Just been for a run up to Bob Harold’s paint shop at Sacriston near Durham where Paul, my son has a new 8 wheeler Renault tipper having additional painting done for a client. He was going to check how it was progressing as he needed it back at Rainton for PDI so it was ready for the new registration 1 Sept.
I have known Bob who is now semi retired since he was a teenager.
He was serving his time as a vehicle painter at Anthony Carrymore trailers at Stanley Co. Durham in the late 60s when Peter Butler used t sign write our vans, which he did till 1986. Before Peter it used to take sign writers 3 days but Peter used to start about 10.00AM (He was never an early riser) but he continued till he finished sometimes after midnight. Which sometimes was frustrating when we were based at Marmaduke Street, before we moved to Green Lane Industrial Estate, as often I had to wait to lock up. (our security at Green lane saw to that).
Eventually Peter used to get Bob to come along to help. The W.H.Williams on front back & sides was in very big block lettering , particularly along the sides & in white which needed two coats. Peter used to do the outlines leaving Bob to fill in and second coat.
Bob, himself was an excellent brush painter, which I suppose is an endangered species like sign writers in this day of spraying and nasty vinyl stickers. I always remember that dad was dissatisfied at the standard of paint on our newly built offices at Green Lane so he asked bob to paint them, who protested that he was not a decorator. ‘I want them mirror finnish’ dad told Bob. And when he’d finnished after scoopting the paint onto the doors and brushing till perfect finnish, I defy anyone to think they had been hand painted wood.
Eventually Bob & Peter went into partnership and opened a paintshop, with Peter partly financing, I believe and doing the sign writing. When we wanted our two vintage Bedfords painting , Bob & Peter did them between them in their paintshop, as we knew their work would be perfect. Possibly not the best recommendation for our own paint shop that painted a lot of our own vehicles plus outside work for the likes of United Carriers & Black & Decker.
When Eldis Transport was established I know Peter lettered all their vehicles until sadly he suffered a stroke and was paralised on this right hand side. By this time we had finished so I only have hear-say but I know he taught himself to write using his left hand, but I understand he lost the speed he was rightly famous for.
Unfortunately Bob was not there this morning & Paul was unable to wait 30 min for him to arrive, but I hope to go with Paul Wednesday to collect the Renault, as it had factory painted cab in light blue to the owners colour scheme and aluminium body so only needed the black wings & ods & ends including a chrome painted grill So looking forward to see it finished & meeting Bob again after all these years
Attached is a photo of a body written by Peter, not yet dry & if you look closely under & above our name you can still see Peter’s chalk lines
