And heres the the motor, Lowdons used to to quite a bit for Gurteen, Photo with courtsey of Les Douglas, Regards Larry.
Aye Jim, some smashing lads around then, Tony Hyde they nicknamed āTon upā because he didnāt really like going fast, nice lad though. I went to Mossley quite a few times when still a school kid and I used to love listening to the stories when a few drivers got together on the Quayside, Bill Ashworth had some great tales of the early days. Do you remember the name of the young driver we called Asbestos Joe, him and Don Brydon were the younger lads then. I can remember most names but there was a little dark haired lad called Davey but his surname wonāt come, he drove one of the little D Series artics. Aye, shame most of those are long gone, A few years ago I used to see Geordie Collis when I went to Elddis yard to collect cars for the Fire Service to cut up for RTA training, the Customs used to hold them there after they had confiscated them. Geordie said he wanted to have a Steenburg reunion but it never happened, shame it would have been a good night eh. Cheers Franky. (I remember working on those Leylands Jim, they donāt make wagons like that anymore, Ha)
Lawrence Dunbar:
SORRY, No photos , but I remember when their depot was at Stakeford, & they ran some 8 wheel Guys, they did some work for BICC,Cables, the motors were painted brown, I think they had an 8 wheeler Atki at the same time, Was the latter depot at Barrington Ind Est,? Regards Larry.
Thanks Larry, shame about the photos. They did move to Barrington road in later years.
I only worked there from 79 to 81. I passed my HGV while I was there and sometimes I got to drive the Hiab truckā¦on a D series Ford, or the fuel bowserā¦great fun, loved it.
Canāt remember Guys or Atkis but Iām sure they had AECās or Leylands with scow ended bodies. I canāt even remember if they were 4 or 6 wheelers.
Cheers Chris K.
hi lads i can remember Gordon plant at stakeford when they had a aec mark V mandator tractor unit for moving there heavy plant about,they got out of the heavy plant game and this unit and trailer was sold to service engine who at that time were based at west moor, later they were taken over by water&robson the soft drink company from morpeth,oāboy where have the years gone 
bumper
Wonder where those pics were taken? They had two old Cat 944 shovels when I was thereā¦couldnāt be the same ones surely??
KinkyHiab:
Wonder where those pics were taken? They had two old Cat 944 shovels when I was thereā¦couldnāt be the same ones surely??
The next time I see Les I will ask him, The STY Reg is 1960, it looks like it is one of the coal jobs, Regards Larry.
Frankydobo:
Aye Jim, some smashing lads around then, Tony Hyde they nicknamed āTon upā because he didnāt really like going fast, nice lad though. I went to Mossley quite a few times when still a school kid and I used to love listening to the stories when a few drivers got together on the Quayside, Bill Ashworth had some great tales of the early days. Do you remember the name of the young driver we called Asbestos Joe, him and Don Brydon were the younger lads then. I can remember most names but there was a little dark haired lad called Davey but his surname wonāt come, he drove one of the little D Series artics. Aye, shame most of those are long gone, A few years ago I used to see Geordie Collis when I went to Elddis yard to collect cars for the Fire Service to cut up for RTA training, the Customs used to hold them there after they had confiscated them. Geordie said he wanted to have a Steenburg reunion but it never happened, shame it would have been a good night eh. Cheers Franky. (I remember working on those Leylands Jim, they donāt make wagons like that anymore, Ha)
hiya franky i never forget the friday nights me your dad jimmy simmons we used to come to your house in longbenton after we had been in the ship for a drink i think the driver your are on about was joe frain and geordie collis mate was bob aitchie regards jimmy
Jimmy Logan wrote,
hiya franky i never forget the friday nights me your dad jimmy simmons we used to come to your house in longbenton after we had been in the ship for a drink i think the driver your are on about was joe frain and geordie collis mate was bob aitchie regards jimmy.
Aye Jim I recall my Mother nearly having a fit when she saw me Fatha almost fall out the wagon after a session in the Ship, he wasnāt a big drinker anyway but how he got home that night! Unbelievable what was done in those days. Jim do you remember when Simmonsāy had that old man and his Grandson drive head on into him killing them both outright, they couldnāt figure out why, the old man hadnāt took bad, Jimmy seemed to think heād done it on purpose, thesedays the driver of the wagon would get arrested. Bob Aitch told me once he was chuffed when he got my old mans Seddon even though it was slow, no power steering and a lot older, said he felt like a proper trucker then, smashing lad shame heās not still around. Havenāt got a proper pic of the real motor built this model years ago, bit of Photoshop done to put it infront of the old archway. Cheers Franky.
