This is to all A One or should I say Ex employees,:- until Dennis contacted me to tell me about this A One thing on the Internet, I didn’t realise how quick it would get everyone talking, and remembering what we all obviously know was probably the best Transport firm in the country, I have to say that when Keith’s wife said that she was one of the “A One widows”, it made me realise just what a great bunch of guys worked there.
I dont want to disagree with what she said, in fact “I dont think I dare”, but to be honest it’s no good going to work unless you like the job, and what we had at A One was something special, although having said that, many companies must have been the same long ago, Dennis Glover rang me this morning, he was with Richard Haywood telling him about this forum, so we must expect to hear from him soon, that’s what I mean about the word getting around so quick.
So to cut out the crap, why dont we have another reunion, with all the employees and there wives/girlfriends, so we can talk and they can carry on slagging us off, “only joking girls”, I know where JMR is although I cant see him up to it any more, he’s 94 now, it was his birthday a couple of weeks ago it was the day before I paid him a visit, but I know Russel is still around because he paid visited him the day before I did, “like him or not” had it not been for him the company wouldn’t have been what it was, so how about it, I was in the US when you all had the last two reunions, and I know I missed out not being there, so let’s have some ideas and get together when it’s convenient for us all, and dont wait until Christmas because were getting too old to wait too long any more!!.:-Jack Graham. 
Jack Graham:
This is to all A One or should I say Ex employees,:- until Dennis contacted me to tell me about this A One thing on the Internet, I didn’t realise how quick it would get everyone talking, and remembering what we all obviously know was probably the best Transport firm in the country, I have to say that when Keith’s wife said that she was one of the “A One widows”, it made me realise just what a great bunch of guys worked there.
I dont want to disagree with what she said, in fact “I dont think I dare”, but to be honest it’s no good going to work unless you like the job, and what we had at A One was something special, although having said that, many companies must have been the same long ago, Dennis Glover rang me this morning, he was with Richard Haywood telling him about this forum, so we must expect to hear from him soon, that’s what I mean about the word getting around so quick.
So to cut out the crap, why dont we have another reunion, with all the employees and there wives/girlfriends, so we can talk and they can carry on slagging us off, “only joking girls”, I know where JMR is although I cant see him up to it any more, he’s 94 now, it was his birthday a couple of weeks ago it was the day before I paid him a visit, but I know Russel is still around because he paid visited him the day before I did, “like him or not” had it not been for him the company wouldn’t have been what it was, so how about it, I was in the US when you all had the last two reunions, and I know I missed out not being there, so let’s have some ideas and get together when it’s convenient for us all, and dont wait until Christmas because were getting too old to wait too long any more!!.:-Jack Graham.
PS:- dont leave it too long, I promise to be home this time, and talk old times. 
:-Jack
Heres the F88 photo i promised to put on. Does anyone know owt about this motor.
Ive also found a photo of an A One F12, reg no DHD 366Y has the name Alec on the front.
Hi Jacky.
I mentioned to you the other day about an A ONE reunion, and I think you and I could get it together. I am the recent President of my club and we could hire the function room for FREE. It has a great ballroom and the steward is great. It would be no probs for him to do the catering. There is plenty of parking area.
Spoke to Rum and Black (Stu Broughton yesterday) He is on edge as he will be a Grandfather any moment. Do you remember any of the other C.B. handles of the other drivers 
Getting nearer to putting on some photo’s on the site. Got some from the last get together at Stevie Newbolds Pub,"The Junction"on the 23rd March 2003.Including one of the old man.!
Do you know anything about “Cuddles” It’s a wonder he hasn’t heard about this site yet.
I wonder if Ralph Crabtree has found the baked bean in his beard yet■■? 
Dry Ginger=S.S.
Jack Graham:
This is to all A One or should I say Ex employees,:- until Dennis contacted me to tell me about this A One thing on the Internet, I didn’t realise how quick it would get everyone talking, and remembering what we all obviously know was probably the best Transport firm in the country, I have to say that when Keith’s wife said that she was one of the “A One widows”, it made me realise just what a great bunch of guys worked there.
I dont want to disagree with what she said, in fact “I dont think I dare”, but to be honest it’s no good going to work unless you like the job, and what we had at A One was something special, although having said that, many companies must have been the same long ago, Dennis Glover rang me this morning, he was with Richard Haywood telling him about this forum, so we must expect to hear from him soon, that’s what I mean about the word getting around so quick.
