ParkRoyal2100:
Hi Carl
Just a quick note to say I’m up to page 2 of your extraordinary thread. It took me a bit to get the company name to click but when I saw some of the photos of your wagons that were around in the 80s it all fell into place, especially the Marsdens. Never got to drive one but saw many out on the road (Britannia, Pickfords and White’s were the most common I saw) and for some reason they seemed to be on the road longer than the usual luton body on a TK chassis - perhaps that’s testimony to the quality of their workmanship, perhaps also it reflects the substantial investment that a Vanplan was.
Anyway, thanks for a fascinating (and epic!) thread. I’ll be back to read more.
Steve
Hi steve
You are quite right that vans with integral bodywork, by either Marsden or Vanplan lasted so much longer. In fact it was usually very difficult to justify replacing them.
The reason was mainly the fibreglass cab that never rotted and the simple but effective rear frame that held them together and kept the body straight. With a re paint a 12 year old van could look like new again.
As you progress through our thread you will read that we got our first Marsden dated from 1953 and if you look at our vehicle list you will see the phenomenal amount they built for us. At one time over a 15 year period we always had one with them being built.
There are also one or two posts that tell you a fair bit about Marsden and how Gerry Crowe and Arthur Rathbone (The designer) split off to start Vanplan. I have also told how we had to ‘recondition’ the Bedford scuttles that did rot hidden under the fibreglass cab.
With regard to stories, which your thread is telling with so interest. One afternoon in the seventies we had a reporter from our local newspaper, The Northern Echo who spent about 5 hours with us talking to our drivers as they returned home on the afternoon/evening. The result was a fascinating centre spread in the paper telling stories about things that happened on removals. Unfortunately I have not got it today or I would have put it on this thread.
Best wishes
Keep up the good work
Carl
Carl Williams:
tyneside:
Hi Carl
In previous posts mobile phones and paydays are mentioned.
When we sold up in September 1988 and I went on the road myself I bought a Panasonic two brick job complete with hands free kit. It cost £1200 at the time. You can get mobiles free with lucky bags these days !!!
I still have the phone, it might be a collectors item someday !!!
The coal business we ran was 90% COD and the money taken Monday to Thursday was kept in the house all week until pay day and the packets were put up. This was the case until about 1982 when my Father answered a knock at the door and got a crow bar in his face. That’s another story !!!
Saturday was always our busiest day and we didn’t like to keep cash in the house over the weekend and so I would go down to the nightsafe to deposit the takings. This would often be about £2000 in the wintertime , Gateshead High Street (where the bank was) is a mighty lonely place about 7.00pm on a Saturday evening.
Gateshead was the main branch in the area and had several sub branches and the Senior Manager would often ask my Father to go round the sub branches to collect the bags of silver coin that had built up. This was usually done in our SWB Land Rover. Security and Health & Safety had not been invented those days.
Hi Tyneside
Technology hasn’t half changed quickly these past few years. Mobile phones, when we finished in 1986 were not heard of and like you say your 1988 model is a collectors item.
As far as cash is concerned. We all were lax in our security. Perhaps it was because we got complacent at handling it. But I bet you wished you got a lot of it today because cash always is king.
I laughed when you said about moving cash round in your Land Rover. I don’t know if you have read theb post where we used to collect cash from other Barclays (martin’s in those days) banks and take it to Spennymoor branch. Various bank clerks accompanied me and they were issued with a truncheon by the bank and they all agreed they would have just given in and handed the cash over. When I look back it seems insane that we used to drop bags of cash (maybe about £50-£100) at the doors as door stops as we carried the cash into the bank. I attach a ford 15cwt van which was the first at 17 years old I used however it had been dione by others both before and afterwards as I was still at school orriginally and several vehicles we used for this job.
Once again best wishes and hope to hear again from you soon, as we seem to have so many similar experiences
Carl
Hi Carl
I also had a laugh when I saw the photo of the van, it was the same as we used at Consett Iron Co for the wages. Iv’e also got to laugh at my first week there one of the other apprentices decided to demonstrate his driving skills on the internal roads, you will remember they had a column change & 3 speed box we set away from the garage in bottom gear flat out he then went from 1st to reverse the van was still going forwards and the wheels going backwards. Funny how some people just don’t have a clue when driving.
transporter man:
Carl Williams:
tyneside:
Hi Carl
In previous posts mobile phones and paydays are mentioned.
