tarmactipper:
Ah Skipton Rock worked out of there for NIgel Stubbs on nights running to TIngley Top near Leeds, âOutsiderâ 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 donât 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 âRockâ
I know we are drifting away from the Peak District but yes, it was the worst experience I had in 20 +years! I worked for the chap who (like Fewston) took over the tippers at Ballidon when Tilcon sold them off and I had tipped a load of tarmac in Bradford. We had very little work on so my gaffer rang (my idea, not a good one! ) Skipton Rock, they were busy taking asphalt to the M61 but couldnât keep up with the tonnage so wanted extra haulage so were happy to have an extra eight legger. I went in and the weighbridge guy informed me that the job was temporarily on hold, I could either wait or go to Swinden quarry for a load of stone to Leeds. I decided to wait, one of Fewstons drivers came across and asked me what I was doing in âtheirâ quarry! He then told me that âI had best get back to Derbyshire while I could still drive a lorryâ and I told him to pi** off, it wasnât âtheirâ quarry but Tilcons. I reported him to the weighbridge chap who wasnât interested one iota. After a couple of hours, and Fewston trucks coming in and giving me the âeyeâ before clearing off presumably to Swinden, the job came back on again so I gritted up and went to get loaded. They backed me under the plant and I asked the operator how they would inform me when I had a full load, I was told âWhen it runs over the sides, you shouldnât be in here anywayâ so I got the message! When I got to the job there was a queue of trucks waiting and the drivers were stood around so I went over for a chat, they all gave me the two finger salute and got back in their cabs! The next day I was going to Leeds with tarmac from Ballidon, Skipton phoned to see if I would go in again for them and you can imagine what my boss told them!
No need for any of it, it seemed to me that the whole quarry was controlled by Fewston? Hopefully things have changed nowadays.
tarmactipper:
Ah Skipton Rock worked out of there for NIgel Stubbs on nights running to TIngley Top near Leeds, âOutsiderâ 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 donât 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 âRockâ
I know we are drifting away from the Peak District but yes, it was the worst experience I had in 20 +years! I worked for the chap who (like Fewston) took over the tippers at Ballidon when Tilcon sold them off and I had tipped a load of tarmac in Bradford. We had very little work on so my gaffer rang (my idea, not a good one! ) Skipton Rock, they were busy taking asphalt to the M61 but couldnât keep up with the tonnage so wanted extra haulage so were happy to have an extra eight legger. I went in and the weighbridge guy informed me that the job was temporarily on hold, I could either wait or go to Swinden quarry for a load of stone to Leeds. I decided to wait, one of Fewstons drivers came across and asked me what I was doing in âtheirâ quarry! He then told me that âI had best get back to Derbyshire while I could still drive a lorryâ and I told him to pi** off, it wasnât âtheirâ quarry but Tilcons. I reported him to the weighbridge chap who wasnât interested one iota. After a couple of hours, and Fewston trucks coming in and giving me the âeyeâ before clearing off presumably to Swinden, the job came back on again so I gritted up and went to get loaded. They backed me under the plant and I asked the operator how they would inform me when I had a full load, I was told âWhen it runs over the sides, you shouldnât be in here anywayâ so I got the message! When I got to the job there was a queue of trucks waiting and the drivers were stood around so I went over for a chat, they all gave me the two finger salute and got back in their cabs! The next day I was going to Leeds with tarmac from Ballidon, Skipton phoned to see if I would go in again for them and you can imagine what my boss told them!
No need for any of it, it seemed to me that the whole quarry was controlled by Fewston? Hopefully things have changed nowadays.
Pete.
The ârockâ is still going just!!! Under the Laughfarge banner. All the stone etc etc is run in from Arcow only small tonnage goes out now.Fewstons is no more but there old garage is still there albeit a Scania workshop. All the ex Fewston drivers have probely crawled back into there holes like you said no need for any of the outsider crap although I went into Denbigh North Wales Laughfarge quarry and was made to feel like a â â â â in a space suit also Dove Holes can be a bit iffy
Brilliant pics John. The S40 would have originally been fitted with the S50 half cab, it wasnât a midlands based truck though. The S80 was Ballidon based and was driven from new by the Late Basil McCabe (Dickey Bow on the cb) and was the first S80 I drove as a fitter after passing my test. It tipped over on a site in North London so all our S80âs were then fitted with shorter Edbro top rams and restricting spacers below the collars of the lower rams which decreased the tipping height and stopped that problem. It was also the truck that Basil reversed loaded over my tool box while coming in to change a wheel, the box didnât survive! Pic taken in the car park of the old Kingsfield PH in Wirksworth, now long gone alas.
