JAKEY:
hope you had your arm bands on Chris , bet your truck loved going through the wash
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Hi Steve, had to take them down to take her for 1st MOT, been a bit chaotic at work lately with moving into Air Products etc & not had chance to put them back up!
Nice trip to Bridgwater this afternoonā¦
That MANs quite a tidy looking wagon Nathan!
adr:
That MANs quite a tidy looking wagon Nathan!
I think sheās going back to Dawson Rentals next week. It only came to cover for one in for MOT but weāve been so busy in the Easter run up I was given it for the week. Only a basic fleet wagon but drives well and the auto 'box is good if you can cope with the 2 second delay (watch out for roll backs!).
The mattress isnāt great though (a bit thin I think)
Muckaway:
adr:
That MANs quite a tidy looking wagon Nathan!I think sheās going back to Dawson Rentals next week. It only came to cover for one in for MOT but weāve been so busy in the Easter run up I was given it for the week. Only a basic fleet wagon but drives well and the auto 'box is good if you can cope with the 2 second delay (watch out for roll backs!).
The mattress isnāt great though (a bit thin I think)
0
Struth mate, thats not a bed thatās a Quaker bench , my dogs have got comfier beds than that . It had the 2 second delay on the auto-box too, our Scaniaās have got that too, bloody annoying & dangerous in my opinion, & when you put the park brake on you have to keep your foot on the foot brake, cos if you are on a slope they will roll back or forth a good 3-4 feet until it holds!
I think the MANsā bed had been borrowed from a Hino. Surely thatās the basic version and not fitted to flagship tractors? After 14 1/2 hour shift that included at least 3t of handballing, I didnāt struggle to fall asleepā¦
ā¦Back to being driversā mate/relief driver tomorrow.
A blast from the past, and from the collection of John Wakely, I wrote to him recently for permission to put some of his pics on TN, so thanks to him, a couple with Cowley connections.
Oily
ā¦and another, this time thanks to Len Rogers.
Oily
oiltreader:
ā¦and another, this time thanks to Len Rogers.
Oily
Nice one Eddie --Oxford registration too !
toshboy:
oiltreader:
ā¦and another, this time thanks to Len Rogers.
OilyNice one Eddie --Oxford registration too !
Hello Ivor, the H&M and Howard Tenens are from the same link as Stanfield posted on your Ameys thread, John Wakely generously gave his blessing, so I will post pics from the link.
Cheers
Eddie
Whitecross Metals, another one that stirs my memory, but not enough to remember the name of the original owner who was quite a character, this was in the late 50s onwards, he owned quite a chunk of land, righthand side up from Whitecross towards Boars Hill, where he built a house, grey matter is failing again, but I think it had a hacienda type frontage, I havnāt been that way for years, so dunno if it still stands, Iām thinking his name might have been something like Doug Mitchell, he was into stockcar racing and the like. Second thoughts about the surname, might have been Allen 
Oily
Editā¦Hi George(BigG-Unit), round about your time in the area, anything to add.
Cheers
Eddie
Hi Eddie,
Ah, going back a few years now, but I only know of a Fred Mitchell who was big in Stock Car racing. as far as I remember though, he had a big yard out Dorchester way in the ā60ās. There was, of course, The Speedway rider name of Frank Johnson, Whoās family owned the cafeā near Cowley station, but Frank had a pig farm at Lodge Hill & he dabbled in Stocks in the early days. Also Frank had a mate named Len Allen who originated from Marston, but had a place up around Boars hill that sort of backed on to Franks across a few fields. Len was a bit of a āduck & diverā (allegedly) & Iām lead to believe the Geography of their places came in very handy! He also, Iām pretty sure, had a stint with the Stock Car game. Another chap from up that way was, who my dad referred to as, āHoppyā Hailwood. I think he was the father of Mike of road racing fame & may have owned Kings of Oxford. All a bit hazy now though mate and probably confused you more than before!
P.S. Just read your post again! I hadnāt seen the last bit. 
So looks like it is Len you were referring to. I could keep you up all night with tales about him & Frank, as I had dealings with Frank for a time in the early '60ās. Boy, they used to give the Coppers the run around back in the day!
nice to see the Guy photos , the Brs Bristol was a Swindon truck , ME was Swindon and MA was Oxford .
When I started on Brs in the 80s the fleet numbers were MA as they were under the Midlands then they changed over to TA when the regions changed and Oxford depot was under the Western region .
I recall it must of been around 1983 as we had a new fleet of four roadtrains which we livered as TAG .
Hi oil reader , the Whitecross foden that is Sid and he owns Whitecross metals and he is the cousin of Harry Hebborn (amusements) of Littlemore .
He did have a nice tidy fleet of old wagons in his barn .
BigG-Unit:
Hi Eddie,
Ah, going back a few years now, but I only know of a Fred Mitchell who was big in Stock Car racing. as far as I remember though, he had a big yard out Dorchester way in the ā60ās. There was, of course, The Speedway rider name of Frank Johnson, Whoās family owned the cafeā near Cowley station, but Frank had a pig farm at Lodge Hill & he dabbled in Stocks in the early days. Also Frank had a mate named Len Allen who originated from Marston, but had a place up around Boars hill that sort of backed on to Franks across a few fields. Len was a bit of a āduck & diverā (allegedly) & Iām lead to believe the Geography of their places came in very handy! He also, Iām pretty sure, had a stint with the Stock Car game. Another chap from up that way was, who my dad referred to as, āHoppyā Hailwood. I think he was the father of Mike of road racing fame & may have owned Kings of Oxford. All a bit hazy now though mate and probably confused you more than before!