When we sold up in September 1988 and I went on the road myself I bought a Panasonic two brick job complete with hands free kit. It cost £1200 at the time. You can get mobiles free with lucky bags these days !!!
I still have the phone, it might be a collectors item someday !!!
The coal business we ran was 90% COD and the money taken Monday to Thursday was kept in the house all week until pay day and the packets were put up. This was the case until about 1982 when my Father answered a knock at the door and got a crow bar in his face. That’s another story !!!
Saturday was always our busiest day and we didn’t like to keep cash in the house over the weekend and so I would go down to the nightsafe to deposit the takings. This would often be about £2000 in the wintertime , Gateshead High Street (where the bank was) is a mighty lonely place about 7.00pm on a Saturday evening.
Gateshead was the main branch in the area and had several sub branches and the Senior Manager would often ask my Father to go round the sub branches to collect the bags of silver coin that had built up. This was usually done in our SWB Land Rover. Security and Health & Safety had not been invented those days.
Hi Tyneside
Technology hasn’t half changed quickly these past few years. Mobile phones, when we finished in 1986 were not heard of and like you say your 1988 model is a collectors item.
As far as cash is concerned. We all were lax in our security. Perhaps it was because we got complacent at handling it. But I bet you wished you got a lot of it today because cash always is king.
I laughed when you said about moving cash round in your Land Rover. I don’t know if you have read theb post where we used to collect cash from other Barclays (martin’s in those days) banks and take it to Spennymoor branch. Various bank clerks accompanied me and they were issued with a truncheon by the bank and they all agreed they would have just given in and handed the cash over. When I look back it seems insane that we used to drop bags of cash (maybe about £50-£100) at the doors as door stops as we carried the cash into the bank. I attach a ford 15cwt van which was the first at 17 years old I used however it had been dione by others both before and afterwards as I was still at school orriginally and several vehicles we used for this job.
Once again best wishes and hope to hear again from you soon, as we seem to have so many similar experiences
Carl
Hi Carl
I also had a laugh when I saw the photo of the van, it was the same as we used at Consett Iron Co for the wages. Iv’e also got to laugh at my first week there one of the other apprentices decided to demonstrate his driving skills on the internal roads, you will remember they had a column change & 3 speed box we set away from the garage in bottom gear flat out he then went from 1st to reverse the van was still going forwards and the wheels going backwards. Funny how some people just don’t have a clue when driving.
Hi Transporter Man
I think if we pooled our thoughts we could come up with an excellent script for a ‘Carry On’ movie. The only funnier use for those Ford 15 cwt vans would be use as getaway vehicles. Technology has never moved quicker when production stopped on those and changed to the Transit.
I remember, before I started driving travelling back from Durham, with one of our drivers, Roger Owen, who on reaching the bottom of Croxdale Bank, then on the A1, decided to change down. The Ford would not go up the bank in third (Top gear), but a normal driver would have changed down to second as it started to slow towards the top of the bank, but Roger forced it into the lower gear. After a lot of grating, the Ford making terrible noises carried on up the bank.
At the time Roger was driving one of our old Bedford petrol SB vans and had a reputation as a flogger. This didn’t matter so much because the old Bedford 6 cylinder petrols would take it in their stride, but the Ford would have lasted very few miles being so badly treated. When I told dad what happened he told me that is what he would have suspected of Roger, and consequently he was not allocated one of the newer SB diesels.
The other oddity of the Ford 15 cwt van was, if you remember the vacuum wipers. As you went up a hill they slowed down till they virtually stopped, only speeding up after you reached the summit and could ease off. The effect on your visibility was dreadful, as the rain obliterated your windscreen.
Once again, so nice to hear from you
Best wishes
Carl
Now when I think about it using a little Ford Thames 15 cwt van or other small BMC J 2 and JU lutons or Transits or before that Bedford CA luton to go from Martins Bank Spennymoor to either Martins Bank Bishop Auckland or Sedgefield taking about two and half thousand pounds in notes to exchange for coins.
