Alan Bennett:
Hi All. When are we going to see some of the photo’s of the reunion on here.I myself have some to put on,and as soon as my eldest son is able to do it we will get them on here. Meanwhile you can all see them on facebook. The one’s Stuart Sugden put on are very good (thanks Stuart)and worth looking at,i hope we will all see some more like them. Thats all for now,so take good care of yourselves. All the best (Alan)
Hi Alan,meet your son outside at the reunion while having a smoke,we were chating about yourself,smashing lad and proud of his dad
other contracts…elida gibbs…f88s painted blue with a white band round the cab,stuart had one which had been repainted s267…imi radiators in leeds…old bedford tks…painted green and black
Re. other contracts. Hepworth and Grandage foundry division [even had a chaseside loading shovel on hire to them ] Ae autoparts on Legrams Lane. All the finished pistons and liners etc. To Edmund Walkers and Ferraris at Cricklewood.
How about Dunlop & Rankins, remember first time with 50ft beams, 40ft tr with front frame, sticking out over the cab. Was I glad when Bridge Trs started building the 50-55-60ft trs for Jack… Dave
Dunlop & Rankin was also a Fielder’s and Chapman’s contract, I think it was in between A One time, they often lost contracts and then got them back.
I was on night’s on London trunk, but one night there wasn’t a trip for me, so I was sent to Dunlop’s to load a few trailers, it was a dangerous place to be, this was long before Elf n Safety was invented, there were often accidents, and it was usualy the drivers who copped it, I was inside loading, lots of plate on the bottom, then bars on top, and then RSJs on top of the lot, the problem was when I’d got loaded the checker said the front bottom 7 ton of plate had to come off, so I backed down to the first bay to take off the RSJs, then to take off the 7 ton of plate, when the lift was level with my head the grab came out, and all at once in one movement, the 7 ton of plate came down brushing my arm, the grab hit me in the face smashing my nose and what ever else it hit, talk of being close to death! I was within 2 inches of being under the 7 ton of plate, then I hit the floor from the trailer, my next recollection was being in the ambulance going to LGI, and guess what, not a word of compo, they kept schtum, everyone lost there memory when an investigation was started and all I got was my nose straightened in LGI and a few days off work, Ahh! those were the days.■■?.:-Jack
Jack Graham:
Dunlop & Rankin was also a Fielder’s and Chapman’s contract, I think it was in between A One time, they often lost contracts and then got them back.
I was on night’s on London trunk, but one night there wasn’t a trip for me, so I was sent to Dunlop’s to load a few trailers, it was a dangerous place to be, this was long before Elf n Safety was invented, there were often accidents, and it was usualy the drivers who copped it, I was inside loading, lots of plate on the bottom, then bars on top, and then RSJs on top of the lot, the problem was when I’d got loaded the checker said the front bottom 7 ton of plate had to come off, so I backed down to the first bay to take off the RSJs, then to take off the 7 ton of plate, when the lift was level with my head the grab came out, and all at once in one movement, the 7 ton of plate came down brushing my arm, the grab hit me in the face smashing my nose and what ever else it hit, talk of being close to death! I was within 2 inches of being under the 7 ton of plate, then I hit the floor from the trailer, my next recollection was being in the ambulance going to LGI, and guess what, not a word of compo, they kept schtum, everyone lost there memory when an investigation was started and all I got was my nose straightened in LGI and a few days off work, Ahh! those were the days.■■?.:-Jack
That must have been painfull Jack !!! . Ive handled steel for years luckily always seemed to have the luck to have just moved out of the way as something was happening. Well remember loading out of a firm off Ingleby rd, just down from Grattons. They used Coles "dockside" mobile cranes with magnets, once they started to load they didnt give a damm and it was up to you to get out of the way. Two cranes were swinging a plate onto the tr when one of them let go too soon, I felt the wind as it slewed off the side just missing me, don`t know how I climbed into the cab as my legs were shaking that much…Dave
The said firm just down the road from Grattons was well known as a dangerous place. A pal of mine called John [cannt remember his surname ] who used to work part time behind the bar at the Lilycroft Pub worked at the metal place full time and sadly was killed stone dead there when a large piece of steel fell from the crane and crushed him.
The only steel place on Ingleby Road now is Northern Dished Ends
maxhagar:
The said firm just down the road from Grattons was well known as a dangerous place. A pal of mine called John [cannt remember his surname ] who used to work part time behind the bar at the Lilycroft Pub worked at the metal place full time and sadly was killed stone dead there when a large piece of steel fell from the crane and crushed him.
ramone:
The only steel place on Ingleby Road now is Northern Dished Ends
maxhagar:
The said firm just down the road from Grattons was well known as a dangerous place. A pal of mine called John [cannt remember his surname ] who used to work part time behind the bar at the Lilycroft Pub worked at the metal place full time and sadly was killed stone dead there when a large piece of steel fell from the crane and crushed him.
