I stumbled onto this page when searching for Parkers, my dad, Keith Goddard worked there for years, he had that old A series ERF nicknamed ‘The Submarine’, apparently at first no one would tell him why it was called that! He also said it was Bill Smith? that put it in the drink? I spent most of my childhood with my Dad in various Parkers lorries, I even had a Parkers knitted jumper! Can remember a big Renault 340 that my dad had D749 WDO I think it might have been? Also a Renault rigid, an ERF E10 that he had later on before he left as well?
I can remember a few of the drivers too, Mick Hill, Den Tansley and Rob Morton spring to mind!
Dad always says they were the best driving years of his life!
Here’s a photo of me and him together in front of his MAN, I think he jackknifed it once in Leicester! Oh and apparently I once kicked the handbrake off in that Renault 340 in Southampton once! Whoops!
Love to hear from anyone with any other memories or anyone who can remember my Dad?
holbeach_legend:
I stumbled onto this page when searching for Parkers, my dad, Keith Goddard worked there for years, he had that old A series ERF nicknamed ‘The Submarine’, apparently at first no one would tell him why it was called that! He also said it was Bill Smith? that put it in the drink? I spent most of my childhood with my Dad in various Parkers lorries, I even had a Parkers knitted jumper! Can remember a big Renault 340 that my dad had D749 WDO I think it might have been? Also a Renault rigid, an ERF E10 that he had later on before he left as well?
I can remember a few of the drivers too, Mick Hill, Den Tansley and Rob Morton spring to mind!
Dad always says they were the best driving years of his life!
Here’s a photo of me and him together in front of his MAN, I think he jackknifed it once in Leicester! Oh and apparently I once kicked the handbrake off in that Renault 340 in Southampton once! Whoops!
Love to hear from anyone with any other memories or anyone who can remember my Dad?
Pete
Hi Pete i just replied to your post in another thread… yep i know your dad bless him had many laughs with him over the years too … the submarine was KCT 260 P ( an A Series ERF with a 220 ■■■■■■■■ it had been put in the river Glen that ran alongside the yard twice one of the guys that did was a guy called Alan Grimer from donnington way i think they ended up putting a blue cab on it with butler and Anderson written on it … that motor was jinxed because not only did it go for a swim twice but it had to be re-cabbed when it was a few months old back in the 70s because pete chenery ( you dad will know him too) was taking a load of paper to northampton if i remember rightly and for some reason he hit the brakes hard and the reels came rolling forward over the cab, Pete was one lucky trucker that day it totalled the cab, i remember the other drivers saying how he got out of it without a scratch was a miracle. Mick Hill and Den Tansley are on turners running out of Quadring last i heard Rob was pulling Tankers out of Baston … old bill has retired now but i still see him now and again in spalding …Some other Guys that Kieth would know are : ray woolsey tony woolsey paul twell baz ( bunt twell) den truepenny cliff gosling richard ( wilky ) wilkinson Dave ( i dont give a f*** ) woodbine malc munton george thompson nigel wells bob cooper too name but a few … there were a few others as well on locals.
Pete
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Hi Pete i just replied to your post in another thread… yep i know your dad bless him had many laughs with him over the years too … the submarine was KCT 260 P ( an A Series ERF with a 220 ■■■■■■■■ it had been put in the river Glen that ran alongside the yard twice one of the guys that did was a guy called Alan Grimer from donnington way i think they ended up putting a blue cab on it with butler and Anderson written on it … that motor was jinxed because not only did it go for a swim twice but it had to be re-cabbed when it was a few months old back in the 70s because pete chenery ( you dad will know him too) was taking a load of paper to northampton if i remember rightly and for some reason he hit the brakes hard and the reels came rolling forward over the cab, Pete was one lucky trucker that day it totalled the cab, i remember the other drivers saying how he got out of it without a scratch was a miracle. Mick Hill and Den Tansley are on turners running out of Quadring last i heard Rob was pulling Tankers out of Baston … old bill has retired now but i still see him now and again in spalding …Some other Guys that Kieth would know are : ray woolsey tony woolsey paul twell baz ( bunt twell) den truepenny cliff gosling richard ( wilky ) wilkinson Dave ( i dont give a f*** ) woodbine malc munton george thompson nigel wells bob cooper too name but a few … there were a few others as well on locals.
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Hi Stu,
Just picked up your other post from the other thread. Dad is still driving, he’s got a DAF at the moment, although he often says it’s not the job it was! I remember a few of the old drivers, Dad and I were discussing them after I found this post. I seem to be able to find a few Machins pics but sadly no Parkers which is a shame, I did have some pages that went in either the Free Press or the Spalding Guardian a while back (I used to work at the Guardian) that’s got a few deent pics on as well so I’ll try and root them out!
