W.H.Williams (Haulage) Ltd Spennymoor. The photo shows our depot at Green Lane Industrial Estate Spennymoor.
From Bottom right.
Van in Thorn Domestic Appliance Livery leaving depot
Office block and empty visitor’s car park except for what looks like BT van
Main workshop 4 15ft x 45ft bays. Two with full length fully serviced pits plus 10 ft. x 45 ft. bay
Adjoining area underneath office block: Fitters toilets and washing area. Auto electrician’s workshop and oil and grease storage tanks.
Not visible due to angle below side of office block drives rest room and transport office.
Slightly behind main workshop and linking to next workshop: parts department.
In front steam cleaning area (outside) with ramps.
New workshop 2 x 70ft bays by 15 ft. containing 2 fully serviced full length pits to accommodate two tractor units coupled to forty foot trailer
At end: Wilcomatic vehicle wash capable to wash up to tractor and 40 ft. trailers with box vans including washing roofs.
Leading onto Staff car park only partly visible also beyond parking for over 200 commercials
Continuing round at back left hand side: Body shop and paint shop 45 ft. by 60ft.
Onto black diesel tank piped underground to filling area
Onto main warehouse.
White security hut
Just in front of warehouse you can just make out Toilet block
Further in front (In centre) Diesel refuelling area.
Also off site nearby at old Courtaulds buildings we had self-contained warehouse accommodating 600 removal containers stored 3 high
What an excellent thread. I was drawn to it on searching for anything related to Oughton Carriers, I worked for them for five years until the unfortunate closure in November 2000. At that time, I only ever had experience of working at our depot at Chilton, but also used to hear plenty of stories about Marmaduke Street and distinctly remember our garage behind Whitworth Terrace before we took on the unit down at Tudhoe.
Absolutely fantastic to see that picture of Christine and the old Bedford.
Do I know you? Chris
Darandio:
What an excellent thread. I was drawn to it on searching for anything related to Oughton Carriers, I worked for them for five years until the unfortunate closure in November 2000. At that time, I only ever had experience of working at our depot at Chilton, but also used to hear plenty of stories about Marmaduke Street and distinctly remember our garage behind Whitworth Terrace before we took on the unit down at Tudhoe.Absolutely fantastic to see that picture of Christine and the old Bedford.
Hi Darandio…That would be Barrons old yard behind Ken Warnes, I rented that yard from Pam Barron for a long time, you mention Oughton’s I was a good friend of Barry & Joyce, I remember going with him one morning when one of his vans had turned over at the bottom of Pak Head and killed the driver in the other vehicle it was awful, think Barrys driver’s name was John ? overtook going down park head and swirved in to sharp and throw it over.
Eddie (watch him christine 
)
I don’t know who he is Eddie.
825christineh:
I don’t know who he is Eddie.
I have not got a clue, thought he knew you 
No Eddie. It was when he mentioned about the pic of me with Barry’s van I thought he knew me, but I don’t know who it is.
Ah, sorry Christine, I didn’t mean to give the impression I knew you, I was just happy to see a picture of one of the vans. Apologies for that.
Yeah, thats the one Eddie, I was trying to think of the store name earlier actually. And yes, that would have been John Harrison, very unfortunate.
Darandio:
Ah, sorry Christine, I didn’t mean to give the impression I knew you, I was just happy to see a picture of one of the vans. Apologies for that.Yeah, thats the one Eddie, I was trying to think of the store name earlier actually. And yes, that would have been John Harrison, very unfortunate.
Hi Darandio,
When I first got internet, I put into search engines W.H.Williams Spennymoor and there was nothing there. Now thanks to Trucknet things are different. I now know my grandchildren will be able to read what life was like, and a lot of sweat and tears by many went into the history of our business, and as time goes by, much of what happened will be unbelievable, by present days standards.
Same goes for Oughton Carriers. I tried to illustrate the stories f what happened with details of other businesses. For instance orriginally in Marmaduke Street, at the top was Eddie Howe with OK coaches. We were in the middle. Then Hindmarchs’ with Oughtons and finally H. Raine and son at the bottom. (a Real hive of activity) Wouldn’t it have been a shame if this information had been al lost.
Althoough we had no connection with Oughtons, we were friends over three generations, and I hope more photographs of their vehicles appear on this thread, and stories connected to them, as indirectly it is part of our story.
Please add any information of Oughtons onto tis thread and if you meet Barry Hindmarch, please tell him about the thread, as he will have many stories, of what went on in Marmaduke street that I for one would love to hear.
Finally thank you for your comments and I hope we ear many mre from you
Carl
825christineh:
No Eddie. It was when he mentioned about the pic of me with Barry’s van I thought he knew me, but I don’t know who it is.
Hi Christine,
Did you say that your dad drove for Kenmire’s?
Like I have said before when I wanted more background info on Kenmire’s there was nothing on the internet.
Now at least if yu Google Kenmire’s you can read our dealings with them, and at one time they had been the largest employers in Spennymoor. It would be such a shame if they had been forgotten about.
Carl
Hi Carl, yes my dad drove for Kenmirs for many years. Ray Juler was his van lad. My grandad worked as a cabinet maker there until he retired. I know there are many old photos of Kenmirs belonging to my grandad. I will ask my dad to sort them out. Chris
825christineh:
Hi Carl, yes my dad drove for Kenmirs for many years. Ray Juler was his van lad. My grandad worked as a cabinet maker there until he retired. I know there are many old photos of Kenmirs belonging to my grandad. I will ask my dad to sort them out. Chris
Hi Christine,
Kenmire’s ran 1952 bedford J type platform wagons, with their cabs modified to make them into semi forward control, which were very unusual. Also, as they were furniture manufacturers it was very unusual (and perhaps stupid) to run platform wagons with loads of furniture, and then roped and sheeted, particularly multi drop.
