KW:
chorcheela:
KW:
chorcheela:
An obscure one was a garage in Rattlesden which had an old Fiat that did tilt work to Europe and possibly further…Quite possibly this company,Mitchell-Rowlands,who were indeed based at Rattlesden…
They drove for Trans UK to the Middle East and beyond with Fiat 619’s,and one of the driver’s,Paul Rowlands,went on to work for Trans UK.
This picture was taken at Kapicule,on the Bulgarian-Turkish border,standing under the canopy is Bob Carter,owner of Trans UK.
Actually, I believe they were based in Buxhall, at the garage which has just been knocked down to build houses on. The firm at Rattlesden may have been called Hewstons (?) who reputedly did M/E work in the 1970’s??
Buxhall with a Rattlesden phone number,how’s that?
The only company I can recall with a name that sounds like Hewstons is Wallace Houston who ran a fleet of Scania’s on continental work.
They came from Thurston out near Bury St.Edmunds.
PROWLANDS:
KW:
chorcheela:
KW:
chorcheela:
An obscure one was a garage in Rattlesden which had an old Fiat that did tilt work to Europe and possibly further…Quite possibly this company,Mitchell-Rowlands,who were indeed based at Rattlesden…
They drove for Trans UK to the Middle East and beyond with Fiat 619’s,and one of the driver’s,Paul Rowlands,went on to work for Trans UK.
This picture was taken at Kapicule,on the Bulgarian-Turkish border,standing under the canopy is Bob Carter,owner of Trans UK.
Actually, I believe they were based in Buxhall, at the garage which has just been knocked down to build houses on. The firm at Rattlesden may have been called Hewstons (?) who reputedly did M/E work in the 1970’s??
Buxhall with a Rattlesden phone number,how’s that?
The only company I can recall with a name that sounds like Hewstons is Wallace Houston who ran a fleet of Scania’s on continental work.
They came from Thurston out near Bury St.Edmunds.
MITCHELL -ROWLANDS,
Now there’s a name to conjure with, that pic of the white Fiat is me just about ready to go off on our first m/e trip to Abadan for Bob Carter TUK Bob only had one truck worthy of the trip at the time driven by Lenny. The dark blue day cab in the photo at Kapicule was owned by Bob Crofton-Sleigh ( now in Canada I believe). Me and lenny went to Abadan, Bob and another guy, an owner driver called terry I think went to Teheran. This guy terry was supposed to show us the ropes but after Belgrade disappeared, Bob carter came in his car(Humber Sceptre) with Tony Waugh Middle East manager. The young guy standing on the Fiat step is bob Carter’s son. Mitchell-Rowlands had the first franchise to sell Fiat Trucks in the Uk I believe but was not really into that type of business and before long there was a company set up in Wymondham to take on the franchise I forget the name even though O visited there many times.
Peter Colby, Collease maybe?
Peter Colby Indeed!!!
Memory close to extinction, thanks
e j podd: we used to use them when i worked in felixstowe, roger podd was a lovely guy, dont think their trading anymore, his daughter sally was working at charles gee in the office, although its been several years since i was down there so she may of moved on.
prowlands: terry was terry blakesley, he is still about but not driving, his son darren is, he works for jimmy tasey on bulk, used to work for transam
PROWLANDS:
PROWLANDS:
KW:
chorcheela:
KW:
chorcheela:
An obscure one was a garage in Rattlesden which had an old Fiat that did tilt work to Europe and possibly further…Quite possibly this company,Mitchell-Rowlands,who were indeed based at Rattlesden…
They drove for Trans UK to the Middle East and beyond with Fiat 619’s,and one of the driver’s,Paul Rowlands,went on to work for Trans UK.
This picture was taken at Kapicule,on the Bulgarian-Turkish border,standing under the canopy is Bob Carter,owner of Trans UK.
Actually, I believe they were based in Buxhall, at the garage which has just been knocked down to build houses on. The firm at Rattlesden may have been called Hewstons (?) who reputedly did M/E work in the 1970’s??
Buxhall with a Rattlesden phone number,how’s that?
The only company I can recall with a name that sounds like Hewstons is Wallace Houston who ran a fleet of Scania’s on continental work.
They came from Thurston out near Bury St.Edmunds.MITCHELL -ROWLANDS,
Now there’s a name to conjure with, that pic of the white Fiat is me just about ready to go off on our first m/e trip to Abadan for Bob Carter TUK Bob only had one truck worthy of the trip at the time driven by Lenny. The dark blue day cab in the photo at Kapicule was owned by Bob Crofton-Sleigh ( now in Canada I believe). Me and lenny went to Abadan, Bob and another guy, an owner driver called terry I think went to Teheran. This guy terry was supposed to show us the ropes but after Belgrade disappeared, Bob carter came in his car(Humber Sceptre) with Tony Waugh Middle East manager. The young guy standing on the Fiat step is bob Carter’s son. Mitchell-Rowlands had the first franchise to sell Fiat Trucks in the Uk I believe but was not really into that type of business and before long there was a company set up in Wymondham to take on the franchise I forget the name even though O visited there many times.
