McVEIGH & HUMBER McVEIGH

Tuesday 10th November 2011

Today, I spoke to a transport legend, a true gentleman, Geoff Hallam, for the best part of half an hour we spoke of the good old days. He spoke with great fondness about all his staff, Managers and Drivers alike, they were all very loyal, the building blocks in fact of a very successful business, he said. “Stan Jackson” of Lowestoft Depot must have been a particularly good friend, for when he spoke about Stan; you knew he was speaking of a person he admired. Much to my suprise he mentioned the Death of Peter Spence, Peter was the first manager for Humber Warehousing, Alford Depot, it was he and his brother John, they sold the family business (Frank Spence & Sons, Alford) John Spence was the last Manager of the Alford Depot.

It seems I was wrong, it wasn’t Sam McGowan that forced Geoff Hallam out of his job, in fact it was the Doctors, and they told him he may never work again, back in 1976, so he resigned. Apart from that small point, I was right about everything else; Sam McGowan was to Humber McVeigh’s what Dr Beeching was to British Rail. He closed every depot apart from three Grimsby, Colsterworth and Scarborough. This bean counter with no knowledge of the Transport Industry got rid of 620 Vehicles plus all the trailers, Office Staff, Managers, Drivers, Fitters and Warehouse Staff and he knew Bugger all about the Job. “Bastxxd"

Apart from that Geoff Hallam is OK, at the age of 84, and he’s still working with his Transport Consultancy Business, God Bless Him. - Terry Bowler - Alford & Boston Depots

Humber McVeigh ALFORD Depot Closes

Alford Depot Closes all the Men were finished on 7th August 1976 but the depot was Closed and all the rolling stock moved to Grimsby altogether on Saturday 14th August 1976. The Chairman of the works committee played straight into Managements Hands, by calling a strike, once that was over, the Depot was Closed and everybody including the Depot Management were made redundant

Alford Depot Drivers Roll Call
John Campling, Vic Webb, Alan Houghton, Derek Cod, Giles Dixon, Maurice Dickinson, Fred Dale, Dennis Dale, Bill Thompson, Ted Dowlman, Jock Sinclair , Bill Handly, Frank Elsey, Alec Blackburn, Ray Bosworth, Terry Bowler, Gerald Taylor, Phillip Duke, Sandy Erskin, George Johnson, Roy Rushworth, Gordon White, Ray Hazel , Arthur Ireland, Tony Smith, Paul Nicolson, Big Roy Overton, Pete Smith, Alan Scarborough, Ingolf, Tom Paisey, Jeff Longdon, Curly Allbones, Geoff Mullingar, The YANK, Kinginy, Ray Lane, John Thornally, John (Pinky) Brown,
John Spece and Peter Spece

Do you know or remember any of these chaps, past and present all good men one and all.

Many thanks to Mr John Campling of Alford Depot, for helping me find all the names above.

Terry Bowler - Alford & Boston Depots

Your Lordship:

Been out of action for a while and my old computer blew up, so I’m late to this thread. Some of those names flash the brain cells:

These three all ring bells from Shaw Bros, produce merchants of Friskney, near Boston, in the early to mid 1960s:

Alec Blackburn - lived in Skeg. Drove Dodge XDO 103.

The Yank - Warren Shreeve? Also lived in Skeg, usually drove one of the TS3 Commers XLP 690.

Alan Scarborough. If this is the Alan I remember, he was once a copper based at Alford. He came from Friskney and died a few years ago when working on the RAF Wainfleet bombing range. However, this may be someone else because the Alan I knew spelt his surname Scarboro.

Are Alec and The Yank still around?

V8

Edit:

I also see the name John Thornally. Is he the chap who went out on his own with an AEC Mercury bulker and now poles a Volvo FH pulling a fridge for Marshall Bros/Solstor at Butterwick?
.

