OLD LIVESTOCK HAULIERS SHROPSHIRE

[R975ENC]

Hi boys
I know it's strictly not Shropshire but just north of Whitchurch over the boarder into Cheshire there was a firm called Devenports from Aston. They run quite a few trucks at one time then ended up with a red F10 6x2 and drag with one son(Brian) driving and another son(Jack) as mate.About 20 years ago Brian had health problems and lost his HGV. I went to drive it for them for a couple of years with Jack still as mate until they packed up in about 1992.Jack RIP died a couple of years later.We used to do all the local markets and deliver to loads of slaughter houses as well as doing all the big shows.Anyone that says livestock is easy has not done it,It was all early starts collecting for the markets, hang about all day at the markets then late nights delivering to the slaughter houses.Plus they ether would not get on or would not get off Harry you would have liked that motor a proper drag and with the tag up on the truck easy to shunt Unfoturnetly like most of my rides I don't have any photos,has anyone else

Regards Keith.

remember davenports trucks at malpas on a saturday morning remember a f88 6 wheel rigid and aec six wheeler with 3 deck boxes

[143topline]

Hi boys
I know it's strictly not Shropshire but just north of Whitchurch over the boarder into Cheshire there was a firm called Devenports from Aston. They run quite a few trucks at one time then ended up with a red F10 6x2 and drag with one son(Brian) driving and another son(Jack) as mate.About 20 years ago Brian had health problems and lost his HGV. I went to drive it for them for a couple of years with Jack still as mate until they packed up in about 1992.Jack RIP died a couple of years later.We used to do all the local markets and deliver to loads of slaughter houses as well as doing all the big shows.Anyone that says livestock is easy has not done it,It was all early starts collecting for the markets, hang about all day at the markets then late nights delivering to the slaughter houses.Plus they ether would not get on or would not get off Harry you would have liked that motor a proper drag and with the tag up on the truck easy to shunt Unfoturnetly like most of my rides I don't have any photos,has anyone else

Regards Keith.

remember davenports trucks at malpas on a saturday morning remember a f88 6 wheel rigid and aec six wheeler with 3 deck boxes

i may have a photo of the f88 with drag taken at oswestry , will look for it tomorrow

[143topline]

williams bros denbigh atkinson . seen at shrewsbury market early 1960's

[143topline]

hi ive recently joined the forum and was very interested in these posts my father run livestock lorries just over the border in wales but with a shropshire address.
there are a few livestock hauliers in this area that come to mind they are
JW Watson Bronington Whitchurch (my father)
Stocktons of whitchurch
Frank Edwards of Loppington
Dulsons of Whixall
Sid Downes Bagley Ellesmere

Does anyone remember any of these?

here is a line up at shrewsbury, thorneycroft of frank edwards, bedford of j pugh from lydbury north, and atkinson of f warburton
1961 i think about the time the new market was opened. went to the last market in the town by the river and the first one at the market at battlefield. market moved again a few years ago

[Basilbrush]

aec mammoth major with 4 deck thornes livestock body. photo taken at shrewsbury market early 1960's

How lovely to see this old AEC with a body for double deck of cows. I remember going to chippenham market bak in the early 60s & seeing Dougie Clays AEc 8 wheelers with two decks of cows. I'm so pleased to find this photo on here altough it's not one of his lorries.

BB

[Basilbrush]

the paying end,not always as clean as this.

A lovely photo, shame we don't even see a new cattle truck at the big shows these days. I used to live about 2 miles from Drews body builders place years ago & remember seeing the lorries there being bodied. Shme I never had the sense to take the camera there while the lace was still open. I reckon they were lovely livestock bodies.

Was this picture taken at Moones at Gloucester??

BB

[143topline]

the paying end,not always as clean as this.

A lovely photo, shame we don't even see a new cattle truck at the big shows these days. I used to live about 2 miles from Drews body builders place years ago & remember seeing the lorries there being bodied. Shme I never had the sense to take the camera there while the lace was still open. I reckon they were lovely livestock bodies.

BB

were drews bodybuilders at frampton cotterell?

[143topline]

aec mammoth major with 4 deck thornes livestock body. photo taken at shrewsbury market early 1960's

How lovely to see this old AEC with a body for double deck of cows. I remember going to chippenham market bak in the early 60s & seeing Dougie Clays AEc 8 wheelers with two decks of cows. I'm so pleased to find this photo on here altough it's not one of his lorries.

BB

i remember doug clay as a livestock buyer at banbury back in the 70's
i have a photo of a doug clay aec but it is not one i took myself

[Basilbrush]

two stroke Commer & stock box,you could always tell when a commer was coming,either uphill or down dale you couldnt mistake them.

Another lovely photo, isn't that the same lorry shown earlier with the tailboard down looking like it was brand new? We used to use a Commer maxi load like this one but it had a Drews triple deck body on it. I well remember seeing it de-coke itself going down a steep hill at night loaded with barreners. I loved that lorry. FHT 331D
(I think) it was.

