Forgot to mention, Colins younger brother was Keith, and yes Carl, cursed many a caravan driver over the years.
Eddie
Hi Eddie, Yes we still have the PICKFORDS Bedford. I keep promising to post pictures of the work in progress we are doing at the moment but having problems uploading onto the site. At 65 year old it’s still mechanically sound but, like us human counterparts, needed some framework replacing but it will be on the Tyne Tees run on the 3rd of June finished or not. This will be the 30th anniversary of the run organised by the North East branch of the Historic Commercial Vehicle Society and the van has taken part in every run from Stockton (Tees) to South Shields (Tyne) and I am the only person to have driven the same vehicle each year.
You don’t do things by halves kidney stones and cyst~double the trouble. 
I hope you are sorted soon.
Peter
edworth:
Hi Carl & Everyone…They have found a Cyst on my kidney, that is why they could not see the stone, they are phoning back with a appointment, I will find out more then, but the lady did not seem to concerned about the cyst so will just have to go with it, at least I now know why I have permanent back ache…I have a bus pass but have never used it on the buses,I did get a discount on the train from Middlesbrough to Aycliffe with the bus pass, what a journey, it was like being back at school it was great, I like the different views of the places you pass through from the train, like when you go over North Road Darlington, I have only seen it from the road, it’s really good…Carl, you can go all the way to Saltburn from Aycliffe station, but don’t forget your bucket and spade…Gordon & Ronnie my address at ■■■■■■■ is Faugh Head Farm,Ainstable it is between Armathwaite and Ainstable there is a great pub in Armathwaite “Fox & Pheasant” my mobile is 07943320049…Peter I asked before but you must have missed it, do you still have the Pigfords bedford or have I missed something
Take care everyone.
Eddie
Hi Eddie,
It’s better to know what’s wrong that being kept in limbo, and now I’m sure they will soon put things right.
I think the same as you about train journeys, and have always been fascinated seeing roads and places from a different angle.
I am looking forward to travelling round a bit on the train, especially if I get cheaper fares with my bus pass, it will be cheaper than petrol.
I realised the train goes to Saltburn, and thought if I went there, I could carry on to Scarborough, as it’s not far along the coast. I was looking forward to taking myself on a day out to Scarborough, to be told they have pulled up the lines after that, so I would need to go to Darlington, change for York, and then change for Scarborough. The railways always were impractical.
Paul my son says that if I want to go to Scarborough he will take me one day, buts that are not the point. I want to maintain my independence as long as I can. So I’m off to Darlington by train and going to the station to see what is possible and how much it costs.
I’ve worked out that to go and see my daughter and grandchildren I am going by train to Bishop Auckland and then getting taxi to Byers Green and ten back to Bishop Station.
Like with your health problems, it’s not so good getting older is it. Anyway on the bright side, now they know what’s wrong hope you are soon better
Carl
Eddy
Firstly great for you to have the results & good for them not to be too concerned hope things get sorted soon, yep getting older is like an old car things stiffen up & wear out even a bit of oil helps on the auld joints thank goodness for hospitals even if they are a wee bit slow @ times.
Thanks for the info & tel numbers i will give you a buzz when in the area as its not too far up from penrith on A6 we stay in Scotgate caravan site Braithwaite its got great pubs & not far to stumble home after a few nice bevvies.
Peter dont forget to remind us when you are on the TTTV run i will come along & see you & luckily get some photos of the Pickfords Truck as they bring back many memories for me.
When i was about 19years i worked for the North Of England School Furnishing Company in Darlington & i was a van lad in their Furniture van travelling all over England delivering to schools & hospitals i loved it, i remember the doors were like marsden cabs wood & leather but the vans were very slow Commers i think.I was made redundant that is what they called it but to me having a courtship with the lovely blond secretary i was sacked my thoughts but i still saw her for a few years after that.
Carl
Yes i always cursed caravans i never had one as i slept in one most of the week & @ weekends loved the hot bath & clean sheets but now i give trucks the slow down even if they tend to give me the big push @ 60mph.
Take care Gordon
Carl
Have you seen the steam train on my facebook when we were out walking around Wolsingham last weekend? not often i see one.
