Hello Mushroom Man. On a similar vein, in the early 90’s I did some work on Scantruk of Stowemarket’s wrecked recovery vehicle. I welded a new corner into the body prior to them putting a fresh cab on. As a gift, my boss gave me a large toy 113 ridgid and draw-bar which he had bought from them and I gave to my young son. One day my son and I (he was about 6yo) were walking home up the slope in our village street when we heard a lorry come up behind us. “Look - It’s a Scania just like your’s” I cried, and we both admired it as it passed just below us. Then the stink hit. He was pulling a bulker full of offal from the local processing plant. The Scania never came out of it’s box again and still sits on the shelf in his bedroom. He is now 24 years old. Jim.
jmc jnr:
Hello Mushroom Man. On a similar vein, in the early 90’s I did some work on Scantruk of Stowemarket’s wrecked recovery vehicle. I welded a new corner into the body prior to them putting a fresh cab on. As a gift, my boss gave me a large toy 113 ridgid and draw-bar which he had bought from them and I gave to my young son. One day my son and I (he was about 6yo) were walking home up the slope in our village street when we heard a lorry come up behind us. “Look - It’s a Scania just like your’s” I cried, and we both admired it as it passed just below us. Then the stink hit. He was pulling a bulker full of offal from the local processing plant. The Scania never came out of it’s box again and still sits on the shelf in his bedroom. He is now 24 years old. Jim.
Keep it in the box Jim, it’ll be worth a fortune in another twenty years!!!
You can thank the “stink” for the windfall then. 
Regards Kev.
jmc jnr:
I remember being in the wagons, but scarcely remember the places we stopped. I never carried a camera, but my mind is full of pictures.
If we were going to Scotland, we always re-fuelled at Londonderry or if Ireland it was that Shell filling station just outside Liverpool ( something island?) On the continent, it was Shell Euro card with the registration on it, and I had to include my car if I was there. My father was later TM so it was Kosher, but I never had my own. Same with the Hertz credit card I had it when he didn’t need it, and having the same name had it’s benefits - suite in the Crofton Airport Hotel included. The other was the Ba Credit Order pass book which he lent me (Same name).
Sounds like I ripped the firm off, but I travelled hundreds of Kliks using my car several times on the continent from Calais to Brindisi and never charged transport or mileage.
As you all say We did the job whatever it took, including bending the rules - I drove a Mammoth Major and drawbar back to Diss from Lowestoft when I was 17 but It had to be done - as we saw it the job came first - otherwise you were a wimp. My old man used to make a few bob betting the guys on the bank at Birds Eye that his schoolboy trailer mate could back the trailer onto the plate. Dad always won - cos I was walking home if I failed.
I nearly took the hedge down in the dark reversing Wyatt’s only Scammell into the Kings Head carpark in North Lopham when I was 13 years old - Blind Side? You so called drivers on telly at Stobbies. There are members on this site that take my breath away with their achievments. Love it. Jim.
Just reminded me, long ago a young fella called Stuart did a Dewsbury to Liverpool trunk (round trip, roped and sheeted on an Albion Riever) regularly. It was very naughty of the regular driver allowing Stuart to do it…Stuart was 15. He stuck to the speed limits, checked all his lights were in order and he never had a problem. The regular driver liked his nights in the club too much to ever be a proper trunker.
Hello Dave. Hope all is well with you. The newbies would have the last laugh if I tried to get into, and drive away in one of today’s computerised giants.
Mind you - I would love to see them try to put a pre-70’s 8 legger and dangler onto a 90degree bank without snouting it or reverse the whole lot up a linkspan and out of daylight onto the car deck and precision park it in one hit. When Johnny Wyatt bought the Scania 110 CAH 800 K we thought we were in a bloody car and caravan. It even made HVF 111D the MM Ergo feel ■■■■■■■■■■■ Jim.
