Spardo:
Star down under.:
Spardo:
You speak for yourself, sadly.
Well David, you come across as a knowledgeable forty year old gentleman.
Give me another 3 months and I’ll be the equivalent of 2 knowledgeable forty year old gentlemen.
Twice as nice. 
Star down under.:
ParkRoyal2100:
Buzzer:
This and cross-ply tyres. What could possibly go wrong?
4/6d! I’ll bet none of us were alive when that ad was placed.
My Dad used to buy the Exchange & Mart and this was exactly the sort of ad that was in it.
Can I just say Buzzer, many thanks for taking the time and for all the effort of putting these great photos on The Old Timers Forum.
Spardo:
Star down under.:
Spardo:
You speak for yourself, sadly.Well David, you come across as a knowledgeable forty year old gentleman.
Give me another 3 months and I’ll be the equivalent of 2 knowledgeable forty year old gentlemen.
Me and you both Dave . Birthday St Andrews Day , and
I’m Dave as well
rigsby:
Spardo:
Star down under.:
Spardo:
You speak for yourself, sadly.Well David, you come across as a knowledgeable forty year old gentleman.
Give me another 3 months and I’ll be the equivalent of 2 knowledgeable forty year old gentlemen.
Me and you both Dave . Birthday St Andrews Day , and
I’m Dave as well
Ah ha, you’ve got 29 days on me, only just made it into '42, all my classmates through school were '43ers, always been the old man.
Interestingly, I decided to retire from Gauthiers on my 60th birthday, the 29th of December, but when I rang in to say ‘tipped and on my way home’ I was given another load for the 30th. Big arguement ensued on the phone but in the end I did it. Same thing next day, and I got really mad and told the fraiteuse (traffic clerk assigned to frigo drivers) to go and check with the Boss. But I did it anyway and arrived back into the yard on the 31st. After all my protestations I discovered to my 
that in France you retire, not on your birthday, but at the end of that month.
For many years we were invited to the annual dinner by Paul Gauthier, but, in spite of my blighted record with French customs, was amazed to be called up to the stage with the only other 2 retirees that year (15 and 20 year men 
) to recieve the same parting gift, a basket of goodies including of course pate de fois gras (yuk, way too rich) but several bottles of St. Emilion (the pinnacle of Bordeaux, lovely ). More but my 2 mates werent resentful at all.
Last time I went to my doctor, he said I was in fine fettle and would live til I was eighty.
I’ll have to get my finances in order, I never expected to be here that long.
Star down under.:
Last time I went to my doctor, he said I was in fine fettle and would live til I was eighty.
I’ll have to get my finances in order, I never expected to be here that long.
I had a medical last week. Doc said “the good news is that you’re the right shape for your weight”
Dennis Javelin:
Star down under.:
Last time I went to my doctor, he said I was in fine fettle and would live til I was eighty.
I’ll have to get my finances in order, I never expected to be here that long.I had a medical last week. Doc said “the good news is that you’re the right shape for your weight”
I also passed my medical last Friday but not with my own Doctor as I cannot get an appointment with him even though you have to pay cash. My son booked it online with a freelance Doctor who also did it last year, a lot less hassle I might add to boot, both my sons say why do you want a LGV licence but this is my 50th year of holding one and don’t want to give it up but they don’t understand my logic, it’s been my whole working life so they should understand my point, Buzzer
Star down under.:
Last time I went to my doctor, he said I was in fine fettle and would live til I was eighty.
I’ll have to get my finances in order, I never expected to be here that long.
Hiya,
I’m just glad my doc when giving me my medical didn’t tell me
I was in good nick and would live until I was 80, I’d have been
brown bread 6 years ago,I’ve gotten to 86 how God only knows.
harry_gill:
Star down under.:
Last time I went to my doctor, he said I was in fine fettle and would live til I was eighty.
I’ll have to get my finances in order, I never expected to be here that long.Hiya,
I’m just glad my doc when giving me my medical didn’t tell me
I was in good nick and would live until I was 80, I’d have been
brown bread 6 years ago,I’ve gotten to 86 how God only knows.
Even God doesn’t want you, Harry.
God knows that one day, he will have to replace The Pearly Gates.
That’s why Harry is on his speed dial, you just can’t send any old driver with a precious delivery like that you know.
mushroomman:
Can I just say Buzzer, many thanks for taking the time and for all the effort of putting these great photos on The Old Timers Forum.0
Seconded MM.
Thankfully it’s all wagons so far, not us drivers: you lot might be dashing and handsome , but seeing my ugly mug on here is not wanted or warranted.
Buzzer:
What’s in the bales they’re carting? Waste paper?
ParkRoyal2100:
Buzzer:
What’s in the bales they’re carting? Waste paper?
PR it looks very much like waste paper to me, remember on our farm they used to come and collect and pay for by weight empty paper feed bags 60 years ago, Buzzer
Buzzer:
ParkRoyal2100:
What’s in the bales they’re carting? Waste paper?PR it looks very much like waste paper to me, remember on our farm they used to come and collect and pay for by weight empty paper feed bags 60 years ago, Buzzer
Never knew that, recycling isn’t just a modern thing eh?
gracesguide.co.uk/Melias_Transport_(Bolton
EDIT, just in case the link doesn’t work.
Melias Transport (Bolton)
Melias business card over-stamped with BRS details (1949/50).
