Back to good old British!
Wilsons G37 WMF worked for West midlands feed. I think it was converted from a 6x2. Itâs still working but has been repainted black. Some of Willies other Volvoâs are from CM Downton.
This was an ex- Shell wagon, it was For Sale, my missus was scared to go near it in case the owner was there cos I was seriously tempted to make an offer, wish I had now!
Seen waiting to go into Hereford City centre for the May fair this year.
These have already been posted on the Welsh Border thread.
Cheers Dave.
Parked in Cradley Heath
At the Sandwell show last year:
Ready for Tenbury Fair a couple of years ago
Dave the Renegade:
These two are currently in Witney, for Hatwellsâ Spring Fair. Itâs a long fair, been on since Wednesday until tomorrow night but it doesnât seem to attract a lot visitors. Iâll post up some pics tomorrow.
Not sure if this old girls been on before !! pic taken at tatton park
j-mac
Slightly different angle to this subject, I know we love the old Scammellâs/ Fodenâs etc, but this is something we can no longer do in this country, this is true British craftmanship cos this is beautifull! I will be going in 3 weeks time as I do every year to the Great Dorset Steam Fair, 5 days there in the caravan wandering around drinking Scrumpy, & to see these beasts all lined up at night with the lights on & the belts going powering the rides is a site to behold!
When the fair came to the village a couple of weeks ago it reminded me of the time I spent in the summers going to call outs all over the South East to lorries & generators. It all started in around 1985 when Basil Drake came into the dealership where I worked at the time, wanting a selector shaft for a David Brown gearbox and someone ready to put it back together. When the foreman told me of the reaction of others, I was so disgusted with their attitude, I listened to old Len ( now long gone) who felt the same way as me, so I put it back together by the light of a 40 watt bulb, in the dark and the rain, in the back of a showmanâs trailer.
The next year, this Leyland Bear hadnât had an oil change in over 10 years so I drained 1/2 of it and replaced the filter and met up with it a couple of months later and changed the lot. the middle image shows Basilâs son John who I hope got the message I passed on through the visiting fair.
The major change in 40 years, apart from the rides, was there wasnât a Gardner in use.
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Times change, but I do find that surprising.
Some of those slow revving Gardners must be almost run in by nowâŚ
Is that actually a split rim, tubed tyre on that Leyland?
Frightening things.
Back then a chain and tog might take your teeth out, one of them might take your head off!
I am fairly sure that back in the day B Cole Fun Fairs used to buy some of Lambert Bros, Gardner engined units.
Similar colour scheme as your picture too, Bright red chassis and dark red cab.
Yes split rim & tubed tyre. My dear old friend Vic Goodsell (again long gone) who taught me so much only had three fingers and as stub on his left hand. He was blowing one up in a cage but he had one hand holding onto the cage.
This wasnât one of Basilâs but this did frighten me. I politely declined It had nine broken leaves in a front spring too!
Back in the 70âs I was good pals with young Ernest Emerson of Emerson & Hazzard from Barrow-in Furness and when i had our depot and workshop in Milnthorpe village Ernest used to call to see me and although he was illiterate he did letter a couple of our Borderers for me . As long as I gave him a sketch and the wording and style I wanted he did me a couple of great jobs , cash only no cheques ! He was probably late twenties early thirties and was not your usual Fairground type as he had fashionable shoulder length hair and would have passed as pop band member. I believe he had become disenchanted with Fairground life but he was tied into the life by his family. Iâm not sure what eventually happened to him but I understand that the Emerson & Hazzard pitches were acquired by Taylors the large Cumbrian Amusement Caterers but I stand corrected on that belief ! I dealt with another well established travelling fairground outfit. Scotts of Rhyl ( Scotts of Barrow !) The Scotts of Rhly fair was managed by James Jeffries another old Fairground Family. But that is for another interesting excerpt if anyone is interested 
Cheers Bewick
