James Nuttall's in Castleton

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS OLD TIME LORRIES, COMPANIES AND DRIVERS (INTERACT
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Anyone have any stories or reminiscences from when they were in Hollinwood or Heywood or anyone worked for his father (Think he was called Harry, although that could have been James’ brother and possibly it was the father Harry who was based in Hollinwood?) or did anyone work there in the early to mid 1990’s when based at castleton?

My dad used to work for James’ dad and then drive for James when he set up on his own and then i worked there in the early to mid 90’s

My dad passed away at the end of 2003 aged 53 and kinda miss the place and the stories he would be always reminiscing about.

From my time there I remember pretty much all the drivers but so few of the names, ticky, dave byrne, terry burke, mick watts, michelle watts, ernie johnson (he passed away circa 1994 and was an absolute diamond of a fella, never met as nice a bloke before or since). alan mcminn, alan reid, donald sigsworth, another belting bloke, infact thinking back most of the drivers were belting fellas etc. Transport manager at the time I was there was John Lord and garage manager was Harry gaskill. There was a big giant of a man who worked in the garage who had come in from poland, brilliant bloke and harold a fitter and another chap in the garage whose name eludes me along with a couple of younger lads (I started there at 16 and left about 18/19)

I remember once in my youthful exuberance tipping one side of a curtain sider fully laden only to watch it drop on the other side and dump the remaining contents outside the yard they had on gorrells way (schoolboy error, but I was just out of school so thats my excuse) :blush: … terry burke and another terry (again, can’t think of surname but smoked a pipe), two drivers both helped me handball the lot back onto pallets and sort it out before the gaffers found out lol great times

Don’t half miss it.

as an aside, I was told once by John Lord that the livery colours were chosen to mimic the rnli lifeboats, with the idea being that to the customers who needed something shifted desperately, they would be “rescued” by the road going “life savers”.

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I will add a little bit more in case it helps people’s memories along or whatever.

My dad was called Richard Bastin, I think he drove for readyfusion/telefusion at some point and after his time at Nuttall’s went to work at Carpet Express and stayed there until he became ill. His uncle was Dennis Lawless who went to live in Immingham and he started up his own haulage firm, Immingham transport I think it was called? (my mum has just informed me it was called lawtrans) Dennis died a few years back, possibly in the 1990’s while in his 50’s, His son carried on the firm but I think they have packed in now.

I have dug out some old pics of my dad and Nuttalls and carpet express wagons and will include them here for general perusal, I have seen a wicked thread by bubbleman full of old scraps of motor transport clippings I am slowly working my way through but don’t want to add things to that and ruin the thread, but if bubbleman is ok with it and may find it useful then either I or the mods can move the pics over?

There is also a guy called Paul who owned a website full of old truck pictures but I believe he has had some issues with the hosting etc? I don’t know his name on here maybe moomooland? but if the pics are useful to him he is more than welcome to use them on his sites in the future if he sets them up again.

Anyway, here are the few pics I can find (the carpet express pics were actually out of focus so can’t do anything about that?):

This first one was taken from Paul’s site a while ago (apologies if Paul doesn’t want this photo to be used, please remove if it is a problem) as it could have been James Nuttall Junior and my dad driving although obviously we can’t tell from the picture but I do know James Nuttall sometimes had my dad take his lad out on runs with him, I think Mick Watts also did the same on occasion.

My dad and a lady who might have ran a boozer/cafe/truckstop/whatever in bedfordshire? Again, I don’t know her name?

My dad again on the left, don’t know the name of the guy on the right?

Mick Watts on the right, dad on left:

Tried getting the reg (LED 644W I think)in focus on this if anyone else remembers this wagon or drove it etc?

here’s the tiddler I drove on the granada contract:

Carpet Express:

My Dad at Carpets:

Finally, my dad on holiday having a very rare bevvie lol Miss you dad!

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Dazzer, I worked with Richard at Carpet Ex until he left. A Fine Gentleman! Taken from us far too soon with that scurge of lorry drivers, diabetes.

A funny point in my life I will never forget…It was John Taylors retirement do at Lowerplace Liberal Club and it was in the upstairs room. We carried your dad upstairs as he was down to one leg by then, he laughed all the way up the stairs and bloody well howled when we dropped him on the way down when we’ed all had a drink or two.

It was a pleasure to know him, Andy Fitton.

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Hi Dazzer, I used to talk to your dad and Mick Watts when we used to stop overnight at the Brickmakers arms nr.Kempston Beds. We had some good laughs there ! I contracted for Delta metals at the time for BRS.

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Andy,

Thank you very much indeed for your lovely comments, it is really superb to hear from folk who knew and or worked with my dad, brings him alive again even if it is only in text on a screen.

I am sat here with a tear in my eye, thank you again for your memories and lovely comments, it really does mean the world to me and is great to read other people’s memories of him.

I should think like most on here, we chose driving as a result of wanting to be like our dad’s and doing what they did, most important person I will ever know. Thank you for your post.

Trev,
Again, fantastic to hear your comments, and thank you so much for replying. I haven’t seen or spoke to Mick Watts in close to 20 years (since I left Nuttalls), but it was always great to work at Nuttalls as there were still a lot of the guys who worked with my dad working there (early to mid 1990’s). Made you feel a part of something greater than yourself kind of thing lol

My dad would have been 62 if he was still alive, so while I don’t know your ages, I hope you both have a very many years left yet and enjoy your retirements when they come, if not already.

Thanks for the comments, it has been a pleasure and a joy to read them and means so much to me.

All the very best lads, and hope you both have a great christmas and a happy new year!!!

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Just had a search for the bricklayers arms, found this, seems it is no more… Suppose time just keeps marching on:

bedfordshire.gov.uk/Communit … sArms.aspx

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dazzer1975:
Just had a search for the bricklayers arms, found this, seems it is no more… Suppose time just keeps marching on:

bedfordshire.gov.uk/Communit … sArms.aspx

Yes,that’s the old place Dazzer, Pat Lennon was the landlord when we used to go in there, in later years Mick parked on the industrial estate as he visited a ladyfriend :wink: near the police headquarters.

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Shame it has fallen into disrepair and not still going strong. Yes, Mick ended up separating from his wife about 15-17 years ago…I saw his misses (No idea if they ever got back together though?). Apparently he had a few rocky patches over the years with the wife… no wonder really :unamused: :laughing:

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A few years ago James was kind enough to let me have a number of old images of the company from when they originated in Hollinwood.

Nuttalls Yard.jpg

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Hi Moomoo land

Oh that is fantastic, thank you for the heads up, you have some cracking pics up already… I’ll bookmark that album and will enjoy looking back over the pics.

:grimacing:

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James was the son of Henry Nuttall who had a depot on Canal Street in Heywood and had a fleet of red motors,part of the site is still a warehouse but the other side is now housing.

James bought out Wilkinson Van Transport who were an offshoot of Wilkinsons Transport of Rochdale who’s colours were orange, hence the livery of J. Nuttall’s. They were based at Victor Street Hollinwood and traded under the Wilkinsons VT name for a short while.

I applied for a job there in 1977 as at that time they were still paying the enhanced rates of the previous owners but was informed that would not last long so I stayed where I was. Shortly after I got a job at Carpet Express, which was called Wilkinsons Transport Carpet Division(or something similar) at their original depot at Stakehil until 1980. I did a night trunk to Birtley for a large part of that time.