Gordon
Hi Gordon…Harry (Carls dad) and myself(Wagon lad) loaded a few local delivery drops from North Of England School Furnishing Company it was around eastbourne road area of Darlo, always seemed to me like it was dark and dingy, like going back in time…Peter, they reckon eveything and everyone born and produced in 1947 is something very special, I have just realised I was born in 1947 (St Swithins Day) Don’t spend to much on my pressie .
You are all right, it is better to know and get cracking to fight it than sitting around.
All the best everyone.
Eddie.
Old Jimmy.
Eddie
Colin Watson:
Hi Carl.Sorry that I have not been in touch but a lot has come to pass since the meeting at the F/F, I went on a week’s holiday to the Netherlands and the day after I returned I received a phone call to say that we had had a family bereavement in Southampton and I have been back and forth as after the funeral my brother was taken seriously ill.
I have looked at getting a avenue for a meeting on a Saturday Night but most pubs and clubs have regular customer on a Saturday night and it may be easier to get a venue for Saturday afternoon, John Ward has been to see me a couple of time and he has spoken to some of the ex-drivers but they do not seem to keen but I will try as soon as I am clear of personal problems.
Roger was not happy when I met him as he had expected Peter to pick him up on the night of the meeting, I am in touch with my old pal Jim Ferguson and we are going to meet up mid way between Spennymoor and Aberdeen for a couple of nights out together in the near future.Colin
Hi Colin,
If you meet up wth Jim ferguson can you as him if he has any photos, or remember what vehicles he drove, to remind me
Tanks
Carl
ENK306 in Brighton 1981 London Brighton run. I was surprised today to be passed this on. Just goes to show there are still more photos out there.
Both Eddie and Gordon mention North of England School furniture Darlington.
I first came across them when I started studying chemistry at 14. All our Chemistry labs were furnished and fitted out by them, probably in the 1930’s, so I decided to write them and tell them about our business and see if we could quote for doing some work for them.
That would explain how you went there with dad to do a load when one of their vans broke down. Yes Eddie the factory was like a slum, like a bomb site. They did however build a new office block and factory, but still the majority of their manufacturing was done in this Victorian sweat shop. They had two vans of their own and the problem was they assembled most of the furniture (Solid wood and hand polished on site and the van stood loaded as they took the contents off and fitted it). Not really economic or our type of work.
The next I heard was they went into Liquidation and Toothill Upholstery bought the business for one penny. They appointed Dennis Darling a young dynamic director from Smart and Brown as Managing Director, and he asked dad to go along to see him. On arrive he told dad the production methods were pre historic and he intended changing things and then took dad for a tour of the factory. At one point they came across an oldish chap, obviously a French Polisher who was sandpapering a piece of wood, by hand. ‘Look at that’, he said, ‘He’s got to go there is no future there’ Dad was very embarrassed as the poor bloke who no doubt was a true craftsman would hear the conversation.
They then went into the office block, a newish four story building. ‘We have no money, Harry’ Dennis went on but we need a van. I know Eddie remembers, and no doubt Peter as well, but we had that old massive Morris commercial that we had inherited from Johnson’s Durham , that old Eddy used to nurse along the road with no oil pressure, and dad would have almost given it to Dennis for old times’ sake, but just at that moment, Dennis pointed out of the window at a Morris 1100 car about 18 months old driving into a parking space, and said ‘ Here is a sales rep, with a company car, we have too many of them, I’ll give you that car for the van’ Dad snapped his hand off. Dennis rang reception ‘Please tell so and so to come up’ and as he knocked on the door. ‘Go and empty your car and bring me the keys as I have sold it’. We got the 1100 for the old Morris Commercial van.
Gordon mentioned a secretary he fancied. Here is my experience. I had just passed my test and told by dad to get myself to North of England School Furniture and see Dennis Daring. When I got there I was shown into his office which as massive furnished immaculately (No doubt by the old company that made solid wood handmade furniture.) There was a large board table with about 10 seats round it and there at the top with paperwork everywhere was Dennis. He told me how he was changing everything and was breaking into the mail order catalogues, making a dressing table and stool (Flat pack and laminated sawdust.)
