The final part of the story.
When I was 17 I was moved from the fruit to larger vehicles, these were mainly 10 tonners and 8 wheelers. For some reason I never got onto the 6 wheelers but that’s just the way it was.
This move meant overnights to Bladnoch Creamery in Galloway. When delivering to Societies such as Patna & Dalmellington, Stranrear, Newton Stewart & Wigtown, Carrick Co-op (Maybole & Crosshill or Dailly & Girvan) we went on to Wigtown for an overnight stay.
The digs we stayed at were run by Mrs Fergusson (Or Ma as she was known) and her daughter Sadie. Good food, clean beds and warm in the winter.
Next morning we got up at 6 and went to Bladnoch for a load of margarines and fats for Glasgow.
Sometimes we loaded fats and shortening for the United Co-operative Baking Society (U.C.B.S.) at McNeil St. Bakery in the Gorbals or their biscuit factory at Clydebank. Both of these were good drops as we would leave with cakes at one and biscuits at the other, perks of the job.
On occasions we would go to Whithorn Creamery to load cheese, after loading at any of the creameries we would go back to the digs for our breakfast.
After leaving our next stop would be at Gray & Young’s garage in Girvan which belonged to the Wholesale, the rest of the day would be a gentle run home for tipping the next day.
One of the good drivers I spent time with was Wallace Watson who drove a Bedford TK 192 DGE. In later years I would drive this vehicle myself.
When on the 8 wheelers there was another ‘Perk of the job’ for the boys.
On a Friday some of the drivers would come in with a hangover. In the winter when it wasn’t light here until almost 9 am, we started at 6 in darkness. The driver (No names mentioned!) would go about half a mile then pull over and swap places with the boy who, wearing a Bunnet (Flat Cap) would pull it down almost to his eyes, turn up the collar of his Donkey Jacket and drive to the Sugar house at Greenock while the driver slept.
In those days this was down the old A8 single Carriageway, through Renfrew, Bishopton, and Port Glasgow to Greenock.
On arrival at Westburn Sugar, the boy then filled the cans with tea and both started the day the proper way. First stop was in the Refinery itself where 2 Cwt bags were loaded; these came from way up the building. We filled a bucket with water and then soaked some rags. These were thrown up the chute to slow the bags as they came down at Warp Speed.
The boy drove the lorry a few feet at a time past the chute when instructed to and the driver loaded these 5 across. The next step was across the road to the warehouse where we loaded parcels of Sugar, Icing Sugar and Treacle.
One of the not so pleasant jobs on the 8 wheelers was when they came up from London with a high load of tea in tea chests.
The boys didn’t go south so we were only were allocated to a driver when he came back. At Shieldhall near the city boundary with Renfrew, the Wholesale had an Industrial Estate of its own, being built before the term was ever thought of.
The tea factory was owned jointly with the English C.W.S., that wasn’t a problem, the 2 foot high loading bank was. As we all know, in those days everything was handballed off and handballed on.
Getting those tea chests down from the top of the load was bad enough; the risk was in getting your hands ripped by the jagged metal used to seal them. Not many managed to leave without spilling blood, no gloves in those days.
When I was 18 I started driving, my first lorry being a 30 Cwt petrol Threepenny Bit BMC. That brings us to the end of my tales about being a boy at the Co-op.
Looking back, it was a great place to learn your craft, the boys had a thorough training in all the arts of driving and loading lorries and vans, not to mention gaining valuable mechanical knowledge to make you self sufficient. No Scania Lifeline or DAF Aid in those days, you got out and got under.
In later years I worked for BRS at the Douglas Branch in Glasgow. I loaded in Leeds for Leith and Glasgow and went to digs in Walker, Tyneside, for the night. I met two of my workmates there, Tam ■■■■ who drove an 8 wheel Ergo Mammoth Major on long loads and his mate, old Matha.
We left the digs next morning and walked to where we had left our lorries, mine on that trip was an LAD Albion flat.
I had loaded promotional material for Shell consisting of pallets of small whisky glasses on the bottom, pallets of advertising material on the top. I used three sheets, two in normal fore and aft fashion albeit each hanging down at the capes (Raves for the foreigners!) to cover the high load. The third sheet went across the load (Port to Starboard?) to cover the front. All securely roped down.
When Tam saw my lorry, he and Matha walked round it very slowly, examining the sheeted load. I was waiting for him to find fault in the way it was sheeted. Ignoring me completely, he surprised me by turning to Matha, and said ‘One thing about these ex co-op boys, Ian Spittal, John Fitzhenry (Both of whom I had worked with at SCWS) and Alex Saville, they can all rope and sheet! Well trained!’ And with those remarks they climbed aboard their eight wheeler, waved to me and were gone. Praise indeed from a master of the art of lorry driving.
And so ends my story of being a boy at the S.C.W.S, Social History, so they say.
Gone, but not forgotten.
Sid Black with his ■■■■■■■ engine Foden, last seen burned out at the top of Shap on the A6.
Note the neat load of bags of flour from the Regent Mill, Partick, Glasgow. Photo Copyright Alex Saville/S.C.W.S.
Decades earlier another neat load of flour loaded just along the street at the Regent Mill. Photo Copyright Alex Saville/S.C.W.S.
Leyland Octopus with a load of tea from London for Glasgow. Photo copyright S.C.W.S. and present day Co-op.
An old friend Allan Crawford when he was doing his boy on this coachbuilt cab Albion. The milk was loaded out of the S.C.W.S. Creamery on Hawkhead Road Paisley and was destined for Beith, Kilbirnie and Dalry Co-ops, Ayrshire. This lorry was around until Plating and Testing killed the old lorries off. Photo Copyright Allan Crawford.
The Late Frank MacDougall of Moscow, Ayrshire with his prizewinning Albion Victor. Frank worked out of the Egg Department in Kilmarnock. I’m proud to say he was a friend.
The First (Officially) Lorry I drove. A Three penny Bit petrol 30 Cwt. BMC which I drove on the fruit. Photo copyright Alex Saville
The Last lorry I drove, Robin Masters Bristol which I drove from Pershore to the Lincoln Farm Café and back for BRS 64. Still got the old touch, I’m pleased to say. Photo Copyright Alex Saville.
But it stuck in my mind because it was a real cross country hike ! and hard work for both Eric and the Octopus! I was just in the “other seat” but it was an endless grind ! Glad it wasn’t a regular job phew !
Cheers Dennis.
Oh! and just to ■■■■ you off the power steering on the Octopus was a light as a feather you could literally turn the wheel with one finger loaded or m/t ! happy days Cheers Dennis.
) won’t miss their private jet if it does a few “dodgies” eh! Cheers Dennis.
