a piccy of me and my dad taken circa 1963/4
Nice one ND,■■■■ yellow romper suit as well!!
Rgds,
David
Thanx mate me mum knitted that romper suit lol she also knited my dad a big cardigen / jacket for them cold winter trunk runs he used to do i remember it had a smiths truck knitted into the patterm on the back.My brother threatened to have that piccy prited on t-shirts for my stag do.
Tommy is doing quite well just now as i said he was diagnosed with parkinsons about a year ago his medication is helping a lot.All them years of hard graft have taken there toll on him. But he i happy going to his bowling club and we got him online recently so he loves to sit and read through these forums he doesnt post im afraid as i have only just taught him very basic internet surfing he has been reading through bubblemans scrapbook memories thread he can tell you stories about nearly every firm on that thread.
Dont get him started on the GUY 240 Gardner thread he says he was to busy being the fasted motor on the A74/M6/M1 to have been taking pictures he confirmed that 240 done 74mph on the flat he tells me the reason for so many blow outs was caused by Bandag tyres after the union got involved they changed back to Goodyear.
Mind you i dont think the managment knew just how fast the drivers were travelling at lol.
ND888 BIGJ:
Thanx mate me mum knitted that romper suit lol she also knited my dad a big cardigen / jacket for them cold winter trunk runs he used to do i remember it had a smiths truck knitted into the patterm on the back.My brother threatened to have that piccy prited on t-shirts for my stag do.
Tommy is doing quite well just now as i said he was diagnosed with parkinsons about a year ago his medication is helping a lot.All them years of hard graft have taken there toll on him. But he i happy going to his bowling club and we got him online recently so he loves to sit and read through these forums he doesnt post im afraid as i have only just taught him very basic internet surfing he has been reading through bubblemans scrapbook memories thread he can tell you stories about nearly every firm on that thread.Dont get him started on the GUY 240 Gardner thread he says he was to busy being the fasted motor on the A74/M6/M1 to have been taking pictures he confirmed that 240 done 74mph on the flat he tells me the reason for so many blow outs was caused by Bandag tyres after the union got involved they changed back to Goodyear.
Mind you i dont think the managment knew just how fast the drivers were travelling at lol.
ND,
As a Manchester SoM driver,I remember being told by George Stockton[Workshop Foreman] to go to Bandag in Wigan IIRC and collect a load of remoulds,I think I also took a load of Smith’s tyres to be recut for trailer use,I used a small single axle trailer that we in Manchester inherited from Reeds Drums over in Liverpool when we took over the contract to distribute all their drums and cans.
Take it easy,my regards to your Dad,
David 
Dennis,
I see in this week,s Commercial Motor that there is an article about smiths of Maddiston, only glanced through it in the aisle in W H Smiths but couldn,t see any reference to a Guy Big J 8LXB . Is this a myth or a legend ?
Cheers , Bassman
Bassman:
Dennis,
I see in this week,s Commercial Motor that there is an article about smiths of Maddiston, only glanced through it in the aisle in W H Smiths but couldn,t see any reference to a Guy Big J 8LXB . Is this a myth or a legend ?
Cheers , Bassman
I’m prepared to let sleeping (dead) dogs lie but obviously other people aren’t (go on my Son !!) sorry,look “Bassman” I don’t doubt that there was a (very) small number of Big J 8LXB’s built and that S.O.M. ran one or two but there was never the number,40,that is claimed to have been built by the Proles ! Keep the thread going !! Cheers Dennis.
Bassman:
Dennis,
I see in this week,s Commercial Motor that there is an article about smiths of Maddiston, only glanced through it in the aisle in W H Smiths but couldn,t see any reference to a Guy Big J 8LXB . Is this a myth or a legend ?
Cheers , Bassman
Its a legend Bassman,believe one that has driven one for a living with SoM Manchester!!!
5th wheel
Aren,t myths and legends supposed to have some mystery attached to them. I rather like the elusive angle it keeps throwing up new comments.
I,ve driven a range of Guys, Invincibles and Big J,s but never an 8LXB so I,m back to myths and legends. Alex Saville has told me he has driven one at Smiths and now you, 5th Wheel, so there must have been 2or 3 at least.
Cheers, Bassman
There was forty Guy Big J’s.Smith of Maddiston had thirty nine,an oil company in Scotland had the other,which M A Evans of Knighton Radnorshire bought later when it was six months old.
Bassman:
5th wheel
Aren,t myths and legends supposed to have some mystery attached to them. I rather like the elusive angle it keeps throwing up new comments.
I,ve driven a range of Guys, Invincibles and Big J,s but never an 8LXB so I,m back to myths and legends. Alex Saville has told me he has driven one at Smiths and now you, 5th Wheel, so there must have been 2or 3 at least.
Cheers, Bassman
If you were to believe the “myths and legends” surrounding S.O.M. 8LXB Big J’s one previous poster would have you believe that Maddiston depot ran nothing else but 8LXB’s in the '70’s,they were lined up as far as the eye could see !!! But the reality would have been that there was no more than a handful and these were probably spread among the SOM depots.Reason No. 1,Atkinson,ERF and Foden could never get all the 8LXB’s they wanted and they were Gardners main customers.Reason No.2 Leyland,Guy Motors parent,hated Gardners and as Guy were somewhere near the bottom of the Leyland “pecking order” there is no way they would be able ,or allowed,to get their hands on any more than a handful of 8LXB’s,if at all !! So OK ,no doubt there was one or two floating about in the SOM fleet but no more than that,plus the fact that for all the “huffing and puffing” of the Proles,no one, as yet,has produced a sales brochure or any other photographic evidence to support the existence of the “mythical beast”.Cheers Bewick.
