DAVE W H:
Anybody remember Law Brother’s from Worsley Rd,Swinton? Seem to remember they always had rolls of paper loaded.
Hi Dave. Wasn’t their yard on the left just before reaching south side of Swinton centre. I worked for an Irish outfit Williames and one of Law Brothers drivers Joe Winstanley started the same time as me. A few years later I started at MAT Transport MIFT Trafford Park and Joe was the shop steward and left through a bust up with our renowned world class and international yard man “Gordon Nunn”.
Regards Kev
ps Joe Winstanley lived near Law brothers but later moved near Langworthy road area of Salford.
Yeh that’s it,on the left as you drop down towards the junction with the East Lancs Road (A580).The driver I knew was Norman Robinson (RIP).Whenever he drove past H Woodward’s,where I worked,always blew the horn.Great bloke.best wishes.Dave.
bob-lad:
i remember them dave green motors did a lot for convoys to the papers ive never seen any pics tho
Hi Bob-lad.
I remember Convoys. Can you recall Law Brothers green Leyland Lynxes and day cab Scammell Crusaders based near Swinton used to do similar work For Manchester based news print.
The only one time I carried paper was a return load from MATs yard Felixtowe docks about 1974. I worked for MAT transport and had too pick up a flat trailer that was a damaged TILT that hit a low bridge somewhere abroad. A few MATS drivers helped to load and sheet, must have been 3 high and used old thin railway type sleepers to chock to bed. Sheeted up with two old TILT sheets and plenty of rope. The next day I pulled into MATs yard at MIFT Trafford Park and got a commendation from a visiting gaffer from Hull, Brian Perry.
He said I was a credit to the company for neat tidy load but I did not tell him I had tons of help sheeting up. Plenty of forelock touching from me but no extra bonus. MATs had TILTS and Containers and very rare we did any drivers do any roping and sheeting. The load was booked in for the next day at Bowaters Levenshulme but hard work folding up damaged TILT sheets.
Regards Kev
Hiya,
Those tilt things and MAT’s had some horrors, I’ve pulled many could be
bloody hard work especially if a strip down was required I could rope
and sheet a flat trailer and be on my way in half the time it took to put
one of MAT’s tilts back together and when buying new covers they must
have requested the heaviest material they could but if there was no
forklift handy to put the sheet on top you would certainly struggle and
possibly hurt yourself trying to get one on top of a tilt frame single-
handed, I had no love for tilts on general haulage.
thanks harry, long retired.
Hiya Harry.
Noticed MAT Transport (trucknet) has been quiet for quite a while. I left about 1976 “over 40 years ago”. Do you still keep in touch with Cliff Carl? Regards Kev
Hiya,
I didn’t work directly for MAT’s Bowker was my firm and a couple of
Bowker lads went from there to MAT’s at Hull namely Cliff Leader
and Angus Sutty, my main source of MAT traffic was when I picked
trailers from their many yards but mostly from Dover or Trafford
Park occasionally going into Hull or Barking.
thanks harry, long retired.
Harry Jones (Big H) seen here checking his ropes, before setting off with this full load of pallets.
He worked for me from 1978 until 1983. I first met Harry when he joined Robert Baillie Transport
at Wigan,early in 1971. He had been with Leonard Fairclough at Adlington for 2 years from 1969.
He said his lorry at Faircloughs was a L.A.D. cabbed Leyland 6 wheeler artic unit, and he carried
concrete beams just like the Foden in the above picture. Harry left Faircloughs under a cloud,
apparently some young knowall in a suit upset him regarding his lorry driving skills, so “Shortfuse”
Harry grabbed a spade and threatened the “Suit”. Big H was given “The last card in the pack”.
Before Harry joined Faircloughs, he worked for Connell & Finnigan, driving a 6 wheel AEC artic,
which I have seen somewhere on Trucknet, It has a Stockport Reg number, I think it is F Reg.
When Harry joined Robert Baillie in 1971, we had to teach him how to sheet and rope a load,
his previous 15 years as a lorry driver, had been on Tippers and Low Loaders. Ray Smyth.
