With all the talk of the Queen’s jubilee it reminded me of a visit dad had at Sherwood’s parts department n Grange Road Darlington during the war.
Before Adams and Gibbons opened in Claypath, Durham, Sherwood’s were the nearest Bedford agents and we obviously used them, whenever possible. Infact even when I started driving, I often went there as they were open on Saturday afternoons which was very handy. I remember they had a very good parts department and a very knowledgeable parts manager.
Dad was there just starting to get served when in walked an army officer and soldier. ‘Go to the front of the counter’, ordered the officer. ‘Who the hell do you think you are’ replied dad, ‘You can wait your turn like everyone else’, continuing by telling the officer what he would do with him. The officer immediately went out leaving the soldier to tell dad. ‘That was the Duke of Kent’.
Apparently the Duke of Kent was based in Catterick Camp and had taken the soldier to get parts. Meanwhile dad, as anyone knew him would imagine, told the soldier that he didn’t care who he was, he would not push in in front of him.
Hi Carl,Do you when the Museum opened? I lived in Ireland,from 1980/88 and lived not far away and used to go that way quite a lot and I never came across it or even heard of it.But if I get the chance to go back and see my family in Ireland,I,ll be paying a visit.Thanks for the info.
Here is a pic of a TK Bedford I used to drive in Ireland.I also did the paint job on this truck,all by hand.
The truck was used to collect 3pc suites ect direct from the factories for his furnature shop.We did quite a few removals as well…
I did a conversion on it at one stage by putting a 2nd deck inside so we could get more suites on board.
I remember a few trips we did to Wales where we bought 2nd hand pianos.We brought them back to Ireland cleaned them up,had them retuned on sold them for a tidy profit.
mickthebrush:
Hi Carl,Do you when the Museum opened? I lived in Ireland,from 1980/88 and lived not far away and used to go that way quite a lot and I never came across it or even heard of it.But if I get the chance to go back and see my family in Ireland,I,ll be paying a visit.Thanks for the info.
Here is a pic of a TK Bedford I used to drive in Ireland.I also did the paint job on this truck,all by hand.
The truck was used to collect 3pc suites ect direct from the factories for his furnature shop.We did quite a few removals as well…
I did a conversion on it at one stage by putting a 2nd deck inside so we could get more suites on board.
I remember a few trips we did to Wales where we bought 2nd hand pianos.We brought them back to Ireland cleaned them up,had them retuned on sold them for a tidy profit.
Hi Mick,
I don’t know when the museum opened, but I would suspect late ninties.
You certainly did good job of painting the TK, It looks very good. Over the years I , myself painted several by brush, and it is ard work, of course I couldn’t signwrite.
Perhaps you can help me next time you go to Ireland. I was told on this site mid to late eighties a Bedford Pantechnicon was set alight in a riot, and it had een one of ours still in our livery. It made headlines with a photo on front page of a newspaper. Could you please ask if anyone has any knowledge of which newspaper this might have been in so I can obtain a copy.
As I said the museum is well worth the visit. By experimenting by Google I have got it from two more angles
Carl
Hi Carl
Correct i was the person that told you about the WHW wagon set alight on the Falls Road our good friend Dennis Gough told me as he as you know worked with us for some time.
Gordon
Hi all,
I have been asked by Eddie as he is at the static to let you know he is to go back to hospital in a fortnight they will probably zap it then they say it rarely zaps first time.At least its getting sorted.
Watch Tyne Tees Weather @ 6-30pm i sent a couple of photo’s in we may be lucky.
Hope everything is OK with you Carl - Gordon
Carl
Don’t know if you get the Journal newpaper but in today’s edition there is an article and photos about Gardiners Coach repairs from Spennymoor renovating a Morris van whcih will be participating in the Tyne Tees run at the weekend.
Cheers Tyneside
goggietara:
Hi all,
I have been asked by Eddie as he is at the static to let you know he is to go back to hospital in a fortnight they will probably zap it then they say it rarely zaps first time.At least its getting sorted.Watch Tyne Tees Weather @ 6-30pm i sent a couple of photo’s in we may be lucky.
Hope everything is OK with you Carl - Gordon
Hi, Gordon,
I am sure I join you and everyone else wishing Eddie everything goes well,and he is soon well again.