Nearly page 2. Hope I haven’t driven you guys away. Jim.
jmc jnr:
Nearly page 2. Hope I haven’t driven you guys away. Jim.
Hiya,
Myself being a former “wag n’ drag” man, but never having to put one on the car-
deck of a ferry that must have been difficult going from a bright sunny day to a
dimly lit vehicle deck, as for “never hanging one on the snout” I defy anyone who
delivered round some of the back streets of London or Manchester to never ever
having to push one in “hung on the front eye” I very much doubt his honesty and I
have put some trailers in some funny old holes in my time, but thankfully not any
more and it’s doubtful if I could even clamber into the cab or move the steering.
thanks harry, long retired.
Quite right Harry, and it did happen, but only as a last resort cos a Mk3 AEC 8 wheeler needed a long way to turn round so it was more efficient to back onto the plate and drop her, then reverse alongside. Rule was - boy loaded the trailer and the driver loaded the wagon given 2 plates of course.
Also, boys duties were at every stop, clean screen, mirrors and lights. Check tyres including spares,listen for air leaks as you walked round, fill fridges and check temperatures and gas levels.
You cleaned and tidied the cab as needed and as the driver was filling up you did the engine oil and water too - first when the bonnet was inside.
Takes longer to type than do as long as all was well.
We loaded frozen peas in bags from a boat in Liverpool docks - no bank there. Lorry and trailer side by side. 4 dockers to lift the bags onto the back and we stacked them. The driver did the lorry and I did the trailer - boy, those guys could take the ■■■■. Every sack came with a caustic comment about boys doing mens work, but fair does, I got a well done at the finish. Thank God they did not want to see a Union Card. We were loaded for Humberside SPD - Grimsby or Cleethorpes - I don’t remember, but came down Woodhead with the door open cos we were losing our brakes. Jim.
The good old days?
P.P.S. 99% of our work was into and out of Cold Stores. General Haulage blokes had a different life - Harry I bet you needed the front hitch more than we ever would. Jim.
Harry mentions putting one on a ferry car deck…aye 
One stormy night in Larne they wanted my artic reversing on, there was a bloody hurricane blowing, the loaders were pis**** about, “no take it off, we’ll have it up the middle” (bar stewards) , “THIS IS THE LAST TIME, I’M NOT MOVING THE 'KIN THING AGAIN, I’M WET THROUGH”, half the bloody Irish Sea was in the Foden cab with me.
Strong words were exchanged. 
jmc jnr:
P.P.S. 99% of our work was into and out of Cold Stores. General Haulage blokes had a different life - Harry I bet you needed the front hitch more than we ever would. Jim.
Hiya,
Yes Jim But did on one occasion only ever have to only reverse the outfit onto
cafe parking areas the rest of the job was straight out of the yard do a spell
park in a straight line outside the shunter’s house which also happened to be
the “digs” good job but unfortunately it was only a spell of cash in hand work
covering for a driver who was recovering from illness, canny while it lasted.
and the return journey was always the reverse of the outgoing one.
thanks harry, long retired.
jmc jnr:
I remember being in the wagons, but scarcely remember the places we stopped. I never carried a camera, but my mind is full of pictures.
If we were going to Scotland, we always re-fuelled at Londonderry or if Ireland it was that Shell filling station just outside Liverpool ( something island?) On the continent, it was Shell Euro card with the registration on it, and I had to include my car if I was there. My father was later TM so it was Kosher, but I never had my own. Same with the Hertz credit card I had it when he didn’t need it, and having the same name had it’s benefits - suite in the Crofton Airport Hotel included. The other was the Ba Credit Order pass book which he lent me (Same name).
Sounds like I ripped the firm off, but I travelled hundreds of Kliks using my car several times on the continent from Calais to Brindisi and never charged transport or mileage.
