I worked for sid in the early eighties. Passed my class one on a friday and started on the monday driving a F86 for a good while then onto a column change MAN and finnishing off with a F10. Was working at that time with some good lads ie John wood [died last year] Blondie wright [a great bloke he also died last april] Tony smith[selwyn] Ralph reay [ex Geoff reynolds] Gerry page, Billy mchale, Tony bandy [now with RPL i see him in felixstowe regularly] Danny wright [blondies son also at RPL] Mick daily, Sid philpot, Robin thomas[tommy] Tony jones [believe still doing part time at sibleys] Julian mead. Ted dunston [i believe ex pent brown now on abbey roadtanks] Black ace was then the fitter there and the yard was at billington [pents old yard] Fred hawkins and Milan had their workshop in the same yard [now in Sids yard at grovebury road. Sid is a great bloke still likes a beer last see him at Blondies funeral last year. When i get time have pictures of some of Sids fleet shall put them on here.
Fred hawkins is related to Hawkins transport. He is one of the three sons of Big Pete [a true gentleman] I sat at school with the youngest son Jimmy worked for them for 11 years before going on my own. They are a great family good straight people.
littlerichard
There were a few names from the past (and jogged my memory)
Sid Philpott an ex H.G. Brown man – is he still with us + his pipe ?
Geoff Reynolds – still around ? Married to Sid Golby’s daughter of Ray’s !
Ted Dunston – remember him & Alastair on TIR for Dawsons going to M.E.
Black Ace – Keith by any other name I assume ■■
Bob Day – where do I know Bob from in “the good old days” ■■
Fred Hawkins & Milan Goljar both ex H.G. Brown as fitters !!
Anyone mentioned Avery’s on this thread & Frank Katyla (Polish Frank) who was there ■■
What company was based next to the “new” rugby club ground before trailer hire ?
Ken Brownings in L.B. – used to be where inner ring road is now opposite car park at back of library – still going ■■
littlerichard:
I worked for sid in the early eighties. Passed my class one on a friday and started on the monday driving a F86 for a good while then onto a column change MAN and finnishing off with a F10. Was working at that time with some good lads ie John wood [died last year] Blondie wright [a great bloke he also died last april] Tony smith[selwyn] Ralph reay [ex Geoff reynolds] Gerry page, Billy mchale, Tony bandy [now with RPL i see him in felixstowe regularly] Danny wright [blondies son also at RPL] Mick daily, Sid philpot, Robin thomas[tommy] Tony jones [believe still doing part time at sibleys] Julian mead. Ted dunston [i believe ex pent brown now on abbey roadtanks] Black ace was then the fitter there and the yard was at billington [pents old yard] Fred hawkins and Milan had their workshop in the same yard [now in Sids yard at grovebury road. Sid is a great bloke still likes a beer last see him at Blondies funeral last year. When i get time have pictures of some of Sids fleet shall put them on here.
Tony Jones - Theres a name i forgot… Man with the False leg… Last time i saw him was about 5 years ago in Billingborough, he was on for Sibley and had a Silver SSC, He worked with my old man at JLS too many moons ago…
Ted Dunston - Yep he is on Abbey now, was/is Ex City/RPL amongst others…
Danny Wright - He is Ex Siddy Edwards and Dukes, now the Ops Director at RPL…
littlerichard
There were a few names from the past (and jogged my memory)
Sid Philpott an ex H.G. Brown man – is he still with us + his pipe ?
Geoff Reynolds – still around ? Married to Sid Golby’s daughter of Ray’s !
Ted Dunston – remember him & Alastair on TIR for Dawsons going to M.E.
Black Ace – Keith by any other name I assume ■■
Bob Day – where do I know Bob from in “the good old days” ■■
Fred Hawkins & Milan Goljar both ex H.G. Brown as fitters !!
Anyone mentioned Avery’s on this thread & Frank Katyla (Polish Frank) who was there ■■
What company was based next to the “new” rugby club ground before trailer hire ?
Ken Brownings in L.B. – used to be where inner ring road is now opposite car park at back of library – still going ■■
Ken Brownings - Do you mean RK Browning, the Slag/Cement Tankers??