Your dad must have been very skilled to manage this withut damaging the furniture. Although I cannot personally remember meeting him I remember one of their drivers had the surname Vester. (I cannot remember his first name)
In the fifties Carl Kenmire had wanted to buy one of our vans to use as a show van and I explain earlier on this site the story.
We moved Carl Kenmire to Switzeland maybe you booked the removal, when you were removal clerk and Eddy Ramsey did the removal.Eddie came back and with his usual custom, told dad everything was OK, with no problems.
About a year later I was talking to Frank Kenmire and he was telling me what a great guy we had in old Eddy. He told me how the van wouldn’t go up the mountainside to Carl’s new home, and Eddy had simply gone away and hired some snow chains and managed to get to the door. He had simply just added the cost to his expenses and was paid with his wages
When I told dad he said to Eddy.‘well you old bugggar, whats this about you having to hire snow chains in Switzeland, you told me you had no problems’ ‘Well it was just part of the job, I was hardly going to ring you up and tell you I was having difficulties’ That was old Eddy. Nothing troubled him.
Carl
I can remember little Eddy. He was a nice bloke. I’ve phoned my dad. He’s going to sort through the photos. He said he’s got some old press cuttings too. Chris
My dad said that he can remember often seeing Brian Epstein, manager of The Beatles when he delivered to their furniture shop. I used to beg him to get their autographs but he never managed it. Chris
Hi Carl, just been talking to my dad about Kenmirs. He said the wagon he was driving was relatively new and when Kenmirs closed down Jacky Vester bought it. Chris
edworth:
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
Hi Eddie
You would certainly know you had driven to Tavistock with that thing. Yet I bet, like me when you look back you will agree it’s an experience you’ll be pleased you didn’t miss.
That’s how we learnt things and with these experiences, it helped you get over slight problems that come your way later in life. It makes you laugh when you hear these Stobbart’s drivers on the TV complaining in their central heated tractor units with sat nav, and all the comforts we never could have imagined.
On Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson says you never have driven till you have driven an Alfa Romeo, with the excitement of not knowing; for sure you will get back without breaking down. I would have loved to see him test driving out old J2.
I bet they could have made a full TV series on your journey
Carl
Hi Carl…Clarkson he’s a knob…Also remember BPT 100B with the crash gearbox what a great van, I remember when it was mine and drivers coming back from journeys might have had to come and help me load, they always wanted to have a go at driving her, some where useless with the gearbox
I had it to a fine art could change without the clutch, all in the engine revs, of course I never told your Dad I could do it, remember waiting for Gearge Hardy puuting gearbox back into J2 as I wanted to leave early next morning, it would be about 9.45 pm when he shouted it was done, then your Dad asked him what that piece of metal was on the floor, it was a spacer and the box had to come out again your Dad smoked about 20 tabs that night and I gave George some stick, but you could not fall out with George that was his way…Kenmirs, when I started as a wagon lad we where still doing Kenmirs, I remember me and Rodger (Owens) taken a load of headboards to Vono Beds at Tipton,Staffs and bringing a removal back from Wolverhampton, we stayed in digs on Waterloo Road, opposite the WOLVES ground, what a job for a young kid like me. I travelled the length and breadth of the British isles as a wagon lad with some of the best drivers in this country and learn’t everthing from your Dad and them, my first journey away was with that “Thing” from Coulsons the four potter TK I had about sixteen drops for Wiltshire and Birmingham 21 and ■■■■■■■■ myself , thinking of if I scratch it Harry will go mad, was not bothered about the drops and Birmingham etc only I must not mark Van …Did I tell you about Harry Smith ■■■■■■■■ himself opposite Dishforth I was the wagon lad, he jumped out but was to late, he was around the nearside trying to sort himsel out, then my door opened and he threw his crapped underpants onto the back shelf, we nearly came to blows and I travelled the rest of the journey home with my head out the window, he was a dirty get.
Eddie
Hi Carl & all,
Just got back from Portugal to be @ the W H Williams reunion this retirement thing is great i have hardly been at home only bad weather for a couple of months kept me there.As i said Carl i will take my camera as i know there are lots of you out there to get on a reunion shot, but can others take theirs just to make sure as it would be dissappointing if the meeting was not captured for the history of WHW.
Really looking forward to seeing old mates from all those years ago & bet they have not changed a bit.
See you all there - Gordon.
goggietara:
Hi Carl & all,
Just got back from Portugal to be @ the W H Williams reunion this retirement thing is great i have hardly been at home only bad weather for a couple of months kept me there.As i said Carl i will take my camera as i know there are lots of you out there to get on a reunion shot, but can others take theirs just to make sure as it would be dissappointing if the meeting was not captured for the history of WHW.
Really looking forward to seeing old mates from all those years ago & bet they have not changed a bit.See you all there - Gordon.
Hi Gordon
Thanks for remining me.
The reunion is on Saturday at 1-00PM Ferryhill Working men’s club.
I have been talking to Joe Pennington, who has been helping Colin Watson contact everyone and he says we might be surprised as to how many turn up.
I know an incredible lot of ex employees have departed this world, so as long as none of them turn up,(Joke) I will be delghted to meet as many as possible
Carl
Hi Carl, I didn’t know it was 1.00pm. Previously it said 12.30 Chris