I lived in tostock as a child, and I’m sure that there was a driver (female) of one of MR’s Fiat’s living there. When they built the new A45 or A14 as it is now, the ‘old’ bit between Tostock and Woolpit got closed off and loads of people used to park up there, Brian Carberry did when he was on for Loadwell’s, as did this dark green Fiat usually pulling a tilt trailer.
So was that a Mitchell-Rowlands motor? The only other people I can think of who may have run trucks was the guy who had the garage on Top Road in Rattlesden■■?
Hi Chorcheela,
I have punchdrunk memory of loads of stuff from those days, however I don’t remember a green Fiat, what M/R had before the Fiat franchise were dark green Ford D1000’s, sometimes pulling small low loaders. as far s I am aware M/R just used the Fiats in factory colours. When I was there Mervyn Woolard had a day cab Fiat 619, I had the sleeper 619 When it arrived and Brian Wales had a day cab Fiat 684, Charlie Pennington drove one of the D1000’s till Mervyn went off to work elsewhere, I was only there 8 months and eventually left due to the ongoing paperwork problems we had, Iike filling in our own carnet TIR’s on the ferry and eventually arriving at Kapic on another trip to find Trailer carnet expired in 4 days, spent 9 days at Kapic before had to get taxi to Istanul and Turkish AA provided me with replacement, all good experiences and character building!! Started my proper driving career with George Thorpe Mendlesham.
Interesting read especially the mention of Wally Houston who was trailer mate to me on Fridged Freight (aah those were the days).
Jimmy Downie were based out Bacton way back in the late 60’s and early 70’s’ ran a few green flatbeds and tippers on fertilizer out of Fisons Cliff Quay. when I was on George Thorpe’d used to see them a lot and if my memory serves me correctly when old George passed on Downie’s took over the fleet and somewhere in the recesses of my head they eventually became Bacton Transport. Might be totally wrong in all this fact/assumption.
Bliss come and take this bloody cat back you gave me under false pretences 8 years ago, it spends more time peeing in the house than i do.
love paul
I took a test!!
LB76:
Interesting read especially the mention of Wally Houston who was trailer mate to me on Fridged Freight (aah those were the days).
do you remember barney (kevin barnes i think his name is), he used to work for fridgeds
paul, im certain your right, jimmy downeys became bactons, his son was running it i believe, charles gee recently brought them out, i think the bulk side was brought by james and sons
Name doesnt ring a bell , but there were so many drivers that came and went while you were perhaps away on a trip and you never got to meet them,i would love a pound for everyone who says they used to work at so and so
KW:
aidey:
Oh yeah i forgotten about the red maggie.I some times see mick lilly if i rember i’ll ask him for you.Mick Lilly!!
Jesus,I haven’t seen him for over 13 years,he was driving a bulker for some firm down Hadleigh or Long Lawford or wherever it was he lived.I used to see him down at Ipswich sometimes when I was getting the North Sea Ferries to Europoort.
Tell him I said hello,and find out if he went to the last Trans UK reunion.
I think mick lilly drives for c j volkerk at bury st eds, when i was on three rivers his nick name was layby lil. allways looking for a cup of tea. smashing guy though
What a gem of a thread, i’ve been missing out!
euromat:
terry was terry blakesley, he is still about but not driving, his son darren is, he works for jimmy tasey on bulk, used to work for transam
Terry’s now running a pub (again, after a short break) in my home town. He used to live behind my Mum & Dad and i remember him parking his 1-series Scannies outside his house. Remember Darren working for ‘Dirty Jack Services’ on an old Seddon Atki when i first started on bulk, I may’ve shown him up backing on to the elevators at Yeomans at Yarmouth on the pulp nut job 
Think he’s still in town but not seen him for a year or so. Also went to school with Jimmy Tacey’s son Shaun. He made a pretty good name for himself in Speedway, not sure if he’s still doing it? We were a right pair at school boring everyone with either bikes or trucks! …anyway, sorry, i’m heading slightly off thread! Some great memories and pics, cheers!
just tidying up!
LB76:
Interesting read especially the mention of Wally Houston who was trailer mate to me on Fridged Freight (aah those were the days).
Just one more thing though whilst i am off-thread 
Dad’s got a scrap-book packed full of Fridged Freight photo’s and newspaper cuttings, will have to scan some of those onto here when i have a spare weekend or two!
Roger Breaker:
LB76:
Interesting read especially the mention of Wally Houston who was trailer mate to me on Fridged Freight (aah those were the days).Just one more thing though whilst i am off-thread
good!!!
is it the duke terry runs? i want to pop and see him at some point
euromat:
is it the duke terry runs?
Yes it is mate. Haven’t been in for several weeks so not sure if he’s actually working in there or not.
My best mates grandad ran Fridged Freight, ive been waiting a couple of years for photos from Chris but they still havent turned up.
Hi kindle
You say your best mates grandad ran Fridged Freight, that would’nt have been Jim McLuskey would it?
This is interesting. I was trying to find out about the firm based on Top Road, Rattlesden, who I thought was running M/E like Mitchell-Rowlands did. Then I found this - it was John Euston (the houses that stand on the old site are called Eustons).
See this link, which is a news story about the warehouse that got destroyed during the storms of 1987 (anyone remember them)? I like the bit about the office pool table being unscathed!!
Anyone got any memories/pics of his motors?