They were up on Grovebury Road when they old “Billington Pit” was there, then when they flatened it to build an industrial Estate, they moved into Firbank Way… Abot the same time the got bought out/in partnership with Croxton and Garry/Britomya… They used to run old ERF’s and maybe Seddons too if memory serves…They then sold out to a mob fron Kent, who’s name escapes me now… Mettalic Silver/Blue Motors,pulling Cement Tankers, had a Bull Nose Scania… What were they called!!!
Avery’s are still going strong too, they have scaled it back a little now though, got 2 FH’s on Whitbreads and a few 8 wheel tippers IIRC…
Bob Day - I work with Bob at Fastmag, Bob was as far as he tells us, one of Peter Cooks Top Boys, got a few tales to tell… Also worked for Nellen and Quack i think too…(i may be wrong on that though)
Any one remember a guy called Ray Tutt, also from Leighton…
Buzzard Boy
R.K. Browning were originaly where West Street is now – I believe there are flats there now – I’m going back a long time (when I wore a young mans clothes). I think they sold out to Cyril Knowles I might be wrong).
Bob Day – yes I know him now - on for Peter Cook along with Terry Tapp & Martin Kempster (RIP) – !!
Avery Transport still pulling for Whitbreads ■■
Whitbreads – any one know if Russ at A.W. Transport still going (believe he was behind the developement of Luton Truckstop) !!
Tony Jones – working on H.G.Brown when he lost his leg, accident on M6 if I remember correctly… What about the guy who was with him at the time – Brian Green – still around ■■
H.G.Brown ex drivers where are you all now ■■
Sid Phillpot
Ralph Draper
Ted Dunston + his brother
Roy Jackman
Stan Bourne
Alan Waite
Ian Gilchrest
etc etc etc
Cyril Knowles!!! Thats the one, I was thinking of Civil and Marine…
As for Brian Green, yes he’s still about, Was on for Fastmag, left to work for OBL European in Leighton Buzzard, and now is trying to get back on Fastmag as OBL have lost most of their Euro work…
Ian Gilchrist, I may be wrong, but if its who i am thinking of, he lived across the road from me until i moved back in August last year… I think if its the same man, he’s onfor Tescos now…
AS far as i know Avery’s stil do a bit for Whitbread, got 2 FH’s on for them i believe.
BuzzardBoy:
littlerichard:
I worked for sid in the early eighties. Passed my class one on a friday and started on the monday driving a F86 for a good while then onto a column change MAN and finnishing off with a F10. Was working at that time with some good lads ie John wood [died last year] Blondie wright [a great bloke he also died last april] Tony smith[selwyn] Ralph reay [ex Geoff reynolds] Gerry page, Billy mchale, Tony bandy [now with RPL i see him in felixstowe regularly] Danny wright [blondies son also at RPL] Mick daily, Sid philpot, Robin thomas[tommy] Tony jones [believe still doing part time at sibleys] Julian mead. Ted dunston [i believe ex pent brown now on abbey roadtanks] Black ace was then the fitter there and the yard was at billington [pents old yard] Fred hawkins and Milan had their workshop in the same yard [now in Sids yard at grovebury road. Sid is a great bloke still likes a beer last see him at Blondies funeral last year. When i get time have pictures of some of Sids fleet shall put them on here.Tony Jones - Theres a name i forgot… Man with the False leg… Last time i saw him was about 5 years ago in Billingborough, he was on for Sibley and had a Silver SSC, He worked with my old man at JLS too many moons ago…
Ted Dunston - Yep he is on Abbey now, was/is Ex City/RPL amongst others…
Danny Wright - He is Ex Siddy Edwards and Dukes, now the Ops Director at RPL…littlerichard
There were a few names from the past (and jogged my memory)
Sid Philpott an ex H.G. Brown man – is he still with us + his pipe ?
Geoff Reynolds – still around ? Married to Sid Golby’s daughter of Ray’s !
Ted Dunston – remember him & Alastair on TIR for Dawsons going to M.E.
