The photographs in this week’s trip down West Fife’s Memory Lane look at the Dunfermline company ‘James Whitehead & Co Motor Engineers’ with information kindly supplied by local historian George Beattie.

The company was established in 1919 by James Whitehead who was born in 1884 in Rolland Street, the youngest of nine children. James commenced business at 59 Priory Lane which comprised a four storey house and garden and he built a wooden shed in the garden.  

As commercial vehicles were in short supply after the war, and those that were available were in in a poor state of repair, Whiteheads business began to flourish and a more permanent building was constructed at the rear of Priory Lane. This created an entrance to it from Reid Street, and a machine shop and hydraulic tyre press were also installed (at a time when trucks had solid rubber tyres).

Dunfermline Press: Whitehead's showroom and parts department, pictured around 1968.Whitehead's showroom and parts department, pictured around 1968. (Image: Contributed)

A car showroom was added in the mid 1920s in Canmore Street, and then in the early 1930s the company took on the agency for Vauxhall and Bedford, going on to become the sole distributors for these in Fife and Kinross for many years.

After the war the company bought land on the south side of Nethertown Broad Street where a new workshop and petrol station were added. In the 1950s Whiteheads continued to expand and the premises were extended to include a parts and accessories outlet together with a large showroom.

Our first photograph taken from the junction of Moodie Street around 1962 shows the garage premises of Whitehead’s in the distance along Nethertown Broad Street before the derelict houses on the right were demolished.

Dunfermline Press: One of Whitehead's staff parties, from around 1960.One of Whitehead's staff parties, from around 1960. (Image: Contributed)

The next photograph from around 1968 shows their showroom and parts department. In 1969 the firm celebrated its 50th anniversary at a period when they employed 50 people.

Alistair Wilson remembers his parents talking about the company and the dances they held: “My parents had a friend who worked there. They used to go to dances held by Whiteheads and they’d bring us back great party hats."

The next photograph is of one of the dances held around 1960 with the following list of the people in the photograph: Standing, Jim Brown (Panel beater), Al Mercer (mechanic), Davie Day (storeman), Roy McKenzie (mechanic), Eddie Riddick (salesman), Jock Anderson (foreman), Ray Harris (mechanic), Jock Jamieson (mechanic), Willie Wallace (mechanic), and Frank Sharp (mechanic). In the front row are Frank Honeyman (mechanic), Davie Wright (mechanic), Tom Salmon (mechanic), and Sandy Gibb (Service Manager).

Dunfermline Press: Whitehead's shop on the corner of Canmore Street and New Row, pictured around 1950.Whitehead's shop on the corner of Canmore Street and New Row, pictured around 1950. (Image: Contributed)

Elizabeth Herd remembers the garage from meeting her husband: “It was thanks to this garage that I met my husband. Following my dad buying a car from Whiteheads, it was brought to our house by my now husband of 54 years…”.

Whiteheads had also opened a small shop on the corner of the New Row and Canmore Street in the early 1930s selling cycles and gramophone records that later developed into a very successful radio and television business, and our final photograph shows that shop around 1950.

More photographs like these can be seen in Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries, as well as at facebook.com/olddunfermline

With thanks to Frank Connelly