Ive just been reading that russell cadwallader has died,ive havent heard of him before but im guessing he from the famous blue fridge firm,RIP 
seth 70:
Ive just been reading that russell cadwallader has died,ive havent heard of him before but im guessing he from the famous blue fridge firm,RIP
Yes he was Seth, hereâs what one of the local papers wrote about him. RIP Russell Cadwallader.
Oswestry businessman John Russell Cadwallader, died on May 6, aged 82.
Mr Cadwallader, who was known as Russell, left school aged 14 to work as a labourer on Weston Farm, in Weston Lane, Oswestry.
But because of his interest in farming and machinery he left the farm after securing a job as an agricultural engineer with FH Burgess.
He left there to work for the Barrett family at Bromwich Park, where he had an opportunity to drive a livestock lorry.
His son, John, said: âThe Barrett family trusted him, not only to transport them but also their prize-winning racehorses all over the country.â
In the late 1950s, Mr Cadwallader bought his first truck and started carrying goods for the Heinz Corporation.
He delivered canned foods and drink to shops and cash and carry warehouses all over North Wales.
âSuccess there enabled him to negotiate work with British Steel,â John Cadwallader added.
"But to fulfil the new work he had to persuade his brother, Gordon, to sell his car and buy a truck. "
This was the beginning of G and R Cadwallader which, by the late 1960s and early 1970s, had grown into one of the pioneers of refrigerated transport, with the company moving fresh and frozen food across Europe.
The business bought Swallow International and McPherson International Transport, making G and R Cadwallader one of the largest privately-owned transport companies in the UK.
The firm opened an office in Cherbourg in France and continued to grow in the domestic market, with contracts from companies including Cadbury, Lever Brothers, British Steel and Tetra-Pak.
Thanks to his hard work and, his family said, some good luck, Mr Cadwallader was eventually able to buy the farm he had started his working life on.
âBy 1996 retirement was beckoning and the old company was closed,â said John Cadwallader.
It was replaced by a new firm, Cadwallader Limited, run by John and his brother David and based in Maesbury Road, Oswestry.
âHe still remained active in retirement and kept himself busy socialising and taking a keen interest in the local community,â John Cadwallader added.
He said his father was very proud of his sonsâ achievements.
Cadwallader Ltd specialises in the sales and hire of both new and used trailers â with an emphasis on refrigerated trailers, box vans and curtain-siders.
It recently opened a depot in Yorkshire which will run alongside the depot in Oswestry and serve the whole of the North of England.
Mr Cadwallader is survived by his wife, Gwyneth, sons John and David, daughters-in-law and three grandsons.
Thats REALLY spooky!
The recent passing of Jimmy Rawlings (A.S. Rawlings Transport Ltd) over the weekend was so coincidental. Back in the late 70âs and 80âs ASR did a lot of work with Cadwallader in Europe. ASR initially used their Channel ferry accounts.
I believe there was a common interest in farming that made the bond.
RIP to Jimmy and Russell.
Thanks for the info dave,i only caught a glimpse on a social media site so put 2 and 2 together,i wasnt sure if it was the same family because its not been publicised like the rest of the deaths lately,im surprised really because i can remember them being big players in the continental transport game at one bit,
Hi Seth,
Quite a few blokes that I know drove for Cadwalladers during the 1970âs. They were on the continental work with them, most of them were ex Roberts of Knighton drivers who went to them for more money. Caddieâs as they were known were a big firm in those days.
Cheers Dave.
gazzer:
Thats REALLY spooky!The recent passing of Jimmy Rawlings (A.S. Rawlings Transport Ltd) over the weekend was so coincidental. Back in the late 70âs and 80âs ASR did a lot of work with Cadwallader in Europe. ASR initially used their Channel ferry accounts.
I believe there was a common interest in farming that made the bond.
RIP to Jimmy and Russell.
You are so right there gazzer that is so spooky, I know that Jim Rawlings and Russel Cadwallader were mates out side of business and Jim told me when they went on holiday to the USA together if they saw a big transport operation they would just drive in to the yard and introduce themselves and say that they were involved in transport in the UK, with out hesitation the Yanks would tell them every thing about there business as they were not a threat to them, bit like a bus mans holiday really such was there interest in how things were done the other side of the pond. For sure they will meet up again so RIP to both gentlemen Buzzer.