Black Ace – Keith by any other name I assume ■■
Bob Day – where do I know Bob from in “the good old days” ■■
Fred Hawkins & Milan Goljar both ex H.G. Brown as fitters !!
Anyone mentioned Avery’s on this thread & Frank Katyla (Polish Frank) who was there ■■
What company was based next to the “new” rugby club ground before trailer hire ?
Ken Brownings in L.B. – used to be where inner ring road is now opposite car park at back of library – still going ■■
Ken Brownings - Do you mean RK Browning, the Slag/Cement Tankers??
They were up on Grovebury Road when they old “Billington Pit” was there, then when they flatened it to build an industrial Estate, they moved into Firbank Way… Abot the same time the got bought out/in partnership with Croxton and Garry/Britomya… They used to run old ERF’s and maybe Seddons too if memory serves…They then sold out to a mob fron Kent, who’s name escapes me now… Mettalic Silver/Blue Motors,pulling Cement Tankers, had a Bull Nose Scania… What were they called!!!
Avery’s are still going strong too, they have scaled it back a little now though, got 2 FH’s on Whitbreads and a few 8 wheel tippers IIRC…
Ray tutt worked at marley tiles he checked the loads and put on the tile fittings.When marley packed up he drove for JLS. I believe his father was Ted tutt who drove for averys for over 30 years [he died years ago]. RK Browning yard was at the side of the ring road where the bus garage is. There fitter was a man by the name of Bonny his surname being Bonfield. His son is Martin bonfield who drove for redland vandyke road for a lot of years.
I do remember RK Browning at the Bus Garage, that was when e very first moved to Leighton Buzzard…
I was thinking of where the Library is now… thats where i got confused…
Buzzard Boy
You mentioned OBL on international in L.Bzd. – don’t know them, who are they ?
Are the Italians (Transmec) still in Pete Roff’s yard ?
OBL is Phil obrien. He parked in Sids yard at billington in the eighties dont know where he parks now. Borrowed a lightboard off me some years back not seen it again.
I think the man who was with Tony jones when he lost his foot was Bill hagowood [not sure if spelt correct] they ran into the back of another waggon in the fog on the M6.
littlerichard
Wouldn’t argue about who was with Tony Jones – on the M6 near Stoke I think the accident was & I believe it was a “wrecker” that was hit when it pulled on to the Mway too fast & drifted over (if it’s the junction I’m thinking of it joins Mway on a sweeping bend)
Bill Hagglewood – a legend in his own lifetime – a good old Heath boy !! I wonder if he still walks amongst us ? Many a story abounds about Bill & his strength – including hitting a horse so hard (punched) at blacksmiths that he knocked the horse out - this during a shoeing session !!
littlerichard
Phil Obrien – not local lad then ?
Who is it running trucks for Transmec out of L.Bzd ?
Big Leggy:
littlerichard
Phil Obrien – not local lad then ?
Who is it running trucks for Transmec out of L.Bzd ?
The Transmec Trucks were run by Bob Wyatt( R Wyatt International Transport), I am pretty sure Bob is a member on here too…
As for Phil O’Brien, not sure if he is local or not, has been in Leighton for a while, as i has a mate who drove his F12, then FH12 when he got that about 12 years ago… And he was an O/D in the area for a while before that, so has been around a time…
Sorry to ■■■■ in, tried this on an Oxford thread with not much joy so thought you chaps might help. Looking for info on couple of lads I went to school with in Oxford, ran as Dykes Bros. contracted for Crendon Concrete out Aylesbury way. seem to remember they had orange Leylands but that might have been Crendon’s colours. It is their livery, sign writing etc I am interested in. Thanks. 
The driver of this F12 was Tony smith [selwyn] one of two vehicles bought new the other driven by John wood [woody] both units later being converted to six wheelers for 38 ton.
This F10 reg PBW 616W i drove
This smashed F10 was driven by Ged bates when he ran up the back of the one in front. Was on the De La Rue job and should have had a guard with him but his passenger changed to a different truck probably saved his life. (Danny wright just caught in the picture eyeing up the damage)
