i’ve been told that my taid (william Roberts) who sadly i never met had a small haulage business in trefnant,with cattle wagons in the 50s.my dad arnold roberts worked for him.my taid then sold his business to williams bros and my dad went with it.he worked out of queensferry depot and as i young child saw very little of him in the days when it took a week to do a return to london, but i do remember going with him occasionaly and sitting on the bump in the cab eating my tin of rice pudding and eating chips for breakfast in transport cafes which have long since closed.williams bros had yards in denbigