Hello all you UCC men,this site gets better by the day.The old photos from Meritor were great and I hope there are still more out there.With a bit of luck George Curtis might be on soon,I think Dave is going to contact him.I’ve no news re. Dennis Burley or Reggie Revell - I sincerely hope they’re still around as they all were a special breed.Wuold any of you have any news about Jim Bellman at all.He used to send us a Christmas card,regular as clockwork,then they abruptly atopped,which is unlike him.If there’s any info on him I hope it’s good.Attached is a copy of a German Permit I had to get out of Germany on a Sunday.It might bring back some memories.Regards to all,keep the thread going,900X20.
Hi Meritor, I ws wrong and you were right, the engines were Gardner. That last Scania that you put on site was I think 809, because after my first one was written off after turning over I was given 811 and that was AMP657H. Somewhere I have a photo of Doug and myself in the Reeperbahn, and Terry who doubled for the monkey on that fat lady’s breast. I’ve had a few jobs since UCC, but nothing compared to it. When I started on transport as a trailer mate in 1948 we used to have to start the AEC mammoths with a starting handle. I dont think the Keats could have reached it. Come on the Lads, lets get them all on. Bill S.
Hello Bill,I agree with you.I reckon there must be some more of us who can drive a computer -if not ask the Grandchildren to teach you,they taught me.They’re ace at it!.Regards,900x20.
Hello ted sorry to tell you but Jim passed away many years ago but i do know some of his family live in dymchurch i think doug has thier address if you want i will get it for you if he still has it . bye for now Midge.
Hi Meritor, one of the BCL drivers used to make working models and I seem to recall that he did in fact make a UCC model, so that may be it. I cant recall his name but seem to think that his first name was Alf. He was a nice bloke but his wife was having it away with a bus driver and if Alf went home early after night work and the bus driver was still in bed with mum, Alfie copped a right hander. We had all sorts of life at the UCC. Bill S.
Hi Meritor, did you know that your log sheet checking job was created by driver Freddie Chadwick. He was approached by a ministry man in Dover port and being Fred, the ministry bloke was told to EFF OFF as he wasn’t out on the road. It turned out that the ministry man who came to our office had a daughter working there as Mike Norris’s secretary. However Fred and the firm got a fine for overhours working< hence a log sheet checker. Fred had a co driver (Heather the Leather) he also had a dodgie one and left parts of his Scania engine on the M1. They picked up pieces from the Blue Boar to Leicester Forest. Bill S.
michelin man:
Hello to all our fellow black book holding chums,900x20 and myself must be the only ones left that used to work for UCC.Surely there must be more of us? Another days work I did was to deliver Xmas hampers to peoples home address s the sunday before christmas,it was fun taking an artic round the houses to deliver the goods two up.Bearing in mind we were on double bubble and the customers were very pleased to see us and generous with the “tea pot” made it a very happy occasion.Only did it for the one year.I think Davis brothers took over after by cutting the rate a bit.Have a Happy Christmas and properous New Year everybody put your feet up be waited on and enjoy you have all worked hard enough for it.[/quot
You forgot to mention that lots of drivers had a turkey dinner and the cold store lost a pile of bricks Bill s
Midge,thanks for letting me know about Jim Bellman. Dave and I suspected it but we hoped he was O.K.Very sad,he was another character…there was only one of him! We remember the week in Cleethorpes on the Immingham job with him-we got round a few pints and Prendy’s Pad got a seeing to.Halcyon days Regards,Ted.
I have enjoyed this thread as the garage where I worked used to repair the UCC vehicles based at Brigham Road in Reading. They had a couple of BMC 701’s, a 5 ton WEK plus an ERF with a five pot Gardner, happy times!
Hi Windrush, I did a short stint at Reading when the manager was ill but those wagons you mention were gone by then.
Thought Bill might have been able to tell us something about that ERF down the hole.
Does anyone want more pictures?
Regards, Meritor
Hello,Meritor,
Ref.the above ERF in the hole at Poplar Depot,if you go to Long Departed Southampton Hauliers thread,then to Page 16 there’s a post I (900X20) put in about what happened on that day.
You’ll see it all ended happily and the ERF was back on the road in no time.Hope this is a help - and thanks for all the photos you’ve put on the thread.That old ERF,707, with a five cyl. Gardner engine was one of the lorries that we used to do Liverpool in: very slow,just over 40MPH and cold in the winter.All and sundry used to pass us and my ambition to overtake one of Standerwick’s coaches was never realised.
Thanks again Meritor,regards,900X20.
Dave and I suspected it but we hoped he was O.K.Very sad,he was another character…there was only one of him! We remember the week in Cleethorpes on the Immingham job with him-we got round a few pints and Prendy’s Pad got a seeing to.Halcyon days 