Three photos from earlier times in Lancaster area trucking. (sorry not great quality). R.H Lambert in Silverdale (my father), had this business until emigrating to Aus in 1964. Top one is my grandfather with his Model T just after WW1. Middle is a new Albion Reiver flatbed in 1963 at the Southport Show. I believe it won an award for best presented vehicle. Bottom is a Seddon tipper (with truck washer on front…me) next to a Leyland Comet twin steer.
Three photos from earlier times in Lancaster area trucking. (sorry not great quality). R.H Lambert in Silverdale (my father), had this business until emigrating to Aus in 1964. Top one is my grandfather with his Model T just after WW1. Middle is a new Albion Reiver flatbed in 1963 at the Southport Show. I believe it won an award for best presented vehicle. Bottom is a Seddon tipper (with truck washer on front…me) next to a Leyland Comet twin steer.
Hiya Silverdale, now R.H. Lambert is a firm I have never ever heard of even though I knew Nelsons of Arnside and the other local firms around Milnthorpe, Carnforth etc, I must say I never heard Lamberts mentioned. What sort of traffic did they carry, having flats and tippers the same as Nelsons. Just interested as it is a revelation to me ! Thanks Bewick. PS nice shots all the same !
G’day Bewick.
Funny my father says the same thing about your outfit! I think he predates you by quite a bit and he’s still going strong here in Aus at age 93.
He started after WW2 with his father’s prewar Ford (used to do a parcel run from Lancaster to Silverdale and Arnside areas) and then moved on to 5-7 ton Austin Loadstars. I can remember him having an engine upgrade in the the Loadstar in the late 50’s. Replaced the petrol with a Perkins diesel. This was done, from memory at JB Hudsons, at Sandside. (always remember pumping the Kygas for cold morning starts). He upgraded to the Seddon in 1959 and then followed the Leyland and the Albion in the early 60’s. He was a very general carrier with two A and a B license. A lot of farm work with fertilisers from all over - slag from Darlington and Redcar, potash from Workington, super from Portishead etc. He worked a lot with contractors spreading etc. Also was a regular carrier of turf all over the country - turf used be cut on the Silverdale foreshore. I remember he used to carry a lot of tarmac from Northern Quarries, Trowbarrow in Silverdale (and also sand and gravel from Hartley’s in Carnforth). That was taken all over the Lake District and surrounding areas and later a lot of work when the M6 was being built. I can remember helping with removals. He used to have a set of pipe frames which would be placed on the tray and tarped over to create a waterproof pantech to carry the furniture. Similarly he carried cattle and I remember helping wash out the tray pretty thoroughly before he did a removing job the following day! He was a contemporary of Nelsons, R.O Hodgson and Syd Preston and knew them all as they used to swap work at times. I mentioned this site to him because I remember Geoff Thursby and I thought he had driven for dad but he did’nt but was around then. Geoff’s brother in law Frank Barton did drive for dad. I’m being a bit long winded now! Its just that I spent a lot of time travelling with dad all over the place and as others have said “helped” with all sorts of things in the trucking business as a young 'un. Dad still has a terrific memory and will answer any questions of the local are in the 50’s.
Hiya Silverdale, many thanks for the reply and the info about your Grandad’s business he sure was what I can describe as one of the “Old School” haulier/ carriers from the days of Carrier licencing which sadly was disbanded in 1970. Having spent over 30 years in the transport business around the Milnthorpe area I have always been interested in the firms and Characters that were involved. In my own case I acquired my first “A” Licence in 1968 from a firm at Sedbergh called Coward Bros. ( Tommy Coward), my first customers were Libby’s and Henry Cooke’s Mill at Beetham, your Grandad will sure remember those two firms! I eventually became the sole haulier out of Cookes in the early 70’s and finally I had 75% of the traffic out of Libbys. In 1976 I bought out the haulage interests of Davy & Co ( Grange) Ltd which comprised of K. Fell.& Co, J.L.Ion & J.B. Hudson Ltd… In 1960 when Maggie Bowman the Matriarch of J.B. Hudsons passed away their 5 vehicle “A” Licence comprising 4 Leyland Octopus and one ERF 4 wheeler was sold to Athersmith Bros of Barrow-in-Furness who continued to run from Sandside because they weren’t allowed to transfer the fleet into Barrow so in 1966 John Davy of Davy &Co ( Old man Capt Davy having passed away in 1964) bought J.B. Hudson Ltd from Athersmiths then in June 1976 I bought out the transport interests of Davy’s. In 1960 when Raymond Bowman sold Hudson’s haulage interests he changed the name of the firm to Hudson Engineers Ltd. and they carried on the heavy repair business as well as starting into crane hire which became a major part of their operation until their final demise in the early 90’s.You mentioned hauling turf off the shore at Silverdale well I can tell you we did the same job for many years during the cutting season off the shore at Silverdale ex Wilkinsons but we worked directly for an Irishman called Roberts from Brighton. Brailsfords reckoned to be the main turf and rockery supplier but Wilkos were also in the game, we did load ex Brailsfords when Wilkos supply ran out some times but Mr Roberts insisted on us doing the hauling! Finally who acquired your Grandad’s carriers licences ? just interested! However I think the names from the past that I have mentioned will bring back many memories for your Grandad ! I’ve put on a couple of shots of a couple of my motors from the 70’s the Atki is loaded with sea washed turf from Silverdale and the J.B. Hudson Seddon is stood in the yard at Milnthorpe loaded with Libby products.
G’day again Bewick.
Thanks for the info…and he’s my dad not grandad! Grandad had a truck between the wars and dad took over after the last war.
