NOSTALGIA: Eagle-eyed readers put a date to our photo

Last week we shared an old photograph from the Southern Reporter's archives, showing a scene from Selkirk'˜s Market Place, on our weekly nostalgia page.
Selkirk Market Place.Selkirk Market Place.
Selkirk Market Place.

We invited readers to help us fix a date to the photo, and gathered some very insightful responses.

Neville Dundas told us: “Based on the overall scene, but in particular on the black Ford Consul approaching mid-left, the grey Hillman Minx Estate and the cream Morris 1000 parked beside Sir Walter Scott, I would reckon 1957 or 1958. “Unfortunately, because of the pixelation in the reproduction it is not possible to make out the full registration numbers, but the Ford is clearly a Selkirkshire registered car starting LS 7***.

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“My father owned one – LS 7237 – but it is not his as the one pictured has wing mirrors, but if it is LS 7290, it is the car of Dr Bill Murray, whom many of your older readers will remember as one of the four local GPs who practised in surgeries attached to their own homes, his being Greenbank in Ettrick Terrace.”

He added: “Other than the D.E. Shoe Service, the shop signs, too, are hard to make out, but at that time I think it would have been the Ayrshire Market in what is now the office of Douglas Gilmour & Son, with Miss Mason’s bakery and tea rooms set back to its left and Christie’s bakery and grocers on the right, before the Cross Keys, and the SMT Bus Office at the foot of the Fleshmarket.

“The passengers from the tour bus are no doubt heading to The Fleece to be welcomed by Albert for afternoon tea.”

David Clyde added: “A good friend of mine, who is an authority on buses, reckons the bus in the square is dated between 1958 - 1963 SMT London-style coach – possibly an AEC.”

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And the Reverend John Riddell told us: “I’ve had my magnifying glass out and the bus has an Edinburgh registration. It’s before the numbers on cars get a letter on them, so late 50s I would think.

“These buses came out in the late 40s and early 50s.

“There is a Morris 1000 out near the monument too, and that would give an indication of the timings.”

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