Keirby & Perry- Blackpool

my dad had a foden artic with keirby & perry in the 70s ,pete nickson

76 ERF Flatbed 8 wheeler (1938) by Robert Knight, on Flickr

My grandad, who lived in Preesall, Lancs, used to work for Keirby & Perry, first in the 1930s, then again in the 1940s, and then again in the 1950s, until he retired.

In the 30s, at least, they seem to have been based at Highfurlong, Blackpool. Here are some photos featuring the trucks in question, as well as my grandad and his workmates. (I don’t know which decade these photos are from, but I’d be interested to hear if anyone can tell from the truck).

Best,

John Preston

My dad, Jim Hodgkinson drove for Keirby & Perry most of his working life. Besides the High Furlong site, they also had a depot in Farm Close in Thornton just off Woodlands Avenue. Dr Keirby had his office at the top of the incline on the left hand side and about three or four lorries were kept in a garage opposite. To my knowledge there were at least two more drivers living in Thornton using that depot, ■■■■ Thistleton who lived in Lawson’s Road and a driver with the surname Moody who lived in Church Road.

My dad drove a six wheel Atkinson for some time picking up loads from Silverdale and Carnforth. As a young lad I sometimes went with him to the quarries to pick up gravel and once had a trip to Liverpool with a load of sand. He later drove one of the eight wheel Fodens transporting sand and gravel. In the early 1970’s, aged over 60 years and still employed by Keirbys, he worked a crane on Fleetwood dock unloading sand from a dredger. What Chris Webb saw in the early 70’s was Keirby lorries transporting sand from Fleetwood docks to High Furlong for the ready mix concrete operation At one time I understand they used Leyland Comets to deliver a ready mix concrete called Keircrete.

Finally, in the first of John Prestons photos, my dad, Jim Hodgkinson is on the left with Charlie Preston on the right, they were good friends.

Do any of you lads remember a company from the Blackpool area name Keirby & Perry ? I believe they ran a fleet of Foden FG tippers,last seen during the 70’s.

Stanfield:
Do any of you lads remember a company from the Blackpool area name Keirby & Perry ? I believe they ran a fleet of Foden FG tippers,last seen during the 70’s.

I remember them,green tippers,mostly Leylands I think.This is a Peter Davies photo.

Hi Chris. Thanks for the photo,just found some more on Paul Andersons Northwest truck site.these are 3 foden eight wheelers.Do you know much about them at all.
cheers John.

Stanfield:
Hi Chris. Thanks for the photo,just found some more on Paul Andersons Northwest truck site.these are 3 foden eight wheelers.Do you know much about them at all.
cheers John.

Hi Stanfield.I don’t know anything about them really except that they were a common sight when I was running into the old ICI plant at Thornton near Fleetwood.I do recall them running at night at one time and I think it was something to do with sea defences or maybe motorway work,but I can’t be sure as it was in the early 70s,the dark ages :laughing:

Another Peter Davies photo.


Found this in one of my books,(BRITISH LORRIES IN COLOUR)

During the early 70s I was driving for Henthorns of Blackpool and Hedges of Pilling carting stone fron the quarries around Carnforth and at the time Keirby & Perry who were based at Highfurlong near Blackpool owned a lake between Carnforth and Burton in Kendal where they dredged the bed for stone, they operated mostly Albion Rievers.

Found another couple of Keirby & Perrys here Leyland + Foden.(Photo by Peter Davies)