Photo of a Geest employees outing, taken in the Spalding Market Place. I can find my mother in the picture but cannot recognise anyone else. I don’t know for certain but I think the photo was taken between 1946 and 1947.
Vistor comments
2 Responses
I would agree that this photograph dates from the immediate post war period. Most (probably all) of the vehicles appear to date from the late 30s. Luxury vehicles were unavailable during the war ( wooden garden bench-type seating being normal ), and up to about 1947/8 new vehicles were effectively ( even where not officially ) rationed, the available vehicles being mostly confined to large operators or for export to earn foreign currency. For some operators money wasn’t a problem, availability was, so the wealthier operators purchased old vehicles and had new bodywork built on the old chassis, and considerable engineering ingenuity was used to extend the lives of old vehicles for those not so cash-flush. The only vehicle which could conceivably ( though unlikely) to be post war , is the front vehicle on the extreme left. Late pre-war and early post-war vehicles were extremely similar. Some of the vehicles have roof luggage racks, and this was very rare on vehicles built after about 1933/4. An interesting picture !
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2 Responses
I would agree that this photograph dates from the immediate post war period. Most (probably all) of the vehicles appear to date from the late 30s. Luxury vehicles were unavailable during the war ( wooden garden bench-type seating being normal ), and up to about 1947/8 new vehicles were effectively ( even where not officially ) rationed, the available vehicles being mostly confined to large operators or for export to earn foreign currency. For some operators money wasn’t a problem, availability was, so the wealthier operators purchased old vehicles and had new bodywork built on the old chassis, and considerable engineering ingenuity was used to extend the lives of old vehicles for those not so cash-flush. The only vehicle which could conceivably ( though unlikely) to be post war , is the front vehicle on the extreme left. Late pre-war and early post-war vehicles were extremely similar. Some of the vehicles have roof luggage racks, and this was very rare on vehicles built after about 1933/4. An interesting picture !
Thanks Geoff