The money involved was not very much by today’s standards but in 1961 a new Rolls Royce cost just over £3000. So in real terms it was a lot of money and when we look at security vans today it puts things into perspective.
The reason Bishop Auckland bank had excess coins was that OK motor Services. The Eden and Lockeys all paid in their takings from bus fares and at Sedgefield there was Wilkinson’s and Scurrs from Stillington doing likewise.
I haven’t a clue of the security the banks have today, or where the money comes from or goes to but in those days security was not the serious business it is today.
Attached is photos of each of the bus operators mentioned to give an idea of the times and to some others of you bring back some memories.
Carl Williams:
transporter man:
Carl Williams:
tyneside:
Hi Carl
In previous posts mobile phones and paydays are mentioned.
When we sold up in September 1988 and I went on the road myself I bought a Panasonic two brick job complete with hands free kit. It cost £1200 at the time. You can get mobiles free with lucky bags these days !!!
I still have the phone, it might be a collectors item someday !!!
The coal business we ran was 90% COD and the money taken Monday to Thursday was kept in the house all week until pay day and the packets were put up. This was the case until about 1982 when my Father answered a knock at the door and got a crow bar in his face. That’s another story !!!
Saturday was always our busiest day and we didn’t like to keep cash in the house over the weekend and so I would go down to the nightsafe to deposit the takings. This would often be about £2000 in the wintertime , Gateshead High Street (where the bank was) is a mighty lonely place about 7.00pm on a Saturday evening.
Gateshead was the main branch in the area and had several sub branches and the Senior Manager would often ask my Father to go round the sub branches to collect the bags of silver coin that had built up. This was usually done in our SWB Land Rover. Security and Health & Safety had not been invented those days.
Hi Tyneside
Technology hasn’t half changed quickly these past few years. Mobile phones, when we finished in 1986 were not heard of and like you say your 1988 model is a collectors item.
As far as cash is concerned. We all were lax in our security. Perhaps it was because we got complacent at handling it. But I bet you wished you got a lot of it today because cash always is king.
I laughed when you said about moving cash round in your Land Rover. I don’t know if you have read theb post where we used to collect cash from other Barclays (martin’s in those days) banks and take it to Spennymoor branch. Various bank clerks accompanied me and they were issued with a truncheon by the bank and they all agreed they would have just given in and handed the cash over. When I look back it seems insane that we used to drop bags of cash (maybe about £50-£100) at the doors as door stops as we carried the cash into the bank. I attach a ford 15cwt van which was the first at 17 years old I used however it had been dione by others both before and afterwards as I was still at school orriginally and several vehicles we used for this job.
Once again best wishes and hope to hear again from you soon, as we seem to have so many similar experiences
Carl
Hi Carl
I also had a laugh when I saw the photo of the van, it was the same as we used at Consett Iron Co for the wages. Iv’e also got to laugh at my first week there one of the other apprentices decided to demonstrate his driving skills on the internal roads, you will remember they had a column change & 3 speed box we set away from the garage in bottom gear flat out he then went from 1st to reverse the van was still going forwards and the wheels going backwards. Funny how some people just don’t have a clue when driving.
Hi Transporter Man
I think if we pooled our thoughts we could come up with an excellent script for a ‘Carry On’ movie. The only funnier use for those Ford 15 cwt vans would be use as getaway vehicles. Technology has never moved quicker when production stopped on those and changed to the Transit.
I remember, before I started driving travelling back from Durham, with one of our drivers, Roger Owen, who on reaching the bottom of Croxdale Bank, then on the A1, decided to change down. The Ford would not go up the bank in third (Top gear), but a normal driver would have changed down to second as it started to slow towards the top of the bank, but Roger forced it into the lower gear. After a lot of grating, the Ford making terrible noises carried on up the bank.
At the time Roger was driving one of our old Bedford petrol SB vans and had a reputation as a flogger. This didn’t matter so much because the old Bedford 6 cylinder petrols would take it in their stride, but the Ford would have lasted very few miles being so badly treated. When I told dad what happened he told me that is what he would have suspected of Roger, and consequently he was not allocated one of the newer SB diesels.
