youtube.com/watch?v=RKSayesj6i8
Smithfield, Covent Garden and Billingsgate markets seen in the 1960’s. Click the above link.
Dave the Renegade:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKSayesj6i8Smithfield, Covent Garden and Billingsgate markets seen in the 1960’s. Click the above link.
Film of all three above.
Covent Garden 1910.
Thanks for posting the video, my Grandad used to drive a veg lorry from Norfolk to Covent Garden, and other markets, back in the 60s and 70s.
He has told me 1000s of stories and this video has really helped bring them to life.
Thank you once again.
Thanks for finding that one, Dave. I used to frequent Covent Garden and Spitalfields but never went to Billingsgate or Smithfield. Many years later I did a couple of loads of potatoes to the New Covent Garden which was quite an improvement, traffic-wise.
I used to run potatoes and swedes to most of the London markets, always liked the one out at Heathrow think it was Hays. Never liked London market, just on the sauf soide of the river, pain in the but to get to… give me a packing house any day… Load Scotland 2 pm for a midnight drop, usually did Leicester or Walsall on the way down… Bristol or Brighton as well.
Jeff…
Been there, done that! 
Bernard
I’m hoping for a new book about the Billingsgate transport scene:
The Long-Haul Pie 'n Eels
by Ashley Codfill
Sorry about that - I’ll get my coat! Robert
ERF-NGC-European:
I’m hoping for a new book about the Billingsgate transport scene:The Long-Haul Pie 'n Eels
by Ashley Codfill0
Sorry about that - I’ll get my coat! Robert
No, no, make no bones about it, hook up your arctic, connect the lines to your trailer. Fillet with Pollock from Musselburgh, Don’t carp at the weight, hope it doesn’t sink her! Don’t flounder, Perch on the seat, ■■■■ a snook at your chum Sam on the turnPike. His Mullet doesn’t look good anyway!
Sea more arctics and wave at them, that’s for shore. Tuna the radio in, once you’re in Whales you’re in the right plaice, skate to unload and don’t take any red herrings!
John West.
John West:
ERF-NGC-European:
I’m hoping for a new book about the Billingsgate transport scene:The Long-Haul Pie 'n Eels
by Ashley Codfill0
Sorry about that - I’ll get my coat! Robert
No, no, make no bones about it, hook up your arctic, connect the lines to your trailer. Fillet with Pollock from Musselburgh, Don’t carp at the weight, hope it doesn’t sink her! Don’t flounder, Perch on the seat, ■■■■ a snook at your chum Sam on the turnPike. His Mullet doesn’t look good anyway!
Sea more arctics and wave at them, that’s for shore. Tuna the radio in, once you’re in Whales you’re in the right plaice, skate to unload and don’t take any red herrings!
John West.[/quote
Oh my Cod you’re worse than I am! In the meantime I’ll mullet over… Robert
All the then FRUIT MARKETS NOT ONLY LONDON, JUST LIKE THE DOCKERS all tared with the same brush,did you ever get a hand with handball,did you ever have to pay a bung for a forklift,did you ever get robbed by their count signed short…did you ever get a claim on the c.mr. for damage when they have scribbled in the comments
.did you ever witness the art of" MILKING".where one mans job at the pitch was to take out of every box they had . a few strawberries ,cherries, oranges,apple,grapes [they would take the bottom layer out of apples]whatever fruit you took in a 21pallet load by the time they had finished the pitch would end up with a full pallet load for nothing… and give you nothing. claims got so bad when i was on ROKOLD THAT WE WERE GIVEN A CARD OF A INSURANCE ASESOR
IF WE DID NOT GET A CLEAN SIGNATURE FOR THE LOAD, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE PALLETS INSIDE WERE TIGHT AND 3 ACROSS AND THEY WOULD CRUSH THE MIDDLE ONE TO GET THE OTHERS OUT,then claim for 3/4 damaged pallets and keep them, we would ring this cha up maybe 3 or 4 am tell him where we were and what the damage “actually” was and he would either say stay there or leave…
ALSO in Borough market on sunday night they would leave a fork lift in the square then all the drivers would take turns and unload their selfs then all the other nights you had to find the fork lift and driver then PAY THEM to unload you… hemel-hempstead,Stratford,spitalfields , borough, nine -elms,western then brighton,for a nights work…Please do not think doing markets was the DOGS B----KS BECAUSE IT WAS NOT,…COVENTRY,BIRMINGHAM WOLVERHAMPTON .MANCHESTER LIVERPOOL THEN OVER TO HULL…Sheffield was the best every pitch left the key for the fork trucks, then on to leeds .once you have done the markets you got to know them all even GLASGOW …GOOD OLD DAYS ,NO
peggydeckboy:
All the then FRUIT MARKETS NOT ONLY LONDON, JUST LIKE THE DOCKERS all tared with the same brush,did you ever get a hand with handball,did you ever have to pay a bung for a forklift,did you ever get robbed by their count signed short…did you ever get a claim on the c.mr. for damage when they have scribbled in the comments
