Spardo:
pv83:
Apologies if these have been posted before.Cheers, Patrick
The Lyon’s Tea van, are those snow chains or an early form of bogie drive (6x4)?
Bet it was a bugger to turn in tight spots though.
Reckon they’re some sort of snow chains Spardo, you don’t fancy hopping along then do you? 
Buzzer:
pv83 there are two pictures you have posted which are quite close to where I live, the Southern Counties Agricultural Trading Society more commonly known in my life as SCATS had lots of branches in Hampshire and around , in the end they were swallowed up by Mole Valley Farmers. The second picture of Sandy & Son is real close to my house about 2 miles in fact and I noticed the telephone number was Locks Heath No2 so they must have been one of the early ones to be connected by phone, but back then nearly all houses would have used coal, thanks Buzzer.
Cheers for the missing info Buzzer, posting a photo is one thing, but it gets alive with memories like yours, ta mate
emmerson2:
oiltreader:
Thanks to gazsa401, DEANB and buzzer gor the pics
Yes Buzzer old to have been on the A6 when they were going by. This one with a Cardiff reg
OilyOily, that Cardiff number was issued as age-related I think.
Cheers emmerson2
Oily
Should think those four deck livestock drivers earn there corn washing one of those outfits out after tipping there load, Buzzer.
An expensive load for this Guy! I remeber there xas a Henley agent next to our door in Stafford Court (London W8) c. 1970.
Weather topic today ,a reminder of when drivers earned their corn
toshboy:
0Weather topic today ,a reminder of when drivers earned their corn
I remember it well, we young uns lapped up the adventure and made fun of the old BRS drivers in their army greatcoats with turned up collars and flat caps.
But at least, according to the neat sheeting jobs on the 2 wagons to the left, they had a following wind that day.
Not so much Shap for me, but Stainmore. Never missed a stop in front of the open fire with a full English before walking out into the blizzard like Captain Oates. 
Spardo:
toshboy:
0Weather topic today ,a reminder of when drivers earned their cornI remember it well, we young uns lapped up the adventure and made fun of the old BRS drivers in their army greatcoats with turned up collars and flat caps.
But at least, according to the neat sheeting jobs on the 2 wagons to the left, they had a following wind that day.
Not so much Shap for me, but Stainmore. Never missed a stop in front of the open fire with a full English before walking out into the blizzard like Captain Oates.
Hi Spardo,
Steady on mate ,I was a BRS driver then but only 21 years old ,punching an artic over that lot is unforgettable, regarding the army great coat most of us that era had army service and ‘forgot’ to hand them back . with just one windscreen wiper ,no fog light, single dip headlight . no n/s mirror and no heater .-we worked for our dodgies ! all good fun though everyone mucking in and keeping the show going .good comarardie those days
toshboy:
Hi Spardo,
Steady on mate ,I was a BRS driver then but only 21 years old ,punching an artic over that lot is unforgettable, regarding the army great coat most of us that era had army service and ‘forgot’ to hand them back . with just one windscreen wiper ,no fog light, single dip headlight . no n/s mirror and no heater .-we worked for our dodgies ! all good fun though everyone mucking in and keeping the show going .good comarardie those days
Ha ha, sorry mate, for some reason we only saw the oldies (everything is relative, the ‘oldies’ were a lot younger than I am today). I suppose it was the impression that BRS drivers went from depot to depot for their reloads whereas many of us were sent out on a Monday and told to find our own work for the week and come home on Saturday in time to wash down
But if it makes you feel any better, I did apply to BRS, and was rejected. No, not because I didn’t have a greatcoat but for the lack of a quick answer to a very simple question. The manager at Nottingham said ‘how would you go from here to Manchester?’ Having just come back from a few years in Oz I struggled with the answer although I should have known easily enough. My only other excuse was that there were several ways. I can’t remember when the M1 was extended to Leeds but this would have been 1970ish, so perhaps not, so I should have known. 
Regarding the camaraderie, bang on there. It was the digs that did it. Good, bad or indifferent, crammed together (sometimes literally with only a foot or so between each bed) for an evening with lots of other men all with the same interests. Many more miles were done there than ever on the road.
You had a job to see across the dinner table for diesel smoke, Spardo! Not so much of a rush in those days- those of us with a “modern” lorry thought we were in heaven when the BRS traffic clerks were still working on a 22mph average! Some weeks I was finished on Thursday night, spent Friday hauling bales for the farmer next door, then trundled into the depot at lunchtime on Saturday to fuel up, draw the wages (and expenses!) before heading to the pub across the road. Didn’t even have to wash the lorry- the farmer’s son had done that for me while I enjoyed a lie-in and a leisurely breakfast! Those were the days!
I just love the Southern Railway drawbar picture. One or two rows of bricks the entire length of the platform. Now that has got to be hard graft bending down to that lot!
I noticed that “two rows of bricks” as well. All go innit 
At around 2 & half ton a thousand, not a lot of weight. Does anyone remember the ‘Headlight’ magazine? I used to read the old man’s, fascinated with the pic’s and stories.
peterm:
I noticed that “two rows of bricks” as well. All go innit
The Headlight, yes peterm I do and the Classified pages for finding digs.
Oily
oiltreader:
peterm:
I noticed that “two rows of bricks” as well. All go innitThe Headlight, yes peterm I do and the Classified pages for finding digs.
Oily
Yes, and backloads, pages full of small clearing houses. The only thing it was good for, I got fed up with them going on about drivers who had fallen foul of the law, in however minor circumstances.
Spardo:
oiltreader:
peterm:
I noticed that “two rows of bricks” as well. All go innitThe Headlight, yes peterm I do and the Classified pages for finding digs.
OilyYes, and backloads, pages full of small clearing houses. The only thing it was good for, I got fed up with them going on about drivers who had fallen foul of the law, in however minor circumstances.
Yes David,they could have vetted some of those so-called “home from home” flea pits rather than writing about minor driver offences.
The Lyon’s Tea van, are those snow chains or an early form of bogie drive (6x4)?
Bet it was a bugger to turn in tight spots though.
[/quote]
Morning David, just thinking that myself.
The wings look like they are rivited on, maybe to stop the thing from walking off but it looks in my opinion to be to loose to be a double drive pick up, tyre tread has no grip, god knows, but as you say it must have been a sod to manover and the noise !!! would be great to find out eh !! Harvey
PS: maybe the absence of snow is the give a way.
Chris Webb:
Spardo:
oiltreader:
peterm:
I noticed that “two rows of bricks” as well. All go innitThe Headlight, yes peterm I do and the Classified pages for finding digs.
OilyYes, and backloads, pages full of small clearing houses. The only thing it was good for, I got fed up with them going on about drivers who had fallen foul of the law, in however minor circumstances.
Yes David,they could have vetted some of those so-called “home from home” flea pits rather than writing about minor driver offences.
I had some good regular digs stops, but on the odd occasion a doss house where a boiler suit was the preferred bedtime apparel.
Oily
Chris Webb:
Yes David,they could have vetted some of those so-called “home from home” flea pits rather than writing about minor driver offences.
You are right Chris, it would have been useful to have a section for drivers’ reports, like the 5 star system on Truckfly today. When I am searching for somewhere to park and eat in an unfamiliar area I read the worst report first and then balance it with the best. Only trouble with that is that in those days you had to write an actual letter ( 
) to get your view across.
Like most professional drivers I sorted out the best and the worst from experience, but there were so many bad ones that a large number of drivers took bedding with them and draped themselves over the engine.
Of course the unions had a big hand in that because they opposed sleeper cabs long after they were commonplace in the rest of the world.
