HTH 882 1953 Bedford SB (Passenger chassis) with bodywork by Spurlings (Lage London Vauxhall-Bedford agents who were famous for bodywork) HTH was the last of our 3 Bedford SB petrols and stayed in service until 1967 when it was sold to another removal contractor and did several years further work with them. The last journey it did for us was with the late Colin Watson as driver. A 1,300 mile South west run carrying furniture for NESS Furniture Croxdale starting Birminhamg and finishing Cornwall via Devon. I hate to think how much the petrol would have cost today. But it showed the confidence we had in our maintainance & condition of the van.
During its life it had at least one repaint and finished its days with us with a brown cab & cream bumper. The body built by Spurlings was the most expensive & best built of our 3 SB’s and certainly the most artistic. As most of our vans of the 50’s and early sixties it waspanneled in Plymax sheeting and there must have been a problem with the batch Spurlings used as it developed pin prick holes that let the air in & caused the paint to bleb. I remember in my youth going round with Holts Cataloy & tring to find the pin pricks (After it had been rubbed down in preparation of painting) filling the holes & sanding down and it looked like patchwork before it was repainted. These vans were like babies, you saw them come and witnessed all problems they had during their life with us and often heard how others went on with them when they had finished their days with us and passed on to new owners.
