Micro Removals Margate
Coming from a generation when vehicles were taxed according to their unladen weight, and when we took great effort to minimise this, and although diesel and petrol was much cheaper, and lower percentage of running costs,we considered fuel consumption, and made that a major purchasing choice, I cannot understand the thoughts of many of today’s removal contractors who are running 6 wheelers.
I have heard the explanation that today people have more books, and they need to be able to carry heavier loads. Yet again in my day we moved many who had massive book collections, and lets face it, in these internet days very few people have full sets of Encyclopaedia Britannica when it is so easily accessed on the net.
An average Bedford TK with a wheelbase extension taking up to maximum length, could easily cope,within its gvw in the days of heavy furnished houses, which often had up to 8 full size old fashioned wardrobes. I cannot help think that any experienced operator who watched his costs, overheads and vehicle choice could soon put many out of business.
I stand to be corrected.
Carl Williams:
Ridley’s Allendale
Fair ole diesel tank on the Dodge.
One from the archives for a change . 
A Bedford SB chassis with an Arlington Coronet 1,770 cu. ft. body.
Photographed in the Commercial Motor , dated July 3 rd. 1953.
Cheers , cattle wagon man.
Anyone remember Morley Brothers of Eastbourne? I started with them way back, I was a porter on 338CBK, an Albion Claymore, with a guy named Ray Goodger…I still keep in touch with him. We had great times back then, hard graft sometimes, but good times.
I had a couple of years on Morleys before going onto Pickfords in Eastbourne…now they were good days with the old Bedford TK’s, we even had one with the old four pot motor in it, awful thing to drive.
The fleet…
Our Claymore 338CBK…
The antique Ford Trader…lord knows how that ever kept going.
Rich
Some nice old pictures there Richard , do you miss the bad back ,tips etc ? 
JAKEY:
Some nice old pictures there Richard , do you miss the bad back ,tips etc ?
Funny enough Jakey, I never (or very rarely) suffered from bad backs or anything like that all the time I was on the removals, or later, on a dustcart. As soon as I swapped to driving a sweeper, the troubles started…one slipped disc, sciatica, rheumatoid arthritis in both knees, shoulders, hands and fingers, two heart attacks, and more recently, COPD. I guess the swap from being active all day to a more lethargic work lifestyle upset the system completely…
But yes, I do miss the tips…they were very useful, used to top the old wages up quite nicely. Best job we ever did (on Pickfords) was when we moved Peter Grant (Led Zepplin’s manager) into a huge mansion in Hellingly (Sussex). He took us to lunch every day of the move (eight days all told) to the pub opposite the gateway to his house, we all had tickets to see Led Zep at Wembley (those that didn’t want to go had cash to the value of instead) a poster signed by the band members, and at the end of the job, we all were given £20 each. Remember this is going back…what, thirty years plus, that was a lot of money then. Despite his fearsome reputation, he was a ■■■■ nice guy, he looked after us as though we were family. I even got a ride in that huge limo that was used in one of Led Zep’s videos.
Rich
cattle wagon man:
One from the archives for a change .A Bedford SB chassis with an Arlington Coronet 1,770 cu. ft. body.
Photographed in the
Commercial Motor, dated July 3 rd. 1953.Cheers , cattle wagon man.
Hi Cattle wagon man,
I always get pleasure in seeing old pre diesel SBs whoever built the bodies.
We had one petrol from 1952 and two from 1953, they were so different from anything else on the road at the time. So different from the two OBs we were running before and with them(THe old normal Control passenger chassis the SB replaced) To me they heralded a new demention of pantechnicon vans and such a shame that probably none have been preserved
Carl
Hi Carl
Coming down the A1 the other night near Gosforth I noticed in my mirror a small transit type luton van belonging to Britannia removals what caught my eye as it passed by was written on the back doors something along the lines of ’ hire this van self drive’ looks like have joined the self drive brigade. regards prattman.
prattman:
Hi Carl
Coming down the A1 the other night near Gosforth I noticed in my mirror a small transit type luton van belonging to Britannia removals what caught my eye as it passed by was written on the back doors something along the lines of ’ hire this van self drive’ looks like have joined the self drive brigade. regards prattman.
Hi Prattman
Sign of the times, I suppose.
Sad isn’t it. With people living in their own homes, and spending on home improvements and the pride in the furnishing and house content, you would think they would more than ever want the services of a professional removal contractor.
We had it good in the old days when no one could get A licences and no self hire.
Carl
Carl Williams:
Cripps removals Wantage.An early 1960s example of an integral pantechnicon built on a Bedford TK by Marsden
I remember Cripps of Charney well as I used to drive coaches for Len Stevens who was the operator in Charney at that time . I believe
Cripps was taken over by Lukers some years later -not sure – toshboy
What were the benefits of being a member of NAFRW or the BAR ?
Can remember the smaller independent firms displaying the badges on their vans but not the “bigger players”.
When we moved from Cambs, we had Brewin removals, who had a number of businesses in March including a funeral directors. Anyone worked for them?