W.H.WILLIAMS (spennymoor)

One of our Bedford-Marsden pantechnicons built on the SB passenger chassis with 330 cu in diesel engine, first registered 1966. As at that time we had applied and been granted a few extra vans on our A licence, we decided not to push our luck and added this one on Contact A licence, which meant that we could only deliver goods manufactured by that company. After about 12 months we applied to the Northern Traffic Commissioners to add it to our normal A licence arguing that it was returning to Spennymoor empty & being on the A licence it could carry items back to North East for other manuufacturers & household removals. Our original A licence number was A2215 meaning it was the 2,215 licence issued in UK. MPT was repainted into our cream/brown livery when it was about 4 years old. Way back in the 1960s A licences were selling for £250 per ton (Unladen weight of all vehicles specified on it) so the value of the licence on that van would be £1000. This showed in haulage companies accounts as good will. When the Operators licence replaced the A licences they were no transferable & had no vale so the value of haulage business’ were greatly reduced