So to cut out the crap, why dont we have another reunion, with all the employees and there wives/girlfriends, so we can talk and they can carry on slagging us off, “only joking girls”, I know where JMR is although I cant see him up to it any more, he’s 94 now, it was his birthday a couple of weeks ago it was the day before I paid him a visit, but I know Russel is still around because he paid visited him the day before I did, “like him or not” had it not been for him the company wouldn’t have been what it was, so how about it, I was in the US when you all had the last two reunions, and I know I missed out not being there, so let’s have some ideas and get together when it’s convenient for us all, and dont wait until Christmas because were getting too old to wait too long any more!!.:-Jack Graham.
Hi there Mark. that is a lovely photo of my truck.I had it for along time. I used to load and unload all the continental drivers trailers. It was a VERY hard job! Some of the trailers were in a really bad state, and if it was a stripdown, it used to kill me. I remember that near the end of its time, it usedto break down quite a bit. I once broke down somewhere in this country and Tony Woods came to hook me up. What a man that was. He didn’t give a s—t. We got stopped by the police as he was EXCEEDING 60mph whilst towing me 
I almost broke down and cried when they told me to strip my things out as it was going to that great big scrapyard in the sky 
S.S.
Mark R:
Heres the F88 photo i promised to put on. Does anyone know owt about this motor.
Thats a nice story Dry Ginger, glad you liked the photo. I did’nt work for A One myself but used to see their motors quite a lot. Lets hope some more A One photos pop up.
I will try to find the Volvo F12 photo sometime this week as its another cracker. It has Alec on the front, do you remember him?. Ive also got a photo of a DAF 2800, i dont remember A One having many Dafs.
Jack Graham:
philberg182:
Jack,Dave Smith was doing a bit of driving for T.Riley & Son on the containers, i think he did a bit of holiday relief for him. Rileys have there office in Bradford but run their trucks out of Freightliner Doncaster. I used to see him regularly but i haven`t done containers for a couple of years. He still looks a big imposing bloke except the hairs grey now.
Hi there Phil, that’s right, the last time I saw him was when I worked for Shipley Transport just before I retired, he was in Iveco Brighouse for some repairs and I was on the opposite side of the road loading with Bathroom equipment, we spoke for a short while, and he said he was doing some container work, but he was still the same Dave Smith, He might have been a bit imposing because he was a big guy, but that was because of his size and being in the Paras for so long, because some of those guys are big and hard, it’s part of the job, but to be fare you have to be hard and imposing to jump out of a bloody airplane even with a parachute.
But Dave really was a good guy to run with, and he’d do anything to help just like almost every driver at A One. By the way what are you doing driving, have all the mechanics gone on the road now, or is it because even your job has changed so much like driving and anything else in this country, you should have gone to Australia with your brother, there’s lots of jobs out there, and the weather’s better.
I
Hi Jack
I went to work for another firm in Leeds running there workshops for about 10 years but got fed up with it. I`ve been an owner driver since.Our kid is working in a coal mine down in OZ, they put him through his licences to drive those big Cat dumptrucks and he had a stint driving a bonneted Freightliner !!. He ended up working on the coal face as there was more money. He just got a recent promotion. He doesnt do any roadracing now just dirtbiking. I couldnt imagine him driving for a living as he was a lunatic when he was younger, he smashed every car/bike up he had
Mark R:
Thats a nice story Dry Ginger, glad you liked the photo. I did’nt work for A One myself but used to see their motors quite a lot. Lets hope some more A One photos pop up.
I will try to find the Volvo F12 photo sometime this week as its another cracker. It has Alec on the front, do you remember him?. Ive also got a photo of a DAF 2800, i dont remember A One having many Dafs.
Hi mark,the f12 with alec on it will be a driver called Alec Kinnon who now works for stobarts along with cuddles and few more ex a one drivers,cuddles on page 4 with dhd380y
talking of dafs,the last batch of continental trucks bought by a one was daf XL ,may be because they were cheap,they were on n reg plates and our only Volvo fh which cuddles had from new
OK Keith 2. I’ll try & put it on later in the week.
ur rite jack another reunion wud b great for D/L/S/ drivers all except that little s–t ed marshall did e turn on other drivers
there is sum drivers i have not seen since i left a one in march 1994.
this for dry ginger, there is not many who can remember ralph crabtree with the bean in is beard i only no one other a one driver saying that and that was that ■■■■■■ marshall who went in the office.
