bubbleman:
Hiya again,ben away for a few days…heres a few more cuttings,Cheers Bubbs
The first pic, obviously one White Trux F88s far left but is the Fiat, centre pic, one of Cardiff Internationals ?
Would the Merc nearest the camera have belonged to Freddy Brooker of Faversham I wonder? I know he did M/E about that period. I nnew him from Harrier Express. Robert
Hiya again,Robert…the Merc could well be Freddy Brookers,it has a Kent reg number,more cuttings again today.Cheers Bubbs, 
Found an old diary of my dads, when going through some boxes of photos . He spent he,s last 10 yrs driving for BET on Tankers ( see photo attached ) and I,m sure you old drivers did the same as him. So here is some of his entries
Barend Veirhouten Ermeled Holland 22,000 Ltr 19 tonnes
Frasicor Lot Beligum Top weight 24,000 Ltr
JW Norbury Leeds ( Tallow )
Peter EVR Dover
Any of you guy,s from Norman Lewis, A.S. Jones do these ring any bell,s I,m sure you all ran from a lot of the same places
DEANB:
Some more of J & H Transport Bubb’s !3
2
1
0
Look at the size of that derv tank on the Leyland Comet ! Lands End to John 'o Groats, and back ! I would imagine 
Bewick.
Hiya,
Travelling home late last night in my car and giving way to traffic from my right
“as you do” a four axle’d artic sped across my bows it was from the nearby fair
which was departing from our town didn’t take much notice what the unit was
but I did notice it was also pulling a drawbar trailer is this a legal movement or
just something fairground /circus people are allowed ?, many years ago I did a
job for Billy Smarts Circus when I was working for W H Bowker (a cash in hand
job) where my job was moving an elderly Octopus and two four wheeled trailers
from Rochdale to Blackburn this was perfectly legal for circus people they said.
I know pulling two semi trailers has been attempted but disallowed so never got
off the ground but have never come across an artic pulling a drawbar.
thanks harry, long retired.
harry_gill:
Hiya,
Travelling home late last night in my car and giving way to traffic from my right
“as you do” a four axle’d artic sped across my bows it was from the nearby fair
which was departing from our town didn’t take much notice what the unit was
but I did notice it was also pulling a drawbar trailer is this a legal movement or
just something fairground /circus people are allowed ?, many years ago I did a
job for Billy Smarts Circus when I was working for W H Bowker (a cash in hand
job) where my job was moving an elderly Octopus and two four wheeled trailers
from Rochdale to Blackburn this was perfectly legal for circus people they said.
I know pulling two semi trailers has been attempted but disallowed so never got
off the ground but have never come across an artic pulling a drawbar.
thanks harry, long retired.
Yes. It’s special dispensation going back yonks, afforded to holders of showman’s licences. Movements are proscribed by all sorts of regulations and licences are not easy to obtain. Robert
Taylors Amusements ■■■■■■■ Ltd have their permanent base near the A590 at Levens and their artics pull draw bar trailers so they are quite a length but along with Circuses they obviously have the necessary permits to run these outfits. But I have noticed that these modern fairground motors are a lot better maintained than they used to be years ago. Which I suppose is due to ever more rigorous H & S requirements. Cheers Bewick.
Bewick:
Taylors Amusements ■■■■■■■ Ltd have their permanent base near the A590 at Levens and their artics pull draw bar trailers so they are quite a length but along with Circuses they obviously have the necessary permits to run these outfits. But I have noticed that these modern fairground motors are a lot better maintained than they used to be years ago. Which I suppose is due to ever more rigorous H & S requirements. Cheers Bewick.
Hiya,
Yes Dennis I did manage to see in the headlights the outfit although
unliveried, did look very tidy and he was “bobbing on” to say he was
negotiating a roundabout obviously everything was well fastened on.
thanks harry, long retired.
harry_gill:
Bewick:
Taylors Amusements ■■■■■■■ Ltd have their permanent base near the A590 at Levens and their artics pull draw bar trailers so they are quite a length but along with Circuses they obviously have the necessary permits to run these outfits. But I have noticed that these modern fairground motors are a lot better maintained than they used to be years ago. Which I suppose is due to ever more rigorous H & S requirements. Cheers Bewick.Hiya,
Yes Dennis I did manage to see in the headlights the outfit although
unliveried, did look very tidy and he was “bobbing on” to say he was
negotiating a roundabout obviously everything was well fastened on.
thanks harry, long retired.
