Wilkinsons transport rochdale

My dad used to work for Wilkinson Transport, which had a depot in Rochdale can anyone tell me if wilkinson transport and wilkinsons transport were the same company?

I worked for them when it was Lex Wilkinson, there are some pics on the scrapbook thread but you’ll have to search for them.

Sorry no photo’s but I know a little of the companies history. I did some part time work for them in Rochdale in the 1970’s and later worked for Carpet Express at Middleton which was an offshoot after Lex took Wilkinsons over.
Wilkinson transport started in Bacup, not sure when, moved to Rochdale at some point. In the early days parcels and smalls where delivered mainly on 4 wheeled box vans countrywide. Wilkinsons where pioneers in trunking to depots and distributing locally from these, in the 70’s they took over several parcel carriers nationwide to form a network, this was pre TNT becoming dominant.Lex service group took them over in the late 1970’s.
If any ex employees of the Lex days see this and are unaware that they had a non contributory pension scheme they will be able to claim a pension when 65, I only found out about this by accident. The pension fund is currently administered by Aviva.

From Bob Hobbs site transportphotos.com
VS00446.jpg

Hi I am also an ex Lex Wilkinson driver.I came part of that company via Roy Bowles Trannsport who were bought out.I worked for a time in contracts division,they had quite a few contracts with car companies delivering car spares,ie.,Toyota Crawley,Citreon Runnymede,Volvo Crick.Lex had quite a few depots cannot recall all but had one in Barking Essex.Got my HGV with them they had there own school in Higham Ferres Nothants,the yard was the old Townsend Carriers depot.They were a big outfit in there day with a big trunk network.I done a lot of work at the Crick depot(VOLVO)car spares.Then I was an assistant to the transport manager.I remember we were running the following motors.,ERF LV tractor,Ford D 1000 tractor.,Leyland Boxer.They done the job ok but we had a visit from Volvo management from Sweden and they were generally happy with the service they were receiving but were not happy with the parts being delivered by non Volvo vehicles!!!After a few frantic calls to HQ.We got a new fleet,.Volvo F88,F86,F6.There after any new Volvo model,we got it!!!
Regards Mick

matamoros:
Sorry no photo’s but I know a little of the companies history. I did some part time work for them in Rochdale in the 1970’s and later worked for Carpet Express at Middleton which was an offshoot after Lex took Wilkinsons over.
Wilkinson transport started in Bacup, not sure when, moved to Rochdale at some point. In the early days parcels and smalls where delivered mainly on 4 wheeled box vans countrywide. Wilkinsons where pioneers in trunking to depots and distributing locally from these, in the 70’s they took over several parcel carriers nationwide to form a network, this was pre TNT becoming dominant.Lex service group took them over in the late 1970’s.
If any ex employees of the Lex days see this and are unaware that they had a non contributory pension scheme they will be able to claim a pension when 65, I only found out about this by accident. The pension fund is currently administered by Aviva.

Thanks will check that out.

matamoros:
Sorry no photo’s but I know a little of the companies history. I did some part time work for them in Rochdale in the 1970’s and later worked for Carpet Express at Middleton which was an offshoot after Lex took Wilkinsons over.
Wilkinson transport started in Bacup, not sure when, moved to Rochdale at some point. In the early days parcels and smalls where delivered mainly on 4 wheeled box vans countrywide. Wilkinsons where pioneers in trunking to depots and distributing locally from these, in the 70’s they took over several parcel carriers nationwide to form a network, this was pre TNT becoming dominant.Lex service group took them over in the late 1970’s.
If any ex employees of the Lex days see this and are unaware that they had a non contributory pension scheme they will be able to claim a pension when 65, I only found out about this by accident. The pension fund is currently administered by Aviva.

i remember they were always doing trailer swaps on toddington services northbound late 80’s

The Depots when I was there, well some of them.
Nuneaton
Bristol
Exeter
Cardiff
Chester
Rochdale
Paisley
Tonbridge
Rownhams ( So’ton)
Higham Ferres (spelling)
Norwich
Leeds
Barking

mickthebrush:
Hi I am also an ex Lex Wilkinson driver.I came part of that company via Roy Bowles Trannsport who were bought out.I worked for a time in contracts division,they had quite a few contracts with car companies delivering car spares,ie.,Toyota Crawley,Citreon Runnymede,Volvo Crick.Lex had quite a few depots cannot recall all but had one in Barking Essex.Got my HGV with them they had there own school in Higham Ferres Nothants,the yard was the old Townsend Carriers depot.They were a big outfit in there day with a big trunk network.I done a lot of work at the Crick depot(VOLVO)car spares.Then I was an assistant to the transport manager.I remember we were running the following motors.,ERF LV tractor,Ford D 1000 tractor.,Leyland Boxer.They done the job ok but we had a visit from Volvo management from Sweden and they were generally happy with the service they were receiving but were not happy with the parts being delivered by non Volvo vehicles!!!After a few frantic calls to HQ.We got a new fleet,.Volvo F88,F86,F6.There after any new Volvo model,we got it!!!
Regards Mick

You must have transferred with Eric Pritchard, back in the day. I also worked at Crick but only had 2 F88’s on pallets with rest F10’s and F6’s. Mistake I made was to transfer pension to FedEx when they bought us out!

Hi,Yes Eric Pritchard was the guy,I actually lived with him and his family in Rugby.

Hi jogging the memory,i recall our driver of the ERF was Jim Boucher an ex butcher if I recall,he was also a fan of Jim Reeves and would play him constantly.

I thought Federal Express got hold of lex and then went back to the USA taking the pension with them from the Rochdale base . :question:

Rider200:
I thought Federal Express got hold of lex and then went back to the USA taking the pension with them from the Rochdale base . :question:

The Lex pension scheme was taken over by the RAC pension fund and then by Aviva who administer it now. If you have changed address you will not have received the various notifications. I was lucky in that I only moved 100yds and the new owners brought letters to me many years after the sale. When the RAC took over the pension fund and sent a letter was the first that I was aware of the pension.

Try emailing these with your details
staff.pensions@aviva.co.uk

Southernwombat:

mickthebrush:
Hi I am also an ex Lex Wilkinson driver.I came part of that company via Roy Bowles Trannsport who were bought out.I worked for a time in contracts division,they had quite a few contracts with car companies delivering car spares,ie.,Toyota Crawley,Citreon Runnymede,Volvo Crick.Lex had quite a few depots cannot recall all but had one in Barking Essex.Got my HGV with them they had there own school in Higham Ferres Nothants,the yard was the old Townsend Carriers depot.They were a big outfit in there day with a big trunk network.I done a lot of work at the Crick depot(VOLVO)car spares.Then I was an assistant to the transport manager.I remember we were running the following motors.,ERF LV tractor,Ford D 1000 tractor.,Leyland Boxer.They done the job ok but we had a visit from Volvo management from Sweden and they were generally happy with the service they were receiving but were not happy with the parts being delivered by non Volvo vehicles!!!After a few frantic calls to HQ.We got a new fleet,.Volvo F88,F86,F6.There after any new Volvo model,we got it!!!
Regards Mick

You must have transferred with Eric Pritchard, back in the day. I also worked at Crick but only had 2 F88’s on pallets with rest F10’s and F6’s. Mistake I made was to transfer pension to FedEx when they bought us out!

nearly twenty years at Wilkinson Transport at Higham depot, brilliant pension scheme, I was shafted during the Thatcher era and advised to move my pension and was later awarded the sum of £2,000 compensation, bloody pathetic !!..Great days working for good company. Higham staff I remember were (myself obviously) Mick Austin
Des Dunmore (Driver) Frank Annabelle (Driver) Dennis ‘Drippy’ Tapp (Driver) Dave Dunmore (Driver) Dennis Stubbs (Driver)
Neal ‘Nelly’ Boddington (Driver) Graham Wright (Driver) Jim Lewis (Driver) ‘Chalky White (Driver) Dave Clutterbuck (Driver)
Mick Anchor (Driver) ■■■■ Grant (Driver) Cash’ Mail (Driver) Walt Bugby (Driver) Bob Austin (Driver)
Harry ‘The Hat’ Kisby (Driver) Mick Groom (Driver) ■■■■ Haynes (Driver) Roy Breakspear (Driver) ■■■■ Warren (Driver)
Alan Thurlow Driver) Johnnie Walker (Driver) Bill Warner Driver) John Annabelle (Driver) ■■■■ Stamp (Driver)
Billy Mayston (Driver) Brian Watts (Driver) Phil Hodgson (Driver) Paul Willis (Driver) Steve ‘Tich’ Waltham (Driver) Brian Horn (Driver) Brian King (Driver) Trevor Gianni (Driver) Sam Muscott (Driver) Roger Kirby (yard man) Ken Barnes (Driver) Pete Tylley (Driver) Roy Barlow (Driver) Steve ‘Pilley’ Ayres (Driver) Pat Beasley (Driver)
Pete Leith (Driver) Mick Smythe (Driver) Pete Metcalfe (Driver) Jack Rideout (Driver) Terry Elliott (Driver)
‘Flash O’ Donnell (Driver) Mick Arnold (Driver) Phil Britain (Driver) Mick Poole (Driver) Tony Anchor (Driver)
Lambert (?) (Driver) :unamused: Bill Bradshaw (fitter) Ginger Johnson (fitter) Ernie Hanks (Fitter) Pete Coppenhall (fitter)
Pete Fianda (?) (bodyshop) Les Harboard (Driver) Cliff (Purdy)Jenkins (Driver) Hughie Lappin (Driver) Bernie Hanson (Driver)
Kev Kidman (Driver) Mick Bowen (Driver) Paul Reed (Driver) Dougie Crow (Driver) Roger Spencer (Driver)
Barry Hockliffe (Driver) ‘Rocky’ Morris (Driver) ‘Tweeky’ (Driver) :unamused: Bill Betts (garage) Mick Smith (Driver)
Mick Corbyn (Driver) Bill Chester (Driver) Barry Mayhew (Driver) Steve Whitney (Driver) Tony Freelove (Driver)
Alan Yates (Driver) Bill Brewer (garage) Derek Charles (GOH) Pete Salter (GOH) Carlos Gonzalez (Loader)
Lenny Brown (Loader) Dave Batchelor (Loader) Paul Whitney (Loader) Pete Voss (Loader) Jock Williams (Loader) Norman Heath (Driver) George Sale (Traffic Office) Stan Smith (Traffic Office) Dave Crook (Traffic Office) Alan Dear (Traffic Office)
Dennis Simpson (Traffic Office) Charlie Richardson (Foreman) Noel Collis (Foreman) Paul Mason (Manager) Dave Wright (Mananger)
Arthur Daniels (Mananger) Paddy O’ Keefe (Mananger) Don Shrives (Mananger) Mr Allsop (Manager) Brian Stevenson (HGV school)
Sid (?) (HGV school) :unamused: Leon Parker (HGV school) ■■■■ lawman (driver) Nigel Walker (driver) Tony Hatton (driver) Dave Clutterbuck (Driver)
and loads more whose faces are familiar but the names just won’t come !!! :unamused:

i used to work at wilkinsons leeds depot from 1977 to about 82. only remember one rochdale driver …big lee. hes retired to cyprus now. hes been working with with me for quite a few years now at upsscs.

I only went to Leeds depot once and that was the old (as we knew it at Higham depot) OK Corale, it was a wooden building and everyone had the advice not to back on the dock to hard incase you demolished the depot !! They opened a new depot opposite the football ground I believe.

Dad got this photo when he was due to be painting some wilkinson motors, dont think he did any in the end, good photo though

There is quite a piece about Wilkinsons transport in the book “BRS parcels services and the express carriers”.More than 5 pages are given over to both info and quite a few different vehicles.from early AEC mercury’s through BMC angle cabs and later scania 110.It includes there purchase of several small independant companies and the connection with the Lex group.An interesting read and perhaps a chance of more info.
regards Chris

Great picture of ‘Wilky’s’ original livery. Those Scania rigid box vans were usually based at Paisley depot in Scotland due to the high milages covered by their multi drop drivers there. The common motor for most drivers was the Ford D Series once they standardised the fleet. The Bedford TK’s went along with Leyland Boxers and the like although I have to say I liked the TK.

That girl in your pictures dates them a bit . Do you think she’s wearing as well as the lorry behind her