worked as a subbie for them in the late 70s early eighties, with rigid flatbeds delivering to the london markets
absolute crap rates for the job but a good crac,plenty of good ole boys on there. only place i know that called a 7.5tonner
a five tonner!
thanks for the comments guys, keep em coming.
dbcooper, you may have known my grandad Robert (bob) Fewings, he was on there in 70’s/80’s?
i remembering loading from flathouse quay tomatoes on a flat trailer for manchester market happy days
daf3300:
i remembering loading from flathouse quay tomatoes on a flat trailer for manchester market happy days
Me too,a full load on an Albion Reiver,two drops, W.H.Collins Manchester market and another in the old market in Liverpool,near the city centre,was it called South Market? Can’t remember,back in 1968. 
I do recall working a bit dodgy to get them off early enough though. 
I remember going to them in the 80’s/90’s manytimes, but cannot give you much information, of who worked there,but one thing i remember, is they used to have a place near the docks, then later years, they had a place near to where two motorways met, on a ind estate, I know they shipped and delivered Carlsberg to the Islands, we would take it to them , they would see it delivered. Sandman Norman
MMD was always a laugh a minute. I remember the Ruffle brothers who were always around the fringes of the company. One of them once told me a story that made me laugh so much i think i wet myself. Are they still around ?.
Were they on West Quay road? I definitely tipped there once.
Ex Haulier:
MMD was always a laugh a minute. I remember the Ruffle brothers who were always around the fringes of the company. One of them once told me a story that made me laugh so much i think i wet myself. Are they still around ?.
Hi Ex Haulier,
I think Roly has a van & truck site in Burghfields Rd Portsmouth,and is also making Horseboxes,good old times loading off Flathouse Quay,and then having to tip the markets at some unearthly hour as quick as possible !
Regards MaggieD
Yes i remember doing a few loads out of there when i worked for mr mascato from petersfield load in the afternoon get your notes from roger in the office at 5 then he would tell you are booked in glasgow at 3 in the morning, good old day’s eh. .and tomatoes for smith of maddison change over anywhere between manchester and the moss at gertna.
r slicker:
anbody who has worked for mmd will know these 2 wordsROGER HONEY
best bloke ever in my opinion.
others i worked with there
butter balls
albie
bacon roll
brian bennett
to name a few long time ago but good days earnt some serious good money on there. they also owned lockwoods from boston way cant rember exactly where.
Does anybody remember Bob or Roy who ran MMD at this time at flathouse quay ?
Hi gordy,I think Lockwoods were from Long Sutton,on the A17 between Sleaford and K.Lynn,but I stand to be corrected.
HI Chris Webb Yes your right about Lockwoods, I had a spell of doing brewers grains out of Sheffield to Norwich area and passed Lockwoods many times that would be sometime between 1973 to 1976 but not permanant.
As for Midland marketing I saw 2 of them off route in Kitwee Zambia. March this year but didnt have my camra with me, I passed the place later that day but thay had moved on. Kitwee is 2 1/2 days drive north of Jo’burg on route to the Congo and theres alot of mineing / construction going on their at the moment.
John.
Do any of you guys remember Bob Norris at Flathouse quay ?
Gordy1:
Do any of you guys remember Bob Norris at Flathouse quay ?
All I recall about MMD was the office on Hampshire Terrace Gordy,about 1968.
Hi Gordy & Chris
Bob Norris was one of the founding directors along with Roy Barnett.They both originated from the old Tower Hill Transport Co and came to Pompy to run their operation.The original office was in Hampshire Terrace and was originally a clearing house they then started to build their own fleet and moved to a small yard in Coham High Street Portsmouth and eventually moved to Flathouse Quay where the still operate today. Bob & Roy are both decesed but util recently the Directors were Janet Martin & Harry Eames.Harry started at MMD as a driver during the Hamshire Terrace days.
The company is now owned by Portsmouth City Council,who own the port and trade as MMD Shipping Services
erfman
Hi ERFMAN,
Do you remember how tight it was to get between those buildings in Cosham High St,what was the name of the old boy who ran the workshop,can still see him now in his brown cow gown,I think Johnny Rickman was in the workshop when they moved,and didn’t Roger Honey work for Burnetts at one time ?