He certainly has waited a long time. If you notice the time, I am waiting with North East news on to see if your photo is on the weather report.
Best wishes
Carl
Hi Carl
Sorry better things to show on the weather like flags for the weekend.
I hope to see my old mate’s trucks on the Tyne Tees Run this weekend John Gornall Spennymoor he has been showing them for years like his old army coal truck & ERF unit & Gardner.
Gordon.
goggietara:
Hi Carl
Sorry better things to show on the weather like flags for the weekend.
I hope to see my old mate’s trucks on the Tyne Tees Run this weekend John Gornall Spennymoor he has been showing them for years like his old army coal truck & ERF unit & Gardner.
Gordon.
Paul, my son is coming to collect me in the next few minutes to take me and the older of my grandsons, Lucas to Blackpool for the day. Time passes quickly, he starts school in September. It is his first time and we have told him about the tower and pleasure beach and I am looking forward to see his reactions when he gets there. We decided his brother, Jensen is too young yet, although he is very bright and takes everything in.
I want to take this opportunity to wish all those taking part in Tyne Tees Rally ,Good Luck, particularly Peter Summers, who is taking his Foden for the first time, and taking his Bedford, whether or not he has finished it.
I would, this year have gone to South Shields but travel is now limited to bus and train routes and Paul is ■■■■■■■ tomorrow, collecting his mother who is returning from a cruise.
It just seems like yesterday that I was approached during the Trans Pennine Rally, at Harrogate and asked would I form a branch of the Historic Commercial Vehicle Society in the North East. A few days later I was sent a list of members names and addresses and this all came about as a result. Noone, at that time would have realised how successful it would become, and its all down to the hard work of the organisers who deserve so much credit.
To all that take part. Good Luck
edworth:
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
Hi Eddie
Like you say Eddie, Whenever I travel I have so many memories, must be part of growing old. I went with my son and grandson to Blackpool yesterday, and you notice so much more as a passenger. I was looking for the Punch Bowl, but somehow I missed it. We were looking for somewhere to have breakfast and ended in Kirby Steven.
A regular reader and occasional contributor to this thread is Cattlewagon man. If you are reading that’s over in your area.(If you read this please lets hear from you again) Eddie refers to an accident, one of our drivers Harry Hawkins had in early sixties when near Stainmore Café an army truck in convoy went out of control and ripped the side out of a new Bedford SB. The army were always playing games over that area, trying to drive and causing chaos to other motorists travelling along at 20 mph in convoy with a Landrover in front in the middle of the road with a flag on the bonnet.
I can well imagine dad going crackers if Bill Bailey had put some red diesel in as it shows for years.
Anyway Eddie, not long now till you are fully repaired. Good Luck
Carl
Hi Everyone
Just got back from TTRun in Bedford as always performed faultlessly. I still haven’t finished it yet but it had to do the run as it have done the last 29. Unfortunately we could not take the Foden as it developed a fuel fault on Thursday night (lift pump) and it was too late to locate any spares in time, so if anyone out there has a lift pump for a 6lw Gardner please get in touch it will be appreciated. The rally went very well and I don’t think ther was any problems with any of the vehicles taking part also for once the weather was kind to us. Carl when I get the Bedford finished I will take you out in it, it may be next years TTRun though we will wait and see. Going back to the Bedford SB that had the side taken out by the army lorry I can remember it very well I was in the garage (as usual) when it came in it was FUP145C it wasn’t a pretty site but your dad sent it back to Marsdens and it came back as good as new. This also brings onto DPT100B the FG Morris I believe it was either brand new never had had been loaded with anything or was only days old when your dad took it out to go somewhere and on his way back a milk float or bread van took it’s side out at the Half Moon corner on Green Lane, he wasn’t a happy chappie when he came back to the garage again it was repaired by Marsdens to their high standards. I hope you enjoyed Blackpool Carl. Eddie I hope they just get on with your op and they don’t put it off again with some excuse again
Peter
pbsummers:
Hi Everyone
Just got back from TTRun in Bedford as always performed faultlessly. I still haven’t finished it yet but it had to do the run as it have done the last 29. Unfortunately we could not take the Foden as it developed a fuel fault on Thursday night (lift pump) and it was too late to locate any spares in time, so if anyone out there has a lift pump for a 6lw Gardner please get in touch it will be appreciated. The rally went very well and I don’t think ther was any problems with any of the vehicles taking part also for once the weather was kind to us. Carl when I get the Bedford finished I will take you out in it, it may be next years TTRun though we will wait and see. Going back to the Bedford SB that had the side taken out by the army lorry I can remember it very well I was in the garage (as usual) when it came in it was FUP145C it wasn’t a pretty site but your dad sent it back to Marsdens and it came back as good as new. This also brings onto DPT100B the FG Morris I believe it was either brand new never had had been loaded with anything or was only days old when your dad took it out to go somewhere and on his way back a milk float or bread van took it’s side out at the Half Moon corner on Green Lane, he wasn’t a happy chappie when he came back to the garage again it was repaired by Marsdens to their high standards. I hope you enjoyed Blackpool Carl. Eddie I hope they just get on with your op and they don’t put it off again with some excuse again
Peter
Hi Peter,
So sorry to hear about the Foden. Flavels at Thornaby were very good at repairing lift pumps,(Reasonable) and I know they are still there as strange as it seems me and Paul passed the other week when he took me to Thomas Cooks hospital and I noticed they were still there,
Yes FUP145C was unlucky as was DPT100B. It was new after making its first journey a few days earlier on the Saturday. Dad and me (16 at the time) went down to Bedford with a removal. (The paint had just dried early that morning) It was just as well it happened to dad, as if anyone else he would have gone stark raving mad. Lucky for me I hadn’t started driving as it was in June 1964 and my 17th birthday was September.
But history repeats itself. Occasionally about twice I have had a couple of little prangs with cars we had. Paul has gone mad with me. One case was about three years ago. We had a Volvo S80 with the D5 engine, which was a lovely car. Our neighbour insists, although they have room for about 6 cars on the drive, at leaving his car at the end of the drive sticking out and I was so busy watching the front end as it swung round as I was reversing, I didn’t notice an idiot who was visiting them had parked his little Golf behind, and I reversed straight into the side of it. The Volvo is a solid car and made a mess of the side of the little Golf and only put a slight mark on the rear bumper. You cannot believe the names Paul called me.
Do you remember when dad parked the 4 cylinder TK 6188HN on Marmaduke St opposite the garage and forgot to put the handbrake on. It ran down the street knocking down a garden fence, stopping itself as it hit the gable end of a house. Fortunately no one was walking up the street, and dad went and got it going down to apologise and you have never seen a fence repaired so quickly. The tailboard (fibreglass) was damaged on the TK and it was filled and repaired but it always showed even when the body was transferred onto FPT780G.
Also long before you and me were about he reversed one O model Bedford out of the garage straight into another which was parked in the entrance. I think it might have been GPT into JUP. He had to buy a new radiator cowl and beat out the front bumper. Maybe that was why he didn’t like JUP and sold it so young.
Anyway Peter, congratulations to completing 30 years with the Bedford and I will look forward to my ride out some d
ay
Carl Williams:
pbsummers:
Hi Everyone
Just got back from TTRun in Bedford as always performed faultlessly. I still haven’t finished it yet but it had to do the run as it have done the last 29. Unfortunately we could not take the Foden as it developed a fuel fault on Thursday night (lift pump) and it was too late to locate any spares in time, so if anyone out there has a lift pump for a 6lw Gardner please get in touch it will be appreciated. The rally went very well and I don’t think ther was any problems with any of the vehicles taking part also for once the weather was kind to us. Carl when I get the Bedford finished I will take you out in it, it may be next years TTRun though we will wait and see. Going back to the Bedford SB that had the side taken out by the army lorry I can remember it very well I was in the garage (as usual) when it came in it was FUP145C it wasn’t a pretty site but your dad sent it back to Marsdens and it came back as good as new. This also brings onto DPT100B the FG Morris I believe it was either brand new never had had been loaded with anything or was only days old when your dad took it out to go somewhere and on his way back a milk float or bread van took it’s side out at the Half Moon corner on Green Lane, he wasn’t a happy chappie when he came back to the garage again it was repaired by Marsdens to their high standards. I hope you enjoyed Blackpool Carl. Eddie I hope they just get on with your op and they don’t put it off again with some excuse again
Peter
Hi Peter,
So sorry to hear about the Foden. Flavels at Thornaby were very good at repairing lift pumps,(Reasonable) and I know they are still there as strange as it seems me and Paul passed the other week when he took me to Thomas Cooks hospital and I noticed they were still there,
Yes FUP145C was unlucky as was DPT100B. It was new after making its first journey a few days earlier on the Saturday. Dad and me (16 at the time) went down to Bedford with a removal. (The paint had just dried early that morning) It was just as well it happened to dad, as if anyone else he would have gone stark raving mad. Lucky for me I hadn’t started driving as it was in June 1964 and my 17th birthday was September.