.did you ever witness the art of" MILKING".where one mans job at the pitch was to take out of every box they had . a few strawberries ,cherries, oranges,apple,grapes [they would take the bottom layer out of apples]whatever fruit you took in a 21pallet load by the time they had finished the pitch would end up with a full pallet load for nothing… and give you nothing. claims got so bad when i was on ROKOLD THAT WE WERE GIVEN A CARD OF A INSURANCE ASESOR
IF WE DID NOT GET A CLEAN SIGNATURE FOR THE LOAD, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE PALLETS INSIDE WERE TIGHT AND 3 ACROSS AND THEY WOULD CRUSH THE MIDDLE ONE TO GET THE OTHERS OUT,then claim for 3/4 damaged pallets and keep them, we would ring this cha up maybe 3 or 4 am tell him where we were and what the damage “actually” was and he would either say stay there or leave…ALSO in Borough market on sunday night they would leave a fork lift in the square then all the drivers would take turns and unload their selfs then all the other nights you had to find the fork lift and driver then PAY THEM to unload you… hemel-hempstead,Stratford,spitalfields , borough, nine -elms,western then brighton,for a nights work…Please do not think doing markets was the DOGS B----KS BECAUSE IT WAS NOT,…COVENTRY,BIRMINGHAM WOLVERHAMPTON .MANCHESTER LIVERPOOL THEN OVER TO HULL…Sheffield was the best every pitch left the key for the fork trucks, then on to leeds .once you have done the markets you got to know them all even GLASGOW …GOOD OLD DAYS ,NO
As above, the worst for outright theft was edge-lane Liverpool, get out of cab lock doors, start to remove sheet or undo curtains bastids were nicking from ya blind side, put stuff in wrong pitch, would go missing.
Had some laughs along the way. Was an apprenticeship and a half, but utter ■■■■■■,thieves the lot of em,
peggydeckboy:
All the then FRUIT MARKETS NOT ONLY LONDON, JUST LIKE THE DOCKERS all tared with the same brush,did you ever get a hand with handball,did you ever have to pay a bung for a forklift,did you ever get robbed by their count signed short…did you ever get a claim on the c.mr. for damage when they have scribbled in the comments
.did you ever witness the art of" MILKING".where one mans job at the pitch was to take out of every box they had . a few strawberries ,cherries, oranges,apple,grapes [they would take the bottom layer out of apples]whatever fruit you took in a 21pallet load by the time they had finished the pitch would end up with a full pallet load for nothing… and give you nothing. claims got so bad when i was on ROKOLD THAT WE WERE GIVEN A CARD OF A INSURANCE ASESOR
IF WE DID NOT GET A CLEAN SIGNATURE FOR THE LOAD, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE PALLETS INSIDE WERE TIGHT AND 3 ACROSS AND THEY WOULD CRUSH THE MIDDLE ONE TO GET THE OTHERS OUT,then claim for 3/4 damaged pallets and keep them, we would ring this cha up maybe 3 or 4 am tell him where we were and what the damage “actually” was and he would either say stay there or leave…ALSO in Borough market on sunday night they would leave a fork lift in the square then all the drivers would take turns and unload their selfs then all the other nights you had to find the fork lift and driver then PAY THEM to unload you… hemel-hempstead,Stratford,spitalfields , borough, nine -elms,western then brighton,for a nights work…Please do not think doing markets was the DOGS B----KS BECAUSE IT WAS NOT,…COVENTRY,BIRMINGHAM WOLVERHAMPTON .MANCHESTER LIVERPOOL THEN OVER TO HULL…Sheffield was the best every pitch left the key for the fork trucks, then on to leeds .once you have done the markets you got to know them all even GLASGOW …GOOD OLD DAYS ,NO
Good for you, reminding us that the not so good old days were filled with the kind of rotten British corruption that failed our commerce and industry when we needed it most. I too did the markets and docks, albeit for a short while, and saw how sordid and unromantic it could be at 3-oclock in the morning dealing with the kind of people who’d put the eastern-bloc to shame.
Well in my experience all the fruit markets were the same full off thieving ■■■■■■ I recall offloading apples in Newcastle fruit market that I loaded in London Docks , You had to have eyes in you arse never mind the back of your head, The buyers coming with little bits of paper for various ammounts of boxes, And while attending to them some other buyer would help himself when your back was turned, Then there was a right set to when the ammounts on the little bits of paper didnt tally I wonder if things have changed from those days in the 50/60s Era, Regards Larry.
my welcome to road haulage working for southeastern transport of Faversham part of east kent packers. hauling fruit and veg from kent to all the markets in the uk.what an eye opener,tight spots short signed loads although you knew it was fiddeled.put over there drive.worse than the dockers.but a good experierence.especially covent garden if the opera was on.double park your wagon alongside the cars and go for a cuppa and the coppers would drive them to the lorry pound at the elephant&castle and you had to pay to get them back.had it happen to me when I was working for woods at Sittingbourne once cost me £10.woody never paid me said it was my own fault, as I got to the market to early.lot of money in 1970.still live and learn eh.