Hi all, it’s along shot but has anyone got anything (photo’s or otherwise) on Farming supplies (Maldon) Ltd of Essex??. they were a relatively small firm producing animal feedstuffs and delivering them to farms ect all over the south-east and beyond. For many year’s they ran a small fleet of Gardner 240 powered B series ERF’s, the last of which came out of front line service in 1996 with nearly 2 million clicks under its belt! After being taken over by Bibby Aggriculter the Mill, which sat right along-side the river Blackwater, was eventually closed and the vehicle’s were transfered or sold on. Part of the Feed mill is still there but is slowly being demolished.
My farther once worked for this firm in the late 70’s til the mid 80’s and he has said that it was probably the best firm he has ever worked for, he first drove an AEC Marshall (fitted with a 760 lump out of a Mandator, she was no slouch!!) before being given a brand new B series Artic in 1980 fitted with 8LXB-240 and Fuller Roadranger 10 spd box. This motor, along with R, S & V reg units of the same spec, did sterling service for the company with the R and V reg both doing 12 year’s trouble free work before being part-ex’d for new E series (1 of which was stolen), and the W reg lasting 16 year’s before being sold on to a showman for further service. A ■■■■■■■ 250 powered SedAtki was also purchased in 1980, and although being very fast, was found to be unsuitable for running the Blowing gear for discharging the load’s and the fuel consumption left alot to be desired compared to that of the 8-pot Gardner which was alway’s 2-3 mpg ahead of the 14 litre ■■■■■■■■■
They kept the Seddon 400 though, because, like the Gardner, it was very reliable. It too gave good service, lasting until 1994, the biggest problem being cab rot, she had at least 2 re-cab’s and numerous ‘patch-up’s’ in her 14 year’s and the last 3 years were spent as a yard shunter before she threw a piston out the side of the block (it had featured in Shunter of the month, in Truck & Driver mag).
The last Vehicle purchased was an ERF EC10 in 1994, and is now being run by a showman in near-by Chelmsford, and after the Bibby take-over in 96 new vehicles were bought by Bibby’s, these being 2 Volvo FL10-360 unit’s and a couple of Leyland Constructor’s transfered from other mill’s and being painted into the smart Beige and Royal blue livery of Farming Supplies.
Bibby’s shut the mill in about 2000, the take-over was alway’s about a high -protein feed for dairy cow’s that Farming Supplies had developed over many year’s and was one that Bibby’s wanted.
I and my farther have many happy memories of this firm, and seeing the ‘SMOG’ covering the surrounding area made by those 240’s firing up at 4am is now but a distant memory, so if anybody has any photo’s or if anybody out there used to deliver to Farming supplies, it would be nice to hear from you as the last pic’s i had were lost by REVS ERF club!!
Cheer’s Chris 