Not sure if any of you are still interested ?. My Father worked for Stanley N Evans for 20 odd years with a few short Breaks, he grew up just down the Road on my Grand Fathers Small Holding, just up from the “Wildmoor” Oak Pub.
I have a lot of hazy memories from my Child hood as we were a working Family my father had to take us in “the Lorries”, (as we called them), which meant an early rise, sometimes 5 or 6 O’clock in the Morning. One of my first Childhood memories was going along Fog bound roads in the night in a freezing cold Leyland, (Albion Badge on the Bonnet), Comet - the old Bubble front type. Then Evans’ got the new Leyland Super Comet with the common, Flat Cab, they also bought one Leyland Bison, 6 Wheeler but only “Old Charlie” got to drive that. They bought their First Leyland Clydesdale about 1974, (Reg No. “ROG ***M”), from what I remember.
In the late 70’s they let Colin Pittaway / CP Haulage, use the Yard - he had 2 x 8 Wheeler Magirus Deutzs’ in Evans’ Dark Green livery.
Most of the Work was to the Foundries in the Black Country and round about. When Dad got a “Long Run” to BICC at Prescott, (Near Liverpool), Pegsons, (was it, I’m not sure…), Stow Market, or to Luton, either myself, Brother or Sister would go along. If it was BICC at Prescott we would always stop off at the BIS, (British Industrial Sand - used to Paint Camels on their Trucks !), Quarry at Congleton - their sand was very “Sharp”, large grained and Ginger, compared to Evans’ and John Williams’, (Quarry over the Road from Evans’), much smoother, fine grained, Red Sand.
Mr. STANLEY N EVANS was a great Gentleman from what my Father told me, I think at one stage he was MP For Wednesbury in the West Midlands. He had two Son’s Ian and Robert. Ian Evans I remember; he was, so my Father said, one of the first ever people to have a successful “Hole in the Heart” Operation in the U.K. He was a really nice calm, collected man, always nice to us. We would sometimes go to his house in Solihull to do small Jobs. I only remember Robert Evans as the Legal side of the Company - he Studied Law and defended a number of the Drivers in Court, (My Father Included), with alleged “Speeding Offences” and some more serious things like RTA’s.
In the Quarry there we Originally 2 Ruston Bucyrus, (“RB”) 19 Face Shovels, absolute monstrosities by todays standards - all Clutches and Cables - they looked like something used in the Manchester Ship Canal 100 Years before, (probably were !). Then a RB 22. Ginger drove / operated these. The rough uncrushed Sand would be transferred to the “Hopper” at the back of the Crusher - this was a German “AziMag” / “HaziMag” - the beast that lurked in that tall Sheet Metal Tower that overlooked the whole of “The Moor”, (Wildmoor). The Quarry Tipper were two cool looking AEC Dump Trucks - like the Leyland version on Free’s “Wishing Well” Video on You Tube.
A gent used to Back Load Sand for Scotland in a Artic, from West Calder, I will remember his name later. Also Eggbeer’s of Newton Abbott, Devon were regular visitors. When Redditch and Telford New Towns were being constructed we would do our first Load of Sand early Morning then be attached to the Lime Stone Quarries at Much Wenlock, (Farley Quarry, Shadwell or Ridge Limestone). To Redditch we used to Load ancient Furnace Ash at a large “Hole” between Dudley and Wolverhampton, (just off that Dual Carraige way).
Well it’s time to go to bed. I’m on a Large Gas Carrier, mid Pacific, en route to Bontang, Kalimantan, (Borneo). Hope this is of use to someone. Thanks for your time Gents. 8th. AUGUST 2016.
A bit of a crap picture of Evans, the quarry has now been filled with waste courtesy of Veolia, what motor’s did Evans run before they packed up, I’m sure they were Merc’s?
pete smith:
A bit of a crap picture of Evans, the quarry has now been filled with waste courtesy of Veolia, what motor’s did Evans run before they packed up, I’m sure they were Merc’s?
Stanley N Evans also had a small yard of some description in Serpentine Road ,Harbourne,roughly behind Murray’s Fish and Chip Restaurant .
and almost opposite the Old Harbourne Picture House.
I was once told by a Midland Red driver who lived in Harbourne that Stanley Evans,the MP, earned the nickname ‘Featherbed’ . Something to do with raising a question about the number of duck feathers in a eiderdown. !
Did Evans ever have a foreman named George Woodcock. I remember a chap from Evans calling at the flat i lived in in Longbridge to offer me a job .
The trouble was it was a 4 wheeler job and i was then driving a 8 wheeler for James Hare of Kings Norton,and need to stick with the 8 legger to qualify for a Class 2 licence.
Incidentally i only lived a short distance from Colin Pittaway, he had a garage along side his house large enough to house a 4 wheel tipper at least.
He used to sub for James Hare when we where busy. There was a picture of Colin and his 8 wheeled Maggie, on the MI , in Februarys Classic Truck Page 35.
HOG595:
Not sure if any of you are still interested ?. My Father worked for Stanley N Evans for 20 odd years with a few short Breaks, he grew up just down the Road on my Grand Fathers Small Holding, just up from the “Wildmoor” Oak Pub.
I have a lot of hazy memories from my Child hood as we were a working Family my father had to take us in “the Lorries”, (as we called them), which meant an early rise, sometimes 5 or 6 O’clock in the Morning. One of my first Childhood memories was going along Fog bound roads in the night in a freezing cold Leyland, (Albion Badge on the Bonnet), Comet - the old Bubble front type. Then Evans’ got the new Leyland Super Comet with the common, Flat Cab, they also bought one Leyland Bison, 6 Wheeler but only “Old Charlie” got to drive that. They bought their First Leyland Clydesdale about 1974, (Reg No. “ROG ***M”), from what I remember.
In the late 70’s they let Colin Pittaway / CP Haulage, use the Yard - he had 2 x 8 Wheeler Magirus Deutzs’ in Evans’ Dark Green livery.
Most of the Work was to the Foundries in the Black Country and round about. When Dad got a “Long Run” to BICC at Prescott, (Near Liverpool), Pegsons, (was it, I’m not sure…), Stow Market, or to Luton, either myself, Brother or Sister would go along. If it was BICC at Prescott we would always stop off at the BIS, (British Industrial Sand - used to Paint Camels on their Trucks !), Quarry at Congleton - their sand was very “Sharp”, large grained and Ginger, compared to Evans’ and John Williams’, (Quarry over the Road from Evans’), much smoother, fine grained, Red Sand.
Mr. STANLEY N EVANS was a great Gentleman from what my Father told me, I think at one stage he was MP For Wednesbury in the West Midlands. He had two Son’s Ian and Robert. Ian Evans I remember; he was, so my Father said, one of the first ever people to have a successful “Hole in the Heart” Operation in the U.K. He was a really nice calm, collected man, always nice to us. We would sometimes go to his house in Solihull to do small Jobs. I only remember Robert Evans as the Legal side of the Company - he Studied Law and defended a number of the Drivers in Court, (My Father Included), with alleged “Speeding Offences” and some more serious things like RTA’s.
In the Quarry there we Originally 2 Ruston Bucyrus, (“RB”) 19 Face Shovels, absolute monstrosities by todays standards - all Clutches and Cables - they looked like something used in the Manchester Ship Canal 100 Years before, (probably were !). Then a RB 22. Ginger drove / operated these. The rough uncrushed Sand would be transferred to the “Hopper” at the back of the Crusher - this was a German “AziMag” / “HaziMag” - the beast that lurked in that tall Sheet Metal Tower that overlooked the whole of “The Moor”, (Wildmoor). The Quarry Tipper were two cool looking AEC Dump Trucks - like the Leyland version on Free’s “Wishing Well” Video on You Tube.
A gent used to Back Load Sand for Scotland in a Artic, from West Calder, I will remember his name later. Also Eggbeer’s of Newton Abbott, Devon were regular visitors. When Redditch and Telford New Towns were being constructed we would do our first Load of Sand early Morning then be attached to the Lime Stone Quarries at Much Wenlock, (Farley Quarry, Shadwell or Ridge Limestone). To Redditch we used to Load ancient Furnace Ash at a large “Hole” between Dudley and Wolverhampton, (just off that Dual Carraige way).
Well it’s time to go to bed. I’m on a Large Gas Carrier, mid Pacific, en route to Bontang, Kalimantan, (Borneo). Hope this is of use to someone. Thanks for your time Gents. 8th. AUGUST 2016.
You must be Dave Hartill,s son.My dad was good friends with your uncle John.
I worked there in the early 90,s as the plant operator and on the weighbridge,for a couple of years then went to Roger Constant in Stourport.
They used to run 2 6 wheeler and 3 4 wheeler Volvos,and 2 Clydesdales in the quarry as haulers to the plant.Komatsu PC 240 360,Komatsu W90, a W250 and a 1978 Cat 930 was the plant.I remember the old Albion Reiver that lived under the hoppers get towed away for scrap.
Around 200000 tons of rock sand went to Mcalpine Budge/VHE for the black country new road as foundations,hauliers such as DJ Whitehouse,T&S Element,Regis,Males and numerous others hauled 8-9 loads a day to great bridge for months!.
Ron Murray was the manager,Roy Poulson was the foreman,Ron Crisp,Len,Tom and Brian Watts,Steve Davis,Matt Harley,Andy Rowley,Martin Murray(always crap weights,too much or too little-360 operator),I took over from Stan Bissell when he retired and I remember Ginger (Lawrence Eades?) well as he was my dads mate.He was riddled with cancer due to the 22RB,s having asbestos clutches that were not covered over.
I recognise the last poster!
Conan!
I worked there too. There were about 5 Leyland Clydesdale’s there when I started.
Mine was TEA 971W. They had a habit of snapping crankshafts.
Tommy Watts drove one, “Crippy” Ron Crisp drove JNP 415T.
