One day about noon, when I was in my early twenties I found out I had to go to Warrington, to Marsdens to collect a new van and I needed to be there for 10-30 the next morning, as the press were going to be there for the handover.So I decided to go down that afternoon, by train (Into Victoria) and a room was booked for me at the Midland Hotel. At the time I felt dreadful with flu and so I walked down from Marmaduke Street to King Street where there were two Chemists, in those days to ask if they had some wonder drug that would make me feel better. They gave me a pack of two tablets, which was new on the market, and very strong. So taking a tablet off I went from Darlington station.
Arriving in Manchester and checking in to the hotel, I decided to go out for a walk. It must have been about 7.00pm and was dark and raining. I must have had a temperature as all I could feel was the icy rain falling onto my red hot head and I started to shiver. So I turned round and went back into the hotel bar and got a brandy and ginger. I drank the drink and by then I was feeling dreadful, so off to bed I went and took the next tablet. I went straight to sleep and when I woke up the next morning about 7.00 the bed was saturated in my sweat, but I felt very weak but a completely better.
Then I realised as I was getting ready to go down for breakfast, I had left at home my electric shaver. Well I always ave had a high regard for my blood and dn’t like parting with it but what happened next gave me a shock. As I went down stairs the first thing I noticed, in the hotel was a barbers, that offered shaving. So in I went, sat down, gowned up and lather applied to my face, and then to my horror that barber approached with his cut throat razor.
Now in my youth I had heard the story of Sweeny Todd, and had when I was about ten, had my parents taking me along Fleet Street, to see if there was any indication of where his barbers shop had been situated, so you can imagine how my mind was working overtime as he proceeded to shave my neck and face.
Fortunately he managed without cutting me which was an achievement as I was shaking in fear. I had breakfast with my smooth face and went over to Oxford Road Station to catch the train to Warrington.
RUP799K Ford D800 tractor unit supplied by Elliotts Motors Bishop Auckland (Main Ford agents) making its first journey to collect new Brockhouse 40ft single axle trailer from Marsden Coachbuilders Warrington. Marsden had built full fibreglass box body on the trailer chassis
Unfortunatly I cannot remember who was alloated this vehicle, to drive new.
Carl Williams:
RUP799K Ford D800 tractor unit supplied by Elliotts Motors Bishop Auckland (Main Ford agents) making its first journey to collect new Brockhouse 40ft single axle trailer from Marsden Coachbuilders Warrington. Marsden had built full fibreglass box body on the trailer chassisUnfortunatly I cannot remember who was alloated this vehicle, to drive new.
Carl you cant be expected to remember everything but sure someone will
But some of you attention to detail is exceptional
Hi Carl, Can you remember when someone let the dogs in the office? I used to leave my Dr. Scholl sandals under the desk and when I came in the next morning they were chewed to bits. You did give me the money to buy some new ones though. Chris
825christineh:
Hi Carl, Can you remember when someone let the dogs in the office? I used to leave my Dr. Scholl sandals under the desk and when I came in the next morning they were chewed to bits. You did give me the money to buy some new ones though. Chris
Hi Christine,
i cannot believe our two little dogs would have done that!
Ponda and Henry our two pyrenean mountain dogs when they were puppies.
They came to live at their new home at Green Lane Industrial Estate spennymoor at 8 weeks old.
When Henry, the dog was fully grown he weighed nine stone. They weren’t the best of guard dogs, but their size put most people frightened.
Carl
If it wasn’t the dogs that chewed them, it must have been you then. Chris
825christineh:
If it wasn’t the dogs that chewed them, it must have been you then. Chris
You’ve caught me out. it must have been the flavour from your feet that made them so irresistable.
Well, I never did have sweaty feet so they might have tasted ok. Chris
Carl Williams:
825christineh:
If it wasn’t the dogs that chewed them, it must have been you then. ChrisYou’ve caught me out. it must have been the flavour from your feet that made them so irresistable.
just a quick thank’s carl for your efforts in your very good thread,the info you recall and the pictures you have is amazing ,cheers gaz, ps bewick is doing ok with his outfit recall’s 
animal:
Carl Williams:
RUP799K Ford D800 tractor unit supplied by Elliotts Motors Bishop Auckland (Main Ford agents) making its first journey to collect new Brockhouse 40ft single axle trailer from Marsden Coachbuilders Warrington. Marsden had built full fibreglass box body on the trailer chassisUnfortunatly I cannot remember who was alloated this vehicle, to drive new.