Aye F]D, I remember Steenburghs having a new Seddon in 1956, I was a rounded off sort of cab, possibley made of fibreglass, Regards Larry, PS. I caught a glimpse of Lennie North in Morrisons a few weeks ago, He allways claimed to be the top man at Steenburghs, HA HA.
Gurtey I forgot to ask are you still on for Banks Leading out of The Delih Site at Milkhope ? I go along there 2 or 3 times a week, on my way to Seaton Burn, I will have to take some photos of their motors, providing their drivers dont object at their tippers being shown on here, Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
Gurtey I forgot to ask are you still on for Banks Leading out of The Delih Site at Milkhope ? I go along there 2 or 3 times a week, on my way to Seaton Burn, I will have to take some photos of their motors, providing their drivers dont object at their tippers being shown on here, Regards Larry.
Yes Larry, still on for Bankās. Photoās would be good if you get a chance. The weigh ticket brings back memories especially as one of my first office jobs was to photocopy them every week and file the copy!! 
Cheers Andy.
Point of interest, I heard the other day that Van Heeās yard has been sold to Gateshead College. I somehow donāt think it will be starting up again as a haulage depot.
regards Kev.
Aye another long established haulage Co gone, I can remember when it was Smith & Van Hee at Wallsend, red motors, before they moved to Kells Lane, & then of course the bottling place at the Felling, Regards Larry.
kevmac47:
f troop:
Frankydobo:
Iād been talking to Jimmy in the Derry one morning, I hadnāt seen him for a while, had a good natter, another Blyth lad joined us and Jim said to him this is a son (their were five of us) of me old mate Ernie Dobson, taught me everything I know. The other lad said thatās not much then is it, Jim replied Aye but its still a bit more than you! we laughed at the usual breakfast table banter but Jim had a great respect and fondness for the bloke he called āFathaā and my old man was just as proud to have Jim as a mate, they did night trunk together for a couple of years and my Dad said he couldnāt run with anyone better. Less than a week after our chat in the Derry Jim was killed, I had to go round to my Fathers, who was now retired and give him the bad news but he had already see it on the telly, he was quite upset, very sad time, we attended the funeral and Iām pleased to say there was a huge turn out. One of the industries characters and not forgotten by our family. Cheers FrankyIff i remember rightly Franky, David Dargue [RIP] drove the old dodge lorry with the coffin on the back from his home to the crematorium in Blyth with his family walking behind the lorry.Everybody was upset at Ferguson by the sad loss of Jimmy who was a great charachter and well liked by everyone.
It is very sad in any company when a colleague looses his life doing the job they loved.F troop, Davey Dargue is another name from the past, was he the lad with either a false eye, or did it have a turn in it? Regards Kevmac47.
Hello Kevmac47,Davey Dargue had a false eye when he started at Fergusons,I dont know how that happened,Davey unfortunatley got the nickname of
one blonk.
Davey came to Fergusons in the early seventies from Jefferey Dixons,I beleive they had a depot at Cambios at the time,He was leading shale filling the dry dock in at Blyth with a Bedford KM 4w tipper.
Iff i remember rightly Franky, David Dargue [RIP] drove the old dodge lorry with the coffin on the back from his home to the crematorium in Blyth with his family walking behind the lorry.Everybody was upset at Ferguson by the sad loss of Jimmy who was a great charachter and well liked by everyone.
It is very sad in any company when a colleague looses his life doing the job they loved.
[/quote]
F troop, Davey Dargue is another name from the past, was he the lad with either a false eye, or did it have a turn in it? Regards Kevmac47.
[/quote]
Hello Kevmac47,Davey Dargue had a false eye when he started at Fergusons,I dont know how that happened,Davey unfortunatley got the nickname of
one blonk.
Davey came to Fergusons in the early seventies from Jefferey Dixons,I beleive they had a depot at Cambios at the time,He was leading shale filling the dry dock in at Blyth with a Bedford KM 4w tipper.
[/quote]
Thanks f troop, I thought that was the fella I remembered. Another name from the past I remember is Davey Clark, (the vicar cos he worked more Sunday than the clergy). I was talking to him late last year at the Derry so I know he is still at Fergies. regards Kev.