds added to the generous donation to Grampian Transport Museum.

When admiring the painting in years to come what a story the lucky owner will have to tell!

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SpeedFest Returns With ‘Record Breakers’ In 2016

Aberdeen City, Information No Responses »

Nov 162015

With thanks to Martyn Smith, Marketing & Events Organiser.

Now entering its 7th year, SpeedFest – the Grampian Transport Museum’s flagship event – takes place in Alford on Sunday 3rd July.

A unique event in the north east calendar, SpeedFest will kick off with the ever popular Early Bird Rides, giving members of the public the chance to ride around the museum’s purpose built road circuit in a high performance sports or super car.

Most eagerly anticipated will be the pursuits, where direct performance comparisons are made between pairs of performance cars.

SpeedFest 16 promises to be even bigger and better, with recent track improvements and a new ground plan. The main theme will be record breakers and will include record breaking motor, steam and electric cars.

Museum curator Mike Ward is delighted to be involved in organising SpeedFest 2016

“SpeedFest is now our second biggest event, only behind the Grampian Motorcycle Convention. Its popularity is largely due to the great selection of cars, put together by invitation and the fact that they participate in the track activities. Where else would you see a direct performance comparison between a Tesla Roadster Sport and a brand new Ferrari?

“SpeedFest really does showcase the development of performance cars from the 1920’s ‘Blower Bentleys’ to the very latest competition and supercars. The ‘record breaker’ theme in 2016 will produce some interesting cars. The fact that steam and electric cars are to be included will surprise many petrol heads, but it will evoke the long and proud tradition of record breaking electric vehicles and steamers!”

For further information on SpeedFest 2016 please contact Martyn Smith, Marketing & Events Organiser, on 019755 64517 or email marketing@gtm.org.uk.

Hidden Aberdeenshire: The Land – David Innes Reviews

Aberdeenshire, Opinion No Responses »

Nov 122015

By David Innes.

The third in Dr Brown’s series of pocket-sized part guide-part local history volumes moves logically inland from the coast of the previous collection, to its hinterland, the traditional county of Aberdeenshire.
Thankfully, that’s quite deliberately Aberdeenshire as a historic, geographical and cultural entity, not the current local governmental administrative mess.

The author even admits that she has twice breached this traditional boundary and featured items of Kincardineshire lore, although, I’d argue too that Rothiemay, whose Parson Gordon’s place in history as a cartographer is featured, is across the Deveron, and is in my beloved Banffshire.

That petty quibble aside, like its predecessors, Dr Brown’s output is easily read and superbly informative. Discrete geographical areas are defined, their tales and attractions grouped, and a short day out by car should enable readers to make their way round most in a relaxed drive. For those who want to research further, a welcome and comprehensive bibliography is provided.

The second Hidden Aberdeenshire volume continues to maintain the perfect balance of geographical and historical contexts with the personal tales of individuals, variously heroes, villains and innovators. Little-known or long-forgotten tales of murders, burials, personal and architectural triumphs and follies, simply-illustrated, will whet the appetites of those keen to broaden their knowledge of the rich history of the ancient county.

The origins of the Consumption Dyke at Kingswells, the fate of enemy airmen shot down over Aberdeen in July 1940 and the tragedy of the Inverythan Bridge train crash are only three examples of Dr Brown’s ability to distil down to 450 words vital pieces of hitherto-hidden NE history. And great credit is due to her for raising a smile at her ingenious description of 19th century bothy ballads as the Trip Advisor of their day!

Hidden Aberdeenshire: The Land is a further triumph for Fiona-Jane Brown. With her instinct in knowing what readers will find fascinating, her economy of content, accessibility of style and sharp-eyed research, readers will hope that the NE’s rich heritage will continue to inspire her to add to her already-impressive canon.

Hidden Aberdeenshire: The Land – Dr Fiona-Jane Brown

Black & White Publishing
ISBN 978 1 84502 990 6
128 pp
£9.99

October Fun At Grampian Transport Museum

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Oct 082015

The Grampian Transport Museum will be welcoming visitors this October with a number of special activities taking place during the school holidays. With thanks to Martyn Smith.

A special guest exhibit will be on display in the museum from Monday 12th October.

Helping to celebrate 30 years since the original Back to the Future movie, the museum will be displaying a DeLorean DMC-12 – the car popularised in the cult movie trilogy. In the second instalment of the film the central character, Marty McFly, travels forward in time to Wednesday October 21 2015, the date our guest exhibit will then be departing on.

Alongside a standard DeLorean vehicle a number of replica props will be on display, including a detailed replica of the Hoverboard used in the movie.

These have been painstakingly re-created by Barry Thackery of Aberdeen, who has also turned his hand to creating an operational flying DeLorean, using a scale model of the movie car which has been married up to the chassis of a radio controlled drone.

Also taking place during the October break is the museum’s final rides afternoon of the season – Full Steam Ahead, which takes place on Thursday 15th October, from 1.30pm – 3.30pm.

The museum’s 1914 Sentinel Steam Waggon, the oldest fully functional Sentinel still in existence, will be offering museum visitors a ride around the outdoor circuit and will be joined by a 1:3 scale Burrell Steam traction engine, built in Ellon by blacksmith Willie Gill. The Burrell was purchased by Aberdeen City Council and was run regularly in the city’s Duthie Park, where it proved especially popular during the summer months.

A number of static displays will be on show too – a live steam 3.5” gauge Stevenson’s Rocket will be on show alongside a selection of miniature traction engines and railway locomotives.

Then the fun continues with a special Halloween Activity Afternoon on Friday 23^rd, from 1pm – 3.30pm. With Halloween activities, quizzes and crafts plus face painting, balloon modelling plus the museum will also welcoming Diana from ‘Once upon a tune’ who will be providing lots of fun through song and story.

Entry to these events is included in the museum’s standard admission which is £9.50 for adults, £7.50 for concessions and 2 children admitted FREE with every adult.

Grampian Transport Museum remains open daily from 10am – 4pm up until Sunday 25th October, giving visitors the chance to see fantastic displays including the Made in Scotland exhibition and Ferrari Enzo supercar, the only example in Scotland. There are daily quizzes for younger visitors to enjoy and the Travellers Rest tea room is open daily from 10.30am – 3.30pm.

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