825christineh:
Don’t say that Eddie about Carl’s age cos I’m only 3 days younger than him. That’s bad enough.I’ll tell my dad you’re asking after him. He pops over sometimes (especially when he needs some sewing done). Chris
i’ll let you into a secret Christine.
The old buggar is older than us.
You don’t kid me, Eddie, you’ll be ninety before both me and Christine. It’s not my fault I have aged prematurly, and anyhow I don’t look in mirrors and still can fool myself I am twenty one.
Carl
Yeah Carl, I know how old Eddie is, so he wants to keep his lip buttoned. Just told my dad Eddie was asking after him and he said that he thought he’d died. Hi Eddie, my dad is asking after you also. He was pleased to hear you’re still with us. Chris
Still here…Carl I have a good mirror, it tells me what I want to hear 
Eddie
And i am still younger than all of you
Peter
I didn’t realise this was a competition.
I’ve just spoken to Colin Watson, earlier today, and there could be up to 40 coming, if everyone turns up.
Anyway I have organised 40 times pie and peas so if only a few turn up we will all leave very fat!
Amongst the people contacting Colin was Frank Morgan who has promised to travel up from Wales
So all being all it shoud be a good day
Be good to see Frank again and everyone else of course. Hope everyone turns up. An abundance of mushy peas could be a problem. Chris
825christineh:
Be good to see Frank again and everyone else of course. Hope everyone turns up. An abundance of mushy peas could be a problem. Chris
Hi Christine,
Did your dad drive for Oughtons when we were at Marmaduke Street, before we moved to Green Lane?
And do you remember the young lad who was killed driving the 7.5 ton gvw TK boxvan over North West at Shap.
He had an accident and was thrown out of the cab through the windscreen and unfortunatly was killed as his head hit the windscreen frame. He probably would have survived had he been thrown cleanly through the windscreen.
Hi Carl, No my dad didn’t start working for Oughtons until later. He was working at Courtaulds and when it closed down Barry offered him a job. It was either that or Gray’s pop factory. Chris
Hi Carl, No my dad didn’t start working for Oughtons until later. He was working at Courtaulds and when it closed down Barry offered him a job. It was either that or Gray’s pop factory. Chris
I think my dad did work part-time for Barry while he was at Courtaulds when Williams was still down Marmaduke street.
Ooops gone through twice.
Carl Williams:
825christineh:
Be good to see Frank again and everyone else of course. Hope everyone turns up. An abundance of mushy peas could be a problem. ChrisHi Christine,
Did your dad drive for Oughtons when we were at Marmaduke Street, before we moved to Green Lane?
And do you remember the young lad who was killed driving the 7.5 ton gvw TK boxvan over North West at Shap.
He had an accident and was thrown out of the cab through the windscreen and unfortunatly was killed as his head hit the windscreen frame. He probably would have survived had he been thrown cleanly through the windscreen.
Hi Carl, I can remember this incident very well. It was Peter Whitehouse who was killed and it was very upsetting for me as I knew him and his brother from schooldays. On that morning your dad asked me if I could go on a local delivery with one of Oughton’s drivers as they didn’t have anyone available to assist with the delivery. This driver was Peter. We did the delivery and he dropped me off at the garage and then went to load up for deliveries in ■■■■■■■■ I went with Laurie Hawkins onto Bishop Auckland to do furniture deliveries for Woodhouse. It was late afternoon when we got back to Marmaduke street and your dad got me to one side and told me about the accident. He was extremely upset at having to tell me knowing how I would feel after only being with Peter that morning. Even now bringing it all back still upsets me.
Peter
Hi Carl…Peter is right it was Peter Whitehouse who was killed and Frankie Stephenson was with him (Franks dead now) think it was a woman just pulled up to turn and a Marley tile wagon swerved into Peter and Frank, it was on the Newcastle to Carisle road, I was travelling home from Glasgow when I passed Adams & Gibbons at Hexham and saw one of Oughtons wagons at the side of the garage with it’s front end smashed in, I did not realise at the time it was so bad, until I got back home and was told what had happened, Peter was a great lad and Frank worked for Barry for years and was foreman, he left to go to Lanchester Wines then got MS and died…Christine your Dad knew Frank very well, God that as brought some memories back.