Carl you cant be expected to remember everything but sure someone will
But some of you attention to detail is exceptional
Hi Angie
Pleased to see you are still reading
I think my attention to detail is down to my horoscope -Virgo The nitpickers
My grandmother always said I wanted to know the far end of everything1
Thanks again for writing
Carl
GAZ70:
Carl Williams:
825christineh:
If it wasn’t the dogs that chewed them, it must have been you then. ChrisYou’ve caught me out. it must have been the flavour from your feet that made them so irresistable.
just a quick thank’s carl for your efforts in your very good thread,the info you recall and the pictures you have is amazing ,cheers gaz, ps bewick is doing ok with his outfit recall’s
Hi Gaz
Thank you for your comments.
It is aways nice that somene puts on their comments as it makes me realise that people are reading.
There are times when there are no replies that I think ‘whats the point as no one is reading’ and when I get comments like yours it makes it all worth while
Carl
Carl Williams:
animal:
Carl Williams:
RUP799K Ford D800 tractor unit supplied by Elliotts Motors Bishop Auckland (Main Ford agents) making its first journey to collect new Brockhouse 40ft single axle trailer from Marsden Coachbuilders Warrington. Marsden had built full fibreglass box body on the trailer chassisUnfortunatly I cannot remember who was alloated this vehicle, to drive new.
Carl you cant be expected to remember everything but sure someone will
But some of you attention to detail is exceptional
Hi Angie
Pleased to see you are still reading
I think my attention to detail is down to my horoscope -Virgo The nitpickers
My grandmother always said I wanted to know the far end of everything1Thanks again for writing
Carl
Yep still reading with interest but sometimes as you put so much in that it does not need a comment but it is like reading a book
Just look at the page views that may give you a clue
I even read your posts Carl about the different vehicles although I can’t understand a word of it. That’s why I don’t comment in fear of making a fool of myself. Chris
825christineh:
I even read your posts Carl about the different vehicles although I can’t understand a word of it. That’s why I don’t comment in fear of making a fool of myself. Chris
You can never make a fool of yourself you may be corrected at times but that is all
Oh, yes I can. Constantly ha ha
825christineh:
Oh, yes I can. Constantly ha ha
That makes 2 of us then 
Hi Carl, you just keep the good work up.
VUP 812L, registered 1st August 1972, this Seddon would be 40 years old but it still wouldn’t look out of place if it was on the road now as it looks ageless.
Going back to the J2 again (I did spend a lot of time in this van). I was with the other man who came with old Eddie and Geoff from Johnsons (I can’t remember his name as he didn’t work for you too long), and were delivering chairs to a school in Barnard Castle, then on to Reeth for a delivery and then Catterick to do a small removal. We decided to go to Reeth via Arkengarthdale and up the Stang, the most obvious route (now as you know I have great respect for the J2 and the power it had under the engine cover). We proceeded to go up the Stang which, for those who don’t know, is a 3,800 metre long and steep hill with a couple of nasty hairpin bends near the top. We got about half way and had to change down to bottom gear. The van stopped and started to slip backwards so we stopped and tried again from rest but it wouldn’t pull away. We reversed down to the bottom of the hill and tried again in bottom gear and left it in bottom till we got to the top of the hill. This wouldn’t have been too bad had we been fully loaded but all we had on was a cardboard box about 12 inches square and weighing about 2kgs.
Eddie, if I recall didn’t you have the same problem when you went down to Tavistock with the J2 but you had to go up the hills in reverse? In my eyes you were a hero just to drive it that far.
Saying all this Carl I have to admit it still did sterling work for you during the time you had it
Peter.
pbsummers:
Hi Carl, you just keep the good work up.VUP 812L, registered 1st August 1972, this Seddon would be 40 years old but it still wouldn’t look out of place if it was on the road now as it looks ageless.
