My knowledge of the history of Robert Baillie & Co Ltd is rather limited.
When I joined the company,early 1970, I was given to understand that
Mr Baillie had been a Transport Consultant with Beecham Group, and had
done a consultation for the Guernsey Tomato Marketing Board. He then
went on to form his own transport operation in the early to mid 60s,
his main source of traffic was the Tomatoes from Guernsey.
At that time, the tomatoes came ashore at Shoreham,so Mr Baillie opened
a depot at Peacehaven. From about 1969, the Guernsey produce began to
arrive at Portsmouth,so the company,almost in its entirety,moved to Portsmouth.
Tranship depots were soon established at Wigan and Doncaster, to serve the
wholesale fruit & vegetable markets in the North of England, Scotland, and
Belfast. Regular return traffic was available from Heinz at Wigan,for delivery
to Heinz at Harlesden,NW10,London, and also Heinz depot at Southampton.
The company continued to prosper, and moved to larger premises at Horndean,
purchasing the former depot of Percy Powell Transport in 1970.
Regards, Ray Smyth.
