Bewick:
Dear Dennis,
Does that really count ? A net sheet always looked professional, even I could do them !, and as me old dad said to me several times… That ain’t sheeted that’s a zb abortion of job,
Laurie Dryver:
Hi Leyland600, your tale about the theft of your sheets jogged the old grey matter and reminded me of an incident in about 1960. I was with a Warners driver in a Seddon Mk15/10 - 427 AD en route from Gloucester Auction Mart to Coggans Abbattoir in Chichester and as we approached Birdlip village on the side of the road was a yellow sheet. We stopped and opened it up and it was lettered James Duke & Sons - Bishops Waltham. Ken Warner said that as we were passing their mill we would return it to them which we did.There was no reward offered but we were happy that we had done our good deed for the day. Many years later circa 1978 I was doing work for Oldacres Animal Feeds and they bought the business of Southdown Feeds on Terminus Ind Estate in Chichester and I began hauling bulk raw materials from there for Bishops Cleeve Mill so I needed traffic to get me down there. On the off chance I called into James Dukes and related the tale of the sheet and enquired as to the likelihood of work down to them and came away with copious loads from Sharpness and Avonmouth to Bishops Waltham - just shows that honesty is the best policy. Regards Noel
Hi Noel, Top man i have been trying to think of the name of the firm that ran that mill at Bishop’s Waltham, used to take cut Maize there from Wolverhampton,been about 18 months since i was down that way and i am pretty sure a Sainsbury’s is now built on that site, Cheer’s Pete
Hi Pete Glad to be of service -Chris Sessions was Transport Manager at Dukes and I had a brilliant relationship with him and ended up buying a Seddon 32/4 Tractor from them VOR 964N.It had a 220 rolls in it with a David Brown 6/600 box not the best spec but I ran it for quite a while but soon tired of fitting rear hub oil seals in that horrendous S/A group hub reduction axle. I sold it to Jonathon Chandler as a shunter for Santa Fe Express. Best regards Noel
Laurie Dryver:
Hi Leyland600, your tale about the theft of your sheets jogged the old grey matter and reminded me of an incident in about 1960. I was with a Warners driver in a Seddon Mk15/10 - 427 AD en route from Gloucester Auction Mart to Coggans Abbattoir in Chichester and as we approached Birdlip village on the side of the road was a yellow sheet. We stopped and opened it up and it was lettered James Duke & Sons - Bishops Waltham. Ken Warner said that as we were passing their mill we would return it to them which we did.There was no reward offered but we were happy that we had done our good deed for the day. Many years later circa 1978 I was doing work for Oldacres Animal Feeds and they bought the business of Southdown Feeds on Terminus Ind Estate in Chichester and I began hauling bulk raw materials from there for Bishops Cleeve Mill so I needed traffic to get me down there. On the off chance I called into James Dukes and related the tale of the sheet and enquired as to the likelihood of work down to them and came away with copious loads from Sharpness and Avonmouth to Bishops Waltham - just shows that honesty is the best policy. Regards Noel
Dukes mill was just up the road from where l was born 'n bred…My very first wagon as an O.D was one of their old Seddons with a 180 Gardner…their mechanic also use to service it for me…small world.
Tubbysboy:
Bewick:
Dear Dennis,
Does that really count ? A net sheet always looked professional, even I could do them !, and as me old dad said to me several times… That ain’t sheeted that’s a zb abortion of job,
I will bow to your superior knowledge Tubbs with regard to the type of equipment we preferred to use on some traffic. However please tell me how “wired” bales of trimmed waste is conducive to using the same main sheets on loads of finished product which must be kept dry at all costs, apart from the fact our standard main sheets were not wide enough to cover these high loads of waste in any case and not to mention that the proportion of reels into the corrugated plants compared to loads of waste ex the Plants back to the Mill was probably around a ratio of 7 or 8 to 1.Cheers Dennis.
Here you are Tubbs, pick one out to couple up to!
Bewick:
Here you are Tubbs, pick one out to couple up to!
Dennis,
One of the tautliners will do me please !!
Fergie47:
Laurie Dryver:
Hi Leyland600, your tale about the theft of your sheets jogged the old grey matter and reminded me of an incident in about 1960. I was with a Warners driver in a Seddon Mk15/10 - 427 AD en route from Gloucester Auction Mart to Coggans Abbattoir in Chichester and as we approached Birdlip village on the side of the road was a yellow sheet. We stopped and opened it up and it was lettered James Duke & Sons - Bishops Waltham. Ken Warner said that as we were passing their mill we would return it to them which we did.There was no reward offered but we were happy that we had done our good deed for the day. Many years later circa 1978 I was doing work for Oldacres Animal Feeds and they bought the business of Southdown Feeds on Terminus Ind Estate in Chichester and I began hauling bulk raw materials from there for Bishops Cleeve Mill so I needed traffic to get me down there. On the off chance I called into James Dukes and related the tale of the sheet and enquired as to the likelihood of work down to them and came away with copious loads from Sharpness and Avonmouth to Bishops Waltham - just shows that honesty is the best policy. Regards NoelDukes mill was just up the road from where l was born 'n bred…My very first wagon as an O.D was one of their old Seddons with a 180 Gardner…their mechanic also use to service it for me…small world.