Hi
I served my vehicle apprenticeship at Two Counties Transport part of Ross Group just across from were Ross House is on Grimsby docks. Half the building was a vehicle workshop the other Half was for washing the lorries and loading wet fish in the afternoon.We used a lot of sawdust keeping our half dry. I started work in 1960 about 1962 Ross Group aquired Mc Veighs Transport which had a scruffy yard down Convemore Road there was even a chain driven vehicle there, Most the trucks were old leyand albion guys gardners a mixed fleet some ex WD petrol bedfords always breaking 1/2 shaft trying to get over Caistor top before motorways were built.
Anyway RossGroup built a new yard in Grimsby near Corporation bridge it is now the Tesco site they also aquired J Potts old scrap yard across the road from the transport yard, This was called COMREPS and looked after the Ross and Mcveigh fleet which in its day was very modern with 2 pits + 2 service pits a body shop but the paint shop stayed down dock this plot of land has just changed from PC World and is now Dunelm store i left approx 1971-72.
My Late father also drove for Parrots BRS McVeighs Ross Group and retired from Alpine Transport (Eskimo / Findus).
Some of the Fitters left Comreps to go work down Granvill street forHumber i could have also gone there, but chose to leave the transport industry to do marine work.Loved the site and Photos I have non from that period of my life Cheers all thanks for the memories Robert Johnson Ps The training i recieved has stood me well ive worked in Engineering for 50 years until retirment

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This is my first ever post so if i make mistakes bear with me. I worked for Geoff Hallam at Humber Warehousing from 1961 to 1969 and although i am now retired it was maybe the best time of my life. I left Ford and Slater Grimsby Ltd at the end of my apprenticeship thinking i knew everything and quickly realised i didn’t. The service manager was Jim Bagley, Big Bill Hodgson and myself were the fitters, the workshop was Rendel st which consisted of 1 bay on a slope and to remove halfshafts two holes were knocked into the walls so the vehicles had to be positioned perfectly to remove the rear hubs, Windy guns was a luxury to follow much later.Without a pit you can imagine the problems we had changing oils, I can imagine 50 years later there are still some 45 gallon drums of our old Caltex floating about.
Obviously as the fleet expanded almost weekly we needed better facilites so a new depot was acquired at Granville st with 2 pits and plenty of room ( we were in heaven). Remember these were the days of the old A B and C licences so to get them you had to buy a company out and the big problem with Sir Geoffrey was every time he went out in his big Maroon Zephyr he bought some bugger else out so the fleet expanded rapidly. I still remember shuddering when BMCs of B andBs and Days of Lowestoft turned up at Grimsby wanting servicing and they were knackered but they had the magic A licence in the window. Try getting that crap through the VOSA test today you young fitters servo brakes and all. Shacklock’s of Caistor were next,all of a sudden there was different vehicles everywhere and even we didnt know what was ours and what wasnt and then in his wisdom our workshop space was trimmed drastically when Link Refrigeration was bought out so not only servicing the ■■■■ things they were building them from scratch. The company expanded quickly in the 60s it was fun to work for,we knew we were good at our jobs everyone was talking about Humber Warehousing there was waiting lists to start and this was in a time of virtual full employment but they put you in green overhalls with an Humber badge and it meant everything, you would never let them down. They also paid top wages always and supported us in every possible way who the hell would want to leave a job like that. Fitters at that time Jim Bagley Foreman
Bill Hodgson
Rog Griffin
Joe Bradley
Dave Smallwood
■■■■ King
Dave Buckley Electrician
George Chapman Storeman

It is with regret that that i have to report the death of Jim Bagley the service engineer at Humbers in the 60s and 70s. Jim reached the good old age of 96 and although i lost touch a few years ago i believe he had a good and happy life.
I will never forget him spending hours polishing his beloved Rover 75, it must have been the cleanest car in the country.
My thoughts go to his remaining family, RIP Jim.

