W.H.WILLIAMS (spennymoor)

[carl_williams]

When I was about 14 to 15 I realised that we had plenty of manufacturers in the North East but our vans were travelling home empty. Clearing Houses were not the answer because they didn’t deal in our type of traffic and when they did the rates they paid were pathetic and not worth the time of loading and unloading in most cases.

I decided the only way forward for us was to approach the manufacturers directly. I was far too young to do it directly, but by writing no one would know what age I was. Finding out who did what and where they were was difficult, as there was no such thing as the internet. It was also much more difficult as I had no local knowledge of what transport they were using before I wrote. However I did know that Harris Lebus, the furniture manufactures collected loads of light fittings from Thorn as return loads. Lebus themselves provided return loads for furniture van operators and we had done one load for them. The problem was that maybe fifty vans were waiting to get loads and the wait could be up to 24 hours and then the rate they paid was just about £20 for a load to Newcastle area with about 15 drops.

Somehow I got a book listing all manufacturing companies in England and I checked the wording of a letter with dad and started writing. In those days there was no such thing as a word processor ad so every letter had to be typed separately. I sent hundreds to the London area.

Surprisingly I got one or two replies. The first was from:

Lines bros, producers of Trt-ang toys started using us. Perhaps it was because they had peaks and troughs in demand with the peak in the months before Christmas when the toy market boomed, but dad managed to negotiate a good rate and it was perfect traffic for us, bulky and light and van traffic.There factory was Tri-ang Works Morden Road,Merton, london SW19

We worked for them over a year and surprisingly still used us when they were not so busy. However payments started getting slower and slower. I don’t know how we were so lucky but because of the massive increase in demand we had as Thorn increased the Fridge production in Spennymoor we had to stop doing loads for
Tri-ang, but this was also encouraged as we read in the papers as they were struggling financially. We received the final payment just weeks before they went into liquidation.

[carl_williams]

Another customer we managed to get from the London area, the same time as Tri-ang was Grundig the German manufacturer, who were making their name in Uk by manufacturing transistor radios.

The problem we had with their work was that an aveage delivery which they had into the North East at that time was such a small amount in volume that it was not economic at that time to send a van over to collect from them. Never the less we did work for them for over a year.

As i explained in the previous post Lines bros who made Tri-ang toys went into liquidation and closed. Eventuallly Hornby, famous for dinky toys and mechano bought the Tri-ang name and rights and incorporated it into their business. Yhey had a more suffisticated distribution service

[carl_williams]

I am attaching a copy of a post i put on Brick handball thread

Edit postReport this postReply with quoteRe: Bricks - handball?
by Carl Williams » Mon Oct 10, 2011 7:31 pm

At W.H.williams Spennymoor i can remember only two incidents with bricks.

the first was when we were extending our gargage at Marmadude Street Spennymoor in 1963 and the bricks were delivered on 5 ton bedford tippers by Davisons if Coundon. On one occasion i , at 15 years old was the only one to sign for the load, and with the bricks on a big heap on the bottom I gave my signature. The bricks were bought from fosters bricks at Newfield near Bishop Auckland and when the bricklayer and hod carrier checked after stacking the bricks there were 200 short. Although noone could possibly have counted them as I had signed we had to pay.Surprisingly bricks delivered on tippers hardy any broke

The other occasion comes to mind from my divorse from my ex wife. We lived in a bungalow on the A167 before the by pass was built at Windlestone , Chilton. We were extending the bungalow and to keep the costs to a minimum arranged that we supply the transport. According to my ex wife Caroline Vane came and parked along the A167 with a forty foot trailer with a full load of bricks. Once again according my ex wife who was pregnant at the time had to help Caroline unload them.It is true that we subsequeny lost the baby. However in truth all she had to do was make caroline a cup of coffee until several men came down from Spennymoor.

The date was sometime in 1980 and unloading bricks was horsework and unfortunatly lies by ex wives lies are difficult to disprove and at the time get you very anoyed
The first statement is not entirely accurate and should have read in my time as in the early days they delivered bricks as well as sannd on loads on dropr siders which had no tipping gear. Dad collected all bricks for the garage at marmaduke street in old 1930’s Bedford 2 tonners which I will tell at a later date.