Stanfield:
Heres the Connell & Finnigans AEC you mentioned Ray
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John, Thank you for the AEC picture, I will show it to Harry when I see him next time.
I cant email it to him because he is not in the digital world, silly old bugger. Kind Regards, Ray.
Hi John
I expect this Robert Walker lorry was clearing bomb sites and reclaiming material in Manchester. My dad born Cavan Ireland 1898 was a lorry driver until he died 1960. In the war he would do a day’s work driving and drove some evenings with my eldest brother Johnston (prentice electrician at Stretford) for the HOMEGAURD joined Royal Marines 1941 aged 18. In the daytime tipper Lorries were loaded with chimney soot from factories around Manchester and ready for German bombers specially for moonlit knights known German targets example Trafford Park industry Irlam Locks, Pomona and Salford Docks. When the bombers were en route Manchester the tippers would have the homegaurd shovelling soot onto the Manchester Ship Canal. Bridgewater Canal so the lack of moonlight would make it harder for bombers to find their bearings. The object of the exercise was to keep the Germans in circuit for longer so the RAF had a better chance of hitting them. The other reason Germans wanted photographic evidence of areas for mapping and evidence of Strikes. Delay finding targets meant the RAF had more chance hitting them especially on the return journey home.
Going back to the photo, noticed address of Robert Walker was Wythenshawe noticed also phone numbers SAL 5468 and SAL 7660. I’m often wrong but I think they were Salford phone numbers, as I recall Sale near Stretford numbers would show Sale then digits.
Is this the same Robert Walker of Woodley and moved from Wythenshawe to Woodley?
Regards Kev Morrow
Stanfield:
Hi Kev
It must be the same outfit I have just got this photo from their facebook page and this address is also Wythenshawe
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Hi John
Tidy looking Bedford in the photo looks Late 1950s or early 60s? I was a Saturday lad with Mothers Pride Bread retail side called Graigs Pantry at Old Trafford about 1958 to 1960. One bread journey I went on was Wythenshawe and mass building after demolition of slums mainly Hulme Moss side areas. Looking at Wiki for Wythenshawe, started building estates as early as the 1920s and expect Robert Walker built up his business being based in Wythenshawe.
Kev
Hi John
I expect this Robert Walker lorry was clearing bomb sites and reclaiming material in Manchester. My dad born Cavan Ireland 1898 was a lorry driver until he died 1960. In the war he would do a day’s work driving and drove some evenings with my eldest brother Johnston (prentice electrician at Stretford) for the HOMEGAURD joined Royal Marines 1941 aged 18. In the daytime tipper Lorries were loaded with chimney soot from factories around Manchester and ready for German bombers specially for moonlit knights known German targets example Trafford Park industry Irlam Locks, Pomona and Salford Docks. When the bombers were en route Manchester the tippers would have the homegaurd shovelling soot onto the Manchester Ship Canal. Bridgewater Canal so the lack of moonlight would make it harder for bombers to find their bearings. The object of the exercise was to keep the Germans in circuit for longer so the RAF had a better chance of hitting them. The other reason Germans wanted photographic evidence of areas for mapping and evidence of Strikes. Delay finding targets meant the RAF had more chance hitting them especially on the return journey home.
Going back to the photo, noticed address of Robert Walker was Wythenshawe noticed also phone numbers SAL 5468 and SAL 7660. I’m often wrong but I think they were Salford phone numbers, as I recall Sale near Stretford numbers would show Sale then digits.
Is this the same Robert Walker of Woodley and moved from Wythenshawe to Woodley?
Regards Kev Morrow
Hi Kev, SAL was a Sale number. Salford numbers were split into areas like Manchester. IE. ECCles, SWInton, PENdleton, BROughton. etc
Think I’ve posted this pic before , Barnes’ main competitor for work in the valley was this outfit , Span Express at Haslingden , formerly from Richard st in Rochdale .
Did 11 years for this mob up to it closing in 1997 this was my last motor , an ex city transport
Wow remember that motor , passed my test in one of them but a v reg , that one was driven by a lad called Steve who did a lot of ■■■■■■■ at the time I started in 86 , thanks for the pic , real blast from the past
