South Wales Hauliers sixties and seventies onwards (Part 1)

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS OLD TIME LORRIES, COMPANIES AND DRIVERS (INTERACT
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Hi Ron wetherall how you been keeping mate hope u ok :smiley:

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ravenhill bus deport, Swansea.

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think this was used at S.W.T

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daibootsy:
ravenhill bus deport, Swansea.

Taken at the Quadrant bus station, Swansea. that’s the Vetch Field in the background.

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daibootsy:
think this was used at S.W.T

Taken outside Swansea Guildhall. This Maggie Deutz was ex-Swiss Army and replaced the AEC Matador which had been built on an ex-War Dept. chassis by the team at Ravenhill back in the 1950s. Rumour has it the Matador still lives, not so sure about the Maggie though.

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roger berks:
Hi all, I drove for Monarch when they had just moved to Pyle, and also from Neath Abbey when they took over Rewbridge. A new manager, Gareth Williams (I think) took over from Bob Ireland and John Harris. They sold my old 110, PMW179H and I ended up driving S80 Fodens DUH582L and OKG123M. At least they were better to drive than the Atki’s. Vince Porter(Porterloads) worked in the office. The ex Rewbridge Dodge V8s were painted orange, unfortunately I had to drive them occasionally.

Well fancy that. I’m one of Vince Porter’s sons. Sadly he left us aged 66 over 20 years ago. I’m piecing together the story of Porterloads; not easy as Dad kept everything bottled up. All I know about the Monarch situation was that he and Williams fell out in a very big way. A total contrast to the way things were when he shared an office with Mr Criddle of George Beer down at 51 The Strand, Swansea. If anyone has any memories of my Dad or Proterloads, feel free to PM me, or even just post it here.

thanks fellas,

Andrew

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my mate ronne box drove for monarch he had an atky, then an s80 foden.

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the line up.

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wynnns

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wynns

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daibootsy:
my mate ronne box drove for monarch he had an atky, then an s80 foden.

I had a holiday job behind the bar at the Cadle Mill pub in Blaenymaes; quite an education for an impressionable teenager. A couple of Monarch drivers used to drink there, Dai (surname forgotten), Terry Lenihan, there was usually a Monarch Atkinson Borderer arctic unit parked nearby. They told me about the big bust-up in the office around July 1975. Then in September I went away to Polytechnic in London and by the time I returned home Porterloads was no more, half our garden had been sold to a builder to pay off the debt and Dad had taken up a sales job with Marley Home Improvements.

A few years ago, when clearing the family home after Mum died, I found the old Porterloads file. Some interesting names in there.

Going back to the start of the business around 1971, most evenings would run a bit like this:
Dad: “You want to come out and help me put some notices on lorries?”
Me: “Okay”
Sod homework, this was much more interesting. He would drive out to where the transport lodgings were (Oystermouth Road, Llansamlet, High Street, Midway Cafe Penllergaer etc.) and I would nip out with a handful of flyers and put them under the windscreen wiper arm on the driver’s side. That’s how he got the return load business for hauliers delivering to the Swansea area. there was even an ad in the Evening Post which featured a drawing of a cowboy riding a bucking bronco with the strapline “Are Your Transport Costs Running Away With You?” which I thought at the time was rather neat.

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daibootsy:
my mate ronne box drove for monarch he had an atky, then an s80 foden.

Bootsy: we need to compare notes some time. I have rather a lot of Illtyd Thomas pics I took back in the day for a start. Great to see the old depot at East Cefn coed is still in use. First time I saw it there was an Atkinson eight wheeler flat parked at the entrance. I have some official records taken from my time as an insurance broker which I saved from the bin a long time ago.

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Can any one remember Hayden Castle from the Swansea area ? Ran pale blue MANs and Mercs . regards Keith .

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kingswinford kit:
Can any one remember Hayden Castle from the Swansea area ? Ran pale blue MANs and Mercs . regards Keith .

Yes, based at Scurlage which is most of the way down the Gower Peninsula on the A4118. IIRC he started up moving static caravans, then into straw bales. Never had any business dealings with him so I don’t have any fleet details, but certainly his wagons were pale blue.

Also IIRC he had a brother who lived at Three Crosses and ran a couple of Foden artics in a sort of tan livery.

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AndrewPorter:

kingswinford kit:
Can any one remember Hayden Castle from the Swansea area ? Ran pale blue MANs and Mercs . regards Keith .

Yes, based at Scurlage which is most of the way down the Gower Peninsula on the A4118. IIRC he started up moving static caravans, then into straw bales. Never had any business dealings with him so I don’t have any fleet details, but certainly his wagons were pale blue.

Also IIRC he had a brother who lived at Three Crosses and ran a couple of Foden artics in a sort of tan livery.

In the seventies,early eighties hayden castle always had a box van[40foot trailer] at brs bridgend waterton road,all blue with a castle motif on side.
Remember them well.

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w.g.davies

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AndrewPorter:

kingswinford kit:
Can any one remember Hayden Castle from the Swansea area ? Ran pale blue MANs and Mercs . regards Keith .

Yes, based at Scurlage which is most of the way down the Gower Peninsula on the A4118. IIRC he started up moving static caravans, then into straw bales. Never had any business dealings with him so I don’t have any fleet details, but certainly his wagons were pale blue.

Also IIRC he had a brother who lived at Three Crosses and ran a couple of Foden artics in a sort of tan livery.

Hi Keith Hayden castle had a Scania 111 in BSc port talbot Albert the old man was the shunter while his boy delivered the coils :smiley:

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whats haydens sons name who drove the scania, he used to be on all runs from s.docks to Alcoa most Monday mornings, that scania pulled well, he pass me going up Carmarthen road cwmduwe both had 26ton on our backs…lol happy days :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

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That’s a good one Andrew ,waiting at llanwern .