Supercrip:
Hi Guys,
Just found this thread while looking up Ackworth Transport where I worked in the 70’s.
Jock Barclay taught me to drive aged 21 at the Ackworth school in 1977 and they gave me a job straight away.
Jimmy opposite (Jimmy Beard) took me out for the first week and taught me how to rope and sheet, loading trailers for ICI, spillers and down at Lumb’s (always a good breakfast) using an old Scammel trunker (fleet No.113 I think, what a pig for a novice). Soon progressed to a Buffalo (153) and then got an ex continental crusader (156, a pic on here somewhere) after Roy Bailey got a new ERF with a sleeper cab (sleepers, the bane of Frank Jolly’s life)
Ces Haigh was transport manager then, diamond geezer who took it easy on a novice. Still remember a few names/nicknames besides Roy, Graham Jarvis, who started not long after me, Happy Barry Stevenson, Action man, Ferret, Tommy Murtagh, Diesel Dust, Des Smith, Pete Shaw in the garage and Ballacher the yard foreman. Sad that Jimmy Beard has passed, probably more from those days. Happy times and good money for the day. Still have some good memories from then and learned a lot. Haven’t trucked since the late 80’s and wouldn’t thank you for it now with the traffic and dumb kid drivers in their 9 volt Fiat Punto’s around. I don’t think I could as I lost half my left leg in a bad accident in 2000, (long story, but a mechanic didn’t do his job properly, something broke on the steering of my van, hit a tree at 50mph, killed my two passengers and two hours to cut me free).
Lived in Bridlington for the last 38 years and nearly went to work for Barry Read once (ex Selby depot) on international until my ex wife put the kybosh on that. Maybe some will remember me from then (maybe not, but hey), Stay safe if you’re still doing it.
Andy Tagg (Taggy)
A couple of the mentioned drivers are still knocking around,I think they found other jobs with different hauliers working out of the same Ackworth yard,all gone now though just houses on the land.
Some fantastic pictures on here by the way…