fireman1945.:
Hi Ronnie
I am living just outside of Whitby, Dean Hall, 5 dwellings and a converted pig sty, which is our bungalow. That will raise some comments no doubt.
Dodge Vans- got one when it was still in primer and travelled all over in it! Berwick on Tweed,Maiden Head for Black and Decker. Then ended up with a Ford Custom Cab. Then 8 leggers. Left Dents and drove coaches,Partime. Joined Fire Service early 70s, retired and went to work on North Yorkshire Moors Railway and drove the odd steam loco! Finally retired at 69yrs, from been Foreman of NEWBRIDGE loco shed. So that’s me up to date! How are you doing Ronnie? and where are you these days?
Hi Colin, I remember the Dodge walk-thru vans. Dents had 4 delivered in 1966:- MUP133D which you got, MUP134D I think Frank Hudson got, NPT881D Stephen Wragg, and PUP536D which Basil Reavley got. I did drive one myself about 68 but can’t recall which one. I’m still living in Marske by the Sea, only been here 39 years. Semi retired many years ago on health grounds but officially retired last year. We often go to Victoria Garden Centre in Whitby if you fancy a coffee and a catch up or you are quite welcome to visit us in Marske if you prefer. Speak later, Ronnie.
Hi lads, i seem to think John Willitts got one new. one of them had Commer badges on it. I remember one day one of them stoped in a layby, and another one traveling in the opposit direction went across the road to the layby and they reversed into each other, but i can’t remember the drivers names.
Regards Ken
fireman1945.:
Hi Ronnie
I am living just outside of Whitby, Dean Hall, 5 dwellings and a converted pig sty, which is our bungalow. That will raise some comments no doubt.
Dodge Vans- got one when it was still in primer and travelled all over in it! Berwick on Tweed,Maiden Head for Black and Decker. Then ended up with a Ford Custom Cab. Then 8 leggers. Left Dents and drove coaches,Partime. Joined Fire Service early 70s, retired and went to work on North Yorkshire Moors Railway and drove the odd steam loco! Finally retired at 69yrs, from been Foreman of NEWBRIDGE loco shed. So that’s me up to date! How are you doing Ronnie? and where are you these days?
Hi Colin, I remember the Dodge walk-thru vans. Dents had 4 delivered in 1966:- MUP133D which you got, MUP134D I think Frank Hudson got, NPT881D Hi Ken9 years. Semi retired many years ago on health grounds but officially retired last year. We often go to Victoria Garden Centre in Whitby if you fancy a coffee and a catch up or you are quite welcome to visit us in Marske if you prefer. Speak later, Ronnie.
Hi lads, i seem to think John Willitts got one new. one of them had Commer badges on it. I remember one day one of them stoped in a layby, and another one traveling in the opposit direction went across the road to the layby and they reversed into each other, but i can’t remember the drivers names.
Regards Ken
Hi Ken, you’re probably right about John Willets getting a new one but I don’t think he drove it for long before leaving to go to W.H. Williams. Colin and Basil definitely got a new one so maybe John got one of the others. You’ve been very quiet on here lately, hope you are keeping well, Ronnie.
Sorry Ronnie wrong one forgot his second name but this Ronnie had an episode with his stove In a Sed Akt hence the fireman connection. Nice lad Ronnie but demetia coming in names always escape me.
Thanks Darren yes I needed help I`m hopeless remembering names although events I remember though sometomes putting a time frame on it not easy. 29yr Bloody hell getting old
Lawrence Dunbar:
Kieth, do you remember Tom Gray Transport from that area, A pal of mine Sid Davison [RIP] Used to drive for him he had an Atki Artic, he left there 1973 7 & came to work for Shorties where he ended his working life, a true gent was Sid. Regards Larry.
Hi Larry, Tom Gray used to run 2 or 3 six whelers out of spennymoor in the early sixties.I only knew Tom and his son Maurice,they sometimes used to tip return loads in Dents wharhouse.In the middle 80’s i used to service and repair Maurice’s 6x4 Transcon unit when he was running M/E Regards Ken
My cousin Dougie Milburn (R.I.P.) used to drive for Tom Gray in the early/mid sixties.
