jmc jnr:
Here I am again, The proverbial bad penny. Now I’ve caught you all up I notice no posts for a few days.
I hope you are OK and will be back with more memories soon.
Regards. Jim
Hi Jim,
Thank you for your kind remarks. I am fine, but my 87 year old mother is in hospital, recovering after having an 8 hour operation just over a week ago, and I visit each day. Because of my health I am no longer allowed to drive and so instead of taking less than two hours the journey by walking and public transport takes me 5 to 6 hours. I have quite a lot to still put on here, but my longer, more interesting posts take a lot of thinking about dredging out my memories and putting into words, that I haven’t had too much time to do so of late. But she is on the mend and I’ll soon get back into full swing
jmc jnr:
Here I am again, The proverbial bad penny. Now I’ve caught you all up I notice no posts for a few days.
I hope you are OK and will be back with more memories soon.
Regards. Jim
Hi Jim,
Thank you for your kind remarks. I am fine, but my 87 year old mother is in hospital, recovering after having an 8 hour operation just over a week ago, and I visit each day. Because of my health I am no longer allowed to drive and so instead of taking less than two hours the journey by walking and public transport takes me 5 to 6 hours. I have quite a lot to still put on here, but my longer, more interesting posts take a lot of thinking about dredging out my memories and putting into words, that I haven’t had too much time to do so of late. But she is on the mend and I’ll soon get back into full swing
Carl
Hello Carl,
Just had time to look at posts, I hope your mam is ok. We have had similar problems too my mam was in hospital for a month over Christmas and new year with 2 broken ribs after a fall at home and Brenda’s mam needs full time care hence the reason why I haven’t been able to reply to any posts for a while, Like you I will get back into it. You didn’t upset me when I saw you at Tesco we were both in a hurry as usual, also I have found a photo I’ve been looking for and will put it on very shortly it’s a photo of our van in original livery when it was a few months old.
Ron thank you for the photo of our Foden at Spennymoor Gala .
I will have to leave it for now and hope your mam gets better soon. Peter
Thinking about both your Mams and anybody else having a poor start to this year. You can tell the ladies that there are a whole lot of people here on the Forum full of goodwill and wishing them, and you all the best. We can wait for the story to unfold. Jim
jmc jnr:
Thinking about both your Mams and anybody else having a poor start to this year. You can tell the ladies that there are a whole lot of people here on the Forum full of goodwill and wishing them, and you all the best. We can wait for the story to unfold. Jim
Hi Jim
Thank you for your kind words they are much appreciated and knowing Carl as well as I do he will as well
Thanks again Peter
Hi Carl.
I’m sorry to read of your mam’s health problems and hope that her operation has been a success, although I doubt that she will remember me would you pass on my best wishes.
Regards
Barrie
Barrie Hindmarch:
Hi Carl.
I’m sorry to read of your mam’s health problems and hope that her operation has been a success, although I doubt that she will remember me would you pass on my best wishes.
Regards
Barrie
Thanks Jim and Barrie, for asking, she’s slowly getting better, and I am putting a post together at the moment of tales from the 80’s.
Of course she remembers you, Barrie. You and your business were the corner stones that Marmaduke Street were built on.Just days before she had her most recent accident we were talking about Oughton Carriers and you running it. Thanks and I’ll pass on your regards to her tomorrow.
This morning I met up with Gordon Ball, prior to going to the hospital and joined Terry Fullard for a coffee.
Terry worked for us from 1977 until 1979 and has many momentos’ he had kept over the years including a brown rectangular badge with white writing W.H.williams from his 70’s uniform.
After leaving us in 79 he joined the army where he remained until 1984 when he returned to us for a very short spell, until family problems caused him to leave again. Whilst in the army on one occasion he was on Guard House duties ( I forget which army camp he said he was) when one of our vans pulled up to make a delivery driven by Keith Payne, and they were both surprised to meet under these circumstances
Terry gave me two pay slips, one from 77 and the other from 84 and an expenses sheet from 1977 which I attach. Many might be interested in the wages and expenses we paid those years. In 1984 it appears he must have been given a job on a fixed weekly payment of £170 instead of hourly rate and I didn’t notice this when we met but will be interested in what work he was doing to neccesitate a fixed rate next time we meet
825christineh:
This brings back memories. I will have done that first pay slip. Chris
Hi Christine, I bet it brings back lots of memories.
Amongst the things Terry kept was a log book from 1977. It was two pages per day and he tore one page out for each day and kept the other oage in the book with him so if he was stopped it showed his weekend 24 hours off etc. However it is different from the log sheets I can remember filling in when I drove (It shows I mustn’t have driven an HGV when they were in use. I think they nust have been used in the interim period when tacographs were in the process of being fitted and fitting must have been allowed over a few years dependent on the age of the vehicle. Perhaps I’m wrong , and I would like to hear from other people’s recollection when they see them. Terry gave me two photocopies so I’ll get them scanned tomorrow and put them on here
825christineh:
This brings back memories. I will have done that first pay slip. Chris
Hi Christine, I bet it brings back lots of memories.
