I everybody I’ve joined the forum on behalf of my dad pat ottery he worked for streets for many years,and I remember as a young boy going with him up the road all around the country he would live to to here from any old drivers.and was interested to know who mike is who posted the pics.streets also has a reunion most years for all old staff and drivers and would live to hear of any streets staff that haven’t been.
Neil B:
HI THERE I REMEBER MOST OF THE ONES MENTIONED ALSO THERE WAS WILMOTS FROM VERA ST TAUNTON ROBERTS BRIDGWATER PUGESLY WEDDON CROSS MILES & ALWAY BRIDGWATER
I remember Wilmots or was it Willmotts. Their tipper lorries - Bedfords included - were always well kept and tidy. They had a mid brown livery. I also remember Manuels who ran tippers from their site on Priory Bridge Road in Taunton. The building is still there.
Ivor Govier were located on Blagdon Hill which overlooks the vale of Taunton. They finally shut up shop in the late 1990s when they were down to two Bedfords, an artic and a tipper if I am correct. Peter Davies captured them on camera when he was visiting us and wrote an article on them in Trucking (International) magazine.
Very much closer to home was Sparks Transport located only 100 yards from us in Nynehead. The ran a very smart fleet of of cream and green flats latterly ERFs including B series eightwheelers with hiabs plus a similarly equipped ERF artic hauling bricks from the old William Thomas at nearby Poole Brickworks. Prior to that they were engaged in cattle transport for many years. One of these ERFs appears to have been saved aa I saw it at Bloxham back in the late 1990s. It still was in cream and green although not carrying any signage.
Also one must not forget WJ KIng of Bishops Lydeard with their pre and post war fleet of tippers and also a carrier called Hartnell from the same location who ran a Seddon on coal and coke work.
gunnerheskey:
These are who i meant, finished a few years ago now… Bartletts….
Think they might be related to the coventry Bartletts, because i read that Neil Bartlett is originally from the west country…!
funny i should stumble apon this post as i took this pic earlier in the week !
MolePower:
gunnerheskey:
These are who i meant, finished a few years ago now… Bartletts…
Think they might be related to the coventry Bartletts, because i read that Neil Bartlett is originally from the west country…!
funny i should stumble apon this post as i took this pic earlier in the week !
Im sure this tanker was used to haul sugar London-Bridgewater
Here’s a little bit of west Somerset history courtesy of the late Roger Kenney. This was taken using very grainy and fast film. Not a good recipe for scanning.
Hi to All
On coming out o the army I was fortunate to drive for B&S express freight out o Taunton 78/81
!st truck was a day cab’d Atki artic and 2 trips a wk up north wiv fisions grow bags handball on and off
Then moved onto an ERF A then B series then a maggi 232 . I finished up working for John perkins on the meat Mkts .
great days .
retriever:
Here’s a little bit of west Somerset history courtesy of the late Roger Kenney. This was taken using very grainy and fast film. Not a good recipe for scanning.
I reckon that, when new, that was driven by either Eric Newman or Jack Hobbs. It looks a bit run down by the time that pic was taken. Shame the pic isn’t clearer - I’m sure I could figure out who was driving it by then. Might even have been Pete Langdon.
Eric Newman is still around as far as I know - I’m hoping to see him at my uncle Ken Thorne’s 80th birthday party in May.
Reading this thread took me back a few years to when I used to overnight at Langdons truckstop on a regular basis. Good food, decent bar and a comfortable bed. What happened to all the o/d’s who used to work for them in those days? I recall that they seemed to disappear quite suddenly. Some I remember ar Brian Sharp (Skippy), Derek Champion, Danny Nielson (Danny the Dane), Gordon Ardren (I did see his son Philip once), Johnny Morris and his son Johnny Jr. from Thirsk to name just a few.
Steve
It’s probably a long shot, but do any of the REALLY old drivers remember the name of a livestock haulier from Temple Cloud?
My friend showed me a newspaper cutting a couple of years ago, saying that Derek Champion had finally retired at the age of 70-odd. I first knew him more than 50 years ago when he turned up as a youngster to drive for Tone Vale Transport. He then had a spell driving Western National buses before going back to Langdons.
In the mid 70s I began my driving career with B & S freight in Taunton, most of the fleet were ‘A’ series ERF with 180 Gardner engines that filled the yard with smoke in the mornings. The biggest contract we had at the time was out of Fisons near Glastonbury we used to meet up very often with some of the wheelers and Keedwell drivers who also worked out of Fisons. We had some great times back in Heston services waiting for the night trunker to bring up the next days load.I was in there the night it burnt down remember being woken up by all the fire engines.
I also remember all the hours waiting around red phone boxes for return loads when you managed to find one that worked especially around Glasgow for some reason. I would be interested if there’s anyone out there that remembers B&S freight.
Hi, I am the mike who put in streets pictures,I worked in streets office when pat drove for goviers hauling paper reels etc from Watchet Paper Mills and protecxtive papers, remember me to him,Mike McDermaid.
Hi I am quite new here, but hve not seen any haulage companies from my area, I joined Streets of Watchet in 1959 and stayed until 1966. worked under both Gerry Street and his son Michael. 2 miles away in Williton there was A.H.Kerslake and son, who mainly ran tippers and milk collection in churns. In Watchet there was the Wansbrough Paper Co. who ran all bedford artics at the time both “O” and “S” types. in Carhampton, there was Bill Hole with two Bedford “S” rigids,who mainly did agriculture work. in Minehead on round timber there was Edward R Jones. with an ERF and a Unipower,whichhas been preserved.Nearby at Wiveliscombe there was Tone Vale Transport. In taunton there was Ivor W Govier and son, with Victor Govier in Wellington,and Taunton Meat Haulage in Taunton,and in Bridgwater there was a whole group of hauliers,does any one remember any of these.
HI THERE I REMEBER MOST OF THE ONES MENTIONED ALSO THERE WAS WILMOTS FROM VERA ST TAUNTON ROBERTS BRIDGWATER PUGESLY WEDDON CROSS MILES & ALWAY BRIDGWATER
Hi mi671ke, and welcome to trucknet uk.
I remember taunton meats, didn’t they become Langdons… !
Also i used to load out of gerber foods on the A38, who were the yellow and green F10s & FL10s who were always in there in the early 90s…
hI ALL, YES tmh AND tone vale were combined to form Langdons later to grow into what we see now,I have some early photos of both companies which I will try to post,and also one from steets when I was there( pre maggie deutz) Mike.
to gunnerheskey, I wonder if the yellow and green belonged to Sparks of glastonbury?
No ! definately not sparks, it’ll come to me tomorrow, yellow units, green roof & red chassis, 
These are who i meant, finished a few years ago now… Bartletts… .
Think they might be related to the coventry Bartletts, because i read that Neil Bartlett is originally from the west country…!
Yes they used to haul out of Gerbers, in Bridgwater, originally Bartlett & Bateman, but as you say long gone.Mike