The Party’s slogan in regard to proles is: “Proles and animals are free.” This is a sharp contrast to the control of the members of Inner and Outer Parties. The Party members are constantly monitored by telescreens in both private and public places. By contrast, prole quarters are more or less free of telescreens, mostly because proles are not expected to understand that they are being exploited by the Party as a source of cheap labour and are unable or unwilling to organize resistance.
The proles constitute 85% of the population.
Dave the Renegade:
The Party’s slogan in regard to proles is: “Proles and animals are free.” This is a sharp contrast to the control of the members of Inner and Outer Parties. The Party members are constantly monitored by telescreens in both private and public places. By contrast, prole quarters are more or less free of telescreens, mostly because proles are not expected to understand that they are being exploited by the Party as a source of cheap labour and are unable or unwilling to organize resistance.
The proles constitute 85% of the population.
Sounds like you could be a Party member or maybe even a Commisar Dave so that would place you firmly in the 15% bracket then!! you may even be a columist on the Daily Worker? I take the Daily Mail my-self so I suppose I fall into the ■■■■■ catergory then !! Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
The Party’s slogan in regard to proles is: “Proles and animals are free.” This is a sharp contrast to the control of the members of Inner and Outer Parties. The Party members are constantly monitored by telescreens in both private and public places. By contrast, prole quarters are more or less free of telescreens, mostly because proles are not expected to understand that they are being exploited by the Party as a source of cheap labour and are unable or unwilling to organize resistance.
The proles constitute 85% of the population.Sounds like you could be a Party member or maybe even a Commisar Dave so that would place you firmly in the 15% bracket then!! you may even be a columist on the Daily Worker? I take the Daily Mail my-self so I suppose I fall into the [zb] catergory then !! Cheers Dennis.
You know what you are Dennis !
Dave the Renegade:
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
The Party’s slogan in regard to proles is: “Proles and animals are free.” This is a sharp contrast to the control of the members of Inner and Outer Parties. The Party members are constantly monitored by telescreens in both private and public places. By contrast, prole quarters are more or less free of telescreens, mostly because proles are not expected to understand that they are being exploited by the Party as a source of cheap labour and are unable or unwilling to organize resistance.
The proles constitute 85% of the population.Sounds like you could be a Party member or maybe even a Commisar Dave so that would place you firmly in the 15% bracket then!! you may even be a columist on the Daily Worker? I take the Daily Mail my-self so I suppose I fall into the [zb] catergory then !! Cheers Dennis.
You know what you are Dennis !
Does the word begin with a “T” and end with a “t”,4 letters ? Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
The Party’s slogan in regard to proles is: “Proles and animals are free.” This is a sharp contrast to the control of the members of Inner and Outer Parties. The Party members are constantly monitored by telescreens in both private and public places. By contrast, prole quarters are more or less free of telescreens, mostly because proles are not expected to understand that they are being exploited by the Party as a source of cheap labour and are unable or unwilling to organize resistance.
The proles constitute 85% of the population.Sounds like you could be a Party member or maybe even a Commisar Dave so that would place you firmly in the 15% bracket then!! you may even be a columist on the Daily Worker? I take the Daily Mail my-self so I suppose I fall into the [zb] catergory then !! Cheers Dennis.
You know what you are Dennis !
Does the word begin with a “T” and end with a “t”,4 letters ? Cheers Dennis.
Dennis, looking at your photo you certainly ain`t no Tart 
Dave the Renegade:
There was forty Guy Big J’s.Smith of Maddiston had thirty nine,an oil company in Scotland had the other,which M A Evans of Knighton Radnorshire bought later when it was six months old.
At a boy Dave!!!
Dennis,
There you are,look how much extra debate I,ve caused, all good but I never intended it to get political !
Some one out there knows how many were built and I would think that someone out there has a picture, unless that person took his knowledge and pictures to his grave
I still think there is some interesting mileage left in this thread, I mean 8LXB,s were supposed to run forever wasn,t they!!
Cheers Bassman
Bassman:
Dennis,There you are,look how much extra debate I,ve caused, all good but I never intended it to get political !
Some one out there knows how many were built and I would think that someone out there has a picture, unless that person took his knowledge and pictures to his graveI still think there is some interesting mileage left in this thread, I mean 8LXB,s were supposed to run forever wasn,t they!!
Cheers Bassman
Yep,your right “Bassman” this thread bursts forth into life every so often,the problem is no one is able to come up with the “goods”,even I suggested that there must be someone who worked at the Guy factory that could give chapter and verse,the nearest we got was Trev H who was at BRS and visited the factory regular as well as attending Wolverhampton Tech with the Guy lads,and even he never saw or was told about the “Mythical Beast” so the thread is likely to run and run !! Anyway,it keeps a few of us 'old 'uns and some young 'uns occupied during the dark winter months !! Cheers Dennis.
Hi, Dennis,
It seems like I,ve joined in at a quiet time for S.o.M. tread .
Do people only dig their photo,s and stories out about such firms in the depths of winter when they can,t get out in the garden in the sun (Ha.Ha.)
Firms like S.o.M. were the backbone of the haulage scene in my heyday,reading about them and others reminds me of what it used to be like before the big consortiums got a grip and ruined the freedom of the job.
Cheers, Bassman
Read the posts from the start these were not mythical beasts 5or 6 ex s o m drivers have been on here saying they drove them tommy doyles son has giving you the fleet number of his old mans moter(nd888). I must have been seeing things as a yard boy back then when servicing the motors for the trunkers and looking at the back 2 pots sticking out the back of the cab you have to remember we are talking 30+ years ago and a lot of the ex employees of smiths have now past away and perhaps the elusive photo you must have to prove these motors existing are in a box in a loft somewhere gathering dust but just one thing all this did they or didn’t they is I think disrespectful to the handful of ex som drivers who have told you THEY Have drove them
Rant over