I think youâll find Mr Jack Richards also passed away this week. Another icon of the industry.
Mark R:
I think youâll find Mr Jack Richards also passed away this week. Another icon of the industry.
I read in todayâs Commercial Motor that there will be a write up about Jack Richards in next weeks edition. All these blokes mentioned ,plus Stan Robinson who passed away last year were proper lorry men. Not many of those left unfortunately.
Sad to hear of the loss of a great character in transport,I knew Russell well being an Oswestry lad.some of the stories some of the drivers told about him would make you chuckle.one that stuck in my mind was a driver could be at the Smithfield market at midnight,or a packhouse in Spain,and who would appear from nowhere in his old red vauxhall cavalier but Rusty,âwhere you for next driverâ he would always come out with his explanation for being in some strange places at some strange times was I was just passing through and he spotted the truck.but every one knew he would be trying to catch drivers on the take.
The last time I saw Russell Cadwallader was when we went to Lydney Magistrates Court in the 1970s. Both his case and mine were thrown out and we celebrated over lunch at a pub in the town. Seems such a long time ago. RIP Russell.
Evening all, well dear old Russell has departedâŚI hope Saint Peter, (or whoever keeps the gate for the lower floor), is ready, (and able), to cope with what is about to hit themâŚand hit them dear Russell will!
I suppose I first got to know Russell, and Gordon about 68ish, just as they were "becoming respectable". Then followed 30 years of being involved with their, and latterly Russells, (when he had dispensed with Gordon), business activities. Boy, what a character, what a one way traffic manâŚand I mean that with no malice whatsoever, for I liked Russell very much, but one had to understand where he was coming fromâŚotherwise you simply were âsteam rolleredâ into submission.
Part of the âOswestry Jet Setâ, for such did exist!
A great, and inherent tactician, a superb businessman, a deadly rival, crafty, conniving, yet utterly charmingâŚunless crossedâŚa real character. Yet he could not have achieved what G&R Cadwallader, Cadwallader Continental, SAS, Swallow, Mc Pherson, did, without the solid and resolute support of his brother Gordon, (who, as an aside ), I would say was every bit as clever with Gardner, as John Killingbeck, and of course Volvo, and held a parts, and rebuilding enterprise that was stronger than most main Dealers! For even the engineers from Shrewsburys Rolls Royce used to come for advice to that big shed at Morda!!
Russell and I rowed, fought, and enjoyed each others company! Sometimes our aims coincided, that was great, other times they did notâŚthen fireworks ensued! But we always âgot onâ. I`m at a loss to remember the name of the lad, from Liverpool, who worked for/from Malc Woodhouses yard, (Bewick help)! But one day he came to see me to buy some Lamberet Fridges that I was taking off my fleet listâŚ
Then as he sat opposite me, a look of horror crept across his faceâŚfor Russell, (in that old brown Vauxhall Cavalier, with the cracked windscreen, that he drove, to be unrecognisedâŚbut we all knew who it was driving it)!! had just driven into my yard⌠Well this Scouser spent the next 50 minutes or so, âcoweringâ in my good ladies office untill Russell had left, (without buying my Lamberets), so great was his fear at confronting dear Russell!!
Lets not forget, and I am of an age, and a temperament , when one speaks ones mind, irrespective of the reaction of others, and has true regard for those who also do soâŚthat âprior to retirementâ, (as the family wish to put it), my friend Russell gave a Licensing Authority⌠âboth barrelsâ, regarding infringements of hours regulationsâŚand of course it was taken badlyâŚ(what âdelicate pillocksâ inhabit the legislature in this fair land)! and the demise of G&R was ensuredâŚto be reborne as the family now wish it to be knownâŚ
But to me , give me the Russell I knewâŚred in tooth and clawâŚ
Rest in peace my friend, the world, (and this sad industry of today) is far poorer without you,
God Bless, (and protect if you have gone the other way)!..I shall open a fresh Bollinger in your memoryâŚ
Cheerio for now.
