It is my sad duty to report here that my friend of almost 30 years Arthur Gardner, formerly of Out Rawcliffe, Garstang and Greenhalgh, latterly of the Station Hotel, Earby, Lancs. Febland subby in the late 70’s and early 80’s passed away this week after battling heart problems over the past year or two.
He was 67. I had a very enjoyable trip to Rome, Padova & Nevara with him in 1986 in his Volvo F10.
Driveroneuk:
It is my sad duty to report here that my friend of almost 30 years Arthur Gardner, formerly of Out Rawcliffe, Garstang and Greenhalgh, latterly of the Station Hotel, Earby, Lancs. Febland subby in the late 70’s and early 80’s passed away this week after battling heart problems over the past year or two.
He was 67. I had a very enjoyable trip to Rome, Padova & Nevara with him in 1986 in his Volvo F10.
Thats sad indeed, Arthur was one of those characters that you rarely come across. Although I hadn’t seen him for many years I can remember some of his exploits like it was yesterday. He had the most uncanny nack of keeping that old F10 going and getting it home.
T.B
Driveroneuk:
It is my sad duty to report here that my friend of almost 30 years Arthur Gardner, formerly of Out Rawcliffe, Garstang and Greenhalgh, latterly of the Station Hotel, Earby, Lancs. Febland subby in the late 70’s and early 80’s passed away this week after battling heart problems over the past year or two.
He was 67. I had a very enjoyable trip to Rome, Padova & Nevara with him in 1986 in his Volvo F10.
was arthur the guy who owned the station or the bloke who ran it with his wife and the two spaniels?
trucker.blackpool:
Thats sad indeed, Arthur was one of those characters that you rarely come across. Although I hadn’t seen him for many years I can remember some of his exploits like it was yesterday. He had the most uncanny nack of keeping that old F10 going and getting it home.T.B
You’re right. That time I went with him it popped a heater hose on a long m/way climb in France on the way back.
He spotted the temp gauge go up straight away. As luck had it we were within sight of a service area. Pulled in, jacked the cab. Found the hole near one end of the hose. Cut that end off and reconnected it. Came to let the cab down and discovered the hose now wasn’t long enough. Time to improvise. Cut the hose in two. Chisel handle in one end with a jubilee clip round it it. Something else round out of the large tool box in the other end … and so we came home.
Cold Up North:
was arthur the guy who owned the station or the bloke who ran it with his wife and the two spaniels?
Owned it - for the best part of 24 years. Ran it himself for many years. Never seen any spaniels.
Ran with Arthur many times late 70s we had some wild times
That’s Arthur polishing his chrome wheel trims, next my 141 (red roof) and poss Gary? I think Auxerre homeward bound
I’m sure you remember you were only allowed 50 litres of fuel in your tank at border crossings, well I remember Arthur had some kind of spare fuel tank hidden under a wooden cover on the chassis of the F88, unfortunately it always leaked, usually on to the boots of the douane geezer checking the road tanks LOL
Yes I remember customs used to climb on the step in Calais and look at the fuel gauge. Fine you if too much in. (why don’t they do that here now?) Think many had doctored gauges.
Arthur also had a flat slim tank atop the chassis on the F10. It was not plumbed in to the main tank but had a tap on it.
Used to be full of cherry and he’d tell 'em it was for topping a fridge trailer up. There was a short length of plastic hose in the side locker 
Oddly enough, when I had my 112 back in 1999, it too had a top tank.
Arthur’s funeral.
2pm Tuesday 23rd October 2012 All Saints Church, Earby, Lancashire.
Marked A here: goo.gl/maps/IzK7R
The church is at the north end of the town on the A56. Possible parking in streets almost opposite.
There is no car park up the narrow road that goes up the side of the church.
Please feel free to make yourself known to me. (pic in my gallery)
Driveroneuk:
trucker.blackpool:
Thats sad indeed, Arthur was one of those characters that you rarely come across. Although I hadn’t seen him for many years I can remember some of his exploits like it was yesterday. He had the most uncanny nack of keeping that old F10 going and getting it home.T.B
You’re right. That time I went with him it popped a heater hose on a long m/way climb in France on the way back.
He spotted the temp gauge go up straight away. As luck had it we were within sight of a service area. Pulled in, jacked the cab. Found the hole hear one end of the hose. Cut that end off and reconnected it. Came to let the cab down and discovered the hose now wasn’t long enough. Time to improvise. Cut the hose in two. Chisel handle on one end with a jubilee clip round it it. Something else round out of the large tool box in the other end … and so we came home.Cold Up North:
was arthur the guy who owned the station or the bloke who ran it with his wife and the two spaniels?Owned it - for the best part of 24 years. Ran it himself for many years. Never seen any spaniels.
I think that must be the guy who runs it for him then, he might be called Harry.