"In 1919, Mr. E. Melias, of Bolton, came back from the war crippled and unable to stand at the bench to do his old job. He was not, however, troubled by this situation, for he saw the true possibilities of road transport, especially in war time and, accordingly, he acquired an ex-army bullet-riddled Maudslay and then set to work. From that beginning has grown the business that is now Melias Transport (Bolton), Ltd with headquarters at Bolton and depots in Warrington and London.
Mr Melia was one of the pioneers of long-distance road transport in the Bolton district. He has developed a busy trunk service, of which the chief user is Thames Board Mills, Ltd., with loads of patent board and paper. Another important customer is Thos. Ryder and Son, Ltd., of Bolton.
From his modest start, Mr. Melia’s activities quickly expanded and, in 1924, he became an early user of Saurer machines, a six-wheeler of which make is still included in the fleet. Otherwise, the vehicles are all of E.R.F. manufacture, these consisting of six eight-wheelers, a six-wheeler and two four-wheelers. Until permission was obtained recently to acquire another machine, £1,500 a month was being paid out to sub-contractors, and even now some hundreds of pounds must be expended each month for dealing with superabundance of work.
The main depot at Bolton is housed in a former cotton warehouse, which is well equipped with plant, but in view of the efficiency or the manufacturers’ service Mr. Melia contends that it pays to take advantage of these facilities and to refer all work of a major character to the Gardner or E.R.F. factories. In case of trouble the service department is given carte blanche to do all that it deems necessary and apart from the speed with which the job is completed, the basis of the charges is such that proved costs compare most advantageously with those of maintaining, permanently, an adequate repair department, in addition to the present section.
This system results in the vehicles receiving thorough attention, for when a machine has gone 12 months without being sent to the works at any time it goes in for a general overhaul.
Some idea of the high level of mileage is given by one machine which has run 82.000 miles in the course of 13 months, operating on the London Bolton trunk service, with shunt drivers at each end. Normally the vehicles leave Lancashire at about seven o’clock in the evening and arrive in the Metropolis about 11 hours later, when the night men retire to bed and the shunt drivers take over to do deliveries and collections.
London is left again in the evening the following morning the day men come out by car from Bolton and meet the vehicles at various points near the end of the journey, there changing places with the night drivers. Originally, with the agreement of the men, arrangements were made for a particular stopping place to provide accommodation, but later it was decided to give the driven; a cash allowance and for them to choose their own rest-houses.
On only the rarest occasions is a vehicle standing in the garage. To save waste of time a car will proceed with a mechanic to anywhere near at hand where loading is likely to occupy a considerable time, and minor repairs will be completed while the vehicle is at the loading docks.
In the case of trouble on the road the drivers arc instructed to telephone direct to Mr. Melia at any time of the day or night and be then drives out to their aid or, if necessary, he will instruct the E.R.F. service depot or Messrs . W. J. Boyes and Son, of Peckham, to send assistance.
At Bolton a dozen spare wheels are kept in constant readiness to change over as required and the tyres’ of these are tested for pressure each day. Incidentally, new vehicles are fitted with oversize tyres, the 40 by 8 type being found to give particularly good service. Dunlop covers are used throughout and reach mileages between 60,000 and 70,000. Each week the machines arc cleaned, greased from end to end, and before starting on any journey the fuel tanks arc filled up and oil levels and tyres checked, details then being entered against the particular machine on a chart.
During a year the fuel consumption will total 60,000 gallons and typical figures show that the eight wheelers will average 10.7 m.p.g. Lubricating oil stocks are of Valvolene."[1]
1949 March 24th: Melias Transport (Bolton) and its subsidiary H. F. W. (Bolton) Ltd. were compulsory acquired. The vehicles concerned comprised 14 E.R.F. and seven others of various makes and four trailers.[2]
Thomas A. Melia was the former managing director of Melias Transport.
“We operated from Gilnow Lane during the war and carried endless amounts of combat damaged German aircraft, which had wings and propellers removed as the planes could not be moved in their assembled state. The wings and props were usually carried on another vehicle which accompanied the fuselage, and some were taken to aircraft research and design centres in various parts of the country.”
“Melia’s Transport carried a virtually undamaged Focke Wulfe 190 on CXJ 862, driven by a Londoner, Barney Fetherstone, who lived in the Deane area. The prop. and wings were carried, I think, on ABN 429, a six-wheel ERF, and the plane was assembled on the Town Hall Square by the RAF team. Melia’s also carried damaged flying bombs (Buzz Bombs) some of them virtually undamaged, and they were used to teach pilots where to shoot t bring them down.”
“Melia’s Transport eventually became part of British Road Services when we were nationalised by Clem Atlee’s Government in the 1949-50 era. We were in Kay Street by then.”[3]
Credit to Graces Guide.
Waste paper was big business at one time, was it Phillips Mills that were based on the south bank of the Thames in London and had a fleet of three wheeled Scammell’s collecting it? Also where I lived in Reading the Berkshire Waste Paper Company on Katesgrove Lane had several trucks collecting it.
Pete.
Buzzer:
ParkRoyal2100:
Buzzer:
What’s in the bales they’re carting? Waste paper?
PR it looks very much like waste paper to me, remember on our farm they used to come and collect and pay for by weight empty paper feed bags 60 years ago, Buzzer
In Sao Paulo they have thousands of blokes scavenging bins in the city to sell useful waste for recycling. I was always amused to see those who collected cardboard soaking it thoroughly to increase its weight before heading off to the weighing/buying merchants. Doubtless the buyers had already recalculated their prices to avoid paying for water! Was your paper sold “humid” Buzzer?!