[carl_williams]

Quote from Phil Butler

I might be wrong, but these trucks were TK 1000’s, and were all supplied by Adams and Gibbon. Dad did work for their Consett Garage too.
Bill Peacock was the Truck dealer, and he and Dad got on very well, He gave him a lot of work in 70’s and 80’s.

Bill Peacock was Commercial Sales Manager at Adams and Gibbons Durham, and as Phil said a bloke who was easy to get on with. And very lucky.

Northumbria water were based at Durham and bought regular supplies of HA Vauxhall (Bedford) vans. In some cases they ordered a hundred at a time. Because of this Bill won Bedford Salesman of the year regularly, but he was not a salesman of the calibre of ■■■■ Barratt-Atkins who I have mentioned earlier in this thread…

Being with dad I had known Bill Peacock nearly all of my life. I was with dad when Bill asked him into his office which was adjacent to the entrance of the stores department across the road entrance from the showroom, to show him photos of the soon to be released TK range. I suppose I should thank Bill for letting me have this glimpse of the history making commercial before its release, but sadly out of all the new Bedford’s we bought, very few were supplied by Adams and Gibbon. We were probably their best customer for spares, but not for sales, and I am sure if someone like ■■■■ Barratt-Atkin had been sales manager Adams and Gibbons vehicle sales would have dramatically increased.

As most of our New Bedford’s had bodies by Marsden and when they joined with Garlick Burrell and Edwards the Liverpool Bedford main agents with several branches in Lancashire area it became necessary to buy Bedford’s from them as they invoiced us for the chassis when the body was completed. Whereas with Adams and gibbon we had to pay for the Bedford Chassis when it was delivered to Marsden’s and therefore we had our money ■■■■■■■ in a non productive vehicle for several months until Marsden had completed the bodywork.

I am sure Adams and Gibbons could, if they had employed a hungry for work sales manager could have got round the problem, as out of loyalty to the North East we would have preferred to buy from Durham.

In my mind I am sure had ■■■■ Barratt-Atkin worked for them instead of flogging a dead horse selling BMC-Leyland products we would have bought many more Bedford’s , instead of all the different makes we did buy as he would have persuaded us to do so. Apart from AEC Atkinson Guy and ERF all other makes I personally regret buying. Bedfords were not ideal in some cases but overall they were the best for our use.

Phil also mentions Adams & Gibbon at Consett. I think this was Blackhall and a body builder (who for the life of me I cannot remember the name) they took over. I believe originally they had their own body shop in Newcastle which was not known for good workmanship. I believe they took over a bodybuilder at Blackhall Consett who was a very good conventional builder. Although we never used them I seem to remember that they built Tom Liddle’s TK’s. Please either Phil or someone else remind me of what happened and what were their name at Consett?

[tyneside]

Carl

Was the bodybuilder at Blackhill Robson’s (better known as Jakey Robson’s)

[mickd1958]

Hi Carl
Adams and Gibbon had a showroom and workshop in Consett what is now Aldi and Focus site, the bodybuilders they owned were called Northern Assemblies my brother was a coachbuilder there. The premises were on Blackhill bank. I hope this enlightens you a bit Carl. ps I agree with your comments about Phil Butlers dad he was a true gent and a master at his trade.
Cheers
Mick

[tyneside]

Not sure when A&G became involved with Robsons Blackhill. I remember we had more than several tipper and flat bodies built by them from the late 50’s up to the 80’s.
The company name was JR Robson, hence ‘Jakey Robson’ and I think the Bedford dealership still traded under that name in the 70’s. The bodybuilders then became Northern Assemblies. Other local bodybuilders we dealt with included Dependable at Swalwell and Randolph at West Auckland. The last few steel tipper bodies we had built on our premises to our own spec by a self employed welder/bodybuilder. The only decent livestock container builders in the area were Hallowells at Morpeth from which we had a few examples. Other livestock bodies came from elsewhere in the country

[lawrence_dunbar]

Jakey Robsons thats a blast from the past, He made a lot of tipper bodies for Smiles for Miles, also a pal of mine Lowdons at Seaton Burn have two behind their garage , a 1966,Albion Tipper, & a 1979 Clydesdale flat both JRs bodies, Regards Larry

[philbutler]

Carl

Hi Phil,

Your description reminds me.

