I thought this one rang a bell and after a bit of thinking and on the internet I have some more info.
Whilst I was traffic manager on Henleys we had a subbie down in East kent called Robert Beer he ran about 4 rigids from the Sandwich Deal area.
I subbed a load to London markets to him and he had a problem a bit later rather than drop me in it he had a chap who done a few loads for him , so after a conversation I decided to use him through Robert.
Early evening the old Atkinson pulls in and I just thought to myself what have I done.
Speaking to the owner driver who was a nice bloke I think his name was Malcolm we had a chat about Atkinsons and Gardners bearing in mind this was the early 1990s.
When he decided to get to get rid of the Atkinson he did ring Jack Henley up and ask him if he was interested.
I have found a photo of the old Atkinson but if you look at the headboard of the photo already posted you can just about make out part of the name Todd.
The photo I have found shows it coming down the Broadway In Maidstone in Kent on the curtains Smiths is blanked out but you can still see Faversham on them.
240 Gardner:
cav551:
If the radiator grille badge is correct and it does (or did) have a 6LW20 then it won’t have carried much weight as a drawbar outfit - bruce boxes, Dutch trays etc. 14 Pallets of apples was around 10.5 tons. H reg is after Plating came in so its GCW is unlikely to have been more than about 20 or 22 tons, by the time the trailer’s unladen weight is added there’s not much left.
According to the Facebook post, it’s plated for 24T GTW, so that must have been before the implementation of the 6 bhp/ton in April 1973, as 24T would require 144 bhp
lawrence2765:
0I thought this one rang a bell and after a bit of thinking and on the internet I have some more info.
Whilst I was traffic manager on Henleys we had a subbie down in East kent called Robert Beer he ran about 4 rigids from the Sandwich Deal area.
I subbed a load to London markets to him and he had a problem a bit later rather than drop me in it he had a chap who done a few loads for him , so after a conversation I decided to use him through Robert.
Early evening the old Atkinson pulls in and I just thought to myself what have I done.
Speaking to the owner driver who was a nice bloke I think his name was Malcolm we had a chat about Atkinsons and Gardners bearing in mind this was the early 1990s.
When he decided to get to get rid of the Atkinson he did ring Jack Henley up and ask him if he was interested.
I have found a photo of the old Atkinson but if you look at the headboard of the photo already posted you can just about make out part of the name Todd.
The photo I have found shows it coming down the Broadway In Maidstone in Kent on the curtains Smiths is blanked out but you can still see Faversham on them.
240 Gardner:
cav551:
If the radiator grille badge is correct and it does (or did) have a 6LW20 then it won’t have carried much weight as a drawbar outfit - bruce boxes, Dutch trays etc. 14 Pallets of apples was around 10.5 tons. H reg is after Plating came in so its GCW is unlikely to have been more than about 20 or 22 tons, by the time the trailer’s unladen weight is added there’s not much left.
According to the Facebook post, it’s plated for 24T GTW, so that must have been before the implementation of the 6 bhp/ton in April 1973, as 24T would require 144 bhp
I remember Todd’s Atiki in Faversham. IIRC, he had it cut down to a flat and used it with a drawbar trailer on bulkbins farm collection work. Ro
lawrence2765:
I thought this one rang a bell and after a bit of thinking and on the internet I have some more info.
Whilst I was traffic manager on Henleys we had a subbie down in East kent called Robert Beer he ran about 4 rigids from the Sandwich Deal area.
I subbed a load to London markets to him and he had a problem a bit later rather than drop me in it he had a chap who done a few loads for him , so after a conversation I decided to use him through Robert.
Early evening the old Atkinson pulls in and I just thought to myself what have I done.
Speaking to the owner driver who was a nice bloke I think his name was Malcolm we had a chat about Atkinsons and Gardners bearing in mind this was the early 1990s.
When he decided to get to get rid of the Atkinson he did ring Jack Henley up and ask him if he was interested.
I have found a photo of the old Atkinson but if you look at the headboard of the photo already posted you can just about make out part of the name Todd.