The Ballidon Dodge is interesting, could be one of several drivers on that as it is beforemy time. Maybe Billy Bennet or Malcom Gallimore as they were some of the first to have tanks after being on tippers or bag lorries.
A quick tale about Bill Bennet, he took a tank for test at Derby with a fitter accompanying him and afterwards they stopped at the old Journeys End cafe in Derby. Apparently there was a mini bus of folk outside, Bill went to the rear of the tank and opened the discharge cover and shouted âWe wont be long, just going for some breakfastâ into it! The faces of the bus folk was a picture apparently!! Bill is long gone alas.
Brilliant pics John. The S40 would have originally been fitted with the S50 half cab, it wasnât a midlands based truck though. The S80 was Ballidon based and was driven from new by the Late Basil McCabe (Dickey Bow on the cb) and was the first S80 I drove as a fitter after passing my test. It tipped over on a site in North London so all our S80âs were then fitted with shorter Edbro top rams and restricting spacers below the collars of the lower rams which decreased the tipping height and stopped that problem. It was also the truck that Basil reversed loaded over my tool box while coming in to change a wheel, the box didnât survive! Pic taken in the car park of the old Kingsfield PH in Wirksworth, now long gone alas.
The Ballidon Dodge is interesting, could be one of several drivers on that as it is beforemy time. Maybe Billy Bennet or Malcom Gallimore as they were some of the first to have tanks after being on tippers or bag lorries.
A quick tale about Bill Bennet, he took a tank for test at Derby with a fitter accompanying him and afterwards they stopped at the old Journeys End cafe in Derby. Apparently there was a mini bus of folk outside, Bill went to the rear of the tank and opened the discharge cover and shouted âWe wont be long, just going for some breakfastâ into it! The faces of the bus folk was a picture apparently!! Bill is long gone alas.
Hi John, no it wasnât in the Midlands area and I cannot recall seeing it around. North Riding Garages were in the Tilling Group at that time, maybe it was based at one of their depots? There is a telephone code on the body side, I wonder where it relates to? As I remember North Riding had depots in Hull, one just outside Pickering, and Middleton St George between Darlington and Yarm where we took the S50 half cabs to be replaced by S40 cabs and their Gardner 6LXB engines were overhauled at the same time. Possibly other depots as well. For recovery we just grabbed one of the tippers, chucked 10 ton of stone on the back and away we went! I seemed to do most of them at one time and I have dragged them in from Ipswich, Felstead, Clapton Common, Winchester, Illminster, Monmouth, Barrow in Furness and various other places on a straight bar but I donât think that the authorities are keen on that sort of thing these days!
Retired Old â â â â :
The telephone STD code refers to Darlington if that helps.
Thankâs ROF, I was just headed for the BT directory when I spotted your reply! As I thought, North riding Garages at Middleton st George who were Foden agents of course as well as being part of the Tilling Group. I used to take a Foden half cab up there and, if there was nothing to bring back, would take a Hillman Hunter with me in the truck body to bring me back again! Then a couple of weeks later collect the ânewâ truck with a rebuilt engine, S40 cab and a full repaint.
The Tilling Group around that period (late 70âs) ownned a large amount of companies and we were entitled to discounts on their products. Off the top of my head there was Tilcon (of course) North Riding Garages, Pretty Polly Hosiery, Metal Box, Newey and Eyre (electrical) Pyrex and probably a dozen more at least. Each year the list had different names on it though as they gained some and dropped others.
malmic:
It sounds like you got further afield when you were a fitter than you did as a driver Pete!
Haha Mick, very good! When we used to take Fleximac to St Clears was about my limit as a driver, if you had a really good run you could just scrape it in 10 hours driving, no way could you do it now with a limiter. Did Sevenoaks a few times and Ponders End foundry was a regular drop with a high paying load of granite back from Mancetter of courseâŚ
malmic:
It sounds like you got further afield when you were a fitter than you did as a driver Pete!
