I learned this morning that long serving Ballidon quarry driver Vernon Wibberley passed away yesterday at the age of 92. One of three brothers who drove for Ballidon, Vernon was the youngest, many of the Wibberley family members were employed there at various times as well.
His family had this picture framed from Paul Gees photo which Dean posted on here and presented it to Vernon on his 90th birthday. His old AEC tanker still resides in Rush Green, you can actually see some pics of it on the wall behind Vernon!
Can’t replicate that now even if you had the AEC! Before Sheriff Fields was built so 70’s I guess? My house is there though. John is long gone but Stephen his lad still drives and his old garage is still there in the town. I doubt that any of his various AEC’s or MAN’s exist though.
It’s not Pete Harrison. He did drive drive it . But that is in miners strike
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I didn’t realise that ‘Barn Rat’ had driven for John? Bob King had a spell there but that isn’t him either!
Pete.
Looks a bit like the late Vinnie Power,but he packed up driving and worked at Middleton Mine,it does resemble him. Cannot recal seeing him in Denby screens at that time.
This earlier version of the S80 Foden (they had no rear cab step) is from our quarry (Ballidon) but I dont know the location? Driven from new by the late Dennis Wibberley who later worked in the weighbridge as the clerk until his retirement. It is his youngest brother Vernon’s funeral this friday. Vernon drove a tanker and Dennis the tipper, both were on fortnightly service the same day. After the servicing side in the lubrication bay was done, just a grease and check round really as they all had a main service every four weeks, any repairs were done by our garage further down the yard. Dennis came in: “I have three broken springs” so we set about changing them. Half an hour later Vernon appears with his tanker; “I’ve four broken springs” and as tankers were more important than tippers (there was usually a spare tipper) we had to leave Dennis’s and concentrate on Vernons which didn’t go down well! We possibly ran out of springs?
Dennis had retired from driving when I went on the road full time, 1970 Commer and Malmic would remember him being on the road with them though and he did the early morning tarmac loads, usually loading at 5am. Here is Dennis on his last day before retirement, with my old ‘running partner’ on Tilcon/STB Transport Ray Gould from Brassington at the window! NMP
Ay up Pete I always thought there were 4 daughters and that 3 worked in the shop wirksworth rod would probably give you more information they are John s daughters.
phop:
Ay up Pete I always thought there were 4 daughters and that 3 worked in the shop wirksworth rod would probably give you more information they are John s daughters.
You are probably right, I used to call occasionally when I worked for Eric and Frank at Millers Green but that was almost 18 years ago now. They were hard working lasses but I only remember there being two in the shop. One of our vintage club members, David Twigge who was on a loading shovel at Dene Quarry, lives next to the shop so I could ask him if I was really that bothered!
My first transit as purchased for £1200, after doing it up I called in where I bought it from and the owner who wasn’t there are at the time said I owe him more money as the person I paid didn’t know what the bottom line was ,I promptly left
John is long gone but Stephen his lad still drives and his old garage is still there in the town. I doubt that any of his various AEC’s or MAN’s exist though.
Bob King had a spell there but that isn’t him either! 