Amongst the things Terry kept was a log book from 1977. It was two pages per day and he tore one page out for each day and kept the other oage in the book with him so if he was stopped it showed his weekend 24 hours off etc. However it is different from the log sheets I can remember filling in when I drove (It shows I mustn’t have driven an HGV when they were in use. I think they nust have been used in the interim period when tacographs were in the process of being fitted and fitting must have been allowed over a few years dependent on the age of the vehicle. Perhaps I’m wrong , and I would like to hear from other people’s recollection when they see them. Terry gave me two photocopies so I’ll get them scanned tomorrow and put them on here
I ave managed to scan and adjust contrast and brightness to make readable the outer cover ad two pages Terry Fullard gave me.
Its strange but I cannot remember using these type of books, but I must have arranged printing which was done by Evershed’s of St Albans who for 3 years or so had done our calenders and most of our printing.I think probably at the time our newest vehicles must have been on tachographs and the older vehicles were not due yet and had to use this style of record keeping
Hi Carl, these are the log sheets I can remember when doing the wages. I can also remember when the tacographs came into use which were a nightmare to learn to read. Chris
825christineh:
Hi Carl, these are the log sheets I can remember when doing the wages. I can also remember when the tacographs came into use which were a nightmare to learn to read. Chris
It’s easy now Christine just download the didgi card into the computer,you can read them easy,technology.
825christineh:
Hi Carl, these are the log sheets I can remember when doing the wages. I can also remember when the tacographs came into use which were a nightmare to learn to read. Chris
It’s easy now Christine just download the didgi card into the computer,you can read them easy,technology.
825christineh:
Hi Carl, these are the log sheets I can remember when doing the wages. I can also remember when the tacographs came into use which were a nightmare to learn to read. Chris
It’s easy now Christine just download the didgi card into the computer,you can read them easy,technology.
Yep & how things have moved on
Hope you are keeping well Carl
Hi Angie,
I’m fine, thank you and hope you are too.
Hi Jeffrey and Christine,
Yes how technology has changed, When tachographs came in I saw an advert in Commercial motor where I could buy a Commodore Computer complete with a program that 'read; the tachographs, but I’m sure Christine will confirm in those days in our office where computers were concerned it was the blind leading the blind leading the blind as we had all be brought up with pens and paper and typewriter, and just had been taught which buttons to press and when anything went wrong we rang the computer company who supplied and maintained ours, so with our combined brains we never could get the Commodore to work, and all we had was like a circular slide rule which made you tear your hair out.
Carl
Hi Carl, you’re right about that computer. In those days computers weren’t user friendly like now and you got no prompts to help you when things went wrong. We were always calling out the IT bloke. Chris
Here are three photos from 1959 of HTH882 meandering its way through the traffic in Spennymoor high Street, up the top near to the bridge. Prior to the building of the bypass and ‘Mad Mile’, I had forgotten the volume of traffic passing through the centre of Spennymoor, in the days when bus travel and the number of service busses were so prevalent.
HTH882, built in 1953 was the third of our petrol SB passenger chassis, and in this case the pantechnicon body was Built by Spurlngs of Edgware who in 1948 had built and exhibited our cattle truck on a Bedford 5 tonner ‘O ‘Model in the Commercial Motor Show at Earls Court. (Photo on this site a few weeks ago). It was built like a battleship, and much heavier than it’s sister SB s few months older built by Marsden. HTH remained with us till the advent of Plating and Testing and 14 years old.
The three petrol Bedford SB’s we ran were very big van for their day (1700 cu ft.), and in fact were amongst the biggest removal vans being operated in the early 50’s which gave us a real advantage while quoting for the larger removals as we could accommodate with one van whereas the competition were needing to use two.
Carl Williams:
This morning I met up with Gordon Ball, prior to going to the hospital and joined Terry Fullard for a coffee.
Terry worked for us from 1977 until 1979 and has many momentos’ he had kept over the years including a brown rectangular badge with white writing W.H.williams from his 70’s uniform.
