I am the daughter of Lew Sains - owner of Mavertons. I knew a few characters, Nigel Downey, Johnny Spiller, Frank Ferris, Don Alexander - loved his E type Jaguar, Alex Fairley and others.
My dad was no saint and I have a few stories to tell about him and very interested in reminiscences from others.
Louise
Yes, I remember him, I worked with him on poulters lot of years ago, we all used to end up in the brown bear by tower bridge when we finished on Friday night. Those were good days to be in transport. When he ran mavertons he had a driver called Micky Higgins who drove wagon & drag, I met micky in Austria on the mountain road we called the ho chi min, his trailer had gone over the side, lucky for him the coupling broke before the truck got dragged over with it, he was loaded with rolls of copper and had to stay with it until the wrecker got to him. Dunno how it all ended as I was going M/E somewhere and had to get going, I never worked for mavertons, I always seemed to be doing something else. 
SUPERCUBE:
Yes, I remember him, I worked with him on poulters lot of years ago, we all used to end up in the brown bear by tower bridge when we finished on Friday night. Those were good days to be in transport. When he ran mavertons he had a driver called Micky Higgins who drove wagon & drag, I met micky in Austria on the mountain road we called the ho chi min, his trailer had gone over the side, lucky for him the coupling broke before the truck got dragged over with it, he was loaded with rolls of copper and had to stay with it until the wrecker got to him. Dunno how it all ended as I was going M/E somewhere and had to get going, I never worked for mavertons, I always seemed to be doing something else.
He loved transport - not to mention a few beers and female company along with a scam or two. When he had a few drinks he would stagger home singing Witicha Linesman. I don’t recall Micky Higgins - but something always seemed to be happening at Mavertons.
He didn’t keep his eye on the situation in the middle east and got caught when the Shah of Iran was over thrown. That brought Mavertons to a screaming halt.
Louise
That’s right, I do recall the trucks coming home being piggy-backed from wherever, a lot of M/E firms went the same way, a sad end to a great era.
Hullo Louise,
I remember Lew, and Nigel. I often used to nip across the road ( track) at North Farm for a chat with them all, Dennis Newley was I believe the Fitter(?) there. I never knew Lew had passed away, I am very sorry, please accept my belated condolences. I was working at The Farm for Don Alexander at that time in the Yard just below Ray Phillips’s (Expo Freight) Yard. It was certainly a rum old company was Mavertons, but they had had a real good bunch of lads working for them. Funny thing I had a message today from Don’s eldest boy, first time I’ve heard anything for years. So I’m hoping to be in contact with him again soon.
Archie
At one point Don worked as fitter for Mavertons - he had a wonderful E Type jag - got me completely hooked and now own a jag albeit not an e type. Remember Don saying how much petrol it guzzled. Had no idea Don was gone - send my sympathies to his son.
Would love to hear the rum stories about Mavertons.
Recall at one point dad decided the drivers were syphoning off too much diesel lol and he threatened them with a measuring stick. He knew all of the fiddles having been a driver himself and he probably invented a few new scams.
He started his business aged 17 with a firm called Sains Transport. He went out stealing coal during the winter of 63 with an old beaten up truck.
The firm was run from our house and coal dust was ingrained everywhere. My dad was pulled by a police car and thought he had been caught - but they wanted to buy some coal as the station was freezing.
Business expanded and by the time he was 19 he was making a fortune but unfortunately life with a pint got more enticing than business and we went bankrupt, cost us the house and everything. He was 16 when I was born.
He started working for Solly Davis and spent a few years in and out of the nick.
On his return he set up Simcall which became Collintors and eventually Mavertons.
He taught me many things and as a toddler I wore overalls and jeans just like dad. Often I was out helping him with the lorry and covered in grease.
In the sixties he hung around with Kipper, Eddie Pender and Fly Cullen.
Jacksfullofaces:
SUPERCUBE:
Yes, I remember him, I worked with him on poulters lot of years ago, we all used to end up in the brown bear by tower bridge when we finished on Friday night. Those were good days to be in transport. When he ran mavertons he had a driver called Micky Higgins who drove wagon & drag, I met micky in Austria on the mountain road we called the ho chi min, his trailer had gone over the side, lucky for him the coupling broke before the truck got dragged over with it, he was loaded with rolls of copper and had to stay with it until the wrecker got to him. Dunno how it all ended as I was going M/E somewhere and had to get going, I never worked for mavertons, I always seemed to be doing something else.
He loved transport - not to mention a few beers and female company along with a scam or two. When he had a few drinks he would stagger home singing Witicha Linesman. I don’t recall Micky Higgins - but something always seemed to be happening at Mavertons.
He didn’t keep his eye on the situation in the middle east and got caught when the Shah of Iran was over thrown. That brought Mavertons to a screaming halt.
Louise.
Hi Louise, I just realised that the Micky Higgins I mentioned never worked for your dad, he was on for Robin and Tony, Cantrells raiders, as you may know they were a similar company doing the same M/E work and went the same way, that Shah had a lot of firms reliant on him.
Bob.
During my time on the m/e I saw many other firms while on the road and Mavetons was one of them of course.
From '80 to '83 I worked for Ray Philips out of North Farm.
The only guy I remember by name who I think worked for Maveton, was Henry Brown, did he work for them?
bestbooties:
During my time on the m/e I saw many other firms while on the road and Mavetons was one of them of course.
From '80 to '83 I worked for Ray Philips out of North Farm.
The only guy I remember by name who I think worked for Maveton, was Henry Brown, did he work for them?
If it’s the same guy Henry worked for davis for a number of years.
Was Jedi Clampitt on expo freight then?
SUPERCUBE:
bestbooties:
During my time on the m/e I saw many other firms while on the road and Mavetons was one of them of course.
From '80 to '83 I worked for Ray Philips out of North Farm.
The only guy I remember by name who I think worked for Maveton, was Henry Brown, did he work for them?If it’s the same guy Henry worked for davis for a number of years.
Was Jedi Clampitt on expo freight then?
Doesn’t ring a bell with anyone when I was there.
bestbooties:
SUPERCUBE:
bestbooties:
During my time on the m/e I saw many other firms while on the road and Mavetons was one of them of course.
From '80 to '83 I worked for Ray Philips out of North Farm.
The only guy I remember by name who I think worked for Maveton, was Henry Brown, did he work for them?If it’s the same guy Henry worked for davis for a number of years.
Was Jedi Clampitt on expo freight then?
Doesn’t ring a bell with anyone when I was there.
Jeds proper name was Reg Cawkhill, but he was nicknamed jed by Eddie Morgan when we were on Davis’s, & it stuck.
So sad to hear that Lew has passed, if you worked for Maveton you were on a really fast learning curve, all sympathy to his family.
We often used the phrase" Maveton training " when getting out of a difficult situation …but it will be a long time before I forget him saying " Well Doctor" .
Thank you, any memories of him I would love to hear, Swoop.
Louise