Told me the same story when we were out last Saturday night 
marky:
Bewick:
It wasn’t surprising that family firms like Brady’s and Ridings kicked Leyland Motors into touch in the 60’s and changed to Gardner engine Atkis and in Brady’s case Scania 110’s as well. Leyland were well established in fleets such as the two I’ve mentioned but they just “blew it” but expected to still sell their sub standard products into these fleets ! Unfortunately a private haulier in those days didn’t enjoy the financial “patronage” that Leyland had i.e. Labour Government “subsidies” courtesy of the good 'ole British tax payer!So they voted with their feet ! Cheers Bewick.
Ridings reluctantly dropped support of Leyland Motors due to nothing more than having to wait for chassis. After their first Ergomatic Beaver was delivered in 1965, such was their happiness with the vehicle they ordered 40 to be delivered in phases, but after the first 5 they were told that the oil companies had priority due to sheer numbers they’d ordered and that Ridings would have to wait. It was at that point the allegiance was broken, orders were cancelled and Atkinson got their business. There was no political sideline - it was purely down to Leyland Motors not being able (or willing) to delivered chassis when they wanted them - and it was Tom Riding who told me.
Given the choice I know which Chassis I would have preferred and it wasn’t a Leyland Ergo ! Cheers Dennis.
Lance Biscomb:
Told me the same story when we were out last Saturday night
Yes just got off the phone with Tom and he told me the same in depth story which i have really not got the time to type out on here as it would be like a rendition of War and Peace. 
He had 36 on order but Leyland could not supply them!
The last one of the five he managed to get was YTD 360D which was in fact one that Esso had ordered.
Hiya,
When I started for W & J Riding’s I never progressed to being entrusted
with anything larger than a LAD cabbed Leyland Comet, this was not a
problem I’d rarely driven four wheeler’s and in fact being one of the
first drivers in Britain to hold the then new HGV all groups licences, I
left Riding’s simply for the reason It was such a long travel and a lot of
my day was spent in getting there and back I moved to Jos Walsh which
was only a short walk from my then home after my first week with
Walshy on the Friday I took a widish longish load of structural steel to
Blyth in Northumberland and was told to return empty so on my return
trip called into Longridge for my wages and accrued holiday pay parked
up not to cause disruption as you do and went for my dues wages to my
pocket, when the yard foreman approached saying by Hell Harry you’ve
been sharp getting your class one1 licence you only left here a week ago
and you’ve got a class 1 already,seemingly the office girl who had taken
my particular had misread my “black book” and I was only listed as a four
wheeler driver and unless Riding’s offered to upgrade my licence I was
likely o be be a rigid driver had I become a “lifer”.A great firm though.
thanks harry, long retired.
Thanks for sharing you interesting anecdote Harry
I’ve just found these pictures (nmp) on Facebook (old haulage yards)apparently it’s a new housing estate being built on the old Ridings site
Yes the old depot has all gone now.
This photo shows the very last tanker that was loaded leaving the depot.
It was one of Swains tractor units sub contracted to pull a Van Benton tank that had been loaded for delivery to A S Creations Wiehl Bomig Germany.
After the demolition team moved in it was not long before the old depot buildings were reduced to rubble. The old depot now gone soon to be replaced by a new housing estate called ‘The Riding’s’ and an Aldi supermarket.
What a sad end to what must rate as one of this country’s finest hauliers and run by someone ( Tom Riding ) who himself must rate as one of the finest ambassadors connected to the haulage industry .
shugg:
What a sad end to what must rate as one of this country’s finest hauliers and run by someone ( Tom Riding ) who himself must rate as one of the finest ambassadors connected to the haulage industry .
Well said, that man
The Atkinson fleet some had normal BIG A and some had white or yellow discs behind them
was it just the driver making them look smart or did it signal which depot they operated or worked
out of 
-
Gana man the one with the red big A was aka ■■■■■■■■■■ John s
8LXBV8BRIAN:
The Atkinson fleet some had normal BIG A and some had white or yellow discs behind them
was it just the driver making them look smart or did it signal which depot they operated or worked
out of
Nothing so mysterious unfortnately. They were the bottom of buckets, cut out and mounted behind the A.
One of those vehicles in the line up above was this Leyland Buffalo TQ 1 Reg No TF 9918 which was registered new in September 1932
It was in the fleet for sixteen years right up to nationalisation which took place in 1948.
Powered by an 8.6 litre diesel engine it was one of the very first oil engined vehicles to come out of Leyland motors, the fifth one in fact.
Is that you in the flat cap moomooland? 
Scammell Rigid 8 - Reg No FJH 102 ‘Locomotion’ technically isn’t a W& J Riding motor - it being Tom Riding’s personal possession.
Pictured above In 1982 W & J Riding’s Seddon Atkinson 400 Series 4x2 tractor unit Reg No GAT 247T ‘Earl Marischal’ was used for the job when Tom Riding and Stuart Ainsworth went down to Stoke on Trent to collect the derelict Scammell which Tom had bought for restoration.
The complete history of Scammell Rigid 8 - Reg No FJH 102 ‘Locomotion’ can be found by clicking HERE
Below are a few stills from a 30 minute film giving a brief history of the company and an insight as to how the general haulage company of W & J Riding operated in 1995.
You can view the film here on the W & J Riding website
I have been at vintage shows for the past two weekends with a lad who worked for Ridings and he was telling me how they fitted the ‘dog kennel’ sleeper pods over a weekend to the Atky’s for other hauliers besides Ridings themselves.
Pete.