The other oddity of the Ford 15 cwt van was, if you remember the vacuum wipers. As you went up a hill they slowed down till they virtually stopped, only speeding up after you reached the summit and could ease off. The effect on your visibility was dreadful, as the rain obliterated your windscreen.
Once again, so nice to hear from you
Best wishes
Carl
I forgot about the wipers your right going up hills full throttle next to no wipers, going downhill with the throttle closed they would be going to fast.
transporter man:
Carl Williams:
transporter man:
Carl Williams:
tyneside:
Hi Carl
In previous posts mobile phones and paydays are mentioned.
When we sold up in September 1988 and I went on the road myself I bought a Panasonic two brick job complete with hands free kit. It cost £1200 at the time. You can get mobiles free with lucky bags these days !!!
I still have the phone, it might be a collectors item someday !!!
The coal business we ran was 90% COD and the money taken Monday to Thursday was kept in the house all week until pay day and the packets were put up. This was the case until about 1982 when my Father answered a knock at the door and got a crow bar in his face. That’s another story !!!
Saturday was always our busiest day and we didn’t like to keep cash in the house over the weekend and so I would go down to the nightsafe to deposit the takings. This would often be about £2000 in the wintertime , Gateshead High Street (where the bank was) is a mighty lonely place about 7.00pm on a Saturday evening.
Gateshead was the main branch in the area and had several sub branches and the Senior Manager would often ask my Father to go round the sub branches to collect the bags of silver coin that had built up. This was usually done in our SWB Land Rover. Security and Health & Safety had not been invented those days.
Hi Tyneside
Technology hasn’t half changed quickly these past few years. Mobile phones, when we finished in 1986 were not heard of and like you say your 1988 model is a collectors item.
As far as cash is concerned. We all were lax in our security. Perhaps it was because we got complacent at handling it. But I bet you wished you got a lot of it today because cash always is king.
I laughed when you said about moving cash round in your Land Rover. I don’t know if you have read theb post where we used to collect cash from other Barclays (martin’s in those days) banks and take it to Spennymoor branch. Various bank clerks accompanied me and they were issued with a truncheon by the bank and they all agreed they would have just given in and handed the cash over. When I look back it seems insane that we used to drop bags of cash (maybe about £50-£100) at the doors as door stops as we carried the cash into the bank. I attach a ford 15cwt van which was the first at 17 years old I used however it had been dione by others both before and afterwards as I was still at school orriginally and several vehicles we used for this job.
Once again best wishes and hope to hear again from you soon, as we seem to have so many similar experiences
Carl
Hi Carl
I also had a laugh when I saw the photo of the van, it was the same as we used at Consett Iron Co for the wages. Iv’e also got to laugh at my first week there one of the other apprentices decided to demonstrate his driving skills on the internal roads, you will remember they had a column change & 3 speed box we set away from the garage in bottom gear flat out he then went from 1st to reverse the van was still going forwards and the wheels going backwards. Funny how some people just don’t have a clue when driving.
Hi Transporter Man
I think if we pooled our thoughts we could come up with an excellent script for a ‘Carry On’ movie. The only funnier use for those Ford 15 cwt vans would be use as getaway vehicles. Technology has never moved quicker when production stopped on those and changed to the Transit.
I remember, before I started driving travelling back from Durham, with one of our drivers, Roger Owen, who on reaching the bottom of Croxdale Bank, then on the A1, decided to change down. The Ford would not go up the bank in third (Top gear), but a normal driver would have changed down to second as it started to slow towards the top of the bank, but Roger forced it into the lower gear. After a lot of grating, the Ford making terrible noises carried on up the bank.
At the time Roger was driving one of our old Bedford petrol SB vans and had a reputation as a flogger. This didn’t matter so much because the old Bedford 6 cylinder petrols would take it in their stride, but the Ford would have lasted very few miles being so badly treated. When I told dad what happened he told me that is what he would have suspected of Roger, and consequently he was not allocated one of the newer SB diesels.
The other oddity of the Ford 15 cwt van was, if you remember the vacuum wipers. As you went up a hill they slowed down till they virtually stopped, only speeding up after you reached the summit and could ease off. The effect on your visibility was dreadful, as the rain obliterated your windscreen.
