windrush:
BonkeyDollocks:
Windrush, was this you tipping at Ringway airport in '92?No Bonkey, most likely a truck from Tilcons Weaste plant (Mode Wheel Road) though we did run black into the Manchester area a lot before the tar plant at Bredbury opened and Weaste was taken over by Agg Industries.
Pete.
Tilcons Weaste Plant Mode Wheel IIRC, I used to deliver red gravel there from Harden Red Stone quarry in the 80s, Regards Larry,
Dan Punchard:
0who is this ? It’s not my Dad and I don’t think its Wally Hickmot.
Haven’t a clue Dan, well before my time judging by the Ballidon Quarries on the Foden door. The dumper drivers were mostly elderly when I started in 1975. My ‘problem’ is that, being in the transport garage for eight years, I didn’t have much contact with the actual quarry. If I get a moment I will print it off, either George Jones or Cliff Wigley should know. Having said that, Moose’s dad Chris or even Malmic might have the answer if they read this.
Pete.
windrush:
Dan Punchard:
0who is this ? It’s not my Dad and I don’t think its Wally Hickmot.Haven’t a clue Dan, well before my time judging by the Ballidon Quarries on the Foden door. The dumper drivers were mostly elderly when I started in 1975. My ‘problem’ is that, being in the transport garage for eight years, I didn’t have much contact with the actual quarry. If I get a moment I will print it off, either George Jones or Cliff Wigley should know. Having said that, Moose’s dad Chris or even Malmic might have the answer if they read this.
Pete.
I know im getting on a bit Pete but that’s before my time. Is moose Chris Lowndes son?
My mum thinks it’s Richmond Leeson a friend of my dads who later went on to drive the Erf low loader at Jcb in the 70s ,this photo would be in the mid to late 60s.
malmic:
I know im getting on a bit Pete but that’s before my time. Is moose Chris Lowndes son?
Yes he is Mick. No offence meant but you were in Ballidon before me so I thought it might just ring a bell. I think that when I started those Fodens were driven by Frank Mellor, Frank Morley plus others I can’t recall, and the old Gardner engined one on the tar plant by Fred Brownlee. The two Atkinsons were piloted by Roy and Ted Beresford. I think in the ‘old days’ the dumpers had a lot of different drivers, the Wibberley lads had a spell on them as well!
Pete.
Dan Punchard:
My mum thinks it’s Richmond Leeson a friend of my dads who later went on to drive the Erf low loader at Jcb in the 70s ,this photo would be in the mid to late 60s.
Means nothing to me Dan, never even heard the name mentioned. Date is about right though.
Pete.
No offence taken Pete.I know we are the same age to within a couple of months.I didn’t start in Ballidon until 1975.Did a couple of years at Middleton mine before that which was okay and then a year in the hell hole that was Middle Peak then managed to sneak into Ballidon.I reckon that photo goes back to the sixties.
malmic:
No offence taken Pete.I know we are the same age to within a couple of months.I didn’t start in Ballidon until 1975.Did a couple of years at Middleton mine before that which was okay and then a year in the hell hole that was Middle Peak then managed to sneak into Ballidon.I reckon that photo goes back to the sixties.
I never worked from the Mine Mick as it had closed when I started with Eric, I would have liked to see inside it. Middle Peak had gone as well of course. You couldn’t beat Ballidon work in those days, I bet there was a waiting list of folk trying to get a lorry in there. There was even a waiting list for driving jobs, I only got on because Mick Shaw had to finish early and I had asked to be transferred out of the garage several years before then but the recession hit and they started cutting the fleet down slightly. To be fair to ■■■■ Bentley he remembered my request and told me at 4pm on the friday that I was going fulltime driving on the monday, if I didn’t like it then tough luck as there was no way he would let me go back in the garage again! 
Anyway, once I had done Boss Hogg a few good favours and got him off of my back (I found out that he had wanted one of his lads driving for Tilcon instead of me so I couldn’t do anything right for a few weeks), it worked out OK and it was a happy place to work! 
Pete.
malmic:
No offence taken Pete.I know we are the same age to within a couple of months.I didn’t start in Ballidon until 1975.Did a couple of years at Middleton mine before that which was okay and then a year in the hell hole that was Middle Peak then managed to sneak into Ballidon.I reckon that photo goes back to the sixties.
What was so bad about Middle Peak back then if you don’t mind me asking malmic?
Good pictures Jim.
It always seemed like hard work getting loaded. The plants were pretty decrepit. I suppose after being in Middleton with just a few lorries running in there it came as a bit of a shock. Ballidon was a big improvement.
I was told it was a very busy place even more so than Dene. I take it the weighbridge back then was in the gateway? Wonder what year it was shunted back around the corner close to the tar plant?
The weighbridge moved in the early seventies. And you’re right it was busy you could grow a beard waiting to load tarmac.
I think that there was a lot of 'internal ‘politics’ at Middle Peak with their drivers as well which tended to affect the job a bit, only what I have been told by folk who carted from their so might not be true. I worked from a lot of different quarries and some did make life difficult for ‘outsiders’, the worst by far being Skipton Rock and I flatly refused never to go there again, once was enough!
Pete.
malmic:
The weighbridge moved in the early seventies. And you’re right it was busy you could grow a beard waiting to load tarmac.
I guess they had to do something as this pic shows from the late 60s. Bet the queue extended round the corner as far as the tar plant!
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windrush:
I think that there was a lot of 'internal ‘politics’ at Middle Peak with their drivers as well which tended to affect the job a bit, only what I have been told by folk who carted from their so might not be true. I worked from a lot of different quarries and some did make life difficult for ‘outsiders’, the worst by far being Skipton Rock and I flatly refused never to go there again, once was enough!Pete.
Ah Skipton Rock 
worked out of there for NIgel Stubbs on nights running to TIngley Top near Leeds, “Outsider” is not the word at the time it was Fewston Haulage of Sowerby bridge fame 
who had the work out of there stitched up. Remember trying to pass one of the Fewston Fodens on Keighley bypass and being ditched by the Fewston driver on Silsden roundabout 
caught up with him at the job and was told 1 don’t ever try to pass Fewstons No 1 night man whilst he was swinging a wheel brace! 2 F Off back to Lancashire (Clitheroe) WTF? Roll on several years Fewstons has gone and I still go into the “Rock”