He used to carry turf for Lancashire Seawashed Turf. They went belly up in the early sixties. “Water worn” rockery was also another of his things. There used to be a gardener in Silverdale (Reggie Kaye) who dad used to work for and with over the years. A speciality was the rockery garden. I think he stripped most of the woods around Silverdale and Arnside of rockery in the early days! Seem to remember we also went up on Ingleton for the same. Also used to take all the fixings for Mr Kaye to the horticultural shows - for displays etc. Another thing I remember was trailing all over Westmorland and North Yorks collecting the wool clip. That used to be taken in loose sacks to the Woolgrowers in Carnforth and then after re-bagging he would run it to Bradford. I used to stand on the front bumper and hang of the mirror bracket and jump on and off opening and closing farm gates. Some farms had a lot of gates! Talk about lack of OH&S and child labour! Never harmed me though. After a few farms you were awash with tea and cakes.
I think dad got fed up of the driving and cold weather (especially after the 1962 winter). He had been in the Far East in the war and I think the cold used to get to him after that - remember there were no heaters in the cabs in the old days - although I remember him fitting them in the Seddon and onwards.
He sold two of the trucks with A licenses to Fred Milner in Lancaster - I think long gone. I believe Fred used to operate his father’s trucks and wanted to branch out on his own.
I’m visiting Dad next week so I’ll see if I can get him set up to have a look at this site. He’ll certainly be interested.
Cheers.
John D Horner of Heysham (RIP) Guy Invincible which was a regular site around the area and now owned by John Murphy from Yorkshire who intends to keep it in its present condition and show it on the vintage rally scene.
truckfing wrote:
Those pictures were both taken before I started work at Moores and the wagons had both gone by then but I think the Dodges had Perkins 6:354 and the eight wheel Guys Gardners. My dad drove a Guy Warrior eight legger at Pelters and that had a 6LW in it. There was a Guy 6 wheeler still at Moores when I started and that had a Leyland 400 in it. All Pelters other Guys and a solitary eight wheel Dodge had the AEC engine. On a different note I saw two wagons from the Lancaster area today although not technically a hauliers. The owner Yappie was polishing yet another Scania despite his own two being parked alongside. What an asset this man must be to an employer.
Would this have been the Guy your Dad drove truckfing
This is a shot of a J.B. Hudson Ltd motor shot in '76 at the time I bought out the Davy & Co ( Grange) Ltd’s Haulage interests which as well as J.B. Hudson Ltd also included J.L.Ion Ltd. ( another old Milnthorpe haulier) and of course K. Fell & Co the main trading name of Davy & Co. When J.B. Hudson of Sandside sold their haulage fleet to Athersmith Bros of Barrow in 1960 the name went with it and this left the heavy commercial repair and Leyland dealership which assumed the title of Hudson Engineers Ltd. Athersmith Bros. then sold J. B. Hudson Ltd to Davy & Co in 1966. When I purchased the Davy haulage interests in 1976 exactly 10 years almost to the day when Davy’s had bought the firm off Athersmiths and at this time J. B. Hudson Ltd was a non trading co. with £30,000 cash in the Bank ! I just kept the name of K.Fell & Co Ltd in operation and de-listed the Hudson and Ion names. Cheers Bewick.
Silverdale:
G’day again Bewick.
Thanks for the info…and he’s my dad not grandad! Grandad had a truck between the wars and dad took over after the last war.
He used to carry turf for Lancashire Seawashed Turf. They went belly up in the early sixties. “Water worn” rockery was also another of his things. There used to be a gardener in Silverdale (Reggie Kaye) who dad used to work for and with over the years. A speciality was the rockery garden. I think he stripped most of the woods around Silverdale and Arnside of rockery in the early days! Seem to remember we also went up on Ingleton for the same. Also used to take all the fixings for Mr Kaye to the horticultural shows - for displays etc. Another thing I remember was trailing all over Westmorland and North Yorks collecting the wool clip. That used to be taken in loose sacks to the Woolgrowers in Carnforth and then after re-bagging he would run it to Bradford. I used to stand on the front bumper and hang of the mirror bracket and jump on and off opening and closing farm gates. Some farms had a lot of gates! Talk about lack of OH&S and child labour! Never harmed me though. After a few farms you were awash with tea and cakes.
I think dad got fed up of the driving and cold weather (especially after the 1962 winter). He had been in the Far East in the war and I think the cold used to get to him after that - remember there were no heaters in the cabs in the old days - although I remember him fitting them in the Seddon and onwards.
He sold two of the trucks with A licenses to Fred Milner in Lancaster - I think long gone. I believe Fred used to operate his father’s trucks and wanted to branch out on his own.
I’m visiting Dad next week so I’ll see if I can get him set up to have a look at this site. He’ll certainly be interested.
Cheers.
Just a few further notes from the past from my father. He was telling me about how they used to get the tare weights down on trucks after the war. Not just the usually remove any spare wheels etc but draining the radiator to a minimum, and operators having lightweight dummy springs fitted…some he insists made of wood! We also talked about the time he rolled his Leyland steer tipper over whilst tipping peat. He was across a slope (and had taken steps to get as level as possible) and some of the load stuck on the low side and dragged the wagon over. He used to keep his tarps and jack etc in the passenger side of the wagon and the jack flew over the cab and nearly hit him when they went over. He said he fitted a loose gear box under the body to all his wagons after that! - nothing heavy in the cab. The truck was incidentally repaired at JB Hudson where he bought it from new.
even though I knew Nelsons of Arnside and the other local firms around Milnthorpe, Carnforth etc, I must say I never heard Lamberts mentioned. What sort of traffic did they carry, having flats and tippers the same as Nelsons. Just interested as it is a revelation to me ! Thanks Bewick. PS nice shots all the same !
iirc these would bring batteries to Enthovens Darley Dale ,I bet the acid was running out the back doors ,not something you’d get away with today !