So sorry to hear of the passing away of Des Mitchell recently. Des, aged 90yrs when passing away, was driving for Dents when I started as an apprentice fitter in 1965. A real character with lots of tales to tell. I recall him and Kenny Johnson’s Uncle Tom daring each other to drink antifreeze after a lunchtime drink in the Black Horse. R.I.P. Des.
I was sorry to hear about the death of Des.
When Des left the royal navy ( after serving on HMS Sheffield at the end of the war ) he started at Proud bro. John Henry was transport manager.
He went on the dole for 6 months till John Henry set up his company. Des (the duke) & Roger always got the new motors as they came, untill they both got Atki vans. Roger went as warehouse manager, Des kept his van on General foods (Birds) untill the van trailers came and he got 684 MPT new still on the Birds job.
He once got fined for doing 30 mph in London, he told the cop he was only moving with the traffic but the cop pointed out his 20 mph plate on the back of his motor.
Snowd in on Standedge for 5 days once him and some other drivers stayed at The Floating Light pub, he never went back to pay his bill.
he allways had a lot of stories ot tell.
kennyjohnson:
I was sorry to hear about the death of Des.
When Des left the royal navy ( after serving on HMS Sheffield at the end of the war ) he started at Proud bro. John Henry was transport manager.
He went on the dole for 6 months till John Henry set up his company. Des (the duke) & Roger always got the new motors as they came, untill they both got Atki vans. Roger went as warehouse manager, Des kept his van on General foods (Birds) untill the van trailers came and he got 684 MPT new still on the Birds job.
He once got fined for doing 30 mph in London, he told the cop he was only moving with the traffic but the cop pointed out his 20 mph plate on the back of his motor.
Snowd in on Standedge for 5 days once him and some other drivers stayed at The Floating Light pub, he never went back to pay his bill.
he allways had a lot of stories ot tell.
Regards Ken[/ Cracking photos Ken, Keep them rolling, Regards Larry.
Photo of Dad (Ronnie Moore, aka Globetrotter), northbound on the A1 circa '86/'87 in A546DDC before it was written off after catching fire in Helston, Cornwall.
The photo was taken by a lad who used to work for Pearson’s of Great Ayton (green Volvo’s on tipper work now based at South Bank, Middlesbrough). He used to live near Bramham and would park his motor in the long layby on the southbound side. It got nicked one night from there.
dm7301:
Photo of Dad (Ronnie Moore, aka Globetrotter), northbound on the A1 circa '86/'87 in A546DDC before it was written off after catching fire in Helston, Cornwall.
The photo was taken by a lad who used to work for Pearson’s of Great Ayton (green Volvo’s on tipper work now based at South Bank, Middlesbrough). He used to live near Bramham and would park his motor in the long layby on the southbound side. It got nicked one night from there.
Cheers,
Darren
Here’s one of DH Pearsons FL10 at the old Ayton yard.
I was sorry to hear that Barry Burton died about 3months ago. When i started at Dents in 1960 Barry was driving a BMC LDO2 van on local. When he left after a lot of years he started up ABC trucking with Tucker Carr, later he was transport manager at Containerships, while running 2 or 3 units of his own at the same time under the name of Thatcher transport. Bruce Lynley (sweaty betty),and John Bell used to drive for him I did maintenance for him when i was at West Auckland. Barry also raced f1 stock cars,so did Frank Hudson.
Ken
Hi all, I have no idea how I have came across this forum but my grandad was mentioned in this conversation, Maurice Robertshaw unfortunately today is the second anniversary of him passing but has been lovely reading this
I worked for John Henry from 1968 when I left the Army after serving with the Royal Army Service Corps and the Royal Corps of Transport in Germany and Malaya. I worked for Dents three times in all, they were based in Tudhoe Colliery Spennymoor, I also worked for David Clifford at Garmondsway, John Dee at Mainsforth Colliery and a short spell with Taffy Davis.
Although most of us drove old trucks, I remember it being a fairly happy outfit, I started off with an old rigid Atkinson with a 30ft box van 786 FPT, this was later taken off and made into a flat bed for Asbestos deliveries all over the UK. I was later promoted to an Atkinson eight wheeler and finally made it onto an artic which allowed me to get the new HGV1 licence on grand father rights.