Once again, so nice to hear from you
Best wishes
Carl
I forgot about the wipers your right going up hills full throttle next to no wipers, going downhill with the throttle closed they would be going to fast.
Even though it hadn’t evolved much from the Ford model T, at 17 year old and a few weeks I was so pleased to be driving it on my own and doing some proper work
I must be getting old. My son needed to go to Consett today and I went for a ride out with him. I usually would have gone along the A167 past Neville’s Cross and up through Lancaster, but he decided to go from Aycliffe past Tindale Crescent and up through Toft Hill and up to Tow law.
Passing Hesletines I remembered when I was very young and both of our businesses had cattle trucks. Near Witton Le Wear I noticesd several red cattle trucks parked in a farm on the right hand side. Paul tiold me they were Monkhouses. I really was enjoyingthe scenery andnot taking any notice, thinking Paul knew where we were going.It seemed a long journey and at that point I realised he wasn’t sure. I then noticed a turn to Shotley bridge and said we should go thriugh there to Consett, Whether he didn’t realise what I said or whether he was having me on I don’t know but he carried on driving, and then finnally admitted he had missed the turn off for Consett.
I then tried to pull my mind together to think which way to go, without much success. Turning right passing through Prudhoe I bravely said keep on heading the way we are going and we’ll eventually get there. i was sure through Hamsterley Station etc we were on the right road because far, far back in my mind I could remember travelling the opposite way towards gateshead delivering to the various villages when I used to deliver Freemans.‘Come On’ Paul said’You must know where you are, you used to deliver round here’. Thinking back I could say ‘Yes but i was a teen ager then’.
Eventually after going round the world to get there we eventually arrived at Consett, but I’m afrraid I felt more than my age.
A company called Syd Abrahms, main Bedford dealers from Manchester decided to sell Bedford integral vans from stock, in 60-70’s They approached Jeff and Ken Marsden to see if they would build the bodywork for them. (This was before the breakaway by Gerry Crowe and Arthur Rathburn to form Vanplan)
Marsden considered that it would take up too much of their production, and preferred to carry on supplying removal customers, like us. They had so many that they had built up a relationship over the years.
TAbrams then approached Boyer Brothers of Congleton, who produced the Tautliner and who eventually changed their name to Boalloy Ltd. Although they developed a van with fibreglass cab and roof they never managed the complete fibreglass van instead using the old fashioned plymax sheeting and inferior ridged aluminium.
The vans were cheap and nasty, badly finished and dropped to bits. The cabs in particular rained in and were obviously made to cut costs. We inherited two from a fleet we took over, but they did not last long
Another company that built pantechnicon bodies on Bedford Chassis was Carlite the caravan builders. Unfortunatly they were not up to the excellent standards of their caravans, but they certainly were a lot better than Boalloy’s effort.
They also produced a full fibreglss van. Perhaps with more investment into the cab design they might have produced a van to rival Marsden
Watching and reading of the tragic accident on the M5 it reminded me of the 140 vehicle pile up our driver ray Hornby was involved in.
I cannot remember which vehicle Ray was driving at the time. It may have been NUP865J, a Bedford Marsden pantechnicon, which Ray drove from new or it might have been before that time, but out of all the vehicles involved Ray was the only driver who didn’t collide into the vehicle in front of him. About half the pile up was in front of him and Ray stopped before he reached the vehicle in front but the vehicle behind him drove into him as did about 70 other vehicles behind.
BBC television took a great interest in this and tried to discover why. He was on several TV discussion programs and examined by psychiatrists to try to discover why.
The reason was simply that he was a very good professional driver.
Ray changed vans and started driving LUP315J a Seddon Pennine pantechnicon based on the Seddon passenger chassis. He did a weekly North Scotland trip, delivering to accessible Scottish Islands and the Mainland up to Caithness. The Seddon was too large 36ft long and nearly 14ft high, a very large van, and dangerous in high winds. On one of his Scottish trips he made it to shelter in a built up area, and parked until the wind went down. Even there the van blew up against the gable end of a house and wedged itself there. Fortunately it didn’t blow completely over and when we got it put back onto four wheels it had suffered very little damage, only a little touching up of paintwork required.