Ref the Newport arch Lincoln accident i know a little bit about that incident,
About 7pm on the day before Good Friday 1964 i was finishing a job off in the workshop and looking forward to a few pints in the Honest Lawyer pub across the road when my plans were scuppered,into the workshop screeched a Ford Anglia and out leapt Dave Marsh the transport manager who was not in a good mood.
Ffing drivers ,who started that bloody idiot, he was unhappy. Get in Griff and poor old ■■■■ Roper who was a local driver well into his 60s happened to be walking across the yard was enlisted also, like me he had no choice in the matter.Where are we going Dave but we got no answers because he hadn’t finished cursing.
David Marsh was a brilliant transport manager who did not suffer fools gladly but when he lost it you should get out of his way,i couldn’t because i was sat next to him but gradually we deduced that a temporary driver Russ Tucker who was on his way to SPD Cardiff with a load of Birds Eye frozen had hit a bridge.
We reached Market Rasen very quickly because of the tremendous speeds we were doing and then the mood changed to even worse because a herd of cows had got out onto the A46 and traffic was tailed back for a couple of miles,that wasnt Russ Tuckers fault but he got the blame anyway.
We reached Lincoln and you can see the scene that met us except you can’t see the two dozen policemen including sergeants, inspectors chief constables and because its near the cathedral vicars, abbots, monks, bishops and all the learned historian’s that the counties only city seem to house.
They all wanted a piece of Mr Marsh and the poor sod was swamped with questions, I even felt sorry for him until he told them he wanted to drag it out backwards and then he was told in no uncertain terms that if he even touched the vehicle they would lock us all up,now bugger that i had already missed my pint i didnt fancy a dungeon as well.
Anyway as the night progressed they allowed us to tranship the load into another Humber vehicle sent from Grimsby 602 FFU driven by Pete Blow who carried on with it to Cardiff, 8 tons of peas and not a carton damaged.
The transhipping wasn’t easy either because the load was kept cold with dry ice and its bloody dangerous working with no protection in an enclosed space with that stuff.
By now it’s about 7am Good Friday and up rolls the television (not too quick in those days) and tries to interview Marshy but he wasn’t interested, it did not stop them trying to talk to me and ■■■■ “was you the driver because you have a Humber badge on your overalls”
No i certainly wasn’t and it’s one time i wish i had worn them inside out.
For some reason which i cant remember we had to stay there till about 11am but i do remember a group of pretty eminent people surveying the carnage and i was stood nearby listening and it was something like this, “that arch has survived two world wars and many other troubled times the Duke of Wellington,Sir Francis Drake, kings and queens have been and gone, Henry the 8th changed the religion but our arch remained until Humber Warehousing from Grimsby destroyed it, today is the Christian day for crucifixtions and if i could get my hands on the owner of that company that would be his fate”.
I moved out of reach because i had missed my pint, being hijacked and sworn at threatened with the dungeons, worked all night with no food in freezing temperatures accused of driving the bloody thing and there was no way i was going to be nailed to a cross for wearing a pair of overalls.
Mr Hallam had been during the night but didnt stay too long, i dont blame him he didnt want crucifying either.
The vehicle remained under the arch for about 4 or5 days whilst they numbered the stones as they demolished it to be rebuilt later.
I went home and slept for the rest of Good Friday.

El Griffo:
It is with regret that that i have to report the death of Jim Bagley the service engineer at Humbers in the 60s and 70s. Jim reached the good old age of 96 and although i lost touch a few years ago i believe he had a good and happy life.
I will never forget him spending hours polishing his beloved Rover 75, it must have been the cleanest car in the country.
My thoughts go to his remaining family, RIP Jim.

POSTED ON BEHALF OF GEOFF HALLAM

I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Jim Bagley. He was a wonderful man and an integral part of our team at Humber’s for many years. My thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time. May he rest in peace.

Geoff

Geoff Hallam JP FCILT
Founder of Humber Warehousing and later MD of Humber McVeigh Transport

Well after a couple of pints overlooking the Med ( the two i missed when that pillock hit the arch ) and realising that i and the managing director Mr Geoff Hallam are both still alive i should name some of the other lads that made Humber Warehousing the force that they were in those days before illness overtook Geoff and ignorance overtook the rest of the so called leaders.
I will miss many people out because of old age and bad memory but if i do please reply and let me know.
The upstairs office consisted of
Geoff Hallam Managing Director
Lou Armitage ex Grimsby Town and England footballer
Lennie Laws
Wendy ?
Thelma Wages clerk

Traffic office
Dave Marsh Transport Manager
Don Freeman Frozen book
Jack Hopper Local book