As you all say We did the job whatever it took, including bending the rules - I drove a Mammoth Major and drawbar back to Diss from Lowestoft when I was 17 but It had to be done - as we saw it the job came first - otherwise you were a wimp. My old man used to make a few bob betting the guys on the bank at Birds Eye that his schoolboy trailer mate could back the trailer onto the plate. Dad always won - cos I was walking home if I failed.
I nearly took the hedge down in the dark reversing Wyatt’s only Scammell into the Kings Head carpark in North Lopham when I was 13 years old - Blind Side? You so called drivers on telly at Stobbies. There are members on this site that take my breath away with their achievments. Love it. Jim.
Hi Jim, after reading your post a few days ago I ended up trying to find out which “island” you probably used to fuel up at. My first thoughts were Haydock Island on the East Lancs Road next to the M6 but if you were travelling up that way before 1965 and the motorway wasn’t built then it could of been Lowton Island which was a few miles nearer to Manchester. You might of remembered seeing the sign for R.A.F. Haydock which was a signals station hidden away in the old coal slag heaps on your left with Evelyn’s Café opposite or you might of stopped at the Carr Mill café which was also known to the locals as Burkhill’s café. This was a bit further on towards Liverpool and I remember that it had quite a large parking area. Anyway, I have spent hours reading about this area over the last couple of days and found out quite a bit of interesting stuff and I thought that I would share this little story which I came across on one of the sites. I must point out that this wasn’t me but I think that we all knew a driver like this at one time or another.
When I was a wagon driver delivering fruit and veg I used to call at Burkhill’s Cafe for a brew. Old Bob would buy knock off spuds from me what I had fiddled on my run. One day when I called old Bob gave me rock bottom price, I couldn’t argue as the spuds were knock off so I took the money and got some breakfast. On my way out I reloaded the six sacks of spuds and drove away. I did some delivery’s and called back there in the afternoon, I bought a cup of coffee and while I was sat there old Bob asked me had I any more spuds. Looking surprised I said you had some this morning and he said some bugger has pinched them. So I said hang on I will go and check if I can fiddle you anymore. I sold him back the spuds he had bought in the morning thus I got top wack for those six bags of spuds.
Hello Mushroom man. The Shell Station was probably Haydock - I remember the Motorway going over the top and we often used the East Lancs road ( I got chucked out of the cab on that one once, for ■■■■■■■!). “Londonderry” as we called it was actually near Bedale, owned by a well known Haulage firm - can’t remember the name, but there was a Cafe and, I think a pub on the site which I think was on the old Great North road. We used that one running to Lockerbie or Galashiels for lambs. I started on the lorries in 1964 through to 1968, filling in for trailer mates on holiday - school holidays permitting, then worked for Fridged Freight in the early 70’s for a couple of years. My father was with them for 15 years and became assistant Transport Manager in 1965, hence the regular trips. He took me with him to Germany on about his last trip as a driver, Felixstowe - Rotterdam in 1965.
When Albert Moore left to form M.R.C.T. he was promoted to TM. Jim.
P.S. Fridged Freight (J.Wyatt Jnr. Haulage) folded in 1974.
Just remembered Lawsons at Bedale. Jim
jmc jnr:
Just remembered Lawsons at Bedale. Jim
Hiya,
I was always under that Lawson’s was owned by the Tayforth group, I know
when I worked for the “Calle” it was on our places to fuel up list and even
when going under the BRS umbrella we still used to fill up there both tanks
and bellies, is it still going ■■.
thanks harry, long retired.
harry_gill:
jmc jnr:
Just remembered Lawsons at Bedale. JimHiya,
I was always under that Lawson’s was owned by the Tayforth group, I know
when I worked for the “Calle” it was on our places to fuel up list and even
when going under the BRS umbrella we still used to fill up there both tanks
and bellies, is it still going ■■.
thanks harry, long retired.
Hi Harry, The café at Londonderry was owned by Bob Lawson, The haulage firm at Bedale IIRC Would have been John Lyons, Plus the other one called Harry Lyons, ■■ Regards Larry.
Ye very oldie lorry driver joke.