But history repeats itself. Occasionally about twice I have had a couple of little prangs with cars we had. Paul has gone mad with me. One case was about three years ago. We had a Volvo S80 with the D5 engine, which was a lovely car. Our neighbour insists, although they have room for about 6 cars on the drive, at leaving his car at the end of the drive sticking out and I was so busy watching the front end as it swung round as I was reversing, I didn’t notice an idiot who was visiting them had parked his little Golf behind, and I reversed straight into the side of it. The Volvo is a solid car and made a mess of the side of the little Golf and only put a slight mark on the rear bumper. You cannot believe the names Paul called me.
Do you remember when dad parked the 4 cylinder TK 6188HN on Marmaduke St opposite the garage and forgot to put the handbrake on. It ran down the street knocking down a garden fence, stopping itself as it hit the gable end of a house. Fortunately no one was walking up the street, and dad went and got it going down to apologise and you have never seen a fence repaired so quickly. The tailboard (fibreglass) was damaged on the TK and it was filled and repaired but it always showed even when the body was transferred onto FPT780G.
Also long before you and me were about he reversed one O model Bedford out of the garage straight into another which was parked in the entrance. I think it might have been GPT into JUP. He had to buy a new radiator cowl and beat out the front bumper. Maybe that was why he didn’t like JUP and sold it so young.
Anyway Peter, congratulations to completing 30 years with the Bedford and I will look forward to my ride out some day. I would need some notice, mind to get a disguise, before I could be seen in a Pickfords van.
hiya,
Carl a false beard and some dark glasses should do the trick, 
saw the vehicle in question when it arrived at the Civic Centre
at Chester le Street had a new nearside fitted to it and not yet
painted and signwritten, will look swell again when finished.
thanks harry, long retired.
Just found this quotation about Adams & Gibbon
The Company was formed in 1923 by A.A.Adams and L.H.Gibbon who were works and sales managers respectively, of a motor company formed after the First World War by Ex-Servicemen using their war gratuities. This site was located as ST. Thomas’s street off the Haymarket in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Strangely enough A.A.ADAMS had come to Newcastle to manage the works of a fighter aircraft factory (See picture) just off the town moor. L.H Gibbon was a fighter pilot in what became the RAF. The motor company hit hard times and the business,bought in partnership by the two managers. Success followed and with various agencies, Daimler, Swift, Vauxhall, Scammel and all sorts of motor cycles, also Rudge, HRD and Donizedle until the Second World War. Most of the staff were dispatched to War Duties and the business carried out subcontract work for shipyards in the area.
After the end of hostilities the business continued with mainly Vauxhall, Bedford (Both now part of General Motors) and Daimler. By this time the sons were involved, G.A.Adams with John and Peter Gibbon. The company expanded with the market, opening branches in most of the North East towns surrounding Newcastle. With the death of both founder Director’s Gibbon in 1964, death duties forced the company to go public and with the shares being widely distributed throughout the families. This followed by the death of the two Gibbon sons, left the company vulnerable to take over. After many skirmishes this eventually happened in 1985 when Bristol Street Motors took over the company. To gain the agreement of Vauxhall Motors, then the main supplier, some of the branches had to be sold. R.A Adams, grandson of the original founder bought the Hexham branch and was aloud to keep the name of his grandfathers company.
This is the position today as we head toward the millennium.
I think it is very sad that this is all I can find of this company, which in its day was so well known by hauliers in the North east of England.