Unfortunately although he was lucky in these two instances life wasn’t that kind and he died at about 60 years old.
Linda Turnbull worked for us in administration for many years. She now is living in Middle East and sent me this email
Dear Carl,
I met someone a couple of days ago who went by the name of Pinkney, and this
reminded me of two drivers who worked at WHW in my time. Obviously both of the same
name but the one I recall was called William (Bill) Pinkney, the other one I really
dont remember his christian name. Anyway, why I remember this man was because one
Saturday morning I was working when I took a telephone call from the Irish Garda,
asking for information about William Pinkney who claimed to be an employee of ours.
Please understand Carl, this was the early 70’s, poor telephone connections, a thick
Northern Ireland accent, IRA bombings in mainland UK and me, a young naive female
who was even then quite aware of not giving too much information away over the
telephone. The conversation ended, probably we were cut off and I spoke to your Dad
about it, (you weren’t at work that day). When we checked the transport department
it showed that Bill Pinkney was taking a shipment of office
furniture from New Equipment Steel Style to Belfast I think and just happened to
take his Dad along for the ride, who was also called William Pinkney. So you can
imagine the rest, two men of the same name, similar looking, similar details on
their passports carrying an articulated lorry full of tubular steel into Northern
Ireland at the height of IRA activity in the 70’s. I think they were held for some
time while the vehicle was unloaded and searched, and he probably never took his
father away again.
Do you recall any of this?
As Linda explained I was not there and don’t recall it. Just wondering if anyone knows of Bill Pinkney who can recall the incident
On Saturday on my site seeing tour with my son to Consett I passed a very large factory at Wreckerton which seemed to have van trailers waiting to load from every haulier I can recall in the North East. Unfortunately I didn’t see the name or see what they made as I was too busy looking at the trailers.
It brought back memories of Stillite Products of Stillington who seemed to use every haulier in Teeside that ran large vans. I remember Devereix, Pearsons, Martin Durkin from Redcar and several others.
About 1960 dad was contacted by Stillite to ask him to go and see them as they required more transport.
I believe Stillite made rolls of insulation so the loads were very light a needed large capacity vans. When he went they explained they provided three loads a week for a vehicle that was put in with them, paying about £30 per load. This would consist of maybe two; two day runs (London and South) then one day run (Manchester, Leeds) all for £90.00. Dad made his excuses and left.
At the time Thorn Lighting at Spennymoor were paying £25 a load to London (1 drop) leaving you free to find a return load. We chose not to do that, apart from if we were very slack. Lebus furniture and mainly London hauliers used that as return loads.
Stillite didn’t even give their hauliers a chance to get a return load as they had to get back to do the three loads a week. As always, even in the days of ‘A’ Licences some ran for nothing.
Carl Williams:
On Saturday on my site seeing tour with my son to Consett I passed a very large factory at Wreckerton which seemed to have van trailers waiting to load from every haulier I can recall in the North East. Unfortunately I didn’t see the name or see what they made as I was too busy looking at the trailers.
It brought back memories of Stillite Products of Stillington who seemed to use every haulier in Teeside that ran large vans. I remember Devereix, Pearsons, Martin Durkin from Redcar and several others.
About 1960 dad was contacted by Stillite to ask him to go and see them as they required more transport.
I believe Stillite made rolls of insulation so the loads were very light a needed large capacity vans. When he went they explained they provided three loads a week for a vehicle that was put in with them, paying about £30 per load. This would consist of maybe two; two day runs (London and South) then one day run (Manchester, Leeds) all for £90.00. Dad made his excuses and left.
At the time Thorn Lighting at Spennymoor were paying £25 a load to London (1 drop) leaving you free to find a return load. We chose not to do that, apart from if we were very slack. Lebus furniture and mainly London hauliers used that as return loads.
Stillite didn’t even give their hauliers a chance to get a return load as they had to get back to do the three loads a week. As always, even in the days of ‘A’ Licences some ran for nothing.
