HRS:
It was a nice place to take a young lady for a walk along to Woodmill and then, if you still had the energy, up further to the White Swan. Harvey
Sadly I missed all that Harvey, as I left Southampton when I was only just old enough to start at Bassett Green Primary School, then to Manchester before landing up in Nottingham in 1950.
So it was with Nottingham lasses that I was first introduced to the joys of ‘walking out’ with young ladies. 
Spardo:
HRS:
It was a nice place to take a young lady for a walk along to Woodmill and then, if you still had the energy, up further to the White Swan. HarveySadly I missed all that Harvey, as I left Southampton when I was only just old enough to start at Bassett Green Primary School, then to Manchester before landing up in Nottingham in 1950.
So it was with Nottingham lasses that I was first introduced to the joys of ‘walking out’ with young ladies.
" Walking out " with young ladies , I must have got it wrong trying to take them behind the bike sheds . Ah , happy times !
HRS:
Morning “Franglais”,
I’m sure you’re too young to have seen it, but the old photos showing Cobden Park as a mud flat are quite impressive.
Spent some Sundays there as a wee lad riding on the scale steam trains.You are quite right, and kind, I don’t remember it as mud flats.
In my early days it was a dump for huge concrete blocks that were part of the WW2 defences in Southampton and later used to edge the waterside.
It was a nice place to take a young lady for a walk along to Woodmill and then, if you still had the energy, up further to the White Swan. Harvey
The White Swan is a Harvester now I think? I seem to remember it as a Watneys house? Red Barrel (or Starlight for us hard-up under 18s)
Used to go for a splash/swim at Mansbridge (before it was renamed wild-waterswimming).
I don`t know how far you went with your young ladies…walking I mean…but there was a pathway past the Swan up to Chickenhall Lane in Eastleigh. Could see traces of the old Itchen Navigation canal, if memory serves.
Edit. to keep it on track, one waterside path from SFMs yard, up to Sea Route Ferrys.
Rigsby, Bike sheds, really !!! you had bikes, God, Northerners had it good. Only bike I had was, well that’s another storey.
Spardo, At least you took ladies for a walk, none of this bike shed stuff, so rough !!
Franglais, Yes I did venture up to the old waterway and even to the air field perimeter where they had the old Dakota, DC3 used for fire drill.
Don’t remember the path to Sea route ferries though, but Dealt with Aundra Kalfon (if that’s how you spell it) on a few occasions.
My wife came from up near the Castle so over the years I have seen many changes in the area, some good, Cheers all Harvey
HRS:
Rigsby, Bike sheds, really !!! you had bikes, God, Northerners had it good. Only bike I had was, well that’s another storey.
Spardo, At least you took ladies for a walk, none of this bike shed stuff, so rough !!
Franglais, Yes I did venture up to the old waterway and even to the air field perimeter where they had the old Dakota, DC3 used for fire drill.
Don’t remember the path to Sea route ferries though, but Dealt with Aundra Kalfon (if that’s how you spell it) on a few occasions.
My wife came from up near the Castle so over the years I have seen many changes in the area, some good, Cheers all Harvey
Had more than one pint in The Castle…
I remember vaguely before it was knocked into two bars it had many smaller bars, rooms etc? One being called “The Gun Room”.
My parents had a house in Midanbury. Here is a link about the origins of the name for the pub/area. dailyecho.co.uk/heritage/10 … uthampton/
As a nipper I used to walk across the fields up to Townhill Farm…Yeah, fields!
And, more local history asides, I remember the angry geese guarding The White House in Cutbush Lane, once owned by the Montagues I think, but for many years a training college for the Merchant Navy. The house is mentioned in Ben Macintyre`s book “Operation Mincemeat”: the true story of “The Man Who Never Was”.
More photos from Lambert`s.
Edit to add: Nuclear power station, H2 cylinders, no haz, no hi-viz, and no problems waving a camera around…Happy Days!
robthedog:
Chat
Offer’s were the first example I saw of “flio-flop” or monochromatic paint. Very pretty, but it’d take more than a Dupli-Color spray tin to touch 'em in.
Looks like an old straddler in the picture, so the old R-B crane might have been pensioned off by then?
