As a member of Scottish Riley Enthusiasts (the national club for those who admire or own these famous British sporting cars), I’m looking for a photograph of the delivery van built by Southern Cylinder Grinding on the chassis and mechanical assets of a Riley (probably originally a 1930s Monaco saloon). The firm claimed that their Riley van provided the fastest deliveries in the country!
Meanwhile, I’m delighted to see Mr Niven’s motor premises restored. I vividly recall visiting this remarkable man and his respected business in the 1960s, when the father of my close pal submitted his Alvis Firefly for its MoT.
Finally, as a child, I often spent time in No 10, Regent Park Square, the Cochrane family home of my maternal Grandmother, Mother and her 2 sisters.
All that’s a wee while ago!
Gordon McAllan
October 21, 2022 at 7:59 pm
Sorry, I can’t help. For those who don’t know, Southern Cylinder Grinding was a business on the corner of March Street & Nithsdale Drive. Is anyone else able to contribute?
October 22, 2022 at 9:32 am
Southern Cylinder Co. Ltd? If it is the one that was situated on the corner of Nithsdale Drive & March Street then I used to pop in now and again when I was but a mere laddie after school while waiting for my parents to come home from work. The owner used to, when catching me in the premises would chase me out but it never stopped me popping in and some of the workers would allow me to watch them at work. Once I had a ‘buggy’ and crashed it outside the premises and the owner on seeing my plight as the ‘buggy’ broke its axle so brought me into the factory where he got one of the workers to repair it. I was the envy of the neighbourhood guys for having a ‘super buggy!’ flying round the ‘neighbourhood block’ at great speeds! I remember seeing a yellow veteran classic car in the workshop’s March Street entrance and loved tooting the trumpet shaped horn fitted with a ‘rubber squeezy bulb’.