Foden 46 barry crewe

mushroomman:
Thank you Ian and Casey for your kind thoughts, I thought that somebody may of recognised who the driver of the Atki was or I might even find out who took the photo.
Barry was always fascinated by lorries and looking back I wondered why he started an apprenticeship as a plumber and not a motor mechanic although I can’t remember him being a hands on mechanical minded kind of person.
In the mid fifties while the slum clearance programme was sweeping over Britain, a local company had a contract to demolish a couple of old streets nearby to where we used to live. It was during the time of the seven week school summer holidays and almost every day he would drag me down to the site to watch the demolition men with their lorries a Bulldozer and a J.C.B. He would always ask the workmen if they wanted any errands running for pies, newspapers and Fish and Chips for their dinners. When we got back from the shops they would always give us a threepenny bit or a tanner but Barry would refuse it and say is there any chance that I can have a ride out to the tip, which was about seven miles away. After a couple of weeks all the drivers knew him and some days we would get three trips to the tip. The highlight of the summer holidays for him was a ride in an O type Bedford, a parrot nosed Dodge or some ex W.D. conversion with a tipper on the back.
When he was in his twenties he started driving a four wheel tipper for Greenbooth Construction in Oldham and in 1973 the boss told him that he was thinking of buying a low loader and would he like to go for his class one and drive it. Barry jumped at the chance and ended up driving an A.E.C. Mandator, a Seddon and a Foden which were all bought new during the 40 year period that he worked for them.
Maybe those school holidays were not wasted after all. :wink:

Rest in peace, Barry.