The photo I have found shows it coming down the Broadway In Maidstone in Kent on the curtains Smiths is blanked out but you can still see Faversham on them.
240 Gardner:
cav551:
If the radiator grille badge is correct and it does (or did) have a 6LW20 then it won’t have carried much weight as a drawbar outfit - bruce boxes, Dutch trays etc. 14 Pallets of apples was around 10.5 tons. H reg is after Plating came in so its GCW is unlikely to have been more than about 20 or 22 tons, by the time the trailer’s unladen weight is added there’s not much left.
According to the Facebook post, it’s plated for 24T GTW, so that must have been before the implementation of the 6 bhp/ton in April 1973, as 24T would require 144 bhp
Marvellous, thank you very much! And yes, it did pre-date the power-to-weight legislation, and would have made stately progress at top weight
One of Jack Henleys line ups on the field at Spelmonden nr Goudhurst.
A line up of 6 240 Gardner powered Seddon Atkinson 400s.
It was quite handy the Henleys being into farming as this field was used many a time for the lorries to be lined up and photographed by professional photographers who would then make larger pictures for the office walls.
lawrence2765:
0One of Jack Henleys line ups on the field at Spelmonden nr Goudhurst.
A line up of 6 240 Gardner powered Seddon Atkinson 400s.
It was quite handy the Henleys being into farming as this field was used many a time for the lorries to be lined up and photographed by professional photographers who would then make larger pictures for the office walls.
Two questions Lawrence 1) Were all Henleys Curtainsiders “Boalloy” Tautliners or did they have a few spurious ones ? 2) And as a matter of interest which drive axle did they have ? Seddon Group maybe ? Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
lawrence2765:
0One of Jack Henleys line ups on the field at Spelmonden nr Goudhurst.
A line up of 6 240 Gardner powered Seddon Atkinson 400s.
It was quite handy the Henleys being into farming as this field was used many a time for the lorries to be lined up and photographed by professional photographers who would then make larger pictures for the office walls.
Two questions Lawrence 1) Were all Henleys Curtainsiders “Boalloy” Tautliners or did they have a few spurious ones ? 2) And as a matter of interest which drive axle did they have ? Seddon Group maybe ? Cheers Dennis.
In the early days we had a couple of lightweight Fords that had curtainside bodywork done by a local company called Ellis in the neighbouring village of Five Oak Green , one was an M reg D series RKO 420M and the other being an A series Ford ( Transit on Steroids ) of similar age and possibly a chassis cab Transit that had a curtainside body on.
Our first rigid to have a Boalloy tautliner body was an L reg Aec Mercury 4 wheeler followed by a 1976 Aec Marshall from then on all rigids had boalloy bodywork even the 4 x 7.5 tonners we ran.
As for trailers all of our fleet were boalloy tautliners or Insuliners , until we moved onto Gray Adams fridge vans.
As you know full well only Boalloy made Tautliners and anything else on the market were curtainsiders and the same for insuliners they were only made by Boalloy all rest were curtainsiders with fridge motors.
Regarding the axle sorry cant help Jack specced and ordered all the motors himself and all maintenance was carried out offsite at the workshops on the Henley Family farm at Spelmonden nr Goudhurst.
On the subject of Jack I spoke to him last night first time in a few years as I am working on a little project for him.
He turned 81 last month says hes not as agile as he was but he is still keeping busy.
Thanks for the interesting Gen on the Henley fleet Lawrence ! Pleased to hear that Jack is still knocking about and is Roy Hook still about these days ? Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
Thanks for the interesting Gen on the Henley fleet Lawrence ! Pleased to hear that Jack is still knocking about and is Roy Hook still about these days ? Cheers Dennis.
Sadly my phone call with Jack was rather a short one , once things settle down I will be going to see him.
I will ask about Roy and let you know.
Regards Chris Lawrence
In the August edition of Classic & Vintage Commercials will be part 1 of an article on Henley Transport Co Ltd.
A short history has been written by Jack Henley himself and I have added a few bit.