He showed me a photo of a girl with long hair sitting at the dressing table brushing her hair. ‘You are still single, Carl, what you need is that girl. She’s my secretary’, and at that picks his phone up and tells her to come in. ‘This is Carl, he says I told you about him’ Her face was crimson and neither of us knew what to say, but he had achieved his objective and got me confused, so confused I agreed a stupid price to deliver his dressing table and stools.
Fortunately North of England School Furniture went bankrupt within about a month and Dennis Darling went on to be Managing Director of York Trailers. After York Trailers he made several Millions with his own company making prefabricated completely fitted out classrooms for undeveloped countries where there had been no education. Dennis Darling was a very good businessman who I was privileged to meet. You learn by experiences in life and I learnt a very early lesson, to always keep your mind on your work.
Previously I mentioned how my grandfather had drop sided wagons fitted with a thick chock rail so that he could fit bodywork above so that he could carry cattle. I think he came across this idea about 1926.
The benefit was vehicles were suitable for cattle, and could be stripped down to a drop sided then reduced further to a platform, making them suitable for multipurpose use.
Certainly all his vehicles up to the war after 1926, with the exception to the Morris Pantechnicon, bought for removals about 1935 were built to this specification.
I found this photo that illustrates something similar, however it appears to be a poorly built homemade example.
Grandfather had his all professionally built Some by Motor Supplies Bishop Auckland, Blakes, Hartlepool, and Sherwood and Wynn. Thee may have been other bodybuilders, but all were built to the same specification
pbsummers:
Carl - one for you. Guess who?
Peter
Hi Peter,
Seeing the photo of Uncle Jim set me thinking of how old he was and the year he was born.
He didn’t leave school, like my dad at thirteen and will have stayed on until 16 or even later. Funny I never asked him about his school life, I should have as it would have been interesting.
He would be young when his father died and then his mother moved away, and although he had his brothers and sisters, he must have had a fairly lonely life. In all its sad that he didn’t have a wonderful life at all.
He must have started for my grandfather when he was in his early twenties, and at that time I bet he had not much experience of wagon repairs. I do know that Grandad had all his repairs on his T Fords done by a Frenchman who lived in Spennymoor, who had a shop on King Street, (Opposite Bella Dents) which had a workshop at the rear. I met him once when I was young. He talked like Maurice Chevalier.
No doubt Uncle Jim was self-taught, learning by watching him. I do know that when James Clements, the auctioneer died they had a Ford T model 1 tonner about a year old and almost new. Eventually Grandad persuaded them to sell it to him; it’s perhaps at that time uncle Jim started.
He lived with Uncle ■■■■ in a small house at the top of Marmaduke Street, until he married my aunt Doris. Apparently it was filled with cigarette cards which Uncle Jim collected, (No doubt with a lot of help from his ever smoking nephew, my dad. Aunt Doris threw them all out, when she tidied up,
Aunt Doris was certainly my grandfather’s favourite niece, being daughter of his brother and did all sorts for her, giving her quite a lot. Quite uncharacteristic of him. Perhaps it was because he felt some form of responsibility as she had moved away from her family in Sunderland to Spennymoor, but more probably as it was a way of showing off to his brother and sister in law. In any event despite what was said Uncle Jim and Aunt Doris did not have a wonderful marriage. She was a Williams and couldn’t stand his slow ways. With her impatience they argued a lot.
He never worked at Green Lane, just calling in from time to time. He couldn’t stand how our workshops operated, fitting new parts. In his day he repaired starter motors and generators, often spending just pennies putting in new bushes and in many cases just cleaning them up and making them like new again.
Looking back now, I spent so much time with him, listened to him telling me so much, and yet I never had the sense to ask him about his youth, and how he got so immense knowledge
Carl
I went for a ride out today, with Paul, and was surprised at the speed buses were travelling. We were following one passing all commercials, and although it was new it was travelling at 70MPH. Do they not have speed limiters like commercials?
If they don’t it’s disgraceful as they are carrying humans, and in many cases a lot of them, but it’s always been the same with PSV testing never being as strict as HGV annual test.
