what was the name of the north yorkshire firm that hit a strike picket,i think the picket later died [was the name of the firm wilsons?]
Around Glasgow during the Miners strike I only remember two Hauliers involved Malcolm and Yuill & Dodds,as far as I know Malclom backed out just after the start and left Yuill & Doods on there own, it was said at the time that British Steel would look after Yuill & Dodds for doing the, Job which I think they did.
Ben Walker
I drove for Yuill & Dodds in 1984/85, we hauled imported coal from the docks to Ravenscraig. We ran in convoys - sometimes 10-20 wagons, safety in numbers and it was easier for the police if we all arrived at once. British Steel were Y&D’s biggest customer at the time, and if we didn’t do it another haulier would have. I think things were a bit more violent down South. My brother was driving the same imported coal from Scotland down to Llanwern for Caledon of Broxburn - a group of miners were dangling a brick on a rope off a motorway bridge and it came through his windscreen, swung upwards and dented the roof of the cab on the inside. There was almost 20tons of coke all over the A1. He got away with cuts to the face, but mesh went on the windows after that. Worst that happened to me was a miner jumping onto the front of the motor - I was driving a 142 at the time, he was standing on the bumper and holding onto the wipers. I pressed the windscreen washer and stood on the brakes, he soon fell off… It’s fair enough if you want to strike, but stopping other people earning a crust is a no-no. We all had families just like them…
mechanic77:
jj72:
i seem to recall a firm from mansfield called e.j.meeks, and i know trhat walker’s of tuxford ran some too which led to them being blacked at some pits when delivering props for hollybank engineering after the strike ended. sorry no picsEJ Meeks had a yard in Newport, South Wales too, they ran lots of Dafs [black cab, goldish writing] theres some pictures in the south wales thread.
i can remember going to measham auctions just after the strike ended,and ej meeks were selling off some 18 month old plain white daf 2800s(they didnt have time to paint them)that were totaly knackered due to running 24/7 on the coal runs,they were only good for spares due to the damage etc.
I can’t possibly comment, suffice to say that their were quite a few plain white Hipwood & Grundy trucks on the black oil who were busy and who had bricks launched at them.
longpod:
could have been richardsons from ilkeston?? I was only young but i can remember my dad gettin a brick in centre of windscreen goin by beavercoates pit ,not a very nice time for coal hauliers!!
no the name aint ringing a bell.will have to search the threads cause theres one of their wagons on here somewhere !!!
What trucks were they running in 84/85 can anyone remember.
curnock:
longpod:
could have been richardsons from ilkeston?? I was only young but i can remember my dad gettin a brick in centre of windscreen goin by beavercoates pit ,not a very nice time for coal hauliers!!no the name aint ringing a bell.will have to search the threads cause theres one of their wagons on here somewhere !!!
Rushcliffe Fuels ran green MAN eight wheelers
Stanfield:
What trucks were they running in 84/85 can anyone remember.
MAN, DAF and I think Iveco. But definitely MAN 
Ernie Richardson (‘Erni richo’s) were at Ilkeston, same as Rushcliffe Fuels.
K & M Hauliers at Hucknall (green/red fodens) made a mint out the strike.
I heard a tale about Meeks’ that they had a DAF on demo (I think for a week) and when they handed it back it had gone past it’s running service anfd the next oil change!
Came across quite a few ex-Meeks drivers on agency work whilst I was a Tpt Supervisor and almost without they exception they were great drivers - they could do a day’s collar, and not bat an eyelid.
I remember as a school boy i would go on my bike to the A77 to see the convoys passing. In the beginning Yuill and Dodds, Malcolms, Mullen of Musselburgh, and i think Bernard Brogan were the ones i remember. I think the others pulled out, Malcolms did, my uncle was driving for them at the time when the cages went on. Yuill and Dodds at that time were running 112 and 142 Scanias with some P112 low cabs and MAN 8 wheelers.
Back then they were taking coal from Hunterston to Ravenscraig, now coal is being taken from the open casts to Hunterston for export how times have changed.
Ollerton Colliery North Nottinghamshire, the scene of some of the heaviest picketing of the strike, a yorkshire miner lost his life here. One of Heanor Haulage’s F86s trying to enter to load.
flatman001:
curnock:
longpod:
could have been richardsons from ilkeston?? I was only young but i can remember my dad gettin a brick in centre of windscreen goin by beavercoates pit ,not a very nice time for coal hauliers!!no the name aint ringing a bell.will have to search the threads cause theres one of their wagons on here somewhere !!!
Rushcliffe Fuels ran green MAN eight wheelers
well done that man !!,rushcliffes !!.theres a photo of one of their mans on here somewhere but i cant find it.are they still going ■■
no finished years ago took over by hargreaves i seem to remember,that photo of them is on ere with sum photos of coalite and coalite chemicals search coalite u mite find it not sure.
Consolidated Land Services of Scunthorpe had several caged up on the convoys,mainly Mercs,as I recall.I was on the tippers for T.H.Brown of Grimsby at the time.Our man was asked to put some on but turned it down.We did some imported coal,such as French and Czech,from small wharves like Barrow Haven,New holland and one in the Colchester area called Hedge End or something similar.All these small places weren’t used to the onslaught of tippers,so there were often hostile locals to face as well.As if the job wasn’t hard enough already.Also I can recall rolling roadblocks of flying pickets on the M18,where striking miners would drive three or more abreast with their cars,then slow down to a crawl to bring the motorways to a standstill.It was working man against working man.How those that ruled rubbed their hands.Better not get political,lads.
I had great hopes for this thread, anyone care to resurrect it please?
I remember seeing the convoys of lorries on the M54, fetching coal from the collieries in the Midlands to Buildwas power station,near Ironbridge Shropshire.
Cheers Dave.
What annoyed me during the miners strike was the NUM pickets, threatening, bricking, etc. lorry drivers trying to stop them working, but a lot of NUM miners WERE still working. Scargill and his exec. couldn’t get ALL THEIR OWN MEN to strike.
rich12:
mechanic77:
jj72:
i seem to recall a firm from mansfield called e.j.meeks, and i know trhat walker’s of tuxford ran some too which led to them being blacked at some pits when delivering props for hollybank engineering after the strike ended. sorry no picsEJ Meeks had a yard in Newport, South Wales too, they ran lots of Dafs [black cab, goldish writing] theres some pictures in the south wales thread.
i can remember going to measham auctions just after the strike ended,and ej meeks were selling off some 18 month old plain white daf 2800s(they didnt have time to paint them)that were totaly knackered due to running 24/7 on the coal runs,they were only good for spares due to the damage etc.
I drove for meeks for a few years and had a white 2800 daf from new (B347 HAU) which i spent 2 years tramping in as did the other unpainted units. they occasionally did the night run if we were in the yard overnight but they were all serviced by sherwood daf under contract and were sent back in pretty good shape as i remember.