BORDER LINE PART ONE

Things can often come almost out of nowhere. I can’t even recall the reason I was driving round a small trading estate in the Derbyshire Peak District but out of the blue, my eye latched onto the faded – but still distinctive – scripted name of Robson’s. The curtainsider semi-trailer it was affixed to was shoe-horned into a corner and its maroon paintwork was ingrained with years of grime. However, it was still ideal for the static storage roll it was being used for and with no intention to take it back on the road its owner had no intention of wasting money by re-painting the curtains. However, in saving himself a bob or two with the re-paint, he unintentionally gave a huge fillip of enjoyment to this passing motorist.

Starting back in the late ‘50s, I honestly felt I was the only ‘Robson’ spotter in the world. Who else would be crazy enough to write down (and treasure) any of the vehicle details of a haulier based in Carlisle that was almost 60-miles away from my home town of Consett. Little did I know there was a growing band of many others who enjoyed seeing the cream and maroon ‘Border’ named fleet as it criss-crossed our UK road network. In later years (when use of a decent camera came more into vogue) this motley group of Robson aficionados of course photographed their favourite vehicles whenever they got the chance. And in next month’s part of the Robson story we will see some of those colourful memories.

But of course, any historical