+- Austinsevenfriends (https://www.austinsevenfriends.co.uk/forum)
+-- Forum: Austin Seven Friends Forum (https://www.austinsevenfriends.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=1)
+--- Forum: Forum chat... (https://www.austinsevenfriends.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=14)
+--- Thread: District Nurse in a Ruby (/showthread.php?tid=9772)
District Nurse in a Ruby - Peter Naulls - 21-12-2024
Whilst researching the possibility that our car was originally owned by a nursing association I found this video with a very brief appearance of another Ruby:
https://qniheritage.org.uk/film/
RE: District Nurse in a Ruby - Tony Griffiths - 22-12-2024
Thank you Peter. Four lovely films.
RE: District Nurse in a Ruby - Ruairidh Dunford - 22-12-2024
Rosemary Knight used my parents’ RK saloon (BME 180) for her daily transport as a District Nurse in the 1980s.
RE: District Nurse in a Ruby - Peter Naulls - 22-12-2024
That must have delighted her patients! I'm full of admiration.
From my research so far it seems that nursing associations started providing cars for nurses in rural areas in the mid '30s and at least two regional associations used Rubies. Prior to then they had supplied bikes or motorbikes! and post war they all seemed to use Morris 8s. There is more detailed information to be had but website problems mean this is unavailable at the moment.
Our car is a fixed-head saloon and over the years several people have told me that these tended to be bought by "fleet" buyers or organisations (most private buyers would pay the extra and have a de-luxe saloon) of which nursing associations would be an obvious one. I find these bits of historical context quite interesting.
RE: District Nurse in a Ruby - Ruairidh Dunford - 22-12-2024
It did, she was very well known, not least because of the car!
RE: District Nurse in a Ruby - AustinWood - 22-12-2024
At university in 1965 a friend and I persauded my friend George to buy a 1934 box saloon. It had the registration document from new, which in those days was stamped every time it was taxed. This showed it had been on the road continually from when it was first registered and all through the war until he bought it. Because they were economical many Sevens were run all through the war years.
George kept the car for the whole of his life and it was still continuously on the road well into the 80s/90s until it had a spell off the road having the body restored. It had been on its side at some time and was narrower than it should have been.
When George died in 2020 it was in the best condition it had been since he bought it.
The mileage it had covered was unknown, but was a lot!
RE: District Nurse in a Ruby - Andy Bennett - 24-12-2024
Somewhere around I have a copy of a picture taken of a row of RP saloons purchased by Essex Police.
RE: District Nurse in a Ruby - Reckless Rat - 24-12-2024
It's in the grey mag somewhere, before 2001.