A 35 year old lorry driver had just started a new job in Sheffield and the first run that had to do for this new firm were several drops around rural north west Scotland. He decided to seek the advice from one of the older drivers who assured him that he knew the area very well. You lucky sod, said the old swet your third drop is in a little village that has the best Grab A Granny Night in Scotland on a Wednesday night. All the women come from miles around to have a dance and a good time so make sure that you end up in the local pub. Well our young friend made it to the pub and it most certainly was Granny Night 
but there was nothing in there that took his fancy and just before closing time he decided to have one more pint and then go and get a fish supper.
As they were about to announce the last dance an oldish women came over to him and asked him to dance with her. By now the five pints of heavy that he had drunk were taking affect and he worked it out that she must of been in her sixties and that to him was a huge age difference but hey he thought it’s only a dance.
As they danced away she started stroking his leg and asked him if he was interested in a three some 
No way said the driver, I am not getting into bed with you and your husband. No I didn’t mean that she said, I was wondering if you fancied a mother and daughter experience. Straight away his pickled brain was starting to do the mathematics. If she’s about sixty he thought and her daughter is twenty years younger than her then that would mean that her daughter would be about forty years old. There was a large smile on his face as he thought that the night can only get better and they set off on the half a mile walk back to her house. The woman opened the front door and he followed her into the hallway. Then she shouted up the stairs “MUM, I HAVE PULLED A LORRY DRIVER AND HE IS UP FOR IT”. 
mushroomman:
Ye very oldie lorry driver joke.A 35 year old lorry driver had just started a new job in Sheffield and the first run that had to do for this new firm were several drops around rural north west Scotland. He decided to seek the advice from one of the older drivers who assured him that he knew the area very well. You lucky sod, said the old swet your third drop is in a little village that has the best Grab A Granny Night in Scotland on a Wednesday night. All the women come from miles around to have a dance and a good time
As they were about to announce the last dance an oldish women came over to him and asked him to dance with her. By now the five pints of heavy that he had drunk were taking affect and he worked it out that she must of been in her sixties and that to him was a huge age difference but hey he thought it’s only a dance.
As they danced away she started stroking his leg and asked him if he was interested in a three some
No way said the driver, I am not getting into bed with you and your husband. No I didn’t mean that she said, I was wondering if you fancied a mother and daughter experience. Straight away his pickled brain was starting to do the mathematics. If she’s about sixty he thought and her daughter is twenty years younger than her then that would mean that her daughter would be about forty years old. There was a large smile on his face as he thought that the night can only get better and they set off on the half a mile walk back to her house. The woman opened the front door and he followed her into the hallway. Then she shouted up the stairs “MUM, I HAVE PULLED A LORRY DRIVER AND HE IS UP FOR IT”.
Hiya,
Brilliant and it had to be a Yorkie us Lancastrians wouldn’t fall for that one,
now where did I put mi tin at’.
thanks harry, long retired.
Hiya,
Another thread started by our Dave the Renegade that’s started to fade away we did
get some good stories and some good laughs from it and no reason why those times
can’t return there’s still a few of us “old ■■■■■” about to give it a new lease of life and
not so old un’s are welcome to contribute if your tale is chuckleworthy post it.
thanks harry, long retired.
harry_gill:
Hiya,
Another thread started by our Dave the Renegade that’s started to fade away we did
get some good stories and some good laughs from it and no reason why those times
can’t return there’s still a few of us “old ■■■■■” about to give it a new lease of life and
not so old un’s are welcome to contribute if your tale is chuckleworthy post it.
thanks harry, long retired.
I will drink to that Harry, 
Regards Larry.
Me too Lawrence. I don’t get out much these days, so losing a pal on this Forum is the real deal for me.
Old massey tractors and volunteer work at a local windmill is my lot. The white diesel has turned to wax in my veins.
Stay safe you lot and keep the anecdotes coming. We can only laugh. Jim.