BB

[Basilbrush]

aec mammoth major with 4 deck thornes livestock body. photo taken at shrewsbury market early 1960's

How lovely to see this old AEC with a body for double deck of cows. I remember going to chippenham market bak in the early 60s & seeing Dougie Clays AEc 8 wheelers with two decks of cows. I'm so pleased to find this photo on here altough it's not one of his lorries.

BB

i remember doug clay as a livestock buyer at banbury back in the 70's
i have a photo of a doug clay aec but it is not one i took myself

I'd love a copy of that photo 143 topline. I started going to market with my father when I was 7 & the memories of those AECs have lived in my head for many years. I was at Gloucester one day, it must have been towards the end of Doug Clays days. As per normal, he, Bakers, Ernest Awre & les Weston were buying almost everything & you could virtually predict by breed which bulls they were going to buy each. I used to love it & it's sad to visit B&Q where the old Gloucester market proudly stood.

I was watching a lorry unoad three old Bulls brought in to tranship onto lorries loading for Dougie clay & one of the three must have been the biggest Friesian bull I've ever seen. Doug clay even walked down to see him before he was loaded on a H H Williams trailer for his last trip.

Any chance you could post the photo of Dougie Clays lorry??

BB

[Basilbrush]

the paying end,not always as clean as this.

A lovely photo, shame we don't even see a new cattle truck at the big shows these days. I used to live about 2 miles from Drews body builders place years ago & remember seeing the lorries there being bodied. Shme I never had the sense to take the camera there while the lace was still open. I reckon they were lovely livestock bodies.

BB

were drews bodybuilders at frampton cotterell?

Yes they were, one of them had a farm at Rangeworthy & the factory at Frampton Cotterell.

BB

[Neil B]

nice to read about drews we had three of these first one in1950 on otype bedford MYA 631 second on ALBION 1956 WYD 300 AND THIRD ON SECOND HAND OTYPE BEDFORD 1958 KKJ 991 SADLY NO PHOTOS PROBABLY COULDNT AFFORD A CAMERA

[andrew brick]

Hi 143topline, just wondering if you have any pictures of Bells, Carlisle,cattle wagons. I well remember that they used to do Carlisle to North Devon Meats in one hit.
regards Andrew.

[143topline]

Hi 143topline, just wondering if you have any pictures of Bells, Carlisle,cattle wagons. I well remember that they used to do Carlisle to North Devon Meats in one hit.
regards Andrew.

hi andrew- t bell carlisle collection ranges from albion reiver , aec mammoth major, erfs , sed atki, f12 , fh12, lets see if i can post some pics

[andrew brick]

Hi 143topline, just wondering if you have any pictures of Bells, Carlisle,cattle wagons. I well remember that they used to do Carlisle to North Devon Meats in one hit.
regards Andrew.

hi andrew- t bell carlisle collection ranges from albion reiver , aec mammoth major, erfs , sed atki, f12 , fh12, lets see if i can post some pics

Hi, yes it was always the erfs that seemed to fly to Devon,it must have been the big Cummins that gave them the power, prob. fully stroked !!.
I must admit that I dont remember their FH12s,I was out of livestock by then.
regards Andrew.

[Basilbrush]

I love the pictures on this thread, I hope there's plenty more to come.

BB

[shakey]

i am new to this site but drove for a good few years for mervyn edwards on livestock haulage with his guy big j s loading around the mid wales markets and delivering to marshalls at lamberhurst, north devon meats at torrington and somebody at tiverton junction. i also did a bit of work carrying pigs for barry hughes whose lorries were orange and signwritten select livestock producers

[watty1]

hi shakey i was talking to harry groom the other day about select livestock he drove an aec eight wheeler for them.

[Dave the Renegade]

Drew's of Gwystre near Llandrindod Wells have been running livestock lorries for many years.

[Pebbles 74]

i am new to this site but drove for a good few years for mervyn edwards on livestock haulage with his guy big j s loading around the mid wales markets and delivering to marshalls at lamberhurst, north devon meats at torrington and somebody at tiverton junction. i also did a bit of work carrying pigs for barry hughes whose lorries were orange and signwritten select livestock producers

The place at Tiverton Junction might have been Lloyd Maunder?

Andrew

[andrew brick]

i am new to this site but drove for a good few years for mervyn edwards on livestock haulage with his guy big j s loading around the mid wales markets and delivering to marshalls at lamberhurst, north devon meats at torrington and somebody at tiverton junction. i also did a bit of work carrying pigs for barry hughes whose lorries were orange and signwritten select livestock producers

The place at Tiverton Junction might have been Lloyd Maunder?

Andrew

Hi, I remember Lloyd Maunders at Tiverton well, used to be a regular run at one time.
regards Andrew.

[Pebbles 74]

i am new to this site but drove for a good few years for mervyn edwards on livestock haulage with his guy big j s loading around the mid wales markets and delivering to marshalls at lamberhurst, north devon meats at torrington and somebody at tiverton junction. i also did a bit of work carrying pigs for barry hughes whose lorries were orange and signwritten select livestock producers

The place at Tiverton Junction might have been Lloyd Maunder?