Hi has anyone seen the clip on you tube Foden Fleetmaster 1978 it shows a Febland F88 on the M2 just after leaving Dover
Mark Cooper found the clip its worth a view. The Foden is towing a Brit European trailer out of Dover.
photo of Febland F12 in a book titled Trucks in the 1980s on page 18, it’s not the unit Byron Grimshaw drove taking kangaroo tilts to Italy.
atkimark:
photo of Febland F12 in a book titled Trucks in the 1980s on page 18, it’s not the unit Byron Grimshaw drove taking kangaroo tilts to Italy.
It can only be one of the two which Feblands ran, both intercoolers, WBV 847Y and Byrons, A635 HWM
T.B
trucker.blackpool:
atkimark:
photo of Febland F12 in a book titled Trucks in the 1980s on page 18, it’s not the unit Byron Grimshaw drove taking kangaroo tilts to Italy.It can only be one of the two which Feblands ran, both intercoolers, WBV 847Y and Byrons, A635 HWM
T.B
Got the book, the F12 was WBV 847Y, bought new in August '82 from Lancashire Trucks in Liverpool. It spent the first three years or so running out of Novara, driven by an Italian driver, I think he was called Georgio. IIRC it was later driven by a guy called Barry from Norfolk and later run by Anglo Italian Transport.
T.B
i am pleased to see the febland posts back. my intrest goes backto1969ish.never worked for them however used to spend time in blackpool for the,last30years.family.
it was back then i was a unionised brs driver so would not hav e been a use to them also lived 150 miles away.however.my auntie was a tarrot card,spiritilest, reader from devonshire rd bpool.and someone from febland used to visit her regular.as i usedto talk about driving european a nd she used to tell me how hard it was etc,from in formation from her client and it put me off for years ,little didiknow that 20years later i would be liveing and working european from the blackpool area.
what was their main cargo they must have had a regular client?.
deckboypeggy:
i am pleased to see the febland posts back. my intrest goes backto1969ish.never worked for them however used to spend time in blackpool for the,last30years.family.
it was back then i was a unionised brs driver so would not hav e been a use to them also lived 150 miles away.however.my auntie was a tarrot card,spiritilest, reader from devonshire rd bpool.and someone from febland used to visit her regular.as i usedto talk about driving european a nd she used to tell me how hard it was etc,from in formation from her client and it put me off for years ,little didiknow that 20years later i would be liveing and working european from the blackpool area.
what was their main cargo they must have had a regular client?.
Hi,
Febland Europa specialised in groupage and part loads, which probably accounted for half of the traffic, the rest being full loads avoiding anything which would not fit within the profile of a tilt or kangaroo. There was a good customer base for both full loads and groupage, having the advantage of an inland clearance facility at Novara, meaning if one consignment on a groupage trailer was held up clearing, the rest of the load could still be delivered. Much of the import traffic was furniture and porcelain, for customers or Febland Group.
When I worked there we averaged about 15 to 20 return trailers a week, which took some organising as many of the trailers could have upwards of 20 consignments on. This was all organised by 3 or 4 staff at either end, which is a little different to these days where there are more office staff than drivers!
T.B
HITrucker bpool thanks for the info .i never cleared at Novara but lotsof other places it must have been a good turn round drop one off pick on e up and away.
Ach did the same however if like me i would not ■■■■ up to our mr fowler i would maybe get to tip 2 trailers while the blue eyed boys would drop and pick up and away home.
you all seemed close knit ,that was good i expect you were all more or less local within 20 miles it makes a diferance .
i had abrillent time at Bowkers for a num ber of years i would never have been a lancastrian, however i have been around, and i can honestly say you would not get a betteer bunch of men…
I have noticed another reference to Febland Europa in the Trucks in the 80s book on page 78, the caption for the Edmondson 141
T.B
Hi TB according to the oracle VOLVO A835 went to Barry from Norfolk ,VOLVO WBV went to Fred from Norfolk , although not related, but just very good friends, Barry took A835 to Alleleys and ran it to Italy under the guise of AIT , Barrys past turned up at Alleleys yard from Fontainebleau and when he left, the truck A835 went into the pool of drivers and slowly degenerated, shame it was an exceptional vehicle .
atkimark:
Hi TB according to the oracle VOLVO A835 went to Barry from Norfolk ,VOLVO WBV went to Fred from Norfolk , although not related, but just very good friends, Barry took A835 to Alleleys and ran it to Italy under the guise of AIT , Barrys past turned up at Alleleys yard from Fontainebleau and when he left, the truck A835 went into the pool of drivers and slowly degenerated, shame it was an exceptional vehicle .
Hi,
Fred, I couldn’t remember his name the other day, IIRC they both came from the Hunstanton area. They only drove the F12s for the last 12 months or so before Europa finished. I only ever recall seeing one of the F12s when AIT/Alleleys had them and that was across the AutoRoute. A635 HWM was again new from Lancashire Trucks, January 1984, which was after the launch of the Higher cabbed models, hence the square tank. A635 also had the longer 3.4 wheelbase and a heavy duty drive axle. When new it was allocated to Byron Grimshaw, replacing UFY 548V, who cherished it, and was a little deflated when he was given a 112 6x2.
T.B