Anyone know "Alexanders" Motorcycles in Edinburgh circa 1952/53

BlackLightning998

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Evening all,
I'm trying to trace the history of my C Rapide, the works records show it being despatched from the factory by rail on 17th October 1952 to Alexanders in Edinburgh I think it says.

The first owner was a Charles Peter McLaughlan of Craiglockhart House in Edinburgh. He was reported to be in the legal profession. The bike was first registered on 26 September 1953 - so it would suggest that it sat in the showroom for the best part of a year before being sold.

I'd love to have some history of Alexanders if anyone could help point me in the right direction, and if anyone from Edinburgh could identify Craiglockhart House that would be superb.

Any pictures of the dealership would be great, or a contact at a Scottish Museum if there is one.

Cheers for any help

Stuart
 

captain vincent

Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Sweaty sock shadow!

Alexanders was based in Lothian Rd,they also had a shop in Glasgow and Aberdeen (NW chuctah territory).I have asked around before regarding the same as my shadow went there in 4/1/50,(having been roadtested in July 49 the factory must have been in dire straits!) The shop records don,t survive as far as I know but don,t forget the guys that visited the shop in there prime of youth drooling through the windows are now well clocking on,or have clocked out!

Regards

El capitano
 

BlackLightning998

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Hi Captain - would that be the famous Rab Smith Shadow?

Hi Captain V.
Being in Livingston would that be the famous Rab Smith Shadow?

I have pictures of the Kenmore Rally from 1976 and 1977 which I guess may show the bike.

I'm going to try the nearest Transport Museum to Edinburgh for more details - have you tried that one yet?

Stuart
 

captain vincent

Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Rabs first shadow

No that would be his second shadow,I have his original first one HSC 159 that went bang rather spectaculary in 66 and was then robbed and plundered for bits over the next 40yrs.Rab used to work for the Glasgow bus corporation and I still have ticket machine boxes with odd bits in.I tried an advert in mph a while back to see if anybody had an early pictures of him as he was quiet a lad in his days and one of the founder members of the Scottish section.If you have a picture of him could you send me it as a couple of his old mates have very few photo,s of him as his family (if you can call the pair of Dunoon bookends that slung everthing of his oot)

Regards

El Capitano.
 

nkt267

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
I just typed 'craiglockhart' into Google and all sorts of info comes up.If you havn't got a computer blag someone into doing it for you..John
 

BlackLightning998

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
I tried google - nothing specific in the first 347,912 pages though....

Hi,

Thanks for the suggestion of my favourite search engine.

Craiglockhart is unfortunately a geographic area within Edinburgh (the site of Napier University) and it is also a fairly common name in Scotland - there are over 100 "Craicklockhart Roads" across the country. A large part of the first few pages relate to the University and then to an Architectural practise who are having a planning battle for a contemporary design in the Craiglockhart area. I'm confident that the address will be well enough known as a named house - that should track it down to a handlful of possibilities but they won't show on google, and google earth maps require a post code to be really effective which I don't have.

I have the names of the previous owners so will do some research with the Edinburgh records office and electoral role - however searching that costs money so I thought I would try the Forum first.

Luckily the second owner lived only a mile away from where my parents now reside - so I know the street and the house without problem - he was a "Turf Accountant" by trade.

Unfortunately Alexanders does not return anyting of interest on google so I was very much hoping that a member of the club (slightly older than me!) might actually remember going there, have bought a bike there, have a photograph of the dealership.

I have contacted the Glasgow Transport Museum to check their archives (Edinburgh does not have a Museum of Transport that I can locate) and await a response.

I did think that someone may have a book on their shelves with a photo of Alexanders in it, or recall a 1950's MPH edition with a photo in it (I haven't managed to buy the 1950's yet and judging by what they sold for on ebay last night (to America) I am not likely to be buying them anytime soon either.

Thanks all for your interest and help

Regards

Stuart
 

captain vincent

Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Spoke to one of Rab,s old pals last night and he recalls Alexanders dissapearing mid sixties,some of the very early members books give actually addresses!,so you may be able to trace it that way!
 

shadhubh

Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Hi All.
I have an old pal in Glesga who worked at Allexanders, Great Western Rd in Glasgow for a good many years, when I'm down there at the weekend I'll ask him if he has any photos, bumph etc on the Embra shoap.

Vic..
 
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