Percy in the Steelworks,not driving for BRS like some knowalls thought !!!
Oooo! who’s got a sense of humour blockage then or maybe it’s the monthly PMS ! If the poster dosen’t offer a decent “blurb” with a shot it’s fair to assume that the back end of the motor was a mate to the one behind i.e. a BRS motor,the comment made was purely a “tongue in cheek” crack and was no way meant to be offensive in any way whatsoever! Dear oh! dear.I stand well and truly admonished!! Cheers Dennis.
evening all the steel is being loaded in bay5 i used to shunt in the abbey works i remember when sharples drivers george,ray and another driver used to come in the works they are cracking fotos of p.talbot cheers
hi dave/john,
dave thanks for sharing these excellent images.the comments tell you how well received they have been .
john (smallcoal) this week we carried out some work for the retired head of transport for the then b.s.c.,vince scanlon whom i have known all my life,had a really long interesting chat with him,he told me that in 1988 he had 175 welsh hauliers working for him serving all the welsh steel plants astonishing,
regards andrew.
The annual show at Gaydons, Heritage Motor Centre, ( a venue the weather cant spoil, in the main) is confirmed as ON, over the weekend of 15/16th September.
Main show is on the SUNDAY with trucks arriving on the Saturday, and entertainment Saturday evening for all.
The show is expected to attract @ 300 Retro trucks 1960s to 1990s
To bring your truck, log onto the Heritage Motor Centres web site and book in, or buy discounted tickets to enter the show. The show includes access to the world famous Car Museum and access to a new for 2012, Model Truck show
Get that Retro truck dusted off, and get along to a show ground on TARMAC the wet cant spoil, (as I have missed so many shows this season!) cant believe the season is almost over…and still have a few beers under the bunk!
See you there
The annual show at Gaydons, Heritage Motor Centre, ( a venue the weather cant spoil, in the main) is confirmed as ON, over the weekend of 15/16th September.
Main show is on the SUNDAY with trucks arriving on the Saturday, and entertainment Saturday evening for all.
The show is expected to attract @ 300 Retro trucks 1960s to 1990s
To bring your truck, log onto the Heritage Motor Centres web site and book in, or buy discounted tickets to enter the show. The show includes access to the world famous Car Museum and access to a new for 2012, Model Truck show
Get that Retro truck dusted off, and get along to a show ground on TARMAC the wet cant spoil, (as I have missed so many shows this season!) cant believe the season is almost over…and still have a few beers under the bunk!
See you there
Hi sbf10
The retro will be a great event,doesn’t it come around quickly,Christmas party next
Dave the Renegade:
Another long serving driver whose name escapes me.
The boss Miss Jean Sharples.
These are just a few of the vehicles that Sharples ran.
Dave, "long serving driver"was Colin Prosser,I think his knick name was Crocket? He lived at Kinnersley.
One of the other night loaders was Walter Greehouse,he was on change over with Percy for some time.
Best regards Jack.
Percy in the Steelworks,not driving for BRS like some knowalls thought !!!
Oooo! who’s got a sense of humour blockage then or maybe it’s the monthly PMS ! If the poster dosen’t offer a decent “blurb” with a shot it’s fair to assume that the back end of the motor was a mate to the one behind i.e. a BRS motor,the comment made was purely a “tongue in cheek” crack and was no way meant to be offensive in any way whatsoever! Dear oh! dear.I stand well and truly admonished!! Cheers Dennis.
The vehicle that Percy was driving then was FCJ 882D in its flat bed form and fairly new at the time.This was a long wheel base 8 wheeler the same wheel base that Foden used for their “twin load” set up.(8 wheeler with fifth wheel and artic trailer).
Best regards Jack.
Saviem:
Evening all, Dave, those are some of the most evocative photographs I have ever seen on these threads… Thank you.
Am I correct in my recollection that Sharples were run latterley by a very pleasant lady?? Cheerio for now.
Hi Saviem,
You are correct.Sharples were run by Miss Jean Sharples for the last 20 years they were in business.She sold the last two eight wheelers in about 2009.She lets the yard and buildings to another business.She lent me a lot of their photo’s about three years ago.A very nice lady who often had letters published in the Commercial Motor regarding the problems faced by hauliers.Here’s some of their fleet.
Cheers Dave
Evening all, Dave, thanks, Jean Sharples, thats the lady, (and a very knowlegable lady indeed).
Now if I have done the edit job ok, the S36 shown would appear to be coupled to a Duramin all aluminium coiler. Fabulous design, and years ahead of its time, (probably why they used to crack around the cross bearers)!! Wonder if anyone has preserved one of these? Tate and lisles Silver Roadways had a good few, and I think that Mrs Clissold had some as well. Thanks again, Cheerio for now.
Dave, "long serving driver"was Colin Prosser,I think his knick name was Crocket? He lived at Kinnersley.
One of the other night loaders was Walter Greehouse,he was on change over with Percy for some time.
Best regards Jack.