Dad laughed when I mentioned KCT 260P to him, he described it almost word for word as you put it before I’d even mentioned anything more than the reg number, he said apparently you could see it lit up with the lights still on whilst it was in the River Glen?
I can remember Pete Chenery myself, didn’t his son work for Parkers at one point? I seem to remember my dad having an E10 after him? Think it was a D or E plate?
Parkers and all the local haulage companies were such a big part of my childhood, shame that none of them are about now, my poor nan bless her knitted me a jumper for Parkers, Machins, Dears of Donington and Fruitex!
I’ll raid mum and dads photo collection to see if he has anymore!
I remember Parkers from Surfleet when I was on nights running over Woodhead,they were to be seen quite regular along with Machins.
One of Parkers Leyland Comets,an Arthur Hustwit photo I think…
What happened to Fruitex from Spalding,I remember them as well.
Thanks for the pic! As for Fruitex, they are now part of Turners I think? Certainly Turners operate out of their old yard in Donington.
Pete
Thanks for that Pete.
I remember one night one of Parkers artics was stood somewhere near Deepcar on the A616 going out of Sheffield towards Woodhead.He had a half load of strawberries and the lot had come adrift.I stopped to give him a hand but the load was a right mess so I took him to the nearest phone box and waited while he got through to Surfleet and then took him back to the wagon.IIRC it was an “A” Series ERF and the trailer had a sheet at the back instead of a back door.He had tipped half a load in Parkway Market,Sheffield and was on his way to either Manchester or Liverpool with the rest.
When I passed the place on my way back to Maltby about 0500 the wagon had gone.I always wondered what happened to the driver,he weren’t very old if I remember correctly.
I’ll ask my dad about that one Chris, he may well know who it was or know about the story! I can vaguely remember a trailer like that one you mention, with the sheet instead of back doors, although I was probably only 4 or 5 years old then!!
Fruitex had some half decent motors from what I remember, I think I did see some pics on one of the threads on here. I seem to remember a driver called Chippy I think who had a nice Renault, again it was a long time ago!!
Chris Webb:
I remember Parkers from Surfleet when I was on nights running over Woodhead,they were to be seen quite regular along with Machins.
One of Parkers Leyland Comets,an Arthur Hustwit photo I think…
What happened to Fruitex from Spalding,I remember them as well.
Chris
Hi Chris thanks for the photograph … it was the only one i could find until pete posted the one with him and his dad … i think the incident at Deepcar was before mine and petes dads time …i mean we are both still spring chickens ha ha … The photo that you posted was taken outside the entrance to the old covent gardens in London . many years ago
I lived in Surfleet and drove for Parkers as a casual during the late 1960s / early 1970s then went full time in 1979 I was given the " Rolls " to drive an A class ERF with a RR Eagle 220 engine which was as noisey as hell and a right hanfull. This old tank had a split screen the only one on the fleet . I did not like market work so did a lot of general haulage mostly off Boston Docks , thats when I rolled the Rolls and writ it off going through Bingham on the way to Winsford with a double stacked load of bales of Rayon much to the joy of the workshop crew although Roger Parker was not best pleased. Drivers I can remember were Bill Smith ( Now Deceased ) John Seargent , Jack Twaite , Pete Chenery ,Bunt , Crimmy ,■■■■■ , Dereck Chamberlain , Albert Cooper , Tony Ray , Tony Woolsey , Colin Bendle , Alan Grimer , Harold Todd , Den Tansley , Les Parker , Tommy the tyre man / painter ,Brian Wilkinson , Parkers were better known as " The Antiques Roadshow " or Tower Hill with a red stripe . It was hard work and long hours not being able to finish until the last market wagon was loaded, but well paid and fun whilst it lasted with some of the drivers having worked with then for years . I remember Sugar Beet carting as a good bit of crack easy day work.