Hi Fergie 47 Again many years later we used to lairage lambs prior to export at Reg & Dot Goodfellows just past Bishops Waltham there’s a pub on the left can’t remember the name of it but if you turn right there their yard was a few hundred yards on the right. You’re quite right it’s a small world! Regards
Bewick:
Tubbysboy:
Bewick:
Dear Dennis,
Does that really count ? A net sheet always looked professional, even I could do them !, and as me old dad said to me several times… That ain’t sheeted that’s a zb abortion of job,
I will bow to your superior knowledge Tubbs with regard to the type of equipment we preferred to use on some traffic. However please tell me how “wired” bales of trimmed waste is conducive to using the same main sheets on loads of finished product which must be kept dry at all costs, apart from the fact our standard main sheets were not wide enough to cover these high loads of waste in any case and not to mention that the proportion of reels into the corrugated plants compared to loads of waste ex the Plants back to the Mill was probably around a ratio of 7 or 8 to 1.Cheers Dennis.
Dennis, sorry it didn’t come across the way it sounded…
I was am probably still am the most useless bloke ever to have tried roping and sheeting, I could never get the hang of it…
I remember loading some very low tin plate out of sutton bridge port and spending what seemed like a lifetime to try and put a fly sheet over it…
I gave up in the end as had lost me temper. The chap on the weighbridge said you have to sheet that up…
I refused as I was only going to Cambridge to tip, and it was a lovely sunny day…
I had only got about 10 mins down the road when the bloke I was subbing for phoned, and told me that matey on the weighbridge had called him to ask how long he had been subbing loads to weathermen !!
I wish I could rope and sheet properly as me old dad tried and tried to learn me how do it…
I did used to be a handy bloke with a net mind you, used to load very wobbly loads of Latvian peat and it was by far the best way of keeping them on tight.
Ah! you mention tin-plate Tubbs now that brings back memories of the many times I loaded tin-plate out of South Wales, non of your crappy imported stuff in those days mid/late sixties. When I was a trailer mate in my teens on Brady’s Octopus we more or less used to load tin-plate back out of S.Wales every week which was usually from MB Neath, or Velindre or Trostre works.As regards sheeting and roping well my boss the driver Eric Poss (RIP) was a perfectionist, first of all I rolled out a folded main sheet over both the waggon and then same on the trailer which was like a big pad on the packs.Then we spread the fly sheets out and fastened them as tight as drums and ( 
) we used to rope over the fly sheets but those loads of tin plate were always an absolute picture to behold they sure were! If you were never taught the art properly like it’s no detriment so no wonder it was a ■■■■■■ Tubbs ! 
I was very fortunate to have been taught by The G’uvnor and if your shown the right way from the off there is only ever one way ! happy Days,Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
Ah! you mention tin-plate Tubbs now that brings back memories of the many times I loaded tin-plate out of South Wales, non of your crappy imported stuff in those days mid/late sixties. When I was a trailer mate in my teens on Brady’s Octopus we more or less used to load tin-plate back out of S.Wales every week which was usually from MB Neath, or Velindre or Trostre works.As regards sheeting and roping well my boss the driver Eric Poss (RIP) was a perfectionist, first of all I rolled out a folded main sheet over both the waggon and then same on the trailer which was like a big pad on the packs.Then we spread the fly sheets out and fastened them as tight as drums and (
Excuse my ignorance Dennis and Tubbysboy, but what was /is tinplate? And where was it going? Roping and sheeting seemed like far too much hard work for me. My Idea of a backload from South Wales (in the van - close the doors!) was bananas from Barry to Scotland, or Dunlopillo from Hirwaun ( the favourite - max a couple of tons!) to Fords at Liverpool.
John
You’ve not lived, John. Tinplate from the South Wales works was the staple of our outward bound loads.
Thin sheets of steel, plated with tin for use mainly in making cans for the food industry. Loaded in packs, or “bulks” as they were known, they were a decent load to carry as long as you fastened them down correctly and didn’t do too much “Monza” cornering! As with most loads of steel, it was as well not to indulge in the practice of the Emergency Stop. Not if you wanted to keep your head on your shoulders and your cab on your chassis.
The guys in the steelworks would use steel banding in a continuous loop over the packs and right under the chassis. These were ratcheted tight but did not allow for vibration tending to make the packs move toward each other during the trip, thence making the banding useless. Most drivers would use plenty of sheets and ropes, keeping a good eye in the mirrors in case something decided to come slack.
