Hi all, my name is Pete Fretter, just discovered the site.
Back in the seventies I worked at E F Phillips as a welder/plant fitter my mate John Weekes and I built and maintained the concrete batching plant and the big Crossley generator during the miners strike we also did all the site work and maintenance on the mobile plant plus any welding on skips etc.
I remember a few names, there were two ‘Jacks’ in the workshop one was an old fellow who was also a welder who had been there for donkeys years and was a bit grumpy the other was a nice bloke who’s son and brother Fred also worked there, then there was Heinz Geigenfind who was an ex German POW who was a fitter, John Almond also a fitter and of course Lenny the tyre fitter he was a real grafter.
I remember ‘Spin’ the low loader driver used to reverse flat out across the yard straight into the workshop over the pit.
I was there when Mike and Graham had their first Range Rovers and Mike, within a week, wrecked his down the tip.
This is, if I’m not mistaken, on the Swaythling bypass Southampton, myself and John Weekes got the call late one Friday afternoon to go and repair the broken swan neck on the box then rewire the winch ropes remove the tracks off the tractor bring them back to Parkstone have the pins and bushes turned, take them back to Swaythling and have it all ready for work again on the Monday morning. We did some crazy hours in those days.
Well Geoff Luther just look what I found nestling in an envelope with some old photographs, I loaded quite a few times at James & Hodder in Avonmouth and remember taking this load out. In those days I ran a AEC Mandator with home made sleeper cab not the best on the road but it was 1976, cheers Buzzer.
Well i’ll be blowed Buzzer The very first trip I did for Phillips was in 1978 I had never been abroad in my life till I took a truck with me.First I went to Rotterdam then to Polaroid at Enschede,then reloaded at Epinal in France.I had a few headaches finding my way but bumped into one of our drivers not far from Epinal so after that it was dead easy.I think we got home Saturday night and off again Sunday night up to Dover through London as no M25 and the M3 only started at Popham.When we were in the UK on a Friday we usually loaded at James and Hodder.Thanks for reminding me Buzzer.Regards Geoff
geoff luther:
Well i’ll be blowed Buzzer The very first trip I did for Phillips was in 1978 I had never been abroad in my life till I took a truck with me.First I went to Rotterdam then to Polaroid at Enschede,then reloaded at Epinal in France.I had a few headaches finding my way but bumped into one of our drivers not far from Epinal so after that it was dead easy.I think we got home Saturday night and off again Sunday night up to Dover through London as no M25 and the M3 only started at Popham.When we were in the UK on a Friday we usually loaded at James and Hodder.Thanks for reminding me Buzzer.Regards Geoff
A question and that is why do we hang on to these useless bits of paper ? makes one wonder don’t it Buzzer.
geoff luther:
Well i’ll be blowed Buzzer The very first trip I did for Phillips was in 1978 I had never been abroad in my life till I took a truck with me.First I went to Rotterdam then to Polaroid at Enschede,then reloaded at Epinal in France.I had a few headaches finding my way but bumped into one of our drivers not far from Epinal so after that it was dead easy.I think we got home Saturday night and off again Sunday night up to Dover through London as no M25 and the M3 only started at Popham.When we were in the UK on a Friday we usually loaded at James and Hodder.Thanks for reminding me Buzzer.Regards Geoff
A question and that is why do we hang on to these useless bits of paper ? makes one wonder don’t it Buzzer.
You kept hold of it to remember the past so that we could remenice.I for one is glad that you did Buzzer as memories are made of this.Cheers mate
Once sold some Volvo bit’s and a top tank to a chap called ■■■■ Turpin who had some connection with E.F.Phillips he almost did highway robbery on me but I got what I wanted in the end, ring any bells with any one Buzzer.
Buzzer:
Once sold some Volvo bit’s and a top tank to a chap called ■■■■ Turpin who had some connection with E.F.Phillips he almost did highway robbery on me but I got what I wanted in the end, ring any bells with any one Buzzer.
■■■■ Turpin is still about doing runs abroad in a sprinter van.He did drive for E.F.Phillips around the same time as me Buzzer in late 70s early 80s cheers Geoff
Hi Geoff that fella left of Pete Monger looks very much like Poley Joe who also worked for D’hattons out of Eastleigh or Hattons that’s just the way he used to say it, am I right ? Buzzer.
Richard Poley Joe came for an interview at our old house, he brought his Mrs and all his kids in an immaculate Ford Zephyr (don’t know if it was 4 or 6) He did not last long with us as he shipped out with three of his kids but never told us, he had a power steering pump go on an F88 and was being fixed by Garage “Robin” a Volvo garage near Macon and booked into a hotel the other side of the road over night and then presented the bill for all on his return, needless to say that was his final trip for us as he copped the needle when I refused to pay for the kids. Some one also told me he made a hole in the floor of a Hattons F88 so he did not have to stop for a pee, don’t know if that was true but he definitely liked a drink for sure, M H moment there Richard, Cheers Buzzer.
Yes John,thats him and Jock Walker on the right also drove for Hattons,all good lads together with Pete,those girls must have been their nieces
Here’s Pete and Jock after they had exchanged clothes at one of our Christmas do’s,Happy Days.
Regards
Richard
Hi “MaggieD” Thanks for the photo it looks as if a good time was had by all, I think the photo is probably older than what the girls were then.I would guess its late 70s or early 80s.Regards Geoff