I always thought the Cathedral was a transfer. I might have known only someone of Peter’s tallent and skill could have managed it. Heaven knows what he would have done if he’d coppied the Mona Lisa. His work might now have been exhibited rather than the orriginal.Its a pitty peter hadn’t taken photos of his work, it certainly would have caused a stir on this site, but there again poor devil he worked so hard and such long hours he would just want to get home when he’d finnished.

Give your dad my regards

Best wishes

Carl

Carl,

Your’e right!!.
I’ll admit i was mistaken, the cathedral was a transfer, on Wood and Watson’s Bedford tk’s.
Only the Main lettering was Gold Leaf.

The Cathedral Tracing was in fact used on Thos Hardy Durham Trucks.(Coal, coke and General Haulage).

Dad also did work for Tommy Lawson - Ferryhill, (Coalman)
The Infamous John Davison.
(I can remember when John Dee bought a load of New Volvo F7 Tractor units, about 20, and they all turned up about the same time at the Paintshop in South moor Stanley). I think Dad was sick of the sight of them, but the Volvo Dealer paid very well at that time.

(I loved your story about the Ferryhill Trailer Incident, (John Dee) I’d never heard it before, but I can just imagine Dad painting out the letters. It was always Cash, strictly NO invoices).

(As you say he was very busy, and was always working - One full weekend on which he wasn’t working was when he took me to the Railway Musemn at York, i must have been about Ten at the time, but i enjoyed it immensely.
(I think that’s the only time i can remember him being off).

Going a bit off topic, I can remember another bodybuilders near Consett, called Welford Truck Bodies.
And also Autolifts, Stanley which built Car Transporters,Tippers, and Tipping Equipment. Dad was also kept busy here lettering Amey Roadstone 8 wheel Scammells, and Tarmac Leyland Reiver 6 wheelers.

Best regards

Phil.

[lawrence_dunbar]

PHILBUTLER:
Carl

Hi Phil,

Your description reminds me.

I always thought the Cathedral was a transfer. I might have known only someone of Peter’s tallent and skill could have managed it. Heaven knows what he would have done if he’d coppied the Mona Lisa. His work might now have been exhibited rather than the orriginal.Its a pitty peter hadn’t taken photos of his work, it certainly would have caused a stir on this site, but there again poor devil he worked so hard and such long hours he would just want to get home when he’d finnished.

Give your dad my regardsT

Best wishes

Carl

Carl,

Your’e right!!.
I’ll admit i was mistaken, the cathedral was a transfer, on Wood and Watson’s Bedford tk’s.
Only the Main lettering was Gold Leaf.

The Cathedral Tracing was in fact used on Thos Hardy Durham Trucks.(Coal, coke and General Haulage).

Dad also did work for Tommy Lawson - Ferryhill, (Coalman)
The Infamous John Davison.
(I can remember when John Dee bought a load of New Volvo F7 Tractor units, about 20, and they all turned up about the same time at the Paintshop in South moor Stanley). I think Dad was sick of the sight of them, but the Volvo Dealer paid very well at that time.

(I loved your story about the Ferryhill Trailer Incident, (John Dee) I’d never heard it before, but I can just imagine Dad painting out the letters. It was always Cash, strictly NO invoices).

(As you say he was very busy, and was always working - One full weekend on which he wasn’t working was when he took me to the Railway Musemn at York, i must have been about Ten at the time, but i enjoyed it immensely.
(I think that’s the only time i can remember him being off).

Going a bit off topic, I can remember another bodybuilders near Consett, called Welford Truck Bodies.
And also Autolifts, Stanley which built Car Transporters,Tippers, and Tipping Equipment. Dad was also kept busy here lettering Amey Roadstone 8 wheel Scammells, and Tarmac Leyland Reiver 6 wheelers.

Best regards

Phil.

There was also Anthony Carrimore, at Harelaw I think.

