Dixon’s F86 looks as if it’s about to topple, but probably just the camera angle. I drove for them for quite sometime as a casual, and it was there that I had my first brand new F88. On that occasion, on my first trip in a month or so for them I was tipping down south somewhere and the bloke tipping alongside said ‘nice motor, how long have you been with them?’. My half true reply ‘Oh, just since this morning’ really impressed him.
During a slack period Oscar recommended me to a subbie of theirs, Maurice Bradshaw, who had a 6 wheel Dodge tipper (which he drove) and a small Commer artic, also a tipper. I worked on that noisy monster for quite a long time till Oscar was short again and demanded my return. Maurice refused, saying ‘he’s my driver’, the reply from Oscar was ‘no he’s not he’s our driver, we only lent him to you’. Obviously I’ve been fought over by loads of women in my time, , but this was the first time it was 2 hauliers. Oscar won, and I rested my ears for a bit with the gig on the 88.
My young brother, with his brand new HGV licence did a casual shift as well. Trouble was he had never driven a motor with a diff lock before and went out with an 86 wondering for a long time why it was so difficult to get round corners.
The damage was expensive but Oscar was philosophical and it wasn’t his last shift. Oscar was the 2nd boss I knew that had the good sense to realise an honest mistake that would never be repeated, but another newbie might well do so.
My dad worked for emmersons one week in 1958 while on annual holiday from the whitiwck granite company. He drove an eight wheel leyland octopus out of bardon trips down to slough each day.I went one one of these with him all A5 m1 still on the drawing board stopped at the blue boar on the A 5 each morning for a cup of tea . This was one of two 8 wheelers the rest of the fleet seemed to be 4 wheel leyland comets . I dont think they kept the octopuses long I never saw them again
robinswh:
My dad worked for emmersons one week in 1958 while on annual holiday from the whitiwck granite company. He drove an eight wheel leyland octopus out of bardon trips down to slough each day.I went one one of these with him all A5 m1 still on the drawing board stopped at the blue boar on the A 5 each morning for a cup of tea . This was one of two 8 wheelers the rest of the fleet seemed to be 4 wheel leyland comets . I dont think they kept the octopuses long I never saw them again
Ay up Wayne. Yes my cuz started on an Octopus for them, there was no Comets just Foden MMs at that time, . He was promoted (?) to an old Aec mkv then onto a Foden . They did buy a new Aec MMajor E/F reg but it must have put them off,all Gardner’s after that until they tried a F88. Cheers Coomsey
I seem to remember that Mr T .W glover bought an aec eight wheeler mammoth major from emersons early 1960 s didnt keep it long though then like emersons on to fodens .Emersons yard was in belton then.
robinswh:
My dad worked for emmersons one week in 1958 while on annual holiday from the whitiwck granite company. He drove an eight wheel leyland octopus out of bardon trips down to slough each day.I went one one of these with him all A5 m1 still on the drawing board stopped at the blue boar on the A 5 each morning for a cup of tea . This was one of two 8 wheelers the rest of the fleet seemed to be 4 wheel leyland comets . I dont think they kept the octopuses long I never saw them again
Ay up Wayne. Yes my cuz started on an Octopus for them, there was no Comets just Foden MMs at that time, . He was promoted (?) to an old Aec mkv then onto a Foden . They did buy a new Aec MMajor E/F reg but it must have put them off,all Gardner’s after that until they tried a F88. Cheers Coomsey
after trying out an F88…did all the drivers demand to have their old Gardner motors back?
