240 Gardner:
“Stanfield” Hi Dean Wm Blythe had a chemical installation based at Hapton nr Accrington they also ran tankers aswell as flats.
That’s right, although William Blythe’s main plant and head office was/is at Bridge Street, Church, on the opposite side of Accrington from Hapton. They ran a presentable fleet of both flats and tanks, although I think they had become all tanks by the late 90s. In around 2004, the fleet operation was contracted out to W. H. Bowker. That was a long and painful process which dragged on for a few years - we had started discussions with them in, I think, 2000, but there was a great deal of resistance from within Blythe’s, and so the deal wasn’t done until quite some time after I left Bowker in 2001. The story was that every obstacle possible was placed into the process by Blythe’s departing transport manager, including mis-spec’ing the new equipment.
Thanks for the info and pics Chris. 
Blythe’s transport manager… 
ArcDaz:
Hi Dean what a nice mixed bag of Pictrues you have posted up on here very interesting of various companys that you would spot when out driving.brilliant again fond memories Daz 
Cheers Daz. 
Ray Smyth:
Hi Dean, The " Hub " DAF dropside flat lorry reminds me of a Steel Tube stockholder called
Hub & Gillespie, who I think were from the West Midlands. There is also a steel stockholder
called Hub Le Bas with depots in several locations in the UK.
With regard to the Entress lorries, the first Volvo F86 that I saw was early in 1970 when I used
to load at H.J.Heinz at Kitt Green, Wigan, during my time with Robert Baillie of Portsmouth.
Entress used to deliver 20 ton loads of tinplate from South Wales to Heinz, and load back from
there with Heinz tinned products for wholesalers and Cash & Carry dealers back home.
Toward the end of 1970, Robert Baillie bought a new Volvo F86, because at that time, Mr Baillies
favourite lorry was Atkinsons with Gardner 180, but they were difficult to find. Baillies Volvo F86
reg no. YCG 734J was prone to breakdowns and reliability problems, He didnt buy another Volvo.
YCG 734J appears on the Robert Baillie thread, here on Trucknet.
Cheers, Ray Smyth.
Ray, Thanks for the comments on “HUB”.
Sounds like Baillies were unlucky with that F86… 
ArcDaz:
“DEANB” Bit more on steel / aluminium haulage.
Hello Dean my dads brother worked for the Metal box company factory in north london Palmers Green which was on A406 North Circular road Sadley long gone now due to the widening of the A10 Great Cambridge road Good old memories for me as well 
Metal box must have been a large company as they seemed to have a fair few depots doted around the country Daz.
robroy:
Re. The Thornycroft post.
I remember tipping somewhere, must be nigh on 30 years ago,.and a guy told me …‘This used to be the Thornycroft factory’
Can’t for the life of me recall where it was…Where were they made?
There factory was in Basingstoke Rob. It must have been a fair size as all there paperwork just says Basingstoke,no road name mentioned
on there brochures etc. However Leyland took over Thornycroft in 1969 and the sign below has an address of Worting Road,Basingstoke.
There is also a roundabout called Thornycroft roundabout in Basingstoke. I have never researched it to be honest but there is probably
someone on here that lives Basingstoke way that will know more.
Adrian Cypher via Bubbleman sent me this picture back in 2009.