After leaving us in 79 he joined the army where he remained until 1984 when he returned to us for a very short spell, until family problems caused him to leave again. Whilst in the army on one occasion he was on Guard House duties ( I forget which army camp he said he was) when one of our vans pulled up to make a delivery driven by Keith Payne, and they were both surprised to meet under these circumstances
Terry gave me two pay slips, one from 77 and the other from 84 and an expenses sheet from 1977 which I attach. Many might be interested in the wages and expenses we paid those years. In 1984 it appears he must have been given a job on a fixed weekly payment of £170 instead of hourly rate and I didn’t notice this when we met but will be interested in what work he was doing to neccesitate a fixed rate next time we meet
With regard the £179 fixed rate payment in 1984 Terry sent the following answer
Hi Carl , have just read the review of our meeting but cannot reply on the websight as I have forgotten my password , the reason I was on a fixed wage was I accomadated at the Blue Star service area at Bawtry and relaying trailers to queens ferry then returning back to bawtry where the trailer was collected and returned to Spennymoor ,.
Looking at Terry’s reply I immediatly thought of Queensferry near the Wirral, and although we would have a vehicle in this area most days I was wondering why we had so many trailers to go there and why we would send them as far down the A1 to Bawtry. I asked Terry what was on the trailers and he said he didn’t know as he was just dropping them off and picking them up, also I couldn’t think who would have worked out the weekly fixed rate as only I would eber have that responsibility. The only clue was Queens Ferry not Queensferry and it turned out it was our London Depot which was in North Woolwich and the area must have been known as Queens Ferry. (probably named in the 1600s )
I hope anyone will correct me if I am wrong, but I presume Bawtry Blue Star services is what I will have known as Blyth Services at the top pf the Doncaster Bypass.
I wonder what accomodation we could have provided for the drivers who lived in the Spennymoor area based there. I have a faint memory coming back to me of that arrangement which was , I am sure a Colin Watson inspired idea backed by Norman Flatman and endorsed by my dad, against my views and idea. Just shows how things have changed and there must have been more honesty about in 1984-85 as I think with our drivers dropping off loaded trailers from Spennymoor unattended for drivers to ferry down to London and back again with loaded trailers from our London depot and leaving unattended for other drivers to pick up for return to Spennymoor makes the mind boggle, and how noone came up with the idea to couple up to one of these trailers to steal it seems beyond belief. Also in the days before mobile phones how our transport office got in touch with the drivers based there must have been an ingenious arrangement.
Presumably the paperwork for the load inside the trailers must have been locked inside the trailer in question, and how the drivers from Spennymoor knew which trailer to hitch up with to return to Spennymoor was an error waiting to happen. I have no doubt if a driver went down with a trailer uncoupled and re coupled to a trailer one of his collegues had brought down an hour or so earlier, destined for London and took it back to Spennymoor, I would have heard about it, and as therefore it never happened there must have been an arrangement at the service area where some paperwork with the trailer number could be left. I never thought anyone in our transport office had the ability to make that all happen, but all these years later I stand to be corrected.
Carl Williams:
Here are three photos from 1959 of HTH882 meandering its way through the traffic in Spennymoor high Street, up the top near to the bridge. Prior to the building of the bypass and ‘Mad Mile’, I had forgotten the volume of traffic passing through the centre of Spennymoor, in the days when bus travel and the number of service busses were so prevalent.
HTH882, built in 1953 was the third of our petrol SB passenger chassis, and in this case the pantechnicon body was Built by Spurlngs of Edgware who in 1948 had built and exhibited our cattle truck on a Bedford 5 tonner ‘O ‘Model in the Commercial Motor Show at Earls Court. (Photo on this site a few weeks ago). It was built like a battleship, and much heavier than it’s sister SB s few months older built by Marsden. HTH remained with us till the advent of Plating and Testing and 14 years old.
The three petrol Bedford SB’s we ran were very big van for their day (1700 cu ft.), and in fact were amongst the biggest removal vans being operated in the early 50’s which gave us a real advantage while quoting for the larger removals as we could accommodate with one van whereas the competition were needing to use two.
Hi Carl
I can remember all three Bedfords CDJ, NUP and, best of all, HTH. As I’ve said in previous posts I did many miles in her with Uncle Jim up and down to Leeds every day during school holidays never letting us down. You were right about it being heavier than the others. Two people would struggle to lift the tailboard and close the rear doors because of the weight of them alone. One thing that always worried me was having a puncture as the spare wheel was at floor height in a locker behind the passenger seat and headboard. I would have thought that getting the wheel out without it falling on them and killing them that ifting it back up nearly 4ft would have. Fortunately we never had a puncture so never had the pleasure of trying this out. I was sorry to see it sold in the mid 60’s to Don Clegg to give him further service and I think it was replaced by RPT440D or MPT692D.
Now, talking about old petrol Bedfords… I’ve finally got round to finding a photo of our 1947 Bedford in it’s original livery Normans of Manchester when it was a few months old
as well as a photo of what it looks like now. Sorry about the livery. Carl if you wish to use the photos on other sites please do so.
Hope your mother is getting better Peter
