1980’s Wilkie’s Parade Float

 

Let’s go to the 1980’s in this article. Pictured is Wilkie’s of Bardykes, Parade Float. Shared here from Sandy Wilkie via our mutual friends Alex Rochead.

Sandy explained, “It’s an old 1954 petrol Austin Dropside Lorry which my dad and I bought at a farm sale in Auchintibber in the late 70’s! I well remember it’s background – it had sat in a shed for about 20 years since old man Dickson died and had been used for nothing other than running to and from Glasgow fruit market with veg that he grew on the farm and in the nursery so it had never been hard pushed.

In fact, when we went to collect it, we connected a charger to the battery, put some petrol in the tank and it started after a few “caws”! We then refurbished it over a few years in Wilkie if Blantyre colours and livery – designed by Sandy Hamilton who now lives in Currie and who’s married to a High Blantyre lass called Shona whose dad was a cop based at the police station next to Paul.”

The small lorry was then used as a PR tool for things such as parades like this one to promote the Blantyre International Highland Games at Bardykes.

The people on the back are known. Sandy’s children Craig & Kimberley, plus The McIntosh family including their children Scott and Kirsty from near the gatehouse at Crossbasket.

With thank to Sandy.

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