One of the downsides to this traffic was the amount of time you could sometimes have to wait to get loaded, but the upside was that it could be made to look really smart with the load being less than headboard height so that it was possible to see over the top when using one of those new-fangled suction interior mirrors. No chance of Smokey creeping in behind without you noticing!
I used to love loading tinplate out of Metal Box Co at Neath not to hard to sheet and rope the pallets of lids were a different kettle of fish though with D & D Tpt from Dundee we loaded back from there most of the time …all the way home!!! John Raymond from Bridgend loaded there a lot too !!! happy days always a good feed in the canteen and a quiet spot to camp for the night !!!
Retired Old ■■■■:
You’ve not lived, John. Tinplate from the South Wales works was the staple of our outward bound loads.
Thin sheets of steel, plated with tin for use mainly in making cans for the food industry. Loaded in packs, or “bulks” as they were known, they were a decent load to carry as long as you fastened them down correctly and didn’t do too much “Monza” cornering! As with most loads of steel, it was as well not to indulge in the practice of the Emergency Stop. Not if you wanted to keep your head on your shoulders and your cab on your chassis.
The guys in the steelworks would use steel banding in a continuous loop over the packs and right under the chassis. These were ratcheted tight but did not allow for vibration tending to make the packs move toward each other during the trip, thence making the banding useless. Most drivers would use plenty of sheets and ropes, keeping a good eye in the mirrors in case something decided to come slack.
One of the downsides to this traffic was the amount of time you could sometimes have to wait to get loaded, but the upside was that it could be made to look really smart with the load being less than headboard height so that it was possible to see over the top when using one of those new-fangled suction interior mirrors. No chance of Smokey creeping in behind without you noticing!
So it was Rof who put the rust in to the British cabs !
Bewick:
Ah! you mention tin-plate Tubbs now that brings back memories of the many times I loaded tin-plate out of South Wales, non of your crappy imported stuff in those days mid/late sixties. When I was a trailer mate in my teens on Brady’s Octopus we more or less used to load tin-plate back out of S.Wales every week which was usually from MB Neath, or Velindre or Trostre works.As regards sheeting and roping well my boss the driver Eric Poss (RIP) was a perfectionist, first of all I rolled out a folded main sheet over both the waggon and then same on the trailer which was like a big pad on the packs.Then we spread the fly sheets out and fastened them as tight as drums and (
You mention a few places I used to frequent in the 70s,the worst one [my opinion]was bsc ebbw vale,when you went in you never knew when you was coming out.I used to load mainly for mb westhoughton.Great load to sheet once you got it on.
regards dave.
But Ebbw Vale had a great canteen on the lorry park- about two miles from the works! I once slipped in there for a “quick load”. Started off with a full breakfast, proceeded to a lamb chop lunch and was eventually called down to the loading bay at about half past three, whereupon the foreman walked over and told me to get my head down or get a lift home as they would be loading me on the night shift. Happy days! 
Dan, the rust was already in the steel before it left the works!
Retired Old ■■■■:
But Ebbw Vale had a great canteen on the lorry park- about two miles from the works! I once slipped in there for a “quick load”. Started off with a full breakfast, proceeded to a lamb chop lunch and was eventually called down to the loading bay at about half past three, whereupon the foreman walked over and told me to get my head down or get a lift home as they would be loading me on the night shift. Happy days!Dan, the rust was already in the steel before it left the works!
Well if the rust wasn’t in the steel before it left the works, it sure would be by the time it got to the drop if the standard of BRS sheets was anything to go by from memory, and that’s assuming it was sheeted and roped properly 
Cheers Bewick.
The rust probably came from all the Derbyshire flur spar that they used over the yrs ,some was just soil with a sprinkle of good stuff at the front so to come out on top when tipped off !
I used do local runs of steel from small port near Rochford in essex, to steelholders in London and nearby.
As I was an owner driver and without the patience or knowledge to sheet a load properly, or indeed without time to mess about with it, had to get at least 2 loads in a day… My excuse when asked why the bundles of angles were all wet was that it’s special steel… For horseshoes. Also used to pull timber out the same dock and normally un sheeted, what type of wood you got for us mate ? Tree wood 
Retired Old ■■■■:
But Ebbw Vale had a great canteen on the lorry park- about two miles from the works! I once slipped in there for a “quick load”. Started off with a full breakfast, proceeded to a lamb chop lunch and was eventually called down to the loading bay at about half past three, whereupon the foreman walked over and told me to get my head down or get a lift home as they would be loading me on the night shift. Happy days!Dan, the rust was already in the steel before it left the works!
Didn’t ebbw vale also have a copper plate works ? I seem to recall loading from there a couple of times, once with old knackered tilt, which while better than sheeting, werent that good a job, and later I loaded a slidy roof tautliner… Best thing since sliced bread.
I seem to remember arriving at about 3 in the afternoon and leaving about 5 the next morning, after various shift changes, strikes, tea breaks and such forth…