Warehousing
Keith Ellis Manager
Ron Blades
Syd Tuplin

• many others

Link Refrigeration.
Bernard Crisp Manager.
Harry Lennard Foreman
Eddie Hirst
Frank Taylor
Bill Mellors
Len Slater
Johnny Hotson Signwriter

Drivers
Harry Fenwick Foreman
Ginger Davy Foreman
Alan Peacock
Pete Charlesworth
George Peacock
Les Trott
Roy Baker
Tom Parrot
Taffy Jack Slater
Bill Claridge
Pete Burgess
Alec Spain
Keith Breakell
Keith Baldock
Dave Pearce
Billy Childs
Ron Applegate
George Haines
Charlie Godley
Jim Flello Later Depot Manager
Harry Askew
■■■■ Underwood
Bemmy
Johnny Onions
Bob Salt
Mick Fox Sacked because he threatened Marshy with a 12 bore.
Frank Whiteley
Pete Blow
Mally Smith
Derek Wilkinson
Syd Clayden
■■■■ Roper
Ronnie Johnson
Bob Eagles
Jim Rodgers
Royce Makey
Ray Makey His twin brother Never could tell them apart.
Mr Ed ?
Eddie Bell
Les Collishaw
Geoff Allman
Colin Bascombe
Dave Mumby
Dave Balch
Ralph Rouse Later General Manager
Colin Wright
Dave Hoodless
Graham Clayton
Dave Porter
Geoff Marsh
Ken Marsh
Clive Taylor
Ray Cook Later Shop Steward
Kenny Meanwell
Les Hydes
Colin Hyde
Dave Blakey
Carl Stratton
Tony Davis
Mel Gladding
Johnny Honeyble
George Briscoe
Bruce Haines
Colin Haines
Brian Cox Must not forget Freddie Lucas Night Watchman.

As i have said this is a very incomplete list i believe the clockcard numbers went up to about 200 drivers for Humber
Grimsby alone. Add on to that Alford, Lowestoft and Thornbury where i went to as fitter and that was a very
substantial fleet of A Licenced vehicles indeed.
When Mcveigh transport was bought it must have been one of the largest fleets in the country with vehicles
constantly working to capacity . Christmas time used to very hectic trying to park them all up and we had to use
large parts of Grimsby docks to house them all.A massive new depot was built on the South Humberside Industrial
Estate which is their present home.

A truly memorable company and one in which of which i’m proud to say " i was there ".

Griff,

That is a fantastic story about the Newport Arch and I was thrilled to see you had posted a list of many of the names that worked for Humber’s over the years. I’m seeing my Grandfather next week and will print out the latest posts and see if I can see if he can fill in some of the gaps with the names. He will be thrilled to see your posts I’m sure.

If you want to get back in touch with him, drop me a line at michael-hallam1@sky.com and I will send you us contact details

