UP THE AMAZON
Douglas Miller will probably strike you as a pleasant unassuming sort of guy. Yes, you can see he’s of an age where he’s obviously witnessed a life-time of many things but his easy-going outward demeanour actually disguises one heck of an inner resolve. The more we talk to him about how he’s spent his last 15 years bringing back to life an utter basket case (well it took him more than a month just to free it from the undergrowth it was entangled in) the more we are amazed at his sheer expertise – and huge strength of purpose. We try and say this to him again and again but the man himself thinks nothing of it: “All I want you to do is mention the Museum,” he says. “Without it, I doubt if I would have ever tackled this job. It’s been a great place for me to work from and we are always on the lookout for all sorts of fresh blood to join us as volunteers.”
Right Douglas, we have mentioned that so let’s hear your Thornycroft story – and how come it took a month just to get the wheels to turn.
Bilsland Brothers Bread
Douglas’ story starts up in Glasgow during 1947 with parents Susan and Thomas. His dad was a mechanic by trade so Douglas was of course brought up being involved with all sorts of cars and commercials. However, after Thomas moved to work at the well-known Glasgow bakery concern of Bilsland Brothers in 1953, his young son Douglas was to get up close and personal with his first ever Thornycroft: “I’m sure it was about 1960 and I was 13 when my dad – who was then transport manager – told me to get in and drive the 1943 Thornycroft Nippy they
