Local Coachbuilder

[Newarker 19]

l recently discovered that a coachbuilder Henry Street & Co was based in Nottingham. It began as a wheelwrights business but also built bus and coach bodies between 1925 and 1949. In the early 1930s it was at  Orange Street but thereafter its premises were at Arkwright Street. The only reference l can find to a Street body is on an Albion single decker built for F.H.Doughty of Brimington, Chesterfield supposedly in 1950 but that contradicts the closure of the business in 1949! That bus was registered ORA 391 and later passed to Chesterfield Corporation Transport in 1959.

 

It would be interesting to know if anybody knows of any other vehicles Streets built. Any photos would be a bonus but unlikely given how long ago the business closed.

[swe62 332]

I had aa Austin Sheerline Hearse years ago ,built by Simpson and Slaters lovely car, I sold it to an american airman who was based at Alconbury ,I wonder if he managed to get it to the USA ,strangely enough his name was Mayhew and the reg number MAU 

[IAN FINN 605]

I remember Simpsons and Slaters were they located at Bobbers Mill and what did they do?.

[Willow wilson 862]

Simpson and Slaters. Located on the old bit of Alfreton Road that ran along the east side of Bobbers Mill Bridge and which led to the old level crossing when it was in use. They were a car body repair and respray business. We kids sometimes went down there and sniffed the sweet cellulose smell which wafted out of the workshops. I'm wondering if we suffered anything permanent by doing that.

[IAN FINN 605]

Have you still got that cellulose shine Willow.

[Willow wilson 862]

Worn off a bit Ian, but occasionally the eyes are like rotating kaleidoscopes. 

[swe62 332]

lots of simpson pics on google,there was also Challands and Ross off highbury road Challoss motor bodies

[katyjay 4,997]

My dad did signwriting for 3 coach builders that I know of. Reg Watson of Bulwell, NCV on Bullwell Common, and John Rann of Arnold.

[notty ash 347]

I remember when I was very young going with dad to NCV to buy a car in the early 1960s. In the manager's office a drawing of a coach body they could build was hanging on the wall. It looked a bit old-fashioned, so not sure how many they actually built - if any.

[AfferGorritt 868]

Have had this from Dave Holland who can read, but not write at the moment - on here I mean!

 

In 1948/49 Henry Street fitted bodies to 6 Crossley chassis'. One of which had a Nottinghamshire registration.
              In 1926/7 they fitted bodies to some Dennis chassis' for Nottingham Corporation.

 

[Newarker 19]

Thanks AfferGorritt. From your clues l have found 2 photos that were hiding in plain sight in John Banks' book The Prestige Series: Nottingham with photos by G H F Atkins, who took his first photograph of a Nottingham vehicle in 1927 and was still photographing them in the 2000s. Nottingham Corporation Tramways no. 49(TO 6096) was a 1927 Dennis with 26 seat front-entrance bodywork by Streets and no. 43(TO 4013) was a 1926 Dennis with 29 seat rear-entrance body.

 

l scanned the photos but they are larger than the max permitted file size.

 

l wonder who took the Crossley with Notts registration. My 1964 Barton fleet list has some buses dating back to 1942 but no Crossleys or Street bodies.

[Cliff Ton 10,008]

2 hours ago, Newarker said:

l scanned the photos but they are larger than the max permitted file size.

 

If you want to post photos on Nottstalgia, don't bother trying to use the 'Drag files to attach' feature at the bottom of the reply box. It's a useless waste of time and space.

 

You need to use one of the free Image Hosting sites you can find around the internet, such as Imgur, Postimage, etc etc.

[AfferGorritt 868]

Another message from Dave ...

 

The Nottinghamshire registered Crossley had NN in its Reg : (*NN ***) and its first foray into life was Kirkby in Ashfield. 

Apologies for annoying you once again, but thanks to someone named John Stringer, these are the Henry Street bodied Crossleys. Brabrokke should be Braybrooke.

 

 

 

[Newarker 19]

An excellent piece of detective work for such an obscure subject! I see that Butler Bros are still trading in Kirkby. 

 

l have now read that Streets occupied part of the former horse tram sheds of Nottingham Corporation on Muskham Street 

 

This is my ham-fisted attempt to scan photos of the 1926/27 Nottm Corporation Tramways examples of Street bodies.

 

 

 

[Cliff Ton 10,008]

1 hour ago, Newarker said:

l have now read that Streets occupied part of the former horse tram sheds of Nottingham Corporation on Muskham Street 

 

Looking in old trade directories for the 1920s, there's an entry for Henry Street & Co - Wheelwrights on the corner of Muskham St/Bunbury St.

[Newarker 19]

They must have moved from Orange Street to Muskham Street/ Bunbury Street rather than Arkwright Street as per my original info. Not a million miles away.

[Dark Angel 112]

  There is a photograph in existence of Butler Bros KNN 875. However, it has been rebodied, no longer carrying Henry Streets craft work. Interesting if @Oztalgian can remember it. The photograph also shows a OB sticking its nose out from behind it.

[Oztalgian 2,922]

Where would I find this photo Dark Angel? I have searched the web and can't find any old photos of Butler's Bedford OB buses.

[plantfit 7,206]

On 5/30/2021 at 9:28 AM, Newarker said:

An excellent piece of detective work for such an obscure subject! I see that Butler Bros are still trading in Kirkby. 

 

l have now read that Streets occupied part of the former horse tram sheds of Nottingham Corporation on Muskham Street 

 

This is my ham-fisted attempt to scan photos of the 1926/27 Nottm Corporation Tramways examples of Street bodies.

 

 

 

Brilliant stuff and what a find, very rare photo's indeed, many thanks for posting these

 

Rog

[plantfit 7,206]

Quite similar to the bus in your photo Newarker, the only information given about this particular time is "In 1920 an additional tram shed is built in the Meadows on the opposite side of Turney street to the existing tram shed at this point the original building becomes used as the Trent Bridge central works", this is from my little booklet called "celebrating 140 years od Nottingham City Transport" which came out in 2018

 

 

Rog

[Dark Angel 112]

  @Oztalgian : I need to recap on what I was doing when I came across it, was looking for something else at the time. I did have the foresight to take a screen shot as it was a bus mentioned in this thread, but am unable to put it onto this forum. Having issues at the moment looking at other photos put up. Some times get a blank space & other times get a blue square with a message telling me the image is currently unavailable.

   Never say never, see what I can sort out. 

[Beekay 4,398]

I noticed on the above picture that the booklet says, 'Tramline extended to Wollaton Park gates ' These gates used to be the terminus for NCT 45 route.

Back in the 60s, when no underpass.  B.

[plantfit 7,206]

Here's the rest of the page for you BK

 

 

Rog

[Cliff Ton 10,008]

13 hours ago, Beekay said:

I noticed on the above picture that the booklet says, 'Tramline extended to Wollaton Park gates ' These gates used to be the terminus for NCT 45 route.

Back in the 60s, when no underpass.  B

 

BK, I think the Gates in question for the early tram terminus were these on Derby Road.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/T9oujWANh1f4kRLj9

[Beekay 4,398]

Thanks Rog, I'll try and zoom in and read it.

CT, yes, I gathered that they were referring to the lower gates and the road behind were the start of the estate drive. It's just the mention of W.P gates got me thinking about trolleybuses again. Apologies for any confusion.  B.