Aye “H” they are quite a big outfit as they seem to have taken over all the fair ground work in the North west now. Cheers Dennis.
As I understand it, a ‘showman’s licence’ has no limit on length, or number of trailers, but a speed limit, maybe 20mph. My Dad, who was in haulage in the thirties through to the fifties knew all of the ins and outs, but I didn’t listen!
[edit: Taylor’s amusements are the inheritors of the local Emerson family]
In 1970, I had the Mastiffs serviced at ‘Bould Irwin’ just outside Ulverston. While there once, their wrecker pulled in one of Emerson’s trailers, missing wheels and other bits. Keith Irwin was quite posh, ‘well Mrs Emerson,’
Mrs Emerson was a formidable lady.
Keith carried on, ‘How long were you wanting this piece of equipment to last?’
Mrs Emerson speared him with a Lady Bracknell look and replied ‘Well Mr Irwin… I wasn’t actually thinking of replacing it!’
John.
bubbleman:
Hiya again,Thanks Dean for the Catto pic…nice one,more clippings …Cheers Bubbs,
My late brother drove the H.Bakers F12 for a while in the `80s
John West:
As I understand it, a ‘showman’s licence’ has no limit on length, or number of trailers, but a speed limit, maybe 20mph. My Dad, who was in haulage in the thirties through to the fifties knew all of the ins and outs, but I didn’t listen![edit: Taylor’s amusements are the inheritors of the local Emerson family]
In 1970, I had the Mastiffs serviced at ‘Bould Irwin’ just outside Ulverston. While there once, their wrecker pulled in one of Emerson’s trailers, missing wheels and other bits. Keith Irwin was quite posh, ‘well Mrs Emerson,’
Mrs Emerson was a formidable lady.
Keith carried on, ‘How long were you wanting this piece of equipment to last?’
Mrs Emerson speared him with a Lady Bracknell look and replied ‘Well Mr Irwin… I wasn’t actually thinking of replacing it!’
John.
Hi John, aye the Fairground fraternity ! I used to come in contact with them in the early/mid 70’s when we had our depot down in Milnthorpe village. They used to pitch on the Square prior to going through to Kendal for the main twice a year “Hiring fairs”. Well I got to know young Ernest Emmerson during those years and had it not been for the fact he couldn’t read or write he might have been an academic success ! He lettered a Borderer unit for me which he copied off a sheet of paper I had draughted out for him, and his work was as good as any Sign writer at that time ! However, we didn’t do any servicing or repairs for them, as per your info re Irwins ! But we did carry out repairs and servicing on Scotts of Rhyl 8 wheelers which was managed by a James Jeffreys another old fairground family. James had a couple of side shows of his own which he ran alongside the Scotts Waltzer, he was Great chap to deal with but initially he “tried us out” for honesty by paying us £5 too much in Silver ! and after the Girl I employed in the office counted the best part of £200 in Silver three or four times I took the £5 down to the Square to hand it back. Knock, knock ! on his living waggon door ! "You’ve paid me £5 too much James " he just winked at me and said " I know, share it among your Lads in the garage " ! We couldn’t do any wrong from then on ! But I refused to work for the Infamous Elizabeth nee Scott from the Barrow based branch of the family, now her and her “Spouse” were a right bundle of fun ! I will say no more other than they are no longer with us ! Scotts of Rhyl went in for Amusement Arcades in Rhyl and Towyn but kept their travelling fair going for a number of years as they had some valuable pitches. I guess they would probably sell out to Taylors eventually but I don’t know. I can say that the maintenance on those fair ground motors left a lot to be desired as it was just a case “codge and make do and mend” and an oil and filter change and grease round was about what they got once per year. Cheers Dennis.