Memorial Ayrshire Road Run
Posted by Chris Graham on 9th September 2020
A memorial Ayrshire Road Run took place in south-west Scotland on July 11th in tribute to a special man, as David Reed reports.
Bill Reid Memorial Ayrshire Road Run: This 1978 Volvo F88, that worked in the Worcester and Cheltenham areas, before it was bought by R Taylor & Sons of Lesmahagow, in 2016. It was restored by Jamie Robinson of Northallerton.
Due to the disruption cause by Covid-19, this year’s Ayrshire Road Run wasn’t the usual, two-day affair that’s become so popular and sees vehicles hugging the coastline between Ayr and Portpatrick. Instead, it was a one-day trip that took in about 100 miles of scenic countryside, between Lanark and Crumnock.
The route started and finished at The Route 674 Truckstop, alongside the M74 near Lesmahagow; a site chosen specifically to help avoid the public being present in large numbers.
This 1988 Leyland Constructor 24.21 was fitted with a dismountable flat body, and was used in Hull before ending up in Ireland. It was bought from there by Archie Johnstone, in 2016.
As it was, the road run attracted around 50 vehicles, all of which set off towards Lanark before taking the scenic route along the B740 towards Crumnock. From there it was back to the truckstop and the end of the run.
As well as delivering an enjoyable chance to get out and about, the event also provided the opportunity for all involved to remember Bill Reid, who was a founder member of the Ayrshire Road Run, back in 1995.
This 1979 Leyland Clydesdale is in great condition, and was bought by Alan Steel from Gavin Bell, in 2019.
Bill wrote a book about the first 25 years of the event and, sadly, died last September, so this run provided the first opportunity for many to officially mark the loss of such an influential figure. Bill was a police officer when away from the lorry scene, who served in the Ayrshire Traffic Division for 30 years before spending another 15 years as the force’s driver trainer for all classes of license. He will be sorely missed and, as a tribute, this year’s event was named The Bill Reid Memorial Ayrshire Run.
There were less than 10 141s built like this by Scania, for use in New Zealand, being fitted with a second steer axle, giving them four axles overall. This fine example was bought by John Thompson in Ireland, and is painted in its original, working colours.
The event was organised by The Ayrshire Commercial Vintage Vehicle Club, with Jim Smith at the helm, making sure that things ran as smoothly as possible. And it did and, despite the regulations that were in place due to the Covid-19 situation, it really was a successful and enjoyable day out.
The oldest vehicle in the run was this 1935 Model A Ford one-ton truck. It was with a rag-and-bone man in West Calder, and had other owners before being stored in a garage in pieces for many years. Then it passed to David Sibbald and was fully restored.
For a money-saving subscription to Old Glory magazine, simply click here
