Haha Mick, yes I suppose we are the ‘old timers’ now! How did that happen eh? 
I’m in Scotland at present but when I get home this week I will phone Cliff Wigley, I do visit him now and again if I’m in the Wirksworth area and he still doesn’t look any blooming older! He will possibly know.
Pete.
malmic:
windrush:
Sniffy:
I had to visit Kevin quarry in Staffordshire a few weeks ago, now used as a mixing plant, quarrying ceased there a few years ago apparentlyAny Ideas where the name Kevin came from ■■
Considering I worked for the company that owned it for 25 years, and carted out of there many times, I haven’t a clue!
I’ve no idea where the name came from Pete .I’d say ask an old timer but I suppose you’ve just done that!
Pete.
A very good friend of mine Henry Prince used to farm at The Waste Farm just up the road from Wooton Lodge,now J.C.B. land.Loveley place to be but very hard to manage with limestone.Anyway that’s going off the subject but bottom gear job left or right coming out.I’ve just been on Google as I’m sure everybody has and I asked my mate and he didn’t know.We always called the area Ramser.I think local folk do today.Geof Shenton used to live up there before he went to Combridge.I reckon many of you remember him.Sold him a D-Series and took a T.E.20 in part ex.Sold it to a farmer fo ■■■■ shifting.
As usual going off the subject. I think there is a Kevin Quarry in Penryn with more details but might not be connected.
Right, ‘Sniffy’ asked about Kevin Quarry! Had a word with Cliff Wigley (a long time Ballidon quarry o/d now in his mid eighties) today and he said that Kevin was the original owners name, he didn’t know if it was his christian or surname though. He also told me that originally they burned lime there, but a few ‘ghost loads’ left the quarry and didn’t go to the proper destination and the owner got into trouble financially. A well known haulier from the Peak District with a large fleet (I’m not naming them!) was involved and the haulier helped to bail the quarry owner out, however it ended up with Herbert Plumbly (who ran Ballidon Quarry) taking it on but he wouldn’t allow any of the hauliers vehicles to load there again. According to Cliff he can’t remember any trucks being signwritten as ‘Kevin’ trucks and thinks it was mostly o/d’s who hauled from there until Thomas Tilling (who actually owned both quarries) formed TILCON around 1970 and then they had their own fleet. When I started at Tilcon in 1975 there were thirteen Foden eight leggers based at Kevin, mostly S50 half cabs but one S39 (URA 123K) and a couple of S80’s, and when I finished in 2002 there were still a few former Tilcon vehicles running from there. I believe that latterly they did a lot of coloured tarmac from there, some went to London for surfacing around the Mall area.
Pete.
They always had problems at Kevin with the amount of waste .For every dumper load that went through the crusher about half was unusable.
Is Cliff keeping well Pete?
malmic:
They always had problems at Kevin with the amount of waste .For every dumper load that went through the crusher about half was unusable.
Is Cliff keeping well Pete?
Hi Mick, yes he sounded well on the phone and still goes dancing with Dorothy, although she has problems with one of her knees now. One was replaced a while ago and I suppose the ‘good one’ took extra work on and is now paying the penalty? Cliff always struck me as a ‘genuine’ bloke and did the job properly, like yourself, Eric Gough and a few others. I call on them occasionally, straight away the kettle goes on and the cakes come out! You probably know that Cliff comes from a family of bakers (at Middleton) and he has continued the tradition! 
Pete.
Windrush - thanks for the reply
I’m told the stone/aggregate is imported, UK or abroad, and Kevin is one of only a few quarries producing what it does, very well kept site, I’m sure the JCB testing/demonstrating area helps keep this place open. Lots of heavy machinery running round with happy smiley operators in the driving seats testing kit out
Sniffy:
Windrush - thanks for the replyI’m told the stone/aggregate is imported, UK or abroad, and Kevin is one of only a few quarries producing what it does, very well kept site, I’m sure the JCB testing/demonstrating area helps keep this place open. Lots of heavy machinery running round with happy smiley operators in the driving seats testing kit out
As far back as I can recall, 1975, Kevin quarry was used by JCB as a proving ground. I did many loads from there when I drove for Tilcon/STB Transport, both tarmac and dry stone, and it was very busy at one time. A lot of limestone powders were supplied from there as well. However when Tarmac later managed it Cauldon Low quarry was only a short distance away so a lot of the work was done from there instead. It was always a rather ‘laid back’ quarry compared to Ballidon and very rough to travel over with a truck, loading was rather slow at times and nobody ever seemed in a rush to do anything! Mick (Malmic) had a truck in there for a long while but eventually the work died off and it came to Ballidon quarry. I’m guessing (Mick will probably know as he worked for a few more years after I finished) that the stone stocks have run low now as the abandoned Wredon quarry (once McAlpines/ Redland/ United Gravel) practically joined up with Kevin and there was nowhere else to quarry for fresh stone? Also, regarding the coated stone, granite is used far more nowadays so it would have to be brought in from elsewhere anyway, probably from Bayston Hill near Shrewsbury and Harden Quarry in the North East for the red coloured tarmac?
Pete.
I saw this last week, wondering if its a farm or commercial trailer
Looks like something that used to be on Tarmac ?
Sniffy:
I saw this last week, wondering if its a farm or commercial trailerLooks like something that used to be on Tarmac ?
1
0
It’s a Neville Dumptrailer , looks to be on a fifth wheel dolly . I’ve pulled a few of those in my time . Grin quarry had a few and they finished up at Tarmac .
Jimmy Hare of Kings Norton, operating out of Sturge Chemicals had one of those stumpy Neville dump trailers.
the tailgate was ‘water tight’ as it was a stand by for removing slurry.
You had to be sure either the tractor, or the trailer brake was off when tipping, as the wheel base shortened
as it rose. Handy in a tight spot. It looked daft behind one of his Scania 110s.
I’d forgotten about the “Get-you-out” feature! With judicious use of the tipper ram, the footbrake and the handbrake you could push yourself forward through quite a deep mud pool. Better than paying Mick to pull you out with the dozer!
Is this Norrie Irving ? Photo’s curtesy of Colin Gotheridge collection.
Ken Cooke ?
Horace Taylor’s Dunsley Mill ,I don’t remember the dumper .
Not sure about Norrie Dan, I don’t remember him having that but he may well have run one? I do remember his six wheeler D Series Ford and that silly Volvo that gave him so much grief though! 
You dad will know for sure. That Dodge was the one that parked at Lea Mills I think but I can’t remember the chaps name! Mick (malmic) might be of help with both queries. I do remember that dumper, and didn’t they have an old Albion tipper?
Pete.
Pete your right with the lea mills bit as Colin has written that on the back .
Punchy Dan:
0
Ken Cooke ?
Hi Dan. Yes definitely Ken Cookes,he worked it in M.Peak with us in the 70s. Always a Dodge man he ran a Commando after that. One of the Cooke brothers as I am sure you are aware. Andrew,Sid Cookes son had a lot of pics.,on Flickr at one time if you haven’t seen of his Dads fleet plus a lot of trial bikes. Mike.
thelongdrag:
Punchy Dan:
0
Ken Cooke ?Hi Dan. Yes definitely Ken Cookes,he worked it in M.Peak with us in the 70s. Always a Dodge man he ran a Commando after that. One of the Cooke brothers as I am sure you are aware. Andrew,Sid Cookes son had a lot of pics.,on Flickr at one time if you haven’t seen of his Dads fleet plus a lot of trial bikes. Mike.
Hi Mike ,yes I’ve looked on his Flickr before thanks Dan.
Had text from Anon1 says yes Norrie s Volvo .
