Hi, Im new to this site and am looking for old photos of Clarks Haulage. My reason being is that George Clark was my Grandfather and Bill was my uncle. Family photos of the business are thin on the ground and other peoples photos and stories are always very interesting.
I remember coming down to the yard when I was young and going out in the trucks and the pickup from time to time. Scotch corner and Hendon docks are places I remember going to regular with my granda. Hope some old drivers can help.
Hi George and welcome to the thread. I worked for Clarks from 1979 to 1984 when Ferguson bought them out and learned my trade at Clarkies. I think I’ve put all the pics from Clarks that I have but I’ll have a rake round and see if I can find any more. You could try looking on the Old North East Hauliers thread. Have you tried young Bill Clark as there used to be a load of black and white photos in the entrance to the traffic office going back to the days when the yard was in Trimdon Street. I presume that these were rescued when Clarks moved to Woodbine Street after the Ferguson take over. Found a pic of George looking out the traffic office window. It’s not very good but better than nowt.
Frankydobo:
Some good pics of Clarks Bri, I worked with Stevie Clark at Fergies Sunderland he was a smashing lad but I didn’t get on at all with Bob Brown the gaffer at the time, who I believe has past on now. There were some good lads at the Sunderland depot at the time and I often went over to Blyth to load paper as I had one of the four 38 tonners then. I can’t recall any other names from Clarks that went over to Fergusons (memories knackered) but I’m sure there were one or two. Seaham Docks for steel to Hartlepool was a staple diet too and steel sections from South Hylton, Harry something but again the memory has blanked, I believe it was a Clarks job once and cranes out of Coles.
Some good jobs apart from Nissan I hated that bloody place and even managed to get banned! Happy days Franky.
I remember some of those jobs to as i drove the Fergies artics as a reserve driver the 4 wheeler flat being my normal drive Seaham docks to Hartlepool pipe works Steel from Harry Lawsons i think it was fertilizer from ICI in Middlesborough to ships in Seaham and getting hassle at the fertiliser factory because we had queue priority and some of the other guys waiting for back loads didnt like us going to the front as we were loading a ship that was due out on the next tide. Had a lot of work from Groves cranes and a company in Bolden called Hashimoto. Also flat pack furniture from the factory behind our yard to Trafford park every morning 3 oclock start did that for months pulling a furniture van and it was all hand ball. Used to stop at the Quernow everyday on the way back up. Lots of work out of the mines to Seaham, Easington, Murton and Wearmouth spring to mind remeber being in Wearmouth half way up the wheels in mud and got a puncture Bob Brown bollocked me as if there was anything I could have done to prevent it. Franky did you get banned from Nissan for running over a security guys foot I seem to remember that happening
Anybody remember Clarks Haulage from Sunderland. They ran out of the Parade in Hendon until 1984 when they were bought out by Fergusons of Blyth.
i remember clarks well. i used to take paper from hendon paper mill to the railway sidings next to clarks yard. just before they sold out to fergies either clarks son or nephew got a brand new sed atki 400 series. looked smart in their red and silver livery.
Stephen Clark that was,his old man and Bill Clark were cousins. I’ve got a picture of that motor somewhere, it was on a T reg 1979 the year we were out on strike.I worked 5 year at Clarkies, learnt my trade there, nowt but flats, all roping and sheeting then left in 1984 to work for Les Sampsons on Sunderland docks on the containers- easy life. Working at Fergies now who bought Clarks out so I’ve come a full circle.
those photos have brought back some memories. got any more?
Some good pics of Clarks Bri, I worked with Stevie Clark at Fergies Sunderland he was a smashing lad but I didn’t get on at all with Bob Brown the gaffer at the time, who I believe has past on now. There were some good lads at the Sunderland depot at the time and I often went over to Blyth to load paper as I had one of the four 38 tonners then. I can’t recall any other names from Clarks that went over to Fergusons (memories knackered) but I’m sure there were one or two. Seaham Docks for steel to Hartlepool was a staple diet too and steel sections from South Hylton, Harry something but again the memory has blanked, I believe it was a Clarks job once and cranes out of Coles.
Some good jobs apart from Nissan I hated that bloody place and even managed to get banned! Happy days Franky.
who’s pinched me piccies?
dont know where they went, but ill put them back on 
Cheers mate. Here’s a few more plus one of Smith & Dixon’s Seddon that I drove about 1979, just before Ray Dixon closed the gates for good.
brilliant pictures. my dad worked for smith and dixon in the early 60s. hers one of their finest 
Bit before my time then. As I said I worked at Dixon’s when he called it a day, he went to work for Clarks for a bit, something to do with his pension Ithink, and he got me a start there. By the way the driver in the green boiler suit is Stephen Clark who started at Clarks straight from school and stayed till a couple of years back, he’s now at Port of Tyne. The kid in the pics is my lad who’s 36 this year!
Anybody remember any other hauliers in Sunderland from the past? What about Wearside Carriers, G.O.Mitchell,Smiths who ran out of a yard at the back of the Mayfair Buildings,C B Chastney, Spoors from So. HYLTON, Smith & Dixon,and the own account operators such as Vaux Breweries, Pyrex, Vedrapac,Walkers Century Oils, Tenerhurst & Steels Engineering.
i will tell my mate twinsplitter to put some more photos on he has got threads on here for c b chastney and spoors who he both worked for i enclose a photo of a model i built for him 
i worked for spoors and chastneys.heres a few i ve driven over the years 
Thanks for them Twin Splitter, I remember that old F reg 88 , where was the pic taken it looks like Sampsons yard on Sunderland docks.