Old North East haulage companies (Part 1)

Hepplewhite and Shaw, Sunderland. I did not know about this company but after a little research it appears they were quite a large concern and bought one or two smaller companies over the years, they were eventually Nationalised after WW2.
The last shot is Joe Hepplewhite early in his working life driving a Vaux dray.
Tyneside