Carriers Carts and Omnibuses.

Carriers formed a vital link between scattered communities prior to the coming of the railways in the late nineteenth century and even later in isolated rural communities, providing transport for goods and people between the various locations. They continued to trundle into Boston on market days - albeit in gradually diminishing numbers - throughout most of the 1920's and as late as 1932. They were to be found (amongst other places) parked for the day in that part of West Street near the end of Emery Lane, the old White Horse Hotel was in that area and some owners parked in the Hotel yard.

This picture, taken in West Street, Boston in February 1932, shows the Perseverance which was one of the horsedrawn carrier carts in Boston. The owner, Lawrence Richardson, is sat on it driving the horses Betsy and Daisy.

 

These carts, as E.P. Jenkinson remembered them were smallish (perhaps 10 ft. by 7 ft.)  horsedrawn, four wheeled, flat bottomed canvas canopied vehicles designed chiefly for the carriage of parcels and other packages, but which had a wooden form along each side to accommodate some seven or eight passengers.

 

A photo taken outside the main Post Office in Wide Bargate.

 

They really, I suppose, represented a kind of rudimentary rural bus service in the days before motor buses came to the town, which was (Mr. Jenkinson thought) in about 1922.

Boston's first Bus service was operated by a company called the Underwood Omnibus Company, replaced some three or four years later by the United Omnibus Company. Very soon afterwards, local enterprise in the person of a Mr. Smith augmented the area bus network with his "Smith's Safety Services" comprising two double decker buses proudly named "Lion" and "Lioness". By the late 1920's there was a reasonably adequate bus network throughout South Lincolnshire, although some of the more rustic routes only saw a bus on a couple of days a week, hence the continued existence of a few, at any rate, of the carrier carts well into the late 1920's.

 

Some of Boston's early buses, again outside the Post Office.

 

The late Harry Fountain, an old Bostonian, said fifteen public houses catered for the carriers and their horses by providing a big yard or frontage and stables. He recalled that the Corn Exchange Hotel (that once stood on the Marks and Spencer site) had six carriers on the frontage and put up 12 horses in 3 stables.

Some of the other public houses concerned were:

The Axe and Cleaver

The Cross keys

The Falcon

The Globe

The Kings Arms

The Peacock and Royal

The Ram

The Red Lion

The Red Cow

The Waggon and Horses

The White Hart and the

White Horse.

Vehicle auctions.

I don't think it's allowed now (at least I haven't seen one for years) but among all the heaps of wood, vegetables, ladders cycles and other used goods put up for auction on Bargate Green every week, vehicles were once allowed to be bought there.
One Wednesday morning in September 1949 a double decker bus was even put up for auction. All the morning people mounted the platform, climbed the stairs, rubbed the dust from the windows to get an aerial view of the sheep market, tested the seats, tried the bell, and generally spent an amusing five minutes.

Auctioning vehicles on Bargate Green.

 

Then at 12 o'clock, Mr. Mather the auctioneer began to sell. Spectators waited for him to reach the bus. Twelve thirty arrived and with a cry of, "Who will have a ride with me for nothing." from Mr. Mather, the sale was on.
"This would make you two or three very good poultry houses - how much am I bid?" he called.
Thank you, I will take 20, but I can't include the boy I'm afraid," he laughed, pointing to a grimy faced child who had poked his head from an upstairs window. The bids came in steadily - 25-30-35-40-45. "Think of all the spare parts," said the auctioneer. Buyers continued to call - 50 - 55.
"Think of all you could do with this," went on Mr. Mather. At £55 he was "giving it away." but there were no more bids, and at £55 he gave it away to Mr. P. Sutton of Mareham-le-fen.
Mr. Sutton said that he intended to keep poultry on the bottom deck and use the top one for storage purposes. He thought he might take off the wheels and use them on a trolley.
It was not known how the bus came to be on the market but it was thought to have been entered for sale by a person from Long Sutton.

Oddments.

A few spare oddments.