Hi Jack,
That’s the man.I didn’t know that many of Sharples drivers.I know Ken Perks and knew Des Jarrett,Albert Newton,Ted Symonds and the quarry drivers.Also had a few chats with John Williams when I borrowed the photo’s. A good firm in their day and its still sad to come by the yard and see no lorries.
Cheers Dave.
Saviem:
Evening all, Dave, those are some of the most evocative photographs I have ever seen on these threads… Thank you.
Am I correct in my recollection that Sharples were run latterley by a very pleasant lady?? Cheerio for now.
Hi Saviem,
You are correct.Sharples were run by Miss Jean Sharples for the last 20 years they were in business.She sold the last two eight wheelers in about 2009.She lets the yard and buildings to another business.She lent me a lot of their photo’s about three years ago.A very nice lady who often had letters published in the Commercial Motor regarding the problems faced by hauliers.Here’s some of their fleet.
Cheers Dave
Evening all, Dave, thanks, Jean Sharples, thats the lady, (and a very knowlegable lady indeed).
Now if I have done the edit job ok, the S36 shown would appear to be coupled to a Duramin all aluminium coiler. Fabulous design, and years ahead of its time, (probably why they used to crack around the cross bearers)!! Wonder if anyone has preserved one of these? Tate and lisles Silver Roadways had a good few, and I think that Mrs Clissold had some as well. Thanks again, Cheerio for now.
hi saviem,
spot on,correct again.alot of the welsh steel hauliers had alluminium coilers (briefly) they were prone to bending as i recall.you still see alot of belgians with alloy flats.
regards andrew.
Hi Folks, Just looking at the Sharples, thread a very sound fleet of Fodens ,all looking tidy ,A lady owner new her stuff ,didnt seem to have all her eggs in one basket ,where were they based, how large was her fleet ,and are they still going ? can any one give me any info ,please Yours ,Barry
Hi Barry,
Sharples Haulage was started by Miss Jean Sharples Grandfather at Clifford Herefordshire.He used horses so Jean told me.Jean’s father Dennis Sharples ran the lorries from Eardisley and built the business and the fleet up to around 25 lorries.Dennis Sharples drove himself in the 1950’s so an uncle of mine has told me.John Williams who drove for Sharples for many years told me that Dennis Sharples had two new Foden’s in the yard every year.
Jean Sharples worked alongside her father for several years before running the firm herself.After the steel finished Sharples continued with their tipper fleet hauling from the local quarries before finally selling the last 2 tippers about 3 years ago.
Jack Cook who has posted on this thread knows far more than I do about the firm.
Hopefully Jack can add some more to the history of the family firm.
Cheers Dave.
b.waddy:
HI Dave , Thanks for that they must have run every sort Foden there was ,Miss Sharples was a very brave lady ,Yours Barry
Hi Barry,
Sharples did run some Albion’s and Atkinson’s,also I remember an ERF LV artic ,which I think was in a bad RTA at Whitney railway bridge with either one of Oliver Hart’s bulk coal wagons or Kendrick’s.If I remember correctly both drivers were killed.
As I said Jack will fill in the bits that I have missed.A very interesting firm and they never advertised for drivers in the 60’ and 70’s.
Most of their blokes stayed with the firm and any jobs were taken by someone with plenty of experience on the recommendation of one of their old hands.
Cheers Dave.
Dave,is that Cray Reservoir on the A4067 between Pontadarwe and Sennybridge?
Great b and w photos.
No Chris its the Nant Ddu reservoir that is besides the A470 between the Storey Arms and Merthyr.This pic would have been taken off the much higher Storey Arms to Hirwaun road the A4059 where you look down on that reservoir.If you remember you leave the A470 at the dam of the Beacon’s reservoir ( 1st reservoir ) for Hirwaun.
Cheers Dave.
Dave,is that Cray Reservoir on the A4067 between Pontadarwe and Sennybridge?
Great b and w photos.
No Chris its the Nant Ddu reservoir that is besides the A470 between the Storey Arms and Merthyr.This pic would have been taken off the much higher Storey Arms to Hirwaun road the A4059 where you look down on that reservoir.If you remember you leave the A470 at the dam of the Beacon’s reservoir ( 1st reservoir ) for Hirwaun.
Cheers Dave.
Hi dave,
There will be a peterbilt 359 on that very stretch of road on Sunday morning .i will get some pics
ReGards Andrew.
Dave,is that Cray Reservoir on the A4067 between Pontadarwe and Sennybridge?
Great b and w photos.
No Chris its the Nant Ddu reservoir that is besides the A470 between the Storey Arms and Merthyr.This pic would have been taken off the much higher Storey Arms to Hirwaun road the A4059 where you look down on that reservoir.If you remember you leave the A470 at the dam of the Beacon’s reservoir ( 1st reservoir ) for Hirwaun.
Cheers Dave.
Hi dave,
There will be a peterbilt 359 on that very stretch of road on Sunday morning .i will get some pics
ReGards Andrew.
Ah well,I wasn’t too far out. I used to love that run home from Swansea on a saturday,Brecon,Leominster,Tenbury Wells,Kidderminster and onto the M5 at Quinton.
.
astonishing,
