I worked for Fruehauf, Yorks (Transpart) and Montracon, all in the parts sales divisions
maybe one day ill tell all about Yorks going under and the ensuing period under the administrators, it really is a story worth hearing!
I used to supply Wordsworth Holdings.Met with Duncan a few times.He was all right once he knew you couldn`t be bullied.
James Kersey was the lap dog.
Bowdon buys Barford and Fruehauf tippers from administrator
Altrincham-based mini-conglomerate Bowdon Investment Group has bought five businesses, including the Barford Site Dumpers and Fruehauf tipper trailers businesses, from the administrators of Wordsworth Holdings.
Freauhauf where in Naas (Ireland) year’s ago,we bought a trailer from them in 1991 and i still pull it every day. They made great stuff.
Wheel Nut:
Bowdon buys Barford and Fruehauf tippers from administratorAltrincham-based mini-conglomerate Bowdon Investment Group has bought five businesses, including the Barford Site Dumpers and Fruehauf tipper trailers businesses, from the administrators of Wordsworth Holdings.
it was a good firm to work for when they used to do just the barford products, dump trucks,graders, rollers etc.
i really enjoyed working on the components, axles,suspensions,gears etc, good firm and well looked after.
i.m.o.h.o went down hill when duncan wordsworth bought it, and even more so when his sons got involved, layoffs every five mins, quality went right down hill,
at one stage they did the big-d fifth wheels,ramps, sliders there but eventually sold it to jost if i remember right.
think james kearsey the ex-finance director is now involved in some way.
i always remember when duncan wordsworth took over he decided you didnt need a fitter/driver and a inspector to take one of the big dump trucks up to ropsley quarry to test , he only wanted one [inspector], so asked for a volunteer ,dog askinson who was then the chief inspector volunteered 
[well it couldnt be that hard to drive] 
.
by the time hed got to the bottom of houghton road hed taken part of the side of the security gate house out and hit[demolished about 5 cars,coppers were called by locals and stopped him.
so what did they do ,instead of sending a fitter/driver and inspector up to the quarry they used to give them a quick spin round the yard,quality dropped.
in all fairnes though he was always going to struggle to compete against the likes of caterpillar/terex ,
ady1:
i always remember when duncan wordsworth took over he decided you didnt need a fitter/driver and a inspector to take one of the big dump trucks up to ropsley quarry to test , he only wanted one [inspector], so asked for a volunteer ,dog askinson who was then the chief inspector volunteered
by the time hed got to the bottom of houghton road hed taken part of the side of the security gate house out and hit[demolished about 5 cars,coppers were called by locals and stopped him.
so what did they do ,instead of sending a fitter/driver and inspector up to the quarry they used to give them a quick spin round the yard,quality dropped.
in all fairnes though he was always going to struggle to compete against the likes of caterpillar/terex ,
I was with a bloke on Sunday at a motorcycle trial who told me about the Barford job, he said he had earned a good living for about 20 years with a van delivering parts until they folded, he lost a fair bit of money but reckons he was quite lucky. That was the only reason I posted it here and also sent it to Dom Perry because I hadn’t seen it in the press. I missed it in RT.com.
i would say thered be alot of ex-barford chaps around, at one time there were thousands working at grantham,when british leyland owned it, but like alot of engineering it declined, hell of a sight seeing rows of 30/40 ton dump trucks,rollers, graders.
as i say grinding all the components for them and the re-furbs was a very intresting job,when i left they were still doing parts but not making any machines.
wordsworth had the right idea in away by diversifying
i.e
huffey prison bars,doors etc
barford site dumpers
big-d fifth wheels
stahay-seed drills
and a few more
but this recession really killed them, mate who still worked there said theyd sold all of the stuff out of d. wordsworth office to keep it going.
but my memories are still of the old timers who given it there life ,30+ years , layed off with no compassion, to see them going out the door in tears was very sad sight , not too proud to say it bought a tear to my eyes.
there away to treat people , he didnt seem to care
ady1:
i would say thered be alot of ex-barford chaps around, at one time there were thousands working at grantham,when british leyland owned it, but like alot of engineering it declined, hell of a sight seeing rows of 30/40 ton dump trucks,rollers, graders.
as i say grinding all the components for them and the re-furbs was a very intresting job,when i left they were still doing parts but not making any machines.
wordsworth had the right idea in away by diversifying
i.e
huffey prison bars,doors etc
barford site dumpers
big-d fifth wheels
stahay-seed drills
and a few more
but this recession really killed them, mate who still worked there said theyd sold all of the stuff out of d. wordsworth office to keep it going.
but my memories are still of the old timers who given it there life ,30+ years , layed off with no compassion, to see them going out the door in tears was very sad sight , not too proud to say it bought a tear to my eyes.
there away to treat people , he didnt seem to care
When I first started driving for United Carriers I was on Lincoln area which started off in Epworth through to Gainsborough, Lincoln and onto Sleaford and Grantham and occasionally Stamford. From great companies like Ruston Bucyrus, Ruston Gas Turbines, Marshalls, James Dawson, Aveling Barford, Mirlees Blackstone, Clarkes Crankshafts, Ruston Hornsby
It is a great shame that we have no heavy industries left in that area.