Thats a exellent way of summing someone up and paying your respects ,nice one saviem. 
R.I.P. Mr Cadwallader, Mr Rawling & Mr Richards
Gaz
Think it would be fair to say that Caddies shifted more steel out of Shotton then any body else inthere day , thamnk you Trevor ,
May he rest in peace. He bought a LHD ERF âEuropeanâ so he was obviously a very discerning bloke! Back in the '70s I got a lift back from Belgium in one of his F88s with a tilt full of poppy-seed from Turkey (I kid you not). Robert
I worked for some time (early 80âs) for âCaddiesâ it was a great company. Russell hated rules! We werenât paid the most, but werenât over taxed with work either. Plenty of time to do the jobs and absolutely no pressure! Russell was one of transportâs great legends. Arriving at the yard at 3 in the morning one was inevitably greeted by Russell, lips white from ant-acid tablets, acting as though it was the most normal thing in the World to be up and around. The trucks, for the most part, were rolling dustbins, at least the ones I drove were! I once did three German runs with no exhaust pipe on a F10, after having it stolen in Dover (By Hungrocamion?). I have never since worked for a company that gave you envelopes and told you to post the papers every Friday! Cool was not the word!
I had some great times with Caddy, including my divorce! I remember being on the âsickâ and I had a call from the office asking me to âhobbleâ for the Ha-Al abattoir in Craven Arms, I did it and was well paid plus my sick, thanks! I also remember Jock selling Russell his own pallets!
The passing of Russell is sad, he leaves many fond memories, what a nice chap! Hello to John, I remember you well.
I remember:
Jock, Rocket Knobs, Barrie, Soapy, Patrick (Who lost his wheels near my house in France)
I was Dave from Llanelli
Come on boys there must be thousands of stories about Russell out there:
Duncan Barbour once told me a story;
It would appear that Russell had drank too much one evening (Hard to believe) and drove his car off the road into a field. It had been snowing and the car finished stuck in the middle of the field. Russell got out of the car and had the brainwave of walking backwards to the road in order to âConfuse the policeâ. He must of drank too much!!!
Duncan Barbour told me that from then on people would sing âI am walking backwards for Christmasâ whenever Russell walked into a room!
Judge the truth of this as you want - Come on Duncan tell all!!!
Donât let this thread die - Russell employed thousands of drivers over the years and everyone liked him!
daidog:
Come on boys there must be thousands of stories about Russell out there:Duncan Barbour once told me a story;
It would appear that Russell had drank too much one evening (Hard to believe) and drove his car off the road into a field. It had been snowing and the car finished stuck in the middle of the field. Russell got out of the car and had the brainwave of walking backwards to the road in order to âConfuse the policeâ. He must of drank too much!!!
Duncan Barbour told me that from then on people would sing âI am walking backwards for Christmasâ whenever Russell walked into a room!Judge the truth of this as you want - Come on Duncan tell all!!!
Donât let this thread die - Russell employed thousands of drivers over the years and everyone liked him!
Sorry but Iâm one that didnât like him but I donât suppose I should speak ill of the dead. Some of his antics did make me laugh though. I remember Merv the Swerve chasing him around the yard once and punching him in the guts when he caught him. His brother Gordon was creased up with laughter.
Caddies owed so many pallets to Pinnacle Foods, Leeds that they wouldnât give them any more loads until the debt was settled. I took two full trailer load of pallets from the pallet farm at Trafford Park to Pinnacles. Russell had given me the cash to pay for the pallets The joke was he was effectively buying his own pallets back.
One time one of the UK drivers was nicking a load of pallets late at night in the yard when Russell âcaughtâ him red handed but the driver was quick-witted enough to say that he was off-loading them and that was the last time he was going to bring pallets back to the yard if he was going to be accused of stealing them. Russell ended up apologising to the driver!
The thing was with Caddies (whilst I was there) was that you never got a pay rise so most drivers âawardedâ themselves their own pay rises!
Still, I must admit that on the whole I enjoyed my days with CadwalladersâŚas long as I could keep away from the yard!!!
I saw a brand new fridge trailer on friday,painted in cadwallader colours with a big picture of russell on the back doors as a tributeâŚare they still going 