Regards MaggieD
ERFMAN:
Hi Gordy & Chris
Bob Norris was one of the founding directors along with Roy Barnett.They both originated from the old Tower Hill Transport Co and came to Pompy to run their operation.The original office was in Hampshire Terrace and was originally a clearing house they then started to build their own fleet and moved to a small yard in Coham High Street Portsmouth and eventually moved to Flathouse Quay where the still operate today. Bob & Roy are both decesed but util recently the Directors were Janet Martin & Harry Eames.Harry started at MMD as a driver during the Hamshire Terrace days.
The company is now owned by Portsmouth City Council,who own the port and trade as MMD Shipping Services
erfman
Hi ERFMAN. I backloaded off MMD just the twice in 1968.I had an Albion Reiver and a roped-on Sheffield Haulage and Storage container on.We used to tip Bassetts Allsorts at Reece Blatchfords (I think) Southampton and I ran to Portsmouth just the twice to load off MMD.The first load was CI tomatoes,one drop Sheffield market which was fine,but the second time they told me it was Leeds and I ended up with Manchester and two in Liverpool 
.After a lot of argueing my gaffer at Sheffield told me to bring it home and somebody else would take it on the friday night/sat morning.That driver turned out to be me with the gaffer’s son’s name on the old flexible log sheet.IIRC all drops off MMD were at least 0200 hrs and 0600 hrs at the latest so there were some dodgy hours worked out of Portsmouth
I didn’t know it was founded by ex Tower Hill Transport men - otherwise known as Boston Stevedores,there’s one or two on here will remember them in the 50s and 60s .
I can remember one of MMD drivers losing his life in a tragic accident on the A11 near Barton Mills. This was in the early '70s and if my memory serves me correctly his surname was Daniels. I can remember chipping in a collection held for his widow at the Snug Cafe just down the road at Freckenham (next to the Red Lodge) and also reading the letter of thanks from her a few weeks later. The Snug closed in the '80s but the Red Lodge is still going strong.
ERFMAN:
Hi Gordy & Chris
Bob Norris was one of the founding directors along with Roy Barnett.They both originated from the old Tower Hill Transport Co and came to Pompy to run their operation.The original office was in Hampshire Terrace and was originally a clearing house they then started to build their own fleet and moved to a small yard in Coham High Street Portsmouth and eventually moved to Flathouse Quay where the still operate today. Bob & Roy are both decesed but util recently the Directors were Janet Martin & Harry Eames.Harry started at MMD as a driver during the Hamshire Terrace days.
The company is now owned by Portsmouth City Council,who own the port and trade as MMD Shipping Services
erfman
Hi Erfman,
Nice to hear from someone who remembers MMD from the old days, and you have a good memory when you mention Hampshire terrace !
Bob Norris was married to my sister, both sadly now gone.
I had many visits to Flathouse or the “Yard” when I was growing up in the 70’s and 80’s and recall many of the names mentioned here, seemed a happy place to work.
I assume that you worked for Bob and Roy ?
Hi MaggieD
Your right,bloody narrow but it was a dairy and built for electric milk floats.MMD took it over from Sam Hardy of Brighton. Sam used to do the Johnson & Johnson contract and also ran an A licence company F.W.Reeves Transport Epsom. He went bust in a spectacular way and tried to start again as Portdean Haulage in the yard at Cosham.
I think your thinking of George Clark,brown smock,collar and tie,typical old fashoned foremen fitter. I think he came from Linconshire with Roy & Bob and lived in a mobile home in Roy Barnetts back garden.Sadly George passed away before the move to Flathouse and Johnny Rickman ran the workshops there. I don’t think Roger was at Burnetts I think he started as a driver at MMD from the navy.
When Commodore bought MMD ■■■■ Cox who was their fleet engineer at Albert Johnson workshops and became Johns new boss and Roger became Transport Manager after Pete Simmonds at MMD
Burnetts Transport was dumped and MMD ran all the transport ■■■■ Cox didn’t last long within the MMD culture and John moved accross to Albert Johnson Quay
erfman