Haha Mick, very good! When we used to take Fleximac to St Clears was about my limit as a driver, if you had a really good run you could just scrape it in 10 hours driving, no way could you do it now with a limiter. Did Sevenoaks a few times and Ponders End foundry was a regular drop with a high paying load of granite back from Mancetter of courseâŚ
Pete.
I never went to ST Clears I think Shaun may have done, or was that Cardiff hard to remember after all these years.
Shaun probably went to Cardiff Mick, there were a couple of drops there and one was on the docks. I went down one day with APW and it was that foggy we had a job finding the docks let alone where to tip! Another tip was between Newport and Cardiff, St Brides Wentlooge, and I went down there with âPupâ which I believe was his last ever load? Cobweb and JD went to St Clears but the rate was poor and you didnât really have time to pick anything up, you would make more money from three loads to Derby! With the eight wheelerâs it was a split load of black, ten tonne of 20mm and ten of 10mm I think, so some raking out to do but at least you got a break in while doing it! The lass in the office made a drink for you as well!!
Dan Punchard:
0who is this ? Itâs not my Dad and I donât think its Wally Hickmot.
this is definitely David Bradbury he lived at Green farm Ashbourne but of late ran a skip business at Kilbourne He died earlier this year
Now I HAVE heard that name mentioned in the distant past, at last we finally have an ID for the gentleman. Was/is Green Farm the one at the end of Green Road where the road forks?
malmic:
I know im getting on a bit Pete but thatâs 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 canât 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 âold daysâ the dumpers had a lot of different drivers, the Wibberley lads had a spell on them as well!
Pete.
to correct P W 4 Fodens were driven by Frank piney Mellor Fred Morley Dennis Glover and Frank Jeffries 2Atki hyload 40s were driven by Roy Goodhead and George Mason from new The Wibberley twins only ever drove Muir Hills Roy and Ted Beresford had T K scow end tippers on the tar pots and the tanker driver on tar pots was Lol Goldstraw There were also 3Atki hyload 30sAtki 40s had zf 6sp gearbox and â â â â â â â 220 engines 30s had D Brown gearbox and Gardner 150 engines Alan Wibberley also drove fuel cart a Bedford O M at that time Aound 1968
Dan Punchard:
0who is this ? Itâs not my Dad and I donât think its Wally Hickmot.
this is definitely David Bradbury he lived at Green farm Ashbourne but of late ran a skip business at Kilbourne He died earlier this year
Thanks for the info ,heâs been In my mums knicker draw for the last 40 plus yrs ,my dad drove a dumper at Ballidon with wally but by 1967 heâd got his first seddon in ballidon but that didnât last many yrs as he pulled Tommy wib through the hatch and smacked him one !
worked out of there for NIgel Stubbs on nights running to TIngley Top near Leeds, âOutsiderâ is not the word
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 donât 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 âRockâ
) Skipton Rock, they were busy taking asphalt to the M61 but couldnât keep up with the tonnage so wanted extra haulage so were happy to have an extra eight legger. I went in and the weighbridge guy informed me that the job was temporarily on hold, I could either wait or go to Swinden quarry for a load of stone to Leeds. I decided to wait, one of Fewstons drivers came across and asked me what I was doing in âtheirâ quarry! He then told me that âI had best get back to Derbyshire while I could still drive a lorryâ and I told him to pi** off, it wasnât âtheirâ quarry but Tilcons. I reported him to the weighbridge chap who wasnât interested one iota. After a couple of hours, and Fewston trucks coming in and giving me the âeyeâ before clearing off presumably to Swinden, the job came back on again so I gritted up and went to get loaded. They backed me under the plant and I asked the operator how they would inform me when I had a full load, I was told âWhen it runs over the sides, you shouldnât be in here anywayâ so I got the message! When I got to the job there was a queue of trucks waiting and the drivers were stood around so I went over for a chat, they all gave me the two finger salute and got back in their cabs! The next day I was going to Leeds with tarmac from Ballidon, Skipton phoned to see if I would go in again for them and you can imagine what my boss told them!
like you said no need for any of the outsider crap although I went into Denbigh North Wales Laughfarge quarry and was made to feel like a â â â â in a space suit 
Bill is long gone alas.
You see, nothing is new⌠