Brian Watts worked the building sand site along the back lanes. On his holidays, I covered that site. Dry screened sand there.
In the main quarry, we had the ‘Rock sand’ as it was called. I also operated the loading shovels and the Komatsu 350LC excavator.
I also occasionally used the RB22 face shovels. Really difficult to operate without uncoiling the ropes!
I remember Stan and Ginger vividly. Stan ran the main plant for the milled foundry sand.
I delivered around the black country. Beans Industries, C+H Walsall and Bloxwich, as far as Skipton in Yorkshire. There were quite a few back in the day.
We used to start at 4:00am to do Skipton as the sand had to be there for the start of the shift. Once the patterns were out, you couldn’t tip.
The old dump truck… wow that was a beast. It had no brakes that could be used with a load on. You stayed in low gears all the time! The pedal went to the floor and… nothing!
We used to haul the white sand up from the bottom of the site with it. Tipping it over the edge was risky as when reversing, you had to rely on a small lip to stop you going over. Health and safety? Where? Those were the days.
But it all started to come in not too long before I left.
High vis waistcoats and hard hats were the first.
I also recall many 6:00am starts, getting a lift from one of the waiting hauliers down the quarry to the 360 to start loading them for the rock sand projects.
I left quite literally as the negotiations for the landfill were signed off and they started to move in.
The first non Clydesdale was a Volvo F6 B555 EOB which Tommy Watts became the driver of. It had a 4 over 4 box and was significantly more powerful than the Clydesdales. They could only get to 30mph on the uphill north from J4 of the M5. 55mph if you were really lucky on the flat.
The F6 was geared down, so also only managed 56mph on the redline in 8th.
The first 6 Wheeler FL7 was E266 UOC and also went to Tommy Watts. I then inherited B555.
We had a newer FL7 and Tommy watts had that before leaving, and a new driver Tommy Bourne had it. I then inherited E266.
A few photos I have of the vehicles and the site are attached.
This has bought back some fond memories of late 70s and early 80s at SNE.
The lad HOG who posted, im guessing your Martin and your Dad Dave always had Seddon Atkinson embroidered on his green overalls which didnt go down too well with management LOL.
I recall the Trucks, there was as you said Charlie Harbours 6 legger, which he used to park at the Harbourne depot up the road. I recall a HOA and JOA Leylands, which Ronnie Crisp and Brian Watts used when i was around. My Dad Jim had TEA 971W from " New" Tommy Watts had JNP 415T, then WWD 401X i think the reg was. Then they broke trend a bought in a VOLVO which Tommy had.
I worked in the weighbridge, first job from school on the " hoggin " they were shifting from the other site up the road.
I used to go with my Dad all over Skipton, Mold Wales, Black Country, Prescott, Beans Tipton and more than i care to remember. These were great days indeed, and roads a bit quieter than today.
Ginger Eades, Tommy, Brian Watts, Richard Dixon, Pete, Ron Crisp, Ron Murray, Martin Willis, Dave Hartill, Eilleen and Roy Poulsons mum in the office, and not forgetting The Peng ( penguin ) who rode everyday on his push bilke a fair way if i recall.
The yard was a right mess when wet, and the cars got caked in red sand. However, a very interesting fact was the sand being moulding sand used to cling to the metal and we had the only Mk1 Ford ■■■■■■ rust free in trhe area!!! It preserved the panels, but a right bloody mess underneath i can tell you.
Martin Hartill snd myself as a 12 / 13 yr old used to run and jump off the cliff face and into the piles of sand 20/30ft below - imagine doing that today lol!
Great to catch up - Thanks Martin for the refresh and Andy ( Roo) Good old days indeed. I dont suppose any of you have a photo of TEA 971W i can take to my Dad?
Kind Regards Alan
does anyone remember this firm? from just off junction 4 of the m5.hauled sand around the midlands in the 60, and 70,s
Is that the operator based at quarries at Wildmoor, on the road from the M5 j4 towards Stourbridge?
If it is they were still at the quarry in the late 1990’s as I put a demo 6 wheel tipper into them for a trial.
Stanley N Evans Ltd are still going as property developers in the West Midlands, with another “arm” of the business supplying sand and gravel out of a yard in Great Barr, Birmingham.
lone wolf .spain:
does anyone remember this firm? from just off junction 4 of the m5.hauled sand around the midlands in the 60, and 70,s
I used to fetch foundry sand out of Evans in the early seventies, mainly to Parker Foundy at Belper, Morris Cranes of Loughborough and David Brown at Huddersfield, they were collected as back loads after delivering pig Iron around the Black Country from Stanton at Ilkeston. If I remember as you turned in off the road the weighbridge was on the right and then if I had the Comet with low sides I reversed back under the hoppers, if it was the Reiver or ERF 8 wheeler with high sided bodies you had to go down into the quarry to load, and quite often had to be towed out. Both the weighbridge and the hoppers were painted a dark green same as their lorries, which were Leyland Comets.
my dad worked for daniels in the 70s and they used to park in the quarry was a nightmare to get out during the winter months 