[carl_williams]

mickd1958:
Hi Carl
Adams and Gibbon had a showroom and workshop in Consett what is now Aldi and Focus site, the bodybuilders they owned were called Northern Assemblies my brother was a coachbuilder there. The premises were on Blackhill bank. I hope this enlightens you a bit Carl. ps I agree with your comments about Phil Butlers dad he was a true gent and a master at his trade.
Cheers
Mick

Hi Mick

That explains everything. I think although we never used Northern Assemblies they built luton bodies on Bedford TK s for Tom liddle Stanleyand they were certainly well built. e bought two from Tom from TT lidle days and two from Tom when he was running Stanley Removals Ltd. With regard to Peter, I think both of us were priviledged to see him at work. His like will never be seen again., in this day of computer generated transfers. One more question do you remember who the bodybuilders were at Darlington (not Sherwood and Wynn). Although they never built a body for us they did several insurance repairs. I remember in the early sixties going round their workshop and they were building a couple of vans for D.G. Craig and Son Darlinton., and I also remember they built several boxvans for Bary Hindmarch from Oughton Carriers, who like us were based in Marmaduke Street spennymoor

Regards Carl

[carl_williams]

tyneside:
Not sure when A&G became involved with Robsons Blackhill. I remember we had more than several tipper and flat bodies built by them from the late 50’s up to the 80’s.
The company name was JR Robson, hence ‘Jakey Robson’ and I think the Bedford dealership still traded under that name in the 70’s. The bodybuilders then became Northern Assemblies. Other local bodybuilders we dealt with included Dependable at Swalwell and Randolph at West Auckland. The last few steel tipper bodies we had built on our premises to our own spec by a self employed welder/bodybuilder. The only decent livestock container builders in the area were Hallowells at Morpeth from which we had a few examples. Other livestock bodies came from elsewhere in the country

Hi Tyneside

Together with Mick everything is expained I think although we never used Northern Assemblies they built luton bodies on Bedford TK s for Tom liddle Stanley and they were certainly well built. e bought two from Tom from TTLilddle days and two from Tom when he was running Stanley Removals Ltd. However I am certain we used Robsons of Blackhill to build drop siders and cattletrucks in the 20s and 30’s long before I was thought of… . One more question do you remember who the bodybuilders were at Darlington (not Sherwood and Wynn). Although they never built a body for us they did several insurance repairs. I remember in the early sixties going round their works they were building a couple of vans for D.G. Craig and Son Darlington., and I also remember they built several boxvans for Bary Hindmarch from Oughton Carriers, who like us were based in Marmaduke Street spennymoor.

Randolph at Evenwood also brings back memories. we bought a second hand 40 ft curtainsidere trailer thatv was based on an alloy trailer that had a crack in the alloy trailerb frame. The only people we could find who could weld alloy and effect a satisfactory repair was Randolph

Regards
Carl

[mickd1958]

Hi Carl
Sorry but i dont know the body builders at darlington but i well remember Ranolph at Evenwood we had several alloy tipping bodies built there. Another bodybuilder we used was Dependable bodies of swalwell.
Cheers
Mick

[carl_williams]

Lawrence Dunbar:

PHILBUTLER:
Carl

Hi Phil,

Your description reminds me.

I always thought the Cathedral was a transfer. I might have known only someone of Peter’s tallent and skill could have managed it. Heaven knows what he would have done if he’d coppied the Mona Lisa. His work might now have been exhibited rather than the orriginal.Its a pitty peter hadn’t taken photos of his work, it certainly would have caused a stir on this site, but there again poor devil he worked so hard and such long hours he would just want to get home when he’d finnished.

Give your dad my regardsT

Best wishes

Carl

Carl,

Your’e right!!.
I’ll admit i was mistaken, the cathedral was a transfer, on Wood and Watson’s Bedford tk’s.
Only the Main lettering was Gold Leaf.

The Cathedral Tracing was in fact used on Thos Hardy Durham Trucks.(Coal, coke and General Haulage).

Dad also did work for Tommy Lawson - Ferryhill, (Coalman)
The Infamous John Davison.
(I can remember when John Dee bought a load of New Volvo F7 Tractor units, about 20, and they all turned up about the same time at the Paintshop in South moor Stanley). I think Dad was sick of the sight of them, but the Volvo Dealer paid very well at that time.

(I loved your story about the Ferryhill Trailer Incident, (John Dee) I’d never heard it before, but I can just imagine Dad painting out the letters. It was always Cash, strictly NO invoices).

(As you say he was very busy, and was always working - One full weekend on which he wasn’t working was when he took me to the Railway Musemn at York, i must have been about Ten at the time, but i enjoyed it immensely.
(I think that’s the only time i can remember him being off).