It reminded me of the day that a Bee Line Coach came along to Marmaduke Street, so that I could take it for a test drive with Thelma retarder fitted. I don’t know the legality of it as I did not have a PSV licence but we had no passengers and it was a Bedford passenger chassis like so many of our vans which I quite legally drove with my class 3 HGV licence.
I drove to Durham and back without using my brakes once, and I must admit it was an enjoyable journey. They said the Thelma save brake wear, and course reduced skidding, but with drivers like Eddie, Colin and Gordon, we never had much break wear. I think they were always in too much of a hurry to wear brake liners stopping!
Does this remind anyone of something. Not it, as it was certainly painted a lot better, and I suspect this is a little younger.
Carl Williams:
Does this remind anyone of something. Not it, as it was certainly painted a lot better, and I suspect this is a little younger.
Carl…I remember it, think your dad had just sold it when i started, had a memory of Bill Bailey the other day, when I go over to ■■■■■■■ on the A66 just passed Stainmore Cafe on right hand side there is a pub on the old road (black & white think it is the Punch Bowl) it was near there Harry Hawkins had the side took out by a army lorry, anyway back to BB passing the pub on the right further down the road there is a farm on the right, Bill Bailey had run out of diesel or was nearly out of it and he pulled into the farm, after explaining to the farmer he wanted to buy some diesel,he filled up with enough to get home and on arriving back to Marmaduke St he told your Dad what he had done,then told him it was RED diesel,don’t think WH was a happy chappie, is’nt it strange no matter where you travel to, if you have been before the memories all come back to you.
Eddie
Carl & Eddie
How correct you both are about NOESF Co Darlington the building was ancient & certainly took you back in time Eddie, i remember when i first started as a young lad i worked in the ply shop where they cut the wood for the jobs in the main factory i worked with an old guy nickname Brigham Young as he served in India i caught the blockboard as it was fed through a circular saw & most of these guys had missing fingers from the saw.I remember we had a few sandwiches missing from the offcut boxes & found strewn around the floor after i finished with them i used to sit on the stacked up blockboard for teabreak that was kept from the floor on top of 3x3 posts then one morning as i bit into a sarnie i saw stumbling between my legs the biggest RAT i had ever seen i must have lept 3 feet in the air & nearly choked on my sarnie we later set a trap then later found blood but no RAT only sometime later a guy found it dead from the injuries it was that big it somehow got out of the trap, never forgot that.
Eddie
Yes the name of that pub on Stainmore is the Punchbowl spent many a night in there great fish & chips peas & bread & butter with a pint & i remember while working for Hilders of Ferryhill after WH closed one very cold winters night about 10-00pm snowdrifts everywhere myself & other drivers were having a few beers after a meal close to the fire when the police came in looking for a criminal in the area not in here they said & left i was quite tipsy later when they came in again asking who was the driver of Hilders i said me officer as you do he then asked come outside & verify this man who was close to my vehicle was my son i replied no i do not a son he was then hancuffed & led away he must have came for shelter off the moors & was probably pleased to get nicked it was freezing poor lad.
Gordon
A bit back I mentioned that my son and I went over to the Removal Van museum in Southern Ireland
I said I would find the address, and I finally did
The Bedford Removal Truck museum,
Ballylough Ferns
Enniscorthy
N!! Ireland
The owner is
Tommy Kearney
and his number is
085 1463891 I think you have to put Ireland suffix before that.
I can say that it is well worth a visit
Paul my son is not as useless with a computer as I am and found the Removal Van Museum in Ireland on Google Earth.
The first photo shows this
The second photo shows the entrance from N11 road. You can see vans to the rear but they are parked along to both the left and the right.
The third shows part of the entrance with his home/office on left which if you look at the Arial photo has his workshops and garage space behind.
Paul and me went with Easy jet, from Liverpool on a 99p flight each way taking only minimum hand luggage. We hired a self-drive V/W Passat that had that electronic handbrake that took a bit getting used to. We stayed overnight in Dublin and the travel up to Enniscorthy was very enjoyable. A very good weekend breaks and for those like me who are interested in 60-80s vans very enjoyable.