Hi Meat haulier… you would have been with them when i was a lad loading after school, i remember the rolls if memory serves me correct it was J reg. i remember Tony Smith had it for a while too. I always wondered what happened to that old girl now i know. I am gutted to hear about Bill Smith, i only saw him a few months ago, i didnt know he had gone to the big greasy spoon in the sky bless him. You know the lads always said if you had a load of spuds that had been loaded by Bill Smith or John Sergant then you didnt need ropes or anything because they would never move. Colin Bendle has retired now was doing a bit of gardening and odd jobs last time i spoke to him mind you that was about 3 years ago now. Tony woolsey is still doing a bit for Turners he just turned 73 or 74 last month ( funny you should speak of tower hill, he started his driving carrer with them, always called him the old git ha ha ) Derek Chamberlain … i remember one night i went with for a ride out, i was 15 at the time i have never experienced so much pain in my life before or even since, he made me laugh so much on the way back from Birmingham market i hurt like hell… top bloke and is still around but hasnt done alot due to severe back condition i think. Skeeter he is at Fowler welch now see him a couple of years ago in town still as dry as ever. I managed to blow UDO 704 K up the old girl went like mad, you kinda aimed it on cowbit bank and the old Crowland to Eye road and would have one eye open and made sure you had your elbows tucked tightly into your sides when you passed oncoming trucks … Kev Pratt is still going strong saw him the other week but not to speak to though another really nice guy that would help any one in a tight spot.
Hi … thanks for that …thats an old photo i think the curtain sider was the one of the first they brought … the reason i say that is because 260 P has still got the Parker livery instead of the blue Butler and Anderson livery after its dip in the river Glen lol. Do you have any more ? would be great to see them …it helps old gits like me, to remenice about the times when there where good jobs in Driving …
does anyone remember dears of donington good old market deliveries mostly volvo f10 and 12 with a couple of dafs good old boys nice to work for good boss hard work but appriated i had 5 years there myself
I am new here, just wondering if anyone here rembers Parkers Transport of Surfleet lincs, i worked for them back in the 1970s after school unloading then reloading the trucks for market deliveries… When i was old enough to take my HGV they paid for it , Roger Parker bless him could give a rollicking better than any man i have ever known, i have to say though even though it was damm hard work i miss working for them and have never had a job like it since… Parkers closed down at the beginning of the 1990s…it was a sad loss to the industry, i know many a driver from there that had a tear in the eye when the job closed down .
Hi there ,
i can certainly remember parkers and fletchers too used to see them a lot when i was a kid iused to ride up to birmingham in one of jack richards albions parkers had an unusual paint job if i remember rightly.
have you got any pics of those days ?
bill
Eyup Market man.Yes,I remember Parkers of Surfleet,green with red writing weren’t they? They did a lot of Sheffield/Manchester/Liverpool markets and I remember them in the 60s,70s and 80s going over Woodhead at night. One of them lost a load of strawberries somewhere near Stocksbridge one night,and I stopped to see if there was owt I could do but the driver said everything was sorted.There was no sign of the wagon or it’s load when I came back early next morning.I always thought Machins took them over,apparantly not.
yes Parkers trucks were green with a red stripe, Sadly Roger Parker passed with the big “C” at only 39 years of age, so Rogers dad George knowing that Roger wasnt going to make it, just ceased trading, a lot of PARKERS market work went to Broncos Haulage and also to Gosberton Haulage. The drivers went to various firms around the area namely, Gosberton Haulage,Machins, Broncos, Fowler Welch, Hargraves etc.
I remember the Manchester run well more often than not we used to get Sheffield and sometimes Nottingham first then over woodhead to Manchesters New Smithfield Market then most nights onto Bolton then finishing in Liverpools Edge lane Wholesale Market we used to go all over the UK markets and often ended up reloading all kinds of stuff. Like is said in my earlier post hard work but the best days of my life.
I worked for Gosberton Haulage for 3 years till they finished in 1994 and we used to work out of Parkers old yard in Surfleet.Had a lot of grief from the locals because of the narrow road by the river which they said was unsuitable for lorries…
I remember there was a map of Britain in the middle of the office from Parkers time fixed to the ceiling. It was like a roller blind and when undone fully reached the floor from the ceiling and was about 4 feet wide .
Yeah that bloody map !!! big one wasnt it ? so you from your time at gosberton Haulage do you remember Les Ward, Chris deacon, Cliff Gosling and his brother Trev… And has for the narrow road just by the school one Parkers “A” Series ERFS went into the river Glenn,In fact it happened twice in the same spot and believe it or believe it not it was the same truck that went in ( KCT 260P ) In the end it had a blue cab on it with Butler and Anderson on the doors, we all used to call it the submarine.
I drove for Gosberton Haulage for a while after Parkers went, i left because ex wife the 1st and me divorced and i was left literally holding the baby ( well two toddlers)
Hi Market man remember all those you mentioned, Trevor Gosling died about 2 years ago Cliff has retired i think. Les Ward
was that the chap they called Pop Bottle because of his glasses ? unfortunately he died as well .I think a lot of drivers went to either Fowler Welch or Hargraves,i ended up at Fowlers but only stuck it for 3 months. Great job till it went belly up .