P.S. Just read your post again! I hadnāt seen the last bit.
Hi George, what a good prompt, the fogās clearing , the Mitchell scrapyard was at the back of the then Berinsfield cafe (now motorbike sales I think) and yes the Allen guy was originally from Marston, and yes he lived life on the edge, his place on the left going down Boars Hill to Whitecross did have scrap motors lying about, I distinctly remember ex Harding and at least one car transporter trailer there which the people up the hill were ever ready to complain about. So most likely no connection with Whitecross metals.
Mike Hailwoodās father did indeed own Kings Motor Bike shop in Park End St and they lived at Boars Hill.
I canāt remember coming across Frank Johnston thoā he did own Johnsonās cafe, which was run by his brother Aubrey and young Joe, Franks boy. I knew young Joe quite well,he was into motor bike scrambling, in fact I used to go and watch him at tracks like the one at Brill, I also did some work for him after I left lorries. Two heads are better than one eh
Cheers
Eddie
JAKEY:
Hi oil reader , the Whitecross foden that is Sid and he owns Whitecross metals and he is the cousin of Harry Hebborn (amusements) of Littlemore .He did have a nice tidy fleet of old wagons in his barn .
Thanks for that JAKEY.
Cheers
Oily
Oakeyās MAN snapped near Chepstow.
Oily
oiltreader:
BigG-Unit:
Hi Eddie,
Ah, going back a few years now, but I only know of a Fred Mitchell who was big in Stock Car racing. as far as I remember though, he had a big yard out Dorchester way in the ā60ās. There was, of course, The Speedway rider name of Frank Johnson, Whoās family owned the cafeā near Cowley station, but Frank had a pig farm at Lodge Hill & he dabbled in Stocks in the early days. Also Frank had a mate named Len Allen who originated from Marston, but had a place up around Boars hill that sort of backed on to Franks across a few fields. Len was a bit of a āduck & diverā (allegedly) & Iām lead to believe the Geography of their places came in very handy! He also, Iām pretty sure, had a stint with the Stock Car game. Another chap from up that way was, who my dad referred to as, āHoppyā Hailwood. I think he was the father of Mike of road racing fame & may have owned Kings of Oxford. All a bit hazy now though mate and probably confused you more than before!
P.S. Just read your post again! I hadnāt seen the last bit.Hi George, what a good prompt, the fogās clearing
Mike Hailwoodās father did indeed own Kings Motor Bike shop in Park End St and they lived at Boars Hill.
I canāt remember coming across Frank Johnston thoā he did own Johnsonās cafe, which was run by his brother Aubrey and young Joe, Franks boy. I knew young Joe quite well,he was into motor bike scrambling, in fact I used to go and watch him at tracks like the one at Brill, I also did some work for him after I left lorries. Two heads are better than one eh
Cheers
Eddie
Ha ha! Hi Eddie, Aint it funny how these things sort of twirl away in the back of ya mind!
Now, not trying to be picky, but it was another brother of Franks that was Joeās dad & his name was also Len! It says on Wikipedia that it was he (Len) who founded the cafe, but I thought his father, who we only knew as āold man Johnsonā had started it, but I couldnāt be sure of that. Itās just something I seem to remember my dad saying & he did used to be about there a lot when I was still a youth. I can remember when Len & Aubrey ran it & will never forget when just before lunch break, they would line dozens of mugs on the counter & start pouring tea from large metal teapots, continually back & forth, in, like a spraying movement. Then one would walk calmly over & open the double doors & walk slowly back behind the counter. Then the hooter would go & it was like a stampede across the road, & the traffic just had to stop! but I bet you saw that a time or two as well.
When I first knew Frank he lived on his own, in a caravan at the back of the cafeā, but later moved out to a flat above Lodge hill garage & a bit later he had a bungalow half way down the drive towards the pig farm. He was quite an established Speedway rider in the ā50s, although a bit too wild for his own good & couldnāt resist playing to the crowd, always acting the fool & very boisterous etc, especially when riding for Oxford. Probably his best time was when he did a stint for Belle Vue & he turned in some good performances then, but I think he retired to concentrate on the pig farm business. He did come out of retirement to ride a summer season in 1960 at St Austell & thatās when I would often travel with him. By that time though he was quite ill with diabetes & in typical Frank style, didnāt bother too much with his medication. It didn,t stop him doing his party pieces though, of entering a room or bar, saying he was starving & proceed to eat a vase of flowers or the contents of an ash tray, much to the astonishment of on lookers! There was never a dull moment I can tell you & I used to feel exhausted just watching him. A great character & a lovely man when you got to know him & even today, I still laugh when I think of him. 
Now I know this is not about transport, but things are a bit quiet on here just now & it might just spark an idea from someone for another subject. Just one thing on your mention of the name āDougā I wondered whether you were thinking of Doug Wheeler, who was an accomplished motorcyclist & ended up with a shop a couple of doors up from Johnsonās cafeā
Hi Big g . Doug wheeler has not got a shop by the old johnson cafe , the shop is āhouse of Hondaā , Doug use to have a shop at the bottom of the Cowley rd but now have a shop in Witney .(the guy who ran the Cowley road was Morgan !!!).
Sorry I cant recall the name of the guy who owns the House of Honda .
