oiltreader:
Thanks to Frankydobo, Ray Smyth and Buzzer for the pics
Oily
French Kenworth on the A12 at Rivenhall End, all credit to SCP for the photo.
Very smart, reminds me of the one I posted outside the Oppidum between Bezier and Narbonne a couple of years back, maybe the same one. I remember the driver as scruffy (unlike his motor) and aloof, eating apart from the rest of us and when he went to drive off, although he was very tall, sat very low in the cab and could barely see over the wheel. Patrick remarked on the extreme seat adjustments at the time I think.
Judging by the YSM reg No. on the 4D Carnation van I reckon that it would have been a Caledonian Road Services contract motor running out of Dumfries where the Milk factory was located. Cheers Dennis.
Ray Smyth:
One of many huge Bibbys factories in Liverpool. Bibbys employed thousands of people in the
production of animal feeds, soap powder, and cooking fats, which produced regular work for
many hauliers, as well as their own transport. Picture from Bootle History Forum.
A bit of info for Ray about Bibby’s. In 1933 J.Bibby bought the, then, closed down paper mill of Henry Cooke at Beetham near Milnthorpe with the intention of using a by product from their animal feed manufacture called “linter” to make paper. Bibby’s resurrected the mill and it was renamed Henry Cooke ( 1933 ) Ltd. Well not a lot happened until after WW2 and into the early 50’s but with new ( ex Bibby ) management the paper mill became a roaring success through the 60’s 70’s and onwards. But during these years of the impressive performance of the Mill and the gradual decline of the main Bibby Feeds, Seeds and foodstuff business well Henry Cooke who only accounted for 3 % of the Bibby Group T/O was for many years contributing 30% of total annual Group profits which was the reason all approaches to Bibby to sell the Paper Mill were always rejected as this would have caused considerable damage to the Group. This situation that existed at The Bibby Group was related to me many years ago by the late A G ( Geoffrey ) Thompson who had been the MD at the Mill for a number of years in the 70’s before he moved on to become Bibby’s Deputy Chairman and took over the Bibby Industrial Division and built that part up as the Liverpool side more or less withered away. Bibbys were eventually taken over in a friendly acquisition by Barlow Rand PTY from South Africa who via their subsidiary “Tiger Oates” had become large shareholders in J. Bibby & Son PLC. Sorry if it has got a bit boring but Bibby’s were a very interesting firm and Henry Cooke’s at Beetham were an absolute “gem” of a customer to work with straight as dye and in over 25 years starting work for them with a single 4 wheeler I eventually in the early 70’s took over all the Mill’s transport requirements both outward and inward and there was never a disagreement of any kind. I doubt firms of the calibre of Bibbys/ Cookes are probably non existent to-day of very few and far between ! Cheers Bewick.
Dennis I like that little bit you wrote about Bibby’s especially the last bit of how you started with a four wheeler and ended up doing the total transport requirements the like of which I doubt exists in many places today, usually you find you work for a company for a while sometimes for several years and every thing is running smooth as butter, the rates are good and you have a good working relationship and the company relies on you to do your best for them sometimes not even having to quote for various jobs even if not the norm as you almost know amical agreement will be reached on the rate. My nippers call these periods of work bubbles, they are there for a while then they burst and along comes another one and seems the way it works.
During my time at the helm it was no different but sometimes when you do lose a good job you did not realize how good it was till you no longer have it but the really gutting bit is that when the company who took over only lasts a short time as they had no idea on costings and find its not viable at the rates they quoted, the best bit is when the customer comes back and asks if you can help them which is an ideal opportunity to raise the rates a little.
Remember reading in a transport publication in the late 90’s which said that within 10 years there would be about only ten major transport operators in this country with a few smaller companies on the peripheral either subbing for the giants or muddling along and in truth that was a fair assessment of the situation today but big is not always beautiful and there are a few companies who still want service and are prepared to pay for it, cheers Buzzer
Buzzer:
Arthur Green from Bratford (Bradford) remember them well when I was doing Italy long time ago, Buzzer.
I was talking to Andy Green last week. No shows this year, but he and his brother Richard are hoping things will get back to normal next year. They have also rebuilt a 1950 or 1952 Leyland Hippo which has the same cab as the Beaver.
I was at school with Andy in the 1960s. His Dad (Arthur Green’s son) ran the company which was all timber then. Andy says that by about 1980 the sawmills had started felling their own timber and were cutting them out of the middle. Andy left and went to work for Leeds council (I think as a sort of environmental advisor.) Older brother Richard diversified into international haulage. When they finished, they let the garage and yard, but still keep a small corner for their classic truck refurbishment.
Some from Newcastle City Centre. First one is Northumberland St (or the A1) 1930’s. Second one is same street in 1953, still the A1.
Colour photo is Haymarket at the top of Northumberland St, probably very late 60’s Tyneside
I am sure there is some photos of Mcphee’s on the North East thread, very well known company in Newcastle. Taken over, I think, by the Wild Group from the West Mids. Tyneside
tyneside:
I am sure there is some photos of Mcphee’s on the North East thread, very well known company in Newcastle. Taken over, I think, by the Wild Group from the West Mids. Tyneside
Thanks for the info “Tyneside” had a feeling you would know summit about them, Buzzer
Cheers Dennis.
all credit to Rab Lawrence for the photo.