Hope you enjoy it.
lawrence2765:
Bewick:
Thanks for the interesting Gen on the Henley fleet Lawrence ! Pleased to hear that Jack is still knocking about and is Roy Hook still about these days ? Cheers Dennis.
Sadly my phone call with Jack was rather a short one , once things settle down I will be going to see him.
I will ask about Roy and let you know.
Regards Chris Lawrence
I last saw Roy about 10 years ago when I walked into R W Simpson in the hop board as an agency driver to find he was the Transport Manager there. Even though it had been some 30 years since I left Henleys, Roy immediately recognised me and walked over for a chat. I don’t think he was too happy there later.
cav551:
lawrence2765:
Bewick:
Thanks for the interesting Gen on the Henley fleet Lawrence ! Pleased to hear that Jack is still knocking about and is Roy Hook still about these days ? Cheers Dennis.
Sadly my phone call with Jack was rather a short one , once things settle down I will be going to see him.
I will ask about Roy and let you know.
Regards Chris Lawrence
I last saw Roy about 10 years ago when I walked into R W Simpson in the hop board as an agency driver to find he was the Transport Manager there. Even though it had been some 30 years since I left Henleys, Roy immediately recognised me and walked over for a chat. I don’t think he was too happy there later.
Well cav 551 I was informed by a good source that there was a bit of a fall out between Roy and David Simpson the son of the owner.
David tried telling Roy how to run a fruit haulage operation in Kent.
Of course Roy had been doing this for over 30 years and what he didn’t know wasn’t worth knowing.
Roy in no uncertain terms told David don’t you ever tell me how to do this job and he left within a short while of his own doing.
Was this old wrecker ever restored? There was a post on here eight years ago suggesting it would be.
sandway:
Was this old wrecker ever restored? There was a post on here eight years ago suggesting it would be.
The old Mate for is in the hands of Henry Bruce.
Henry’s grandfather was the late David Colvin who used to be the workshop foreman on Henleys.
I do believe it will be restored but I think.its a case of when time permits.
ERF-NGC-European:
The Standard Vanguard on the trailer appears to be a company vehicle. Ro
0
Jack Henley had a large collection of classic commercial vehicles,I’m guessing the Vanguard pickup forms part of that collection.
David
ISTR washing various members of his classic & vintage car collection virtually daily for the first six months or so on the company. It’s well over 40 years ago now but I think between Jack and Father there was a Silver Cloud, possibly a Bentley as well, an E type, an XJ12, a Riley, a Landrover and a Porsche 911.
Jack was and AFAIK still is into his cars but there were never any airs and graces about him, for everyday use he would run around in a Mini pick up and they were some horrible colours too.
I did some research on the Austin coach PS1805 for the photo on my Flickr site -
Austin K2/SL with Aberdeen Coach Bodies C20F bodywork.
The coach was new in July 1949 to Watt, Reawick, Shetland.
It was then purchased in 1968 by Sandwick Transport, of Lerwick, Shetland.
P. Moore of Beckenham bought it for preservation in 1975, who sold it in April 1980 to N Marshall, Huntingdon for ongoing preservation.
Jack Henley purchased it in 1989, and had it painted in his Brown and White fleet livery.
It was kept by Henley until September 1998, when it was sold to R.Dudding of St Mary’s Bay.
It is currently (2012) stored out of use on a farm in the Ivychurch area, (The DVLA shows this as last licenced January 2000).
There was a reply to this by John Wakefield 7 years ago who said-
“Apparently some dispute over storage fees between the owner & the land owner, meanwhile the poor old bus is left in limbo”
It moved to Shetland in 2013. It had been bought by preservationists on the island who have recovered it from Kent.
Here’s the link to my Flickr photo-
flickr.com/photos/16684904@ … ist-bC7z7e
Jack used to own this 1952 Leyland Royal Tiger as well which appeared sometimes at the Detling bus rally until quite recently.
flickr.com/photos/beerdave1745/7662417808
Photo courtesy of Ashleigh Pike.
sandway:
Photo courtesy of Ashleigh Pike.
That’s taken at Wollaton Park, Nottingham at an AEC Rally, “Lofty” would have brought the AEC Matador.