 

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/aearchive/8029370279/

This photograph is believed to have been taken in about August 1926, possibly at the opening of the playing field, which was situated next to the Black Sluice Bridge on London Road, Boston. Children from St. Thomas’ School and the surrounding area enjoyed the play area for many years until it was closed.
In the front row - Phyllis Charlton, Frank and Eva Chapman, Cyril Handley, Ron Diggins, Charles Atkinson, Terry Corrigan, Eric Stray, Ralph Broadley, Ruby Parker, Peggy Kemp, Ray Popple, (?) Clayton, (?) Barwick, Doris Bagley, Doreen Wain (baby in pram) and Elsie Patchett.
Others on the photograph are Gertie Bourne, Ethel Hunt, Barbara and Doug Baxter, Maurice East, Ralph Buff, Dick Hammond (on rings) and Jack Fletcher.

The demolition of the cattle pens in Wide Bargate about 1974.

 

 

Undated photo of marching dockers taken outside what looks like the Co-op Stores in West Street.

 

 

An unknown bus driver and conductress taken outside the Post Office in Wide Bargate.

 

An advert for Hubbert's Hairdressing Saloon.

 

 

An undated photo of an old T.V. detector van down Tower Street.

 

 

 

 The Stump and the river.

BUS OUTING TO SKEG

This photograph shows some of the Sunday school children from the Boston Free Churches about to start their annual outing to Skegness in 1926. It was taken in Wide Bargate, the Lincolnshire Standard offices can be seen centre left and on the extreme right is the General Post Office.

The journey was usually made by rail but due to what was described as the "coal troubles" they had to go by road, I assume this meant due to the General Strike of 1926.

Over 500 children, along with teachers, parents and friends were reported to have had a very enjoyable day.

SOME PHOTO ODDMENTS.


Here are a few pictures that I can't find stories for at the moment, I hope you enjoy them.

In 1978 this lorry got stuck when the driver tried to get out of Mitre Lane in Bargate.

One of the many sets of cards given away by Beaulahs of Boston with their food products.

The Railway Mission Hall was in Fydell Crescent. Marriots Motors offices were built on the site and thankfully Marriotts kept this stone and built it into the new property.

The sixties group The Animals, on stage at the "Glider"

The last commercial sailing vessel to leave Boston Dock.

Some Boston nick nacks for the tourist trade.

An old Vesta case (match case) showing the Boston Coat of Arms.

An old picture of Carlton Road School.

Houses that were pulled down in Duke Street.

Looking out onto the Market Place from the Peacock and Royal window, note the Rum Puncheon in top right corner.

The Peacock and Royals curved window on show at the Guildhall.

Lord Nelson's Field in about 1966, built on its place now is the Nelson Way Industrial Estate.

Buildings on the corner of Pen Street and Main Ridge, demolished when John Adams Way was built.

The building of John Adams Way in the 1970's, with The Ram pub at centre right.

An old potato weighing machine used in the old hand-picking days.

The demolition of the Regal Cinema in West Street.

This is the Zion Church which was itself demolished and the Regal built on its site.

An old Lincolnshire Road Car bus and below an old Sharpes bus.

And finally some more nick nacks.

Red Lion "Bus"

In July 1964 Mr. Arthur Windley, a poultry farmer of Mareham-le-Fen bought the remains of a horse drawn 'bus' which was being auctioned at Frampton. Mr. Windley managed to get the bus for nine shillings and even he at the time described it as "a heap of firewood" So why so much interest then? Well, the old horse drawn bus, minus chassis and forecarriage (which was eventually got to Mr. Windleys farmyard at Mareham) was one of Boston's two Red Lion buses which used to transport passengers from the Red Lion Hotel to the Railway Station.
Mr Windley was hoping to rebuild the bus to its original state, "It's in a terrible state, I'm going to have to spend a lot of money to restore it", he said.
I don't know whether Mr. Windley did restore the vehicle or not, maybe someone out there knows the outcome of this story?