Carl Do you mean Wrekenton Gateshead ■■?
tyneside:
Carl Williams:
On Saturday on my site seeing tour with my son to Consett I passed a very large factory at Wreckerton which seemed to have van trailers waiting to load from every haulier I can recall in the North East. Unfortunately I didn’t see the name or see what they made as I was too busy looking at the trailers.
It brought back memories of Stillite Products of Stillington who seemed to use every haulier in Teeside that ran large vans. I remember Devereix, Pearsons, Martin Durkin from Redcar and several others.
About 1960 dad was contacted by Stillite to ask him to go and see them as they required more transport.
I believe Stillite made rolls of insulation so the loads were very light a needed large capacity vans. When he went they explained they provided three loads a week for a vehicle that was put in with them, paying about £30 per load. This would consist of maybe two; two day runs (London and South) then one day run (Manchester, Leeds) all for £90.00. Dad made his excuses and left.
At the time Thorn Lighting at Spennymoor were paying £25 a load to London (1 drop) leaving you free to find a return load. We chose not to do that, apart from if we were very slack. Lebus furniture and mainly London hauliers used that as return loads.
Stillite didn’t even give their hauliers a chance to get a return load as they had to get back to do the three loads a week. As always, even in the days of ‘A’ Licences some ran for nothing.
Carl Do you mean Wrekenton Gateshead ■■?
I got muddled up , not Wrekenton, I think it was probably Prudhoe or Wylam
Talking of Stillite Products reminded me the subject of rate cutting.
My grandfather was a founder member of the Road haulage Association, and although he may well have attended meetings I only know of the one he did attend in the early thirties taking my young father, who might not even have become a teenager with him.
Apparently my grandfather must have been subject of rate cutting by another haulier or hauliers and he knew that he or they would be attending the local RHA meeting.
He must have got himself clued up on the members attending beforehand because just after the meeting opened and the business progressed to maintaining and increasing haulage rates, he stood up and one by one went round the room telling each of them cases where they had attempted to cut the rates of others and telling them they were a bunch of hypocrites took my father with him. Dad said that confusion had spread out in the room and as they left the meeting was prematurely closed and everyone else followed.
Never again did either of them go to an RHA meeting, and when I brought the subject up I was always slammed down being told it was a total waist of time.
However I, together with dad, and one or two of our management staff did attend British Association of Removers meetings and I was elected chairman of Northern Area.
Hi Carl
If it was Prudhoe you were at it would be the SCA factory which makes toilet rolls. I did a week loading trailers there for Elddis through an agency in the nineties.It was non stop day and night didnt know the country used as many toilet rolls and that was just from one factory!
Cheers
Mick
mickd1958:
Hi Carl
If it was Prudhoe you were at it would be the SCA factory which makes toilet rolls. I did a week loading trailers there for Elddis through an agency in the nineties.It was non stop day and night didnt know the country used as many toilet rolls and that was just from one factory!
Cheers
Mick
Hi Mick
You are correct, it is a massive place, isn’t it?
Best wishes
Carl
Carl Williams:
mickd1958:
Hi Carl
If it was Prudhoe you were at it would be the SCA factory which makes toilet rolls. I did a week loading trailers there for Elddis through an agency in the nineties.It was non stop day and night didnt know the country used as many toilet rolls and that was just from one factory!
Cheers
Mick
Hi Mick
You are correct, it is a massive place, isn’t it?
Best wishes
Carl
I took paper in there in the early70s,it was then Kimberley-Clarks,the contractor then for out wards goods was CRS!
v7victor:
Carl Williams:
mickd1958:
Hi Carl
If it was Prudhoe you were at it would be the SCA factory which makes toilet rolls. I did a week loading trailers there for Elddis through an agency in the nineties.It was non stop day and night didnt know the country used as many toilet rolls and that was just from one factory!
Cheers
Mick
Hi Mick
You are correct, it is a massive place, isn’t it?
Best wishes
Carl
I took paper in there in the early70s,it was then Kimberley-Clarks,the contractor then for out wards goods was CRS!
Hi Vic
That makes sense. I’ve heard of Kimberley-Clark
I must get more new stories on here I’ve been having computer problems, but will get started again in the morning.
As ever
Best wishes
Carl
