Orkney Image Library

These mobile shops were an initiative of my great-grandfather Robert Garden snr. He began in 1873 and soon introduced shop boats to service the Islands plus north Scotland. Any information on his life or that of his son Robert Garden jnr, born in Kirkwall in 1874 (he introduced motor transport to North Scotland at the turn of the century) would be greatly appreciated ... as I am writing a book.

We used to get the chip van on a Tuesday night at Robson's shop in Holm.Grand meeting place! Am I right in saying it was Tom Notman and Alan Taylor that held the helm of that scrumpious venture?

When I wis peedie, in the 40s and 50s, there was vans nearly every day of the week. Nobody had fridges and we didn't even have electricity until the early 60s. There was Stanley Ballantyne with groceries twice a week, John T Flett's butcher van twice a week, Flett and Son's van (Mr Moncrief) on Thursdays and Scotts Fish Shop van on Fridays. Also Sandy Robson from Holm twice a week. For people like my mother, stuck home all day in the country, the vans were the only social contact outside of the family coming home. I loved the vans coming when I happened to be home and, of course, the tinkers. Here, in New Zealand, I sometimes see very peedie flat packets of "Scotch" kippers in the supermarkets - waste of time - when you grew up on Siddy Watsons kippers, nothing else will do. Other things I miss most are mealy puddings, bere bannocks and Orkney cheese, fresh haddocks with new tatties and white sauce and Bewsies patties. I've got to stop - I'm drooling

I mind when Charles Stewart got his new van. I was big and green. He took it around to show it off to his customers. He showed Mum and me around it and he was very proud of its peedie wash-hand-basin. Must have been the mid to late fifties.