Eddie
Yes Eddie, I also knew Frank and Margaret well. Also his brother Paul. I sometimes see Margaret down Tudhoe Vic club at the monthly live music night, which is tomorrow actually. She’s a nice lass Margaret. Chris
Hi Carl, I’ve remembered someone else for your employee’s list. Jean Penman used to work in the office in the late 70s. She lived down Wood Vue and her little boy was tragically killed in the park. Jean and I used to go to the weekly ‘Stop Smoking’ session in the Health Centre together then run over the road to the pub for a drink and ■■■. Last time I spoke to her she was working in an estate agents and living at Ferryhill. Chris
As I said it brought some memories back, think Frankie was in wagon behind Peter when it crashed and Peter’s brother Micky (Whitehouse ) was in crash with Peter, think Micky walked away without a scratch ?,I know Barrie & Joyce Hindmarch thought the world of Peter they used to get upset talking about him years after, there was also Dave Whitehouse another brother worked for Oughton’s and there dad use to help out.
Eddie
825christineh:
Hi Carl, I’ve remembered someone else for your employee’s list. Jean Penman used to work in the office in the late 70s. She lived down Wood Vue and her little boy was tragically killed in the park. Jean and I used to go to the weekly ‘Stop Smoking’ session in the Health Centre together then run over the road to the pub for a drink and ■■■. Last time I spoke to her she was working in an estate agents and living at Ferryhill. Chris
Hi Christine,
I remember Jean Penman, and the trajic loss of her son. If my memory serves me right wasn’t he crushed by a huge pipe in the park?
I will update the list shortly. Thanks for teling me
Carl
edworth:
As I said it brought some memories back, think Frankie was in wagon behind Peter when it crashed and Peter’s brother Micky (Whitehouse ) was in crash with Peter, think Micky walked away without a scratch ?,I know Barrie & Joyce Hindmarch thought the world of Peter they used to get upset talking about him years after, there was also Dave Whitehouse another brother worked for Oughton’s and there dad use to help out.
Eddie
Hi Eddie,
I think Peter had worked for Barrie as a van lad and Barrie had had that van secially built for him to drive at such a young age as it was under the limit and able to drive at 17 years old.
It was a nice looking van and almost as large as Oughton’s normal vans and I aways suspected he was a little inexperienced. You know Eddie, how we worked and you would have had longish experience at driving smaller vans before you were let loose on something that size. At the time we were using Oughton’s quite a lot as sub contractors delivering out of Marmaduke Street, and Peter was, like Peter Summers said, a regular driver.
I remembered Ougton’s three old Bedfords Pre War black with an orange band, and when Barrie got their first new van , a Bedfod J type boxvan it was painted two tone blue and I thought looked very nice. They continued that livery for several years and I always thought they looked so much better than the dark blue that followed, like the one in the photo with Christine
Carl
Yes, I’m sure you are right about the van Barrie got built for Peter - It was built on a 4 cylinder Bedford TK chassis cab VUP—F. Peter was telling me on the morning of the day he died that Barrie was going to change the engine for a 6 cylinder 330 when he got a little older and gained more experience. Alas this didn’t happen. You were also right about the size of the van, Carl. It wasn’t much smaller than the other vans that Oughton’s used.
You were right about about Micky being with Peter when the accident happened, Eddie.
When you passed your driving test in those days, a 17year old could drive a 7.5t gvw legally as soon as you passed your test with little or no experience of larger vehicles. Fortunately, there wasn’t the amount of traffic then and, dare I say it, people were more sensible. These days you can only drive up to 3.5t gvw (transit sized tipper) when you pass your test then have to pass another to drive anything larger.
Carl, you were right about your dad not allowing the younger drivers (Eddie■■?) to drive large vehicles until they were well experienced on the road as we know they were given vans like the Transit, JU or the magnificent J2 (If you could drive that one you could drive anything).
Hope you are all well. Peter