Going a bit off topic, I can remember another bodybuilders near Consett, called Welford Truck Bodies.
And also Autolifts, Stanley which built Car Transporters,Tippers, and Tipping Equipment. Dad was also kept busy here lettering Amey Roadstone 8 wheel Scammells, and Tarmac Leyland Reiver 6 wheelers.

Best regards

Phil.

There was also Anthony Carrimore, at Harelaw I think.

Hi Larry,
You don’t by any chance know the body builder (no Sherwood and Wynn) at Darlington. I remember they did one or two accident repairs for us in the early sixties. They built bodies for Oughton Carriers Spennymoor and I remember when I was in my very early teens going with my dad and they were building couple of luton vans for D.G.Craig Darligton for use at a depot they had in LOUGHBROUGH

cARL

[lawrence_dunbar]

Sorry, the only Sherwood at Darlington was the Bedfords Dealers. that I can remember. Regards Larry.

[carl_williams]

Lawrence Dunbar:
Sorry, the only Sherwood at Darlington was the Bedfords Dealers. that I can remember. Regards Larry.

Hi Larry

Sherwood and Wynn were Sherwood’s body builders. Probably as good as any in the country in the early fifties. Run by Mr Noble, who I have mentioned earlier in this thread, they were based orriginally at Hurworth and later moned to aycliffe Industrial Estate.

Jeff Hodgson who ran his commercial paint shop in Shildon, retired about two to three years ago, and he had orriginally served his time under Noble and worked at Sherwood and Wynn as a coachpainter for several years told me that he had to address Mr Noble as ‘Sir’ as did all the other staff. He went on that working there was very formal and hard work, as all the preparation was by hand, rubbing down with wet and dry and painting was by brush.With labour costs as they are today those days will never return.

The other bodybuilders were quite big I remember, and very popular as they were cheaper than Sherwood and Wynn. I remember going round and seeing two of Craig’s being built and they took up virtually no space at all as it was quite a large industrial unit.

best wishes

Carl

[carl_williams]

As winter approaches my mind goes back to about 1981-2 when I was sitting watching the local news on Tyne Tees Television.

they had a camera team somewhere in ■■■■■■■ where the police were stopping the traffic as the roads where blocked and along comes Tommy Brophy driving a Bedford KF marsden pantchnicon.

‘Where to?’ you hear the policeman asking Tomy brophy as he lowers his cab window. I cannotremember Tommy’s reply but it mustn’t have been far as they waved him through. Apparently the start of the news when they show snippets of what is happening someone who was watching turned on their video recorder, and gave me a copy.

I will still have it somewhere, and have kept a VHs recorder so that I can watch it again together with other TV incidents, including an appearance by one of our vans in London on News at Ten

[carl_williams]

An office party at Langley Castle hotel about 1975. Three of the office girls with their partners. I got a surprise when I saw this photo as I couldn’t remember who the girl with me with the pirates hat was, then I remembered she was a school teacher from Aycliffe.

The mini bus didn’t turn up and I gave the two who travelled with us a lift, so I didn’t drink. These wo needed a lift back and the girl with me was prepared to stay. When i look back i must have been mad.In hindsight she looks loverly. I should have had my brain examined for not paying a taxi for them.

[carl_williams]

In the twenties up to 1952 our sign writing was done by a Mr Norton known as Professor Norton who lived at Billy Row Crook.

I have very faint recollections of him as I was very young when he did the last vehicle he wrote for us. He was an unusual chap, who as well as being a very good both painter and sign writer was gifted in other areas.

His wife was the tattooed lady at the fair, and a fortune teller. He was an accomplished magician and would practice tricks as he was sign writing. I have faint memories of him smoking and making the cigarette in his hand disappear and appear again as I was watching him sign writing.

Dad said as he drove into Crook from Willington there was a fish and chip shop with a giant fish painted in the window and dad said it looked real. One day he passed it as he was heading towards Norton’s home at Billy Row he noticed it and when he went in to ask Norton to sign write a van he said to him ‘I see you’ve been busy’ and sure enough it had been him that had painted the fish. In those days telephone was not as widespread as it is today and Norton didn’t have the phone in, nor did he drive so dad had to pick him up on a morning and take him home on a night.

