I remember a lad called Larry Parks drove for Davis Bros, he had an 8wheeler Scammell , I think it was an Ex Currie & Co Ltd wagon Reg JVK ■■? 1945ish Reg. He Worked for Orrell &
Cont, & Brewster before going over to Davis Bros, I wonder if he is still about, nice bloke, he would help you out anytime . Regards Larry
My old guvnors Dad bless him worked there and used to say they had the best leylands in the country.If you evry went in to any Leyland depot with a problem the fitters would stop whatever they were working on and get you going right away also he used to say the Bros imported there own fitters fom turkey or some where I think
I heard quite a bit about this company (bit before my time though) from a real old character who sadly passed away some years ago. His name was Ken Morley and we both lived in the Padgate area (I still do.) I am assuming he must have worked for them in the very early 60’s and his claim to fame was that he was the first lorry driver to get a speeding ticket on the new M6 Preston by-pass. Not actually sure if he was with Davis then but I believe they didn’t hang about. I don’t know how true it was but I ran with him much later on at GL Baker and I could never keep up with him! A tall good looking chap (could have been a double for David Niven) with hands like shovels - he could also pick up 4 pint glasses from the top with one hand, and drink you under the table. Great man
barkingbill:
My old guvnors Dad bless him worked there and used to say they had the best leylands in the country.If you evry went in to any Leyland depot with a problem the fitters would stop whatever they were working on and get you going right away also he used to say the Bros imported there own fitters fom turkey or some where I think
Hi Barkingbill,
Davis went to Turkey and recruited Mechanics,came back and bought a 27 seater Bus put 2 Drivers on it and sent it to pick them up,brought them back some of them worked at Wapping and some at the Ranch Brentwood.
Ben.
ben walker:
barkingbill:
My old guvnors Dad bless him worked there and used to say they had the best leylands in the country.If you evry went in to any Leyland depot with a problem the fitters would stop whatever they were working on and get you going right away also he used to say the Bros imported there own fitters fom turkey or some where I thinkHi Barkingbill,
Davis went to Turkey and recruited Mechanics,came back and bought a 27 seater Bus put 2 Drivers on it and sent it to pick them up,brought them back some of them worked at Wapping and some at the Ranch Brentwood.Ben.
In the book “Where do you want this lot” by Bob Rust (if you haven’t read it I would highly recommend it) there is a chapter on Davis Bros. & it says the Turkish fitters actually lived in a container in Davis’ yard!
If my rusty memory cogs are working I re-call that at the end of the 60’s Davis Bros. were in all kinds of trouble with the South Eastern Licence authority and were continually making the headlines in Commercial Motor and other trade papers.they were eventually stopped from operating and lost their licence.But being crafty buggers they had a firm called Larrow Transport Northern Ltd. which had a licence for IIRC 10 motors and based in the North East.As there was little or no co- operation between the different LA’s the Davis’s kept rolling,well for a while anyway until the Northern LA caught up! Then the “ducking and diving” carried on for a while after with the Davis’s denying any involvement in Larrow.But eventually they got put off the road as well!! It really was good reading at the time as there was something in the Mags every week for long enough!! I think Ralph Hilton would then take over as “the wide boy cockney” haulier!! Cheers Bewick.
Aye I remember Larrow Transport, they had an office n the Quayside Newcastle, did steel out of Consett Iron Co,ran some bonneted Mercs,they had a driver killed one winter on the A1 M near Darlington a tragic thing. They used to treble sub work to drivers , mostley from the south, had a realley bad name in the north east.
IIRC Davis Bros used a yard just off the Felling bypass. One of our drivers went to work for them and when they closed came back to us. He said that Solly Davis used to drive around in a Rolls Royce car which never had a tax disc in it.
One of the Turkish fitters ended up working at the Leyland workshop on the TVTE Gateshead. Think he was called Yasha. Good lad too !!!
Didn’t they also run quite a fleet from Rolfe st. Smethwick ? dark brown Leylands I remember.
Hi tyneside Davis bros Felling Depot was in Abbotsford road ,which where Deighton Bros were and some years later we had a turkish electrician worked for us Regards crowbar
tyneside:
IIRC Davis Bros used a yard just off the Felling bypass. One of our drivers went to work for them and when they closed came back to us. He said that Solly Davis used to drive around in a Rolls Royce car which never had a tax disc in it.
One of the Turkish fitters ended up working at the Leyland workshop on the TVTE Gateshead. Think he was called Yasha. Good lad too !!!
pete 359:
hi,
is this the same davis bros?that had a yard in stormy down south wales years ago.they were a very big firm,i thought they were brown though? until now
regards andrew.
Thats the same Davis Bros.
Ben.