Best Wishes,

Mike Hallam

I remember Humber’s buying out Thornbury Transport very well,a tannoy message down to the workshop at Grimsby " Roger Griffin to Mr Hallam’s office" oh ■■■■ what have i done now. Off with my boots and on with my shoes cos he wouldn’t appreciate grease all over his carpet and upstairs with trepidation, a knock on the door and i’m in, a big office,a massive oak table and a very expensive leather chair
but the boss is on the phone,at least he glanced up and half smiled so it cant be that bad.
I have almost agreed a deal to buy a haulage company at Thornbury in Gloucestershire and i’m going down again tomorrow to maybe finalise it, i want you to come and check the vehicles over and if all goes well to stay down there as the fitter what do you say ?
I said yes because i dont think he would have understood the word no so 6am the next day i’m at Granville St and whisked off in the new Rover 3 litre ( luxury indeed after my Standard 8 ).
The A46 to Leicester in about 1 and a half hours then onto the Old Fosse Rd, narrow back lanes,cattle grids,many crossroads and we arrive at The Redesdale Arms, Moreton in the Marsh.
Good morning Mr Hallam your newspaper sir handing him a broadsheet,breakfast is ready when you are, the place to me oozed class maybe like a London gentlemans club.
The food was brilliant the experience great ( thats finished me with the Jubilee Cafe on Grimsby docks ) and so we floated off to Thornbury.
There were a couple of other Grimsby office staff and i did my inspections and then it was off to the Swan Hotel at Alveston for dinner
and the night.
Another class place,your own room, people calling you sir,you could get a pint without paying for it, i could get used to this!
Sunday morning, breakfast then back to the depot, everybody shaking hands, deal done.
I was then told to get into this Rolls Royce and Raymond Till who had just sold his company to Geoff took us all over the brand new
Severn road bridge ( it’s still impressive today,46 years ago to a young kid from Lincolnshire “carrot cruncher to boot” it was mind boggling).
Still i must not digress there was work to be done, we pulled into the impressive car park of The Cross Hands at Old Sodbury a wonderful
Cotswold hotel and restaurant and i climbed out of the Roller just as the Duke of Beauforts hunt was meeting outside the hotel.
There was horses jostling about,horns hooting, red and black jacket’s everywhere, people shouting, gorgeous lasses who spoke a bit different to me as if they were eating plums,i would not have been surprised if Dya ken John Peel had made a guest appearance himself.
We had lunch which was to me a magnificent experience in that place but i could not help laughing too myself about my mates back at Grimsby changing clutches and gearboxes and head gaskets,i know what you are thinking “rotten sod”
I have in later years been back there a few times with my family and it has always been very good but i will never forget the first time.
Thats how i come to remember Geoff buying Thornbury Transport.

In the list of driver’s ‘Johnny Onions’ is mentioned. My old man used to run for Anglo Danish who had the yard across from Mcveigh’s on the new Pyewipe Industrial Estate. Johnny Onions owned his own Scania 112 i think with a 40ft fridge all painted up with a serpantian on the side. As a kid I used to love seeing his motor, so much more glamourous than my dad’s Seddi Atki 300 daycab AEE 470W, a ■■■■■ of a wagon with no guts which he used to drag bulk sugar to sweet factories all over the UK… great days for me as a kid but secretly i used to wish he had a Scania or a Volvo… or even a bunk!!!

ako444:
In the list of driver’s ‘Johnny Onions’ is mentioned. My old man used to run for Anglo Danish who had the yard across from Mcveigh’s on the new Pyewipe Industrial Estate. Johnny Onions owned his own Scania 112 i think with a 40ft fridge all painted up with a serpantian on the side. As a kid I used to love seeing his motor, so much more glamourous than my dad’s Seddi Atki 300 daycab AEE 470W, a ■■■■■ of a wagon with no guts which he used to drag bulk sugar to sweet factories all over the UK… great days for me as a kid but secretly i used to wish he had a Scania or a Volvo… or even a bunk!!!

if you look on page 2 of this thread there’s a picture of mr onions,not with a scania but a volvo f12,all the best gaz.

ako444:
In the list of driver’s ‘Johnny Onions’ is mentioned. My old man used to run for Anglo Danish who had the yard across from Mcveigh’s on the new Pyewipe Industrial Estate. Johnny Onions owned his own Scania 112 i think with a 40ft fridge all painted up with a serpantian on the side. As a kid I used to love seeing his motor, so much more glamourous than my dad’s Seddi Atki 300 daycab AEE 470W, a ■■■■■ of a wagon with no guts which he used to drag bulk sugar to sweet factories all over the UK… great days for me as a kid but secretly i used to wish he had a Scania or a Volvo… or even a bunk!!!

The old Scania was a 142, A48 GFU, later on he ran an F reg 113 topline. Heres a few pictures.

A48 GFU.jpg1021×690 75.9 KB

A48 GFU scania.jpg1021×537 88.4 KB

A48 GFU sea serpent.jpg881×690 81 KB

F495 SBE..jpg1213×784 135 KB

img113.jpg864×579 82.2 KB

POSTED ON BEHALF OF GEOFF HALLAM

Griff has posted a fantastic list of names of everyone involved with Humber’s over many years. I thought I would fill in a couple of gaps.