Andrew

Hi, I remember Lloyd Maunders at Tiverton well, used to be a regular run at one time.
regards Andrew.

Hello Andrew, yes LM was a big operation. They were envoled in the animal feed milling, fattening, the processing & supply to the supermarkets & their own retail. Apparently the LM name is only used on the high-street butchers shops now, the processing plant being sold to a company called 2-Sisters from the Midlands.

Note seen / heared anything from 143topline latey?

regards, Andrew

[andrew brick]

i am new to this site but drove for a good few years for mervyn edwards on livestock haulage with his guy big j s loading around the mid wales markets and delivering to marshalls at lamberhurst, north devon meats at torrington and somebody at tiverton junction. i also did a bit of work carrying pigs for barry hughes whose lorries were orange and signwritten select livestock producers

The place at Tiverton Junction might have been Lloyd Maunder?

Andrew

Hi, I remember Lloyd Maunders at Tiverton well, used to be a regular run at one time.
regards Andrew.

Hello Andrew, yes LM was a big operation. They were envoled in the animal feed milling, fattening, the processing & supply to the supermarkets & their own retail. Apparently the LM name is only used on the high-street butchers shops now, the processing plant being sold to a company called 2-Sisters from the Midlands.

Note seen / heared anything from 143topline latey?
Hi, not surprised, looking back is bad for my health !! makes me feel old. Most of the places that I used to deliver to seem to have gone, only seems like yesterday that I was delivering to places such as Barnstable,Gloucester and Northampton, most are now large estates, as are most of the livestock markets that we loaded from,then there is the old cafs that we used to stop at, all gone, God I feel old,and and im not even 50 yet !!!.
regards, Andrew

[143topline]

i am now back from a two week holiday, will get back on the thread by the weekend

[andrew brick]

i am now back from a two week holiday, will get back on the thread by the weekend

Welcome back, hope you had a great holiday.
regards Andrew.

[Denis F]

Hello Andrew, yes LM was a big operation. They were envoled in the animal feed milling, fattening, the processing & supply to the supermarkets & their own retail. Apparently the LM name is only used on the high-street butchers shops now, the processing plant being sold to a company called 2-Sisters from the Midlands.


regards, Andrew

LM are still involved in the feed milling and I believe the fattening ( chicken) , afaik the site is leased to 2 sisters (MRCT are doing most of the transport)

They shut the lamb plant about 3 years ago ( I delivered there about 3 times a week)

[Basilbrush]

Hello Andrew, yes LM was a big operation. They were envoled in the animal feed milling, fattening, the processing & supply to the supermarkets & their own retail. Apparently the LM name is only used on the high-street butchers shops now, the processing plant being sold to a company called 2-Sisters from the Midlands.


regards, Andrew

LM are still involved in the feed milling and I believe the fattening ( chicken) , afaik the site is leased to 2 sisters (MRCT are doing most of the transport)

They shut the lamb plant about 3 years ago ( I delivered there about 3 times a week)

Lloyd Maunders was a regular run on a Friday for us. I used to ride shotgun with a driver & after running a couple of loads of barreners to a local plant, we used to wash out, load lambs & run down there from the old Ross on Wye market. I well remember chasing a couple of lambs down the road there one friday afternoon. I know it was a long time ago but I'm certain they had lines there for Cattle & Pigs as well as sheep back then.

The day was long & hard but the target was to get back to North Petherton before the chip shop closed.

More photos please.

BB

[andrew brick]

Hi Basilbrush, cracking chips from North Petherton, I recall heading there one summer night and it was getting towards closing time, I was hustleing the old f88 when I met a local bobby going the other way, I clocked him braking and turning in my mirrors but decided that I might as well get cought for a pound as a penny so hammered on even faster, I pulled up outside the chippy and the bobby pulled up behind me and started to get out of his car, but he must of had a shout as he got back in and he roared off at a great rate of nots withthe blues flashing, but as he passed me I saw him shaking his head.
It was a lucky escape,and the fish and chips always tasted great, but later I drove pretty steady for a few miles, just in case I came across him again.
How ive had a clean licence for 33 years is a mistery to me, its down to luck and not judgement !!!.


regards Andrew.

[Denis F]

Lloyd Maunders was a regular run on a Friday for us. I used to ride shotgun with a driver & after running a couple of loads of barreners to a local plant, we used to wash out, load lambs & run down there from the old Ross on Wye market. I well remember chasing a couple of lambs down the road there one friday afternoon. I know it was a long time ago but I'm certain they had lines there for Cattle & Pigs as well as sheep back then.

The day was long & hard but the target was to get back to North Petherton before the chip shop closed.

they did have cattle and pig lines , however I never saw them in use ( I only started running there in 2000 ) The cattle lairage was there unused and the pig line had been converted into storage space and a cutting room for the homekill

I believe they contracted out the beef and pork kill for their butchers shops
( some went to Burdens at Sturminster Newton ))

[chepstowchap]

Devenports F88 and drag at Oswestry stock market around 1985