Greetings,All.
I can’t recall an M.J.Swallow thread so I started this one to show the photos we found.My brother used to drive for them and these came to light as he was having a sort out.They’re not the best quality sadly but they’re worth a look.Some were taken at Epernay,loading champagne and the others in the U.K. There’s also a Cadwallader photo.Regards,900x20.
didnt Cadwallerders of Oswestry take them over ? I can remember the Volvo88s in there yard , thank you Trevor .
I tried to smarten up the snaps but they are acting weird.
Hello interested people, my name is Dave Townsend and I was the one driving this Volvo, my two sons are the guys in the pics. The truck and trailer arrived brand new and remained together all the time up till I left Swallow s. Micky Baker of Taunton was the first driver to have it from new, loads of you who remember him know how he could keep a vehicle in showroom condition even down to polishing the holes in the wheels with a duster. After about 3 months he left mike Swallow and went to work for Hardings doing the ships stores etc. I took the truck over from him. All I can say is that its one of the finest bits of kit that I have driven. When all you are used too are Thames trader, Tk Bedford, Erf, and Atkinson artics this motor was a dream. 16 speed box,290 lump, huge great heater that worked and 74 MPH ex factory ,no delving in the engine room. Superb bit of kit. I have put stuff on here before about Swallows but cannot remember where, maybe with a Caddy connection. Will try and find and update later. Photo enhancement greatly appreciated .Good job… Regards Dave.
Graham has put on a bit of weight since then Dave 
I was a late arrival at Swallows. I joined them in May, 1981 having just returned to the UK from living in Sweden after my divorce.
Later in the year (or was it the following year?) we were taken over by Cadwalladers and I stayed on for another 4 years.
XJO 883R
Loading in Italy. It proves that it wasn’t only fridge work we did
Lovely tilt work!! 
harry:
Lovely tilt work!!
Jesus that brings back bad memories, the height of summer and those trailers would be like an oven inside, we used to be supermen to strip them, can you imagine the new lads doing it these days?
First stripped one in Milan? in Summer. Picked up two CAT bulldozers,craned 'em in thru the roof. No help at all!
Later,when I was experienced & O/D,I went to a steel works in Rosas in Basque land to load. It was Winter & snowing & the checker came out into the yard & made a roll-back motion with his hands. I got back in the cab & drove back to Basel empty ,deisel was cheap in those days & the load was for Italy,anyway. He could jam that load up his ##!
rondavies:
I was a late arrival at Swallows. I joined them in May, 1981 having just returned to the UK from living in Sweden after my divorce.Later in the year (or was it the following year?) we were taken over by Cadwalladers and I stayed on for another 4 years.
XJO 883R
Loading in Italy. It proves that it wasn’t only fridge work we did
Hello Ron did you take much hanging meat to the continent? i heard that caddies did that and wuold bring tyres back in the fridge s thank you Trevor
Hi Trevor,
All I seemed to do when Swallows was still Swallows was ship out empty through Dover/Zeebrugge and load bacon in Holland and then return UK. Usually 5 trips a fortnight. With no export loads after the Mcains chips contract finished, one could see the end was near.
Plenty of hanging meat runs to the continent when taken over by Caddies but never brought back tyres in the fridge trailer as you suggest.
rgds Ron
rondavies:
Hi Trevor,All I seemed to do when Swallows was still Swallows was ship out empty through Dover/Zeebrugge and load bacon in Holland and then return UK. Usually 5 trips a fortnight. With no export loads after the Mcains chips contract finished, one could see the end was near.
Plenty of hanging meat runs to the continent when taken over by Caddies but never brought back tyres in the fridge trailer as you suggest.
rgds Ron
Hello Ron and thank you for your reply , yes Caddies were big on the Mcains work , and believe they did bacon from holland also . thank you Trevor.