hi jack,remember tony wood going to some one who had broken down abroad and was going out to pick it up with the wrecker.when he came back he was telling the story that he was following you going out,late at night he was on the CB to you and said can we pull over you said why,all i can see is 8 sets of back lights.you must have done some hours driving for him to say that
keith 2:
hi jack,remember tony wood going to some one who had broken down abroad and was going out to pick it up with the wrecker.when he came back he was telling the story that he was following you going out,late at night he was on the CB to you and said can we pull over you said why,all i can see is 8 sets of back lights.you must have done some hours driving for him to say that
Yes I do remember Tony following me home, he had gone to Aosta to bring back Jim Cappel’s unit, and he followed me back, It’s strange how you remember things when we start talking, I remember were going down towards Bourge down the long hill, it was snowing as usual and I let it rip down as usual “completely forgetting Tony until he called me on the CB”, when he shouted I cant keep it straight we were doing about 70, and the unit on tow was doing it’s best to throw him in the ditch, it was swaying all over the place, “so slow down we did”, I didn’t want to be responsible for he going to hospital with a tractor unit up his arse, and we were half way to Paris when he said He could see two of me and eight lights in front of him, so he must have been tired, so we pulled off and went to bed, where all good drivers go today, (if you ask me they get too much sleep today) they spend too much time parked up, but Tony was a good bloke and it was a pleasure to work with him, both at Fielders / Chapmans / and One Transport, he’s just one hell of a great guy and always has been, unfortunately the only time I ever see him now is when we go to a drivers funeral, but if we do manage to have another get together Tony has to be there and as many of the mechanics and drivers as we can get together, I dont think Dennis wants Chris Marshal there though, it must be that £5 note he lent him 20 years ago.■■?
Not an ex employee of A one but have enjoyed reading the thread.
I worked at Panalpina, City Rd Bradford from the mid 70’s to early 90’s
Some names mentioned as in “wonder what they’re doing now” context I can maybe help with.
Albert Doyle, is still around, I see him every month at the union meeting.
Terry Mortimer, sadly died earlier this year
Paul Henry, retired about 18 months ago I think, still see occaissonally.
Frank McQauide, is also still around, last saw him about 6 months ago
Joe Wood, I think that this is the same J Wood,(guessing at around 70+'ish old now) he is still around and I see him at the union meetings as a retired member
Tony Daynes is definately still around, but sadly Granville died a couple(maybe 3) years ago.
I am in regular contact with Albert Doyle and will mention this thread to him, sadly I don’t have his e-mail address but have sent a link to George Doyle who will pass it on no doubt…
As I am Branch Sec for the TGWU 8-9/30 Bradford branch I have access to some names and addresses. Whilst I cannot give these details out I am happy to pass on your contacts to any old workmates that I can contact.
Hi A1 drivers just a quick test of my photobucket test session to see if I ,ve done it right.
One of JMR at The Junction March 2003
Jack Graham:
keith 2:
hi jack,remember tony wood going to some one who had broken down abroad and was going out to pick it up with the wrecker.when he came back he was telling the story that he was following you going out,late at night he was on the CB to you and said can we pull over you said why,all i can see is 8 sets of back lights.you must have done some hours driving for him to say thatYes I do remember Tony following me home, he had gone to Aosta to bring back Jim Cappel’s unit, and he followed me back, It’s strange how you remember things when we start talking, I remember were going down towards Bourge down the long hill, it was snowing as usual and I let it rip down as usual “completely forgetting Tony until he called me on the CB”, when he shouted I cant keep it straight we were doing about 70, and the unit on tow was doing it’s best to throw him in the ditch, it was swaying all over the place, “so slow down we did”, I didn’t want to be responsible for he going to hospital with a tractor unit up his arse, and we were half way to Paris when he said He could see two of me and eight lights in front of him, so he must have been tired, so we pulled off and went to bed, where all good drivers go today, (if you ask me they get too much sleep today) they spend too much time parked up, but Tony was a good bloke and it was a pleasure to work with him, both at Fielders / Chapmans / and One Transport, he’s just one hell of a great guy and always has been, unfortunately the only time I ever see him now is when we go to a drivers funeral, but if we do manage to have another get together Tony has to be there and as many of the mechanics and drivers as we can get together, I dont think Dennis wants Chris Marshal there though, it must be that £5 note he lent him 20 years ago.■■?
saw al kinnon about 6 month ago,said the same thing about Chris,he also must have lent him a fiver
DRY GINGER:
Hi A1 drivers just a quick test of my photobucket test session to see if I ,ve done it right.One of JMR at The Junction March 2003
Hi Stewart, now you can give me some instruction, that’s a good shot of JMR, I have to say he looks a lot healthier there than he did a couple of weeks ago when I went to see him in the retirement home, I sent you a pm but dont know if you got it. :- Jack
DRY GINGER:
Hi A1 drivers just a quick test of my photobucket test session to see if I ,ve done it right.One of JMR at The Junction March 2003
Hi Stewart, now you can give me some instruction, that’s a good shot of JMR, I have to say he looks a lot healthier there than he did a couple of weeks ago when I went to see him in the retirement home, I sent you a pm but dont know if you got it. :- Jack