Going back to the J2 again (I did spend a lot of time in this van). I was with the other man who came with old Eddie and Geoff from Johnsons (I can’t remember his name as he didn’t work for you too long), and were delivering chairs to a school in Barnard Castle, then on to Reeth for a delivery and then Catterick to do a small removal. We decided to go to Reeth via Arkengarthdale and up the Stang, the most obvious route (now as you know I have great respect for the J2 and the power it had under the engine cover). We proceeded to go up the Stang which, for those who don’t know, is a 3,800 metre long and steep hill with a couple of nasty hairpin bends near the top. We got about half way and had to change down to bottom gear. The van stopped and started to slip backwards so we stopped and tried again from rest but it wouldn’t pull away. We reversed down to the bottom of the hill and tried again in bottom gear and left it in bottom till we got to the top of the hill. This wouldn’t have been too bad had we been fully loaded but all we had on was a cardboard box about 12 inches square and weighing about 2kgs.
Eddie, if I recall didn’t you have the same problem when you went down to Tavistock with the J2 but you had to go up the hills in reverse? In my eyes you were a hero just to drive it that far.
Saying all this Carl I have to admit it still did sterling work for you during the time you had it
Peter.
Hi Peter,
I had a similar problem with the J2 down a either Huddesfield or Oldham. It was long befre the M62 had been buit and I had gone down with a load of ATM
and I surpose it might have been overloaded. I had a delivery to the left of the main road dow a steep hill. Probably just two boxes of yarn so it still will have had a heavy load as I ventured up te bank in bottom gear. At the top was the main road and as there was trafic coming I had to stop, and when it was clear to pull out, it just would not pull away. I reversed down again and started again to find at the top the same problem. Third time lucky, there was no trafic and round onto the main road I went without stopping.
Just as you said, for all its faults the engine was alright ad did over 120,ooo miles before it was changed, and the van had been misused and ofte overloaded.
With regard to VUP a it was a good van in every way. Both me and dad took the view that you could always use a big van to do a small van’s work, and VUP was a big van.
Best wishes
Carl
pbsummers:
Hi Carl, you just keep the good work up.VUP 812L, registered 1st August 1972, this Seddon would be 40 years old but it still wouldn’t look out of place if it was on the road now as it looks ageless.
Going back to the J2 again (I did spend a lot of time in this van). I was with the other man who came with old Eddie and Geoff from Johnsons (I can’t remember his name as he didn’t work for you too long), and were delivering chairs to a school in Barnard Castle, then on to Reeth for a delivery and then Catterick to do a small removal. We decided to go to Reeth via Arkengarthdale and up the Stang, the most obvious route (now as you know I have great respect for the J2 and the power it had under the engine cover). We proceeded to go up the Stang which, for those who don’t know, is a 3,800 metre long and steep hill with a couple of nasty hairpin bends near the top. We got about half way and had to change down to bottom gear. The van stopped and started to slip backwards so we stopped and tried again from rest but it wouldn’t pull away. We reversed down to the bottom of the hill and tried again in bottom gear and left it in bottom till we got to the top of the hill. This wouldn’t have been too bad had we been fully loaded but all we had on was a cardboard box about 12 inches square and weighing about 2kgs.
Eddie, if I recall didn’t you have the same problem when you went down to Tavistock with the J2 but you had to go up the hills in reverse? In my eyes you were a hero just to drive it that far.
Saying all this Carl I have to admit it still did sterling work for you during the time you had it
Peter.
Your right peter,I took a removal to Mary Tavy near Tavistock on my own, in those days it was two nights out as it took all day to get to Bristol next day to Mary Tavy and tipped and then back to Bristol next day home, I was checking my map in Bristol the first night out and looking at it the best way was over Dartmoor 
I had not a clue so next morning off I went, came across this hill and the J2 got half way up and that was it,I ended up going up in reverse and she did it, must say she was loaded to the gunnels and when I got to the village on the edge of Dartmoor the van was to wide for the little hump back bridge so the people I had the furniture for got some locals and they carried it from there, I have been back to the village when I was on holiday about eight year ago and it brought some wonderful memories back,Peter remember when the J2 was leaking oil and Harry told me to keep an eye on the level so everytime the oil light came on I stopped and dipped it, I got so sick I thought I would top it up on the move with the engine cover being inside the cab no problem but when I missed the filler cap hole that was it, oil all over the cab and me was I pleased to get home from that journey, most of my memories are from Marmaduke street as I left after about a year when we moved to green Lane…Eddie
Forgot to mention I am over at ■■■■■■■ at the moment be back next week it’s a hard life.
Eddie