Lameys Transport Appledore / A361

I wrote some lines a few years ago about my father Wally Lee who worked for Lameys in the 60’s / 70’s. Sadly he died about five years ago so I thought I’d put down a few more memories of Lameys and some of the people who worked there.

The firm was owned and run by three brothers: Bill, Sid and Ted. Can’t remember Bill because he died of a heart attack when I was quite young. Sid had really bad arthritis - we used to go out on his boat (when it was built my father fitted the air cooled Lister) quite often but he was another who died young. Ted for some reason spoke with a bit of a ‘plum in his mouth’ and appeared a rather forbidding figure.

In the office worked Bertie Smale, transport manager and my auntie Jean who was the book keeper and outside in the yard was Bert Whitear the foreman, Dickie Keen (who I think had been a driver but just helped out with various bits and pieces). Another guy called Noel drove the forklift and in the workshop - which had room for two wagons - worked my father and Cary Evans - who I bump into from time to time.
Some of the drivers I remember were Jock Perry, Jock McArthur, Alistair Mowatt and George Harman (who’s photo’s are on this site) who went to work for Shell (?).
Apart from the elderly forklift there was an even older crane which I assume was used to unload fertiliser from boats which were ■■■■■■■ alongside the wharf at the bottom on the yard. Think that might’ve finished by the time I started remembering things.

Something I do remember though is being driven with my dad in Ted’s Jag (Gold 3.8S 101 HBH) to collect their first AEC from the suppliers in Exeter. It was a brand new ‘F’ reg six wheeler which had a high sided wooden body ( later replaced); must’ve impressed me because I particularly remember the large window opening and closing handle.
Getting back to the Jag dad had previously gone through the windscreen when being driven to a breakdown by Bertie Smale; went underneath the side of a Bedford TK tipper apparently.

During the school holidays I often went out on breakdowns with dad (Bedford CA van) who always knew where to get to buy the best sausage rolls and pasties. I got to know some of the roads in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset quite well especially the old A361 which was the main road into North Devon. Getting even as far as Taunton took ages: from Appledore to Northam was almost a country lane, then into Bideford and across the old Bridge, Barnstaple, South Molton, Bampton, Wiveliscombe, Milverton (with very sharp corner) and Taunton (I remember we would often stop at a transport café at Hillcommon just beforehand). We would usually be in an AEC - whether rigid or artic - although I liked the Commers TS3’s.

Driving along it from time to time these days it’s fairly quiet - although still quite spectacular - and when I come to one of a number of stretches of road I think, ‘Did dad really overtake here?’.

My father left Lameys in the mid 70’s and started up as an owner driver with a series of D Series box wagons which although weren’t that exciting were reliable. His final vehicle was a Dodge with a Perkins 6354 which never went wrong either.
Happy days!

We often loaded steel plate from Consett for Appledore Shipyard. That A361 was a hard road! At the time the motorway finished at Bristol, so it was the A38 to Taunton. We would run to Bristol on Sunday, the Parkway was closed for what seemed like years due to danger of rockfalls, the alternative was the A 38 into the city and into Cannons Marsh for a great night out!! . I think it was an all day job from Bristol and back to reload at Avonmouth. We had a driver killed on the A361, name of Geoff Whitaker, we think he fell asleep on the bends around Wyvlscombe, he was thrown from the cab and was apparently drowned in the stream . It was a long time ago but I think that’s the story. I do remember the fun and games we had with 9’ 6" plates up the main street in Wyvlescombe and the right right hand bend at the top of the road. Sorry to hijack the thread , the memories were triggered by the posting. regards Kev.

Remember seeing their Mandators with sleeper cabs, don’t recall seeing any rigids thou. They also had a F88 but that may have been added to the fleet
after they were brought by Evans’s. The old A361 was a slow affair going though all them towns and villages before the link road. Do you have any photos, there are a couple on the devon companies thread

No photo’s sadly although dad did have a firms group photo taken in the early 60’s. They were lined up alongside a Bedford TK with a wooden rack on top of the cab. Have been trying to find it since he died.
The did have an F88 (CTA 571L) which Jackie Whitear drove until he bought out Bruce Locke who had a small business up the road. Seem to remember there was an AEC with a blower body, then an Atkinson with a 150 Gardner.
Dad used to fill up his Ford from the fuel tank; Jackie had an inspection pit dug which flooded every time it rained.
Michael Evans (John’s brother) took it over and ran a smallish operation from there until he died in a car accident.

The F88 I remember was a “S Reg” but I think I do recall the one you mentioned, strange to think they brought that back then, and then decided that the Mandator was better, bet the drivers didn’t agree.

They did have another F88 (PUO 137S) which I think Jock MacArthur drove and also an M reg F86. Must’ve been not long before Evans took over because I remember them resprayed in green.
Apart from the three Volvo’s the AEC’s were replaced with ERF’s with Gardner 240’s.
Having said dad was a Gardner affectionado the F88 would be his first choice every time. So advanced for its time.

There’s photos on TN Devon companies, AEC, ERF and Volvo. Les.