The horse drawn vehicle (above right) in the picture was a Red Lion Hotel bus.

Lincoln Lane Area

During the 1960’s the Lincoln Lane area (almost opposite the Stump on the other side of the river) was demolished in preparation for redevelopment.

The Blue Lion on the corner bottom left, and the Victoria Inn on the far right corner.

The area included Irby Row, St. George’s Lane, Lawrence Lane, Leicester Square, Pinfold Lane, Stanbow Lane, Rosegarth Street and Lincoln Lane itself. Earlier demolition and the passage of time had already brought Lincoln Lane to its knees and from 1932 to 1961 between 75 and 100 properties had been pulled down by the Corporation or by their owners.

Many of the buildings and homes were up to 200 years old and four of the Stanbow Lane cottages were once used as a hospital.

The cottages that were used as a  hospital in Stanbow Lane.

When it was built the area was a prosperous place, boasting among other homes, two or three large merchant’s houses and gardens. It was mainly residential but later a few pubs (the Stag and Pheasant, the Hop Pole, the Victoria, the Blue Lion etc.) appeared as well, and then, as slum clearance produced waste land, shops were built and industry edged a foot in the doorway, including the shoe lace factory of Arthur Whittle and Co. Ltd., a slaughterhouse, George White’s saleroom and even the Fire Station had its home there but by 1961 there were fewer than fifty houses occupied.

Part of Lincoln Lane.

But what of the residents in 1961 that were told they would have to leave? At the Victoria Inn, Mrs. Agnes Berry, wife of the landlord said, “I’m not really bothered, but I know most of my customers are” she also looked back at some of the characters of the area she knew, there was Topper, (a chimney sweep who sported a top hat) Shetty, Weary butterfly, Sooty Sue, Old Pol Simpson, Old Nel Drury……….
At 13, Rosegarth Street, lived Tom and William Cushley, brothers (at 66 and 70 respectively) and both retired Corporation dustmen. Tom had won the Military Medal in the First World War and it was his fourth home in the area. He said, “We’ve both had 35 years on the ash carts. We live here happily together. It suits us and we’re never badly*. Course we don’t want to move!” “I spent four years out in France without a scratch. Now, after five years here they want me out, and it’ll be the fourth time.”
At 16, Rosegarth Street, Mr. and Mrs. W. Hough, with a growing family, took a different view. Said Mrs. Hough: “We’ve always lived in old houses and it will be a pleasure to get away from this and into a decent one. We’ve no bath and no electricity, and the place is damp.”

Rosegarth Street.

At her grocers shop in Lincoln Lane, Mrs. May Peacock, was worried. “I’ve been in this shop for 24 years, the ground opposite has been waste all that time and we want to know definitely what’s going to happen, and when. This shop is my living.”

The corner of Stanbow Lane and Pinfold Lane.

So, back to today, it was all eventually “rejuvenated” and on the characterless, red-bricked site now (2011) among other things are the Police Station, the Department of Employment, an empty Kwik-Save supermarket and the Bus Station.
*In Boston “never badly” means you’re never ill.

Familiar Boston Transport

Some once familiar vehicles in Boston.

Skinners Ice cream van.

Lincolnshire Road Car bus.

I was informed by an anonymous reader that two of the Lincs Road Car Bristol double deckers that were once based at the Boston depot finished up owned by a tour company at Katoomba in the Blue Mountains NSW, this info was given to them by Steve Shaw who as a school kid lived in the prefabs in Carlton Road and has lived in Australia for many years.

Tower Hill Transport.

Sharp's Buses.

W.W.Johnson Seed Merchants.

Elephants in town

Forget the complaints of the buses being allowed in the pedestrian area in Bargate and damaging the road surface, forget health and safety, look back instead at the sensible days of the 1950's when vehicles ran both ways and even elephants were allowed through the town. In those days it was customary when the Circus came to town to have a parade showing the animals. This picture shows elephants in Strait Bargate opposite to where W.H. Smiths shop is now.