Wednesday 23 May 2018

1898 - First Car Sighted on Earlston High Street

Reader Dr. John Burns  came  across this  snippet on Earlston life in  “The Southern Reporter” of 24th March 1898.
"MOTOR CAR - A motor car passed through the village on Sunday morning.  The two gentlemen who were driving it left Newcastle-on-Tyne the previous day en route for Edinburgh. In this neighbourhood one of the tyres got damaged  and it was resolved to put up at the Red Lion. 
This was done and the  car when it reached the hotel, being stopped for a little while was quickly surrounded  and examined with no small degree of curiosity, this being the first time  such a machine  has been seen  in operation here. "
****************

This little  news item is complemented by advertisements from the  "AA Illustrated Motoring Annual and Motorist Year Book. 1904", held by reader Cynthia Sinclair whose grandfather had a car hire business in Edinburgh.  


 


****************

More motor car photographs from the Auld Earlston Collection 


 

Ten years on from this the first sighting of a car in the village,  this is the official car used by Prime Minister Asquith when he visited Earlston in 1908.
 

 A vintage  car on Thorn Street at the west end of the village, c.1920's.

 
The Quiet Market Square, c.1920's

****************

Have you come across an interesting story or item from the past 
that can be shared with others on our blog?  We would  like to hear from you. 

 Please contact us at:     auldearlston@aol.com 

THANK YOU    

Sunday 13 May 2018

Early News of our Next Exhibition - Earlston in War and Peace 1914-1949

"Earlston in War and Peace 1914-1949" is the theme of the next Auld Earlston Exhibition and Slide Show to be held in the Church Hall on  October 20th and 21st 2018. 


Auld Earlston Chairman,  David Lothian,  said “November 11th 1918 marks the end of the First World War and we thought it appropriate to look at what life was like in Earlston around the time of the two world wars, also in the inter-war years and the  aftermath in the late1940's.  most noted locally for the harsh winter and Berwickshire floods.  

Much of  the material on show we have not displayed before and we anticipate  it will be of interest to our visitors, who have given us  great support to our previous events."

Complementing the Exhibition will be the popular slide shows,   with the key feature this year  a fascinating old cine film, now digitised, of Earlston in the 1930’s and 1940’s".

We would welcome your help!  
Do you have any photographs, postcards, memories and memorabilia  of this period?   

If so, we would be pleased to hear from you, with a view to it being featured in the exhibition.  Items  can be copied and returned to you, or can be  donated to the Auld Earlston Collection.  

For further information contact:

Tel. 01896 848240:  E-mail auldearlston@aol.com 

We look forward to hearing from you.

Thank You  



****************


Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurses from the First World War  outside the  Manse, Earlston.   
Can anyone identify the nurses? 

 
This colourful patriotic certificate was issued to schoolchildren during the First World War, often at Christmas, or a variation of it on Empire Day   


This was the first time that the whole nation had been mobilised to play a part in the war effort, and here young Mary Denham, mother of David Lothian, was commended for helping  " to send some comforts and happiness  to the Brave Men who are Fighting to  uphold the Freedom of our Glorious Empire". 

*************