In our case Adams and Gibbon were perhaps, with the exception of Oil companies our largest suppliers. They employed a lot of people and it would be so sad if they were forgotten
NOTE: G.A.Adams lived to 95 and died this year (1999) having driven up to 3 months previously.
harry_gill:
hiya,
Carl a false beard and some dark glasses should do the trick,
saw the vehicle in question when it arrived at the Civic Centre
at Chester le Street had a new nearside fitted to it and not yet
painted and signwritten, will look swell again when finished.
thanks harry, long retired.
Hi Harry,
don’t you think a false nose and big red wig as well would be best?
and Eddie worthington telling how to spell the name on the side, how he did in a recent post?
Best wishes
Carl
Hi Carl, you could also put a brown paper bag with holes for your eyes in over your head as well, but you said when you got your photo taken you didn’t recognise yourself anyway so I think you will be ok
hope you are ok Peter
I was looking on the internet and found a photo of an Alvis van built by H. Raine and Sons. The photo was taken at the bottom of Marmaduke Street, so it must have been taken before Raines moved into the old brewery on King Street.
The photo says 1950, but I think it may have been late 1949. All credit to Raines as it was built entirely by them on an Alvis chassis, and looking at the car parked in front of it you can clearly see how modern their design and coachwork was.
However looking up Marmaduke Street, our garage is clearly visible and something is parked outside of no.14. I wish I had been able to show to dad as he would not only have been delighted in seeing the photo, and been able to remember Raine’s building the van, but also would most probably been able to identify what was parked up the street.
Below I have attached the photo, and below again I have tried to show more closely what was parked. I think it must have been one of the old pre war Bedford 2 tonners, as I do know they still had three still running in 1950.
If anyone has any ideas I would be so pleased to hear your suggestions. In this case Peter, you are in a worse case than me as I don’t think you would have been born.
pbsummers:
Hi Carl, you could also put a brown paper bag with holes for your eyes in over your head as well, but you said when you got your photo taken you didn’t recognise yourself anyway so I think you will be ok
hope you are ok Peter
Hi Peter,
The problem with photos are that when I go to these booths that are scattered around, I follow the instructions and when the photo comes out, instead of my youthful, handsome self out pops a horrible photo of this old gadgy.
I wonder if Gordon can capture my true image, and if not and this horrible old gadgy is on his photo, he can submit it to Tyne Tees TV for the weather, and they can say it is a photo of the Grim Reaper.
Carl
Carl Williams:
I was looking on the internet and found a photo of an Alvis van built by H. Raine and Sons. The photo was taken at the bottom of Marmaduke Street, so it must have been taken before Raines moved into the old brewery on King Street.
The photo says 1950, but I think it may have been late 1949. All credit to Raines as it was built entirely by them on an Alvis chassis, and looking at the car parked in front of it you can clearly see how modern their design and coachwork was.
However looking up Marmaduke Street, our garage is clearly visible and something is parked outside of no.14. I wish I had been able to show to dad as he would not only have been delighted in seeing the photo, and been able to remember Raine’s building the van, but also would most probably been able to identify what was parked up the street.
Below I have attached the photo, and below again I have tried to show more closely what was parked. I think it must have been one of the old pre war Bedford 2 tonners, as I do know they still had three still running in 1950.
If anyone has any ideas I would be so pleased to hear your suggestions. In this case Peter, you are in a worse case than me as I don’t think you would have been born.
Looking at the van parked outside Marmaduke Street I can make out a tailboard with Spennymoor signwritten on it. Above are two doors with Removals and storage. The top part of the van is missing because of fade on the photo.
It is high at the back from the floor with twin wheels and number plate on right hand side and a spare wheel underneath at rear. All the ‘O’ model Bedfords, we operated, had skirts and would be boxed in at the rear.
The photo says 1950 but the Alvis van appears to have reg no. FUP, which would make it older than our GPT (1946). Can anyone make out the reg number on Raine’s Alvis?
If it is one of the two tonners it certainly looks tidy. These vehicles were all 1937, 38, and 39, so it would be quite old. Like Peter said earlier the condition is a credit to Uncle Jim’s maintenance. Particularly as these vans started work at 5-00am every morning and finished often as late as 9-00pm on a night. (There were no driver’s hours during the war). Also they were 2 tonners but usually carried 4 ton, so by 1950 they will have been well used. They worked 6 days a week, apart from Sunday’s but did work Christmas day and all bank holidays.