Your right about dodgy places to be loading, I’ve never been a lover of the modern day “Elf n Safety”, I think like most people they’ve gone too far with there regulations, there’s no common sence with it today, but in those days they needed it, because they just dont give a ■■■■ and far too many workers and drivers were killed or maimed through bad work practices and bad loading equipment, I remember Cole’s, they were owned by another company, originally it was a scrap yard that sold re-used steel plate, I also think I remember Frank Robson saying he worked there before he went driving.
But they really were dangerous places to be working in and loading, it was all about,“money money money” and stuff the workers. :-Jack
Going back to the JGFielders days, there was a guy named Brian, he lived near Phillis’s cafe next to Fielders, he worked for us but went to the US and got a job there for a few years, untill they kicked him out and sent him home, today they call them “illegal immigrants”, he’d overstayed his visa, but he went to work for Dunlop & Rankin and a load of RSJs fell on him on his trailer, and that was the end of him, a sad story but true of things in those days. :-Jack
Just remembered the name of the firm before it was Coles, it was Leadbeater’s scrap, they were two brothers, the firm was handed down from there father, I knew the two son’s from the 1950s when I worked for Charles Sydney Motorcycles when I left school, “daddy” bought them a bike each from our shop, and they used to compete argue and fall out like hell, and were a pain in the arse. :-Jack
Alan Bennett:
Hi All. As soon as i can get out of the house and up to my eldest sons house i will get him to put some reunion photo’s on the site. For any of you who are on face book all my photo’s are on there for all to see. I think you just need to send a friends request which i will accept and then open my profile and the photo’s are there. For ramone. Tony dayne’s didn’t go to the reunion because nobody knew where he was living. Having said that Lenny Schofield told me at the reunion that he still lived on the East Coast in a village called Atwick. This village is not far away from where i live,and if anybody can confirm this i will go over there and find him,or a phone would good if you sent it in a private message. That’s all for now folks so take good care or yourselves and i will catch you all later. (Alan)
Well Alan I’ll have to rely on others for pictures, Mine for some reason have come out like crap, I took quite a few but there not worth showing, they wont even come out on my printer good enough, so might have to delete them, I tried to print a couple off but there too bad, I’ll wait for yours, Stuart Sugdens and any more that come up on the site.
keith 2:
Hi ,would be nice sometimes to put your names on here,due to the lads may remember your names,cheers keith wilkinson
Hi Keith, it looks like this page is just for you ramone and me, if we keep this up we’ll fill it ourselves, I seem to remember something about truck rental, wasn’t it operated from the filling station on Bolling Road, I didn’t have anything to do with it but can remember it being there. :-Jack
To All. I have been having problems with my laptop for the past few weeks,so while it’s working at the moment i would like to wish you all. A Very Merry Christmas and a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year. And the same to all the other drivers who look in on this link. All the very best to you all. (Alan)
Yeah i remember it,on the right hand side on the corner as you head down to the low bridge,i think Roan Marble had it for a while after,there`s some tippers in there now on the scrap job
keith 2:
any one remeber a one truck rentel in bradford,the old filling station
I remember the trailer garage at the bottom of the tr park off Prospect st. Spent a couple of days there painting tr chassis with Deloria best gloss, courtesy of Lancashire Tar Distillers, whilst motor was in garage. Hated delivering that paint as it was packed loose in open cardboard trays which used to disintergrate when wet or crushed by ropes which as the load was sheeted and roped was often. The arguments with the shopkeepers who hadn`t heard of tailboard delivery who expected you to hump a couple of ton into a room back of the shop. …dave robson …
A Very Happy Xmas to you Jack and all A ONE DRIVERS and Mechanics and staff.
I have great hopes of being able to put ALL the REUNION photo’s and a film onto the website on Chrismas Eve!!! So keep your fingers x’ed
Does anyone remember, just before the Xmas break, we had to take about 6 BRAND NEW 40’ flat trailers over to theBRADFORD DEPOT?
We lined them all up with about 6" gap between them. All nice and neat, went home for Xmas. After the break,and returning to Leeds depot,found Jack going beserk as some people had removed ALL the “SUPER SINGLE” tyres frome the ALL trailers EXCEPT the outside ones Not a very nice thing to find out .
:-Jack
:-Jack
Not a very nice thing to find out .