Most of the drivers names I have forgotten (I’m now 68 so I think Alzheimers has set in) But I remember “Pineapple”, Roly Dodds, Cloughanie (I think that was his name, lived in the yard in a caravan), more names will come to me later. At the time Dents had depots in Hackney, London and Garston, Liverpool, Most of the driver were all hard drinkers and I soon got into the hang of it .I moved down south in the late 70’s and over to Ireland in 93 and worked for Sherlock Transport Services, Navan, Co Meath.
By the way, my name is John McNally, so if there’s anyone out there who remembers me, lets hear from you.
Hi Mac, I can remember you starting at Dent’s in 68, at the time I was an apprentice fitter or had possibly just transferred onto the local delivery side of things. Roly Dodds recently passed away and the Clownie you talk about was probably Tony Claughan who used to do the Petfoods night trunk from Melton Mowbray with an Atki 8 wheeler. Glad you’ve started a thread on Dent’s, it might attract other ex personnel to post, possibly with photo’s. Regards. Ronnie Briggs.(Not The Train Robber).
Mysterron:
Hi Mac, I can remember you starting at Dent’s in 68, at the time I was an apprentice fitter or had possibly just transferred onto the local delivery side of things. Roly Dodds recently passed away and the Clownie you talk about was probably Tony Claughan who used to do the Petfoods night trunk from Melton Mowbray with an Atki 8 wheeler. Glad you’ve started a thread on Dent’s, it might attract other ex personnel to post, possibly with photo’s. Regards. Ronnie Briggs.(Not The Train Robber).
You sure you arn’t the train robber lol. I remember Tony doing the night run for petfoods, that’s how I got onto 8 wheelers, I did the day deliveries for him. is he still about? sorry to hear about Roly RIP. Do you remember Pinapple, moved up from Brighton way, I got him the job on Dents, last met him in the Truckers restaurant at Hilton Park some years ago, I was driving for Sherlock Transport Services at the time living and working out of Navan, Co Meath, Ireland, never seen him since. Do you see any of the lads about, I’ve just remembered Ronnie Moore, he was a good mate at the time, we got up to larks.
I can’t recall a ‘‘pineapple’’, obviously his nick-name. I left Dent’s when I got my HGV in 71 and started for Barron’s. I think Ronnie Moore had left Barron’s and started for Dent’s at about the same time. Kenny Johnson, who was a fitter at Dent’s has posted on another thread (Old North East Companies). He worked for Taffy at some stage. I left the area in 75 after marrying and moving to Teesside, working for Durham’s and then into ICI working on mobile cranes. I’ve been retired now for several years due to ill health. I have also posted on W H Williams of Spennymoor thread. This is a very good thread and tells quite a few stories of the company. Keep posting, Ronnie.
Mysterron:
Hi Mac, I can remember you starting at Dent’s in 68, at the time I was an apprentice fitter or had possibly just transferred onto the local delivery side of things. Roly Dodds recently passed away and the Clownie you talk about was probably Tony Claughan who used to do the Petfoods night trunk from Melton Mowbray with an Atki 8 wheeler. Glad you’ve started a thread on Dent’s, it might attract other ex personnel to post, possibly with photo’s. Regards. Ronnie Briggs.(Not The Train Robber).
I can remember Ronnie when a load of young drivers used to do local deliveries around Durham, Yorkshire and Newcastle area’s in Dodge vans, I remember you all used to get your deliveries around north Durham and Newcastle done and meet up at a cafe near South Shields called the white Mare Pool (wonder if it’s still there) to go swimming in Sunderland. One day I was in the area and met you all there and followed you into Sunderland…bad idea… a lot of the roads where still cobbled in the sixties/seventies, I had the old Atki with the box van on 786 FPT, you lot where charging on with me trying to keep up, when you raced through a low bridge leaving me stuck on the other side lol, luckily I managed to stop on the wet cobbles, after not being able to find any of you after finally finding a way round the bridge I returned to Spennymoor where, once you all returned had a good laugh as I did my nut. The vehicle number of the Atkinson 4 wheeler I drove 786 FPT and the name of the White Mare pool cafe where given to me by Kenny Johnson who was a fitter at Dents.