Franglais:
More photos from Lambert`s.Edit to add: Nuclear power station, H2 cylinders, no haz, no hi-viz, and no problems waving a camera around…Happy Days!
middle pic are you off loading or just crashed that poor little 86
robthedog:
Cfat
I remember doing a trip for Tim Allen in that BIT motor… to the Pernod factory in Créteil …had a really nice lunch in their canteen , which I recall , but not the truck… so it Can’t have been either that bad or that good 
Baldrick1953:
robthedog:
CfatI remember doing a trip for Tim Allen in that BIT motor… to the Pernod factory in Créteil …had a really nice lunch in their canteen , which I recall , but not the truck… so it Can’t have been either that bad or that good
Being an IVECO It wouldn’t have been memorable, but to be fair that model esp the V8’s were pretty good
robthedog:
Franglais:
More photos from Lambert`s.Edit to add: Nuclear power station, H2 cylinders, no haz, no hi-viz, and no problems waving a camera around…Happy Days!
middle pic are you off loading or just crashed that poor little 86
Covered a few miles in that 86. Never crashed it though. Just getting a bend on to reach the tank with the crane, and try to put it somewhere sensible. Difficult if unit/trailer were straight.
If I recall the only major faults with the truck itself were a snapped prop-shaft, one starter motor, and one head gasket. Crane had the PTO pump needing a recon, and there is a story about the mounting bolts…
HRS:
Franglais:
I seem to remember SFM having a yard by Cobden Bridge at one time? They would have left in early '70’s? Blocks of flats there now.Morning “Franglais”, I remember visiting them one day to find everything in that huge shed had been taken outside and stacked.
Walking around inside I was shown the whole floor was bowed in leaving a 12 inch gap with just the huge re-bar holding it up.
It turned out to be a stream used many years ago when it was a boat building slip way had washed all the gravel away under the concrete, took a very brave man in the bucket of a cherry picker and a torch to release it, think that is why they moved. Harvey
The warehouse was constructed in 1969 and the floor issue was as a result of 2 factors: the point loading was too high & the warehouse was constructed on land reclaimed with whatever was available. The site -Dell Wharf 83 Whitworth Crescent Bitterne Park- belonged to H Cornick & Sons who in 1968 were trading there as Dell Wharf & Storage Ltd. offering local & long distance services,nightly trunks to Liverpool & London,modern warehousing ,distribution & wharfage facilities.
Cornicks were established in 1899 & by 1925,H Cornick was a haulage contractor,blacksmith/farrier & a van/coach builder in Rochester St Northam.By 1931 the vehicles were garaged in Hartingdon Road (the garage later becam ATS’s Southampton tyre depot) & the blacksmith/body builders had moved to Kent St Northam.
In 1940 ,Cornick consolidated their operations at Belvedere Wharf Northam ( the building was later used by Diesal Fuel Pump & Injection Services (Clapcotts) Next to Cornicks were London based MAC Transport .Their depot later became Pickford’s So’ton depot.
During the war,Cornick’s operated 12 vehicles & 4 trls under “A” defence permits which post war, were converted to open A Licences-the holy grail, “any goods,any distance” .
Between 1949 & 1952 Cornicks -along with others-supplied vehicles on a daily hire basis to George Wimpey & their various sub contractors who were constructing Esso’s Fawley refinery
The Cornick familly lived in Bitterne Park (Manor Farm Rd) & in 1953 acquired the mudflats ,houseboat moorings & what was 83 Whitworth Crescent.The existing occupants included a ship & yacht chandler & a boat builder who was also a general builder. In 1960,Cornicks were still at Belvedere Wharf Northam,but following reclamation there was sufficient space to park vehicles at Dell Wharf & even build a warehouse.
In 1959,Cornicks were one of the original Southampton hauliers who formed Southampton Road Transport Ltd (SRT) which was based in Habin Haulage’s office (123 High St)
Cornicks were fully occupied in the early 60’s with “A” & “B” licensed vehicles on general work & contract vehicles with Blockcrete,Dimplex,
Bibbys(animal feed) George Bassett (confectionary) Montague L Meyer (an important customer of long standing).
In Feb 1968,Cornick sold his interest in SRT & transferred his licences to SRT which gave SRT their first operator’s licence based at West End. He continued to operate as Dell Wharf & Storage Co Ltd.
Specialist Freight Movements were a subsidiary of a London based shipping company who had a contract with Esso Chemical for the collection,storage & distribution of Esso Chemical products . Dell Wharf was acquired from Cornick & a new warehouse built (with subsequent sinking floor issues !). SFM started operations with 4 Gardner powered Atkinsons -TCR 812/3/4/5H & 12 trlrs engaged in shunting between Fawley /Dell Wharf as well as Uk deliveries. Away from the Esso contract,they expanded into other traffics & contracts
Many thanks for you post above roolechat, very informative as usual with the history of that company, makes interesting reading, Buzzer.
Buzzer:
Many thanks for you post above roolechat, very informative as usual with the history of that company, makes interesting reading, Buzzer.
Hear Hear!
one of jamesons which looks like its in Unit commercials Salisbury
CFAT Tony Hilton
Hi All
It is with greas sadness that F H Roberts are closing the doors for the last time today.
One of the last gentleman companies of the town.
Best wishes for the future to Graham & Steven
Regards
Rich