When dad went into he house Norton asked his daughter, who he was teaching to go into another room. Norton asked dad to give him something out of his pocket and then shouted to his daughter. ‘What am I holding’ and her reply back was totally accurate. Norton said it was the way he phrased the question that told her what to say, and he also went on to say that the fortune telling by his wife was a similar trick.

However the last vehicle he did for us was NUP our first Bedford SB and when he finished and dad ran him home he said he was putting his brushes away as he would never sign write again. True to his word he died within a fortnight.

Although the style and colour of writing never varied much over the years Norton not only shaded the letters as we normally did but also shaded the main colour of the letter and I suppose this was more because he must have written and painted showmen’s vehicles. Our first artic a Bedford O model was painted by dad and then lettered by Norton following being varnished by dad and when finished he took it to show my mother, and she said it looked like a circus van. ‘Good replied dad I wanted it to stand out’.

Norton also lettered busses for Gordon Martindale at ferryhill. Gordon had the name Martindale Coaches in Old English writing. After he died Gordon couldn’t get a sign writer who could do that at the time. Dad used to tell Peter Butler that Norton had a large boo with every known style of writing an used to say to dad ‘Look in there and find any style and tell me and then he would chalk it on the floor of the garage, so good was his knowledge. Peter being a perfectionist always said he wished he could get a copy of the book.

I have spoken earlier about Hardy and Company the house furniture stores and they had a 1940’s Dodge van that they parked at our garage at Marmaduke Street. On one side it had Hardy and Co and a piano painted on the side and the other side had Northern Furniture Company and a three piece suite. They had two shops in Darlington one Hardy & Co and the other Northern Furniture, and used this van for deliveries from their Darlington shops.

It was a laugh because it they pulled up one way it showed one name and the other way the other name and often when they pulled up outside a house to do a delivery the lady of the house complained saying she had not bought from that company and wouldn’t have their furniture in the house and several times the driver would have to turn round to show the other name before they would let him take furniture into the home.

Anyway it had an accident and the side with the three piece suite was badly damaged .Hardy’s were having difficulty in getting it repaired as no one was prepared to try to repair the painting. Dad gave them a price and got Norton along. In those days there was no cataloy paste or fillers. Norton sent dad along to the local Chemist with a list of things he wanted and made his own thinner. When Hardy’s area manager came to see the van he was unable to tell which side had been damaged.

It’s strange because Norton had several children and they were all a disappointment to him, however I was in a pub maybe twenty years ago and was speaking to a chap who said he was his grandson and low and behold he was sign writing for a living. Perhaps he had inherited the art.

[carl_williams]

I wonder if anyone reading this remembers Temp Newton who had a decorators shop in Whitworth Terrace Spennymoor.

When I was very young there was originally only Kells who had a wallpaper shop in one of the premises under the town hall at Spennymoor. They employed a team of staff and had a good reputation for traditional decorating.

Then Temp Newton opened up and he had such modern ideas, using colours that were so 1960’s and unusual for staid Spennymoor at the time. Although he did not advertise it Temp was also an excellent sign writer. With his decorating he brought things like marbleising and rag rolling to Spennymoor.

Both my parents and grandparents used him to decorate. Newton tended to come along with the suggestions and ideas and he had substantial staff to do the physical painting and wallpapering, leaving him time to concentrate on more specialised work.

Somehow it came up about sign writing and when my father discovered he sign wrote Dents Atkinsons we decided to use his services. For those who remember or have seen on this thread, Harry Dent had plain white writing of what was then a modern style on the red cabs of his Atkinsons, with quite a lot of telephone numbers etc on the front next to the radiator. Today it would be so easy for a computer to print off vinyl lettering but in those days it had to be precision hand written, and Newton’s work was very impressive.

He did about five vans for us and as always I enjoyed watching. After setting off his staff with their days work he would start in a very relaxed style, and although he was quite well built he was agile in getting down to write the legal letters on the nearside bottom of body just behind the cab. I was most amused when he went at the end of the day went to our engine oil cabinet and used some oil to oil his brushes, keeping them ready for use the next time he needed them.

I don’t think he came from the north east and he certainly had southern advanced ideas for Spennymoor, and it seemed as quickly as he came he left, but the next thing I heard was when I read in the Northern echo that he was working in Saudi Arabia in the Palaces using all his decorating skills with gold leaf creating artificial columns and bal lustrating, and was popular with the Saudi Royal Family who were paying him highly for his talents