Gordon Barwood - Gordon was my PA/assistant in the upstairs office and was a fantastic guy.
Derek Sykes - Workshop Manager
Arthur Francis - Arthur drove for me for many years and many of you will remember that his brother had a turkey farm, which meant turkey’s were never in short supply come Christmas time
Fred Wilkin - Fred was a driver and came over with Shacklocks of Caister. We were/are great friends with Fred and his family, who also ran a restaurant in Caistor for many years and where our two families shared many good times together. We still see some of the family from time to time, Fred sadly passed away a few years ago - may he rest in peace.

Geoff

Good Morning.

A bit of a digression, but I worked at Unispeed from 1972 to 1975, based in the Portacabin in Hartford Motors’ yard.

We had a number of Birds Eye contract lorries transferred across from Humber Warehousing, among others. I recognise some of the names on El Griffo’s list; Dave Pearce, Syd Clayden, Ronnie Johnson, Les Collishaw, George Haines, Dave Blakey. And if the lorries were EEE 260D through to EEE 268D there was Jack Taylor, Jimmy Fellowes, Jimmy Ackers and Tommy Coles. And if I remember Fred Wilkin correctly he bought one of the first Range Rovers (in Willow Green?). He gave me a short lift in it once. I had never been in anything like it!

Interesting times,

Kind regards,
PTT

MandatorV8:
Your Lordship:

Been out of action for a while and my old computer blew up, so I’m late to this thread. Some of those names flash the brain cells:

These three all ring bells from Shaw Bros, produce merchants of Friskney, near Boston, in the early to mid 1960s:

Alec Blackburn - lived in Skeg. Drove Dodge XDO 103.

The Yank - Warren Shreeve? Also lived in Skeg, usually drove one of the TS3 Commers XLP 690.

Alan Scarborough. If this is the Alan I remember, he was once a copper based at Alford. He came from Friskney and died a few years ago when working on the RAF Wainfleet bombing range. However, this may be someone else because the Alan I knew spelt his surname Scarboro.

Are Alec and The Yank still around?

V8

Edit:

I also see the name John Thornally. Is he the chap who went out on his own with an AEC Mercury bulker and now poles a Volvo FH pulling a fridge for Marshall Bros/Solstor at Butterwick?

.

Mandator V8

It seems you may be right with the spelling of Alan Scarboro’s name, your Alan Scarboro and the Alan Scarborough I know are two different people. Alec Blackburn lives in Alford, but now retired, we’re all getting older. By the way it’s Richard Thornally yes he once had a 4 wheeler AEC and since selling that, he’s had a VOLVO who ever he’s pulling for I’ve no Idea, but he and his wife live only a few minutes away from.

Lord Derby

Humber McVeigh Transport, Punchbowl Lane and The Dock Boston.

Do you remember any of these fine lads and lasses

Chuck Pogson, Freddie Mitcham, Terry Davidson, Bill Smith, Dave Smith, Jack Twaite, Mike West, Dennis Preston, Andrew Bell, Brian Grooby,
Curly Allbones, Stuart Franks, Derek Greenfield, John Eddling, Chris Kenny, Gerry Taylor, Doug McQuade, Jim Davidson, Tony Saunston,
John Armstrong, John Blackman, John Gosling, Bill Butler, Mike Patrick, Rolph Sutton, Lol Skinner, Ralph Baxter, Jack Tosney, Tommy Kirk,
Peter Panton, Nev Wilkinson, Charlie Ullyatt, Pop Panton, Biscuit McClean, Albert Epton, Charlie Holland, Jonny Mooney,Jim Brown
Old Mr Fendyke (Odd Job).

Office:- Terry Bowler, Don Burkitt, Mike Peppitt, Peter Frestle, Malcolm Mortimer, Barry Clayton, Patrick Butler, Angela Kirk, Ann ?, Sally ?

These names have been made possible with the help of Lol Skinner and Freddie Mitcham

Terry Bowler (Boston Depot Manager)

all a bit before my time although i can remember the depot at cranbrook road in poole, and two 6 or 8 wheel trucks on the old wareham road hill the one doing the towing had pulled the front bumper and tow eye of the others chassis, years later i met the old transport manager at an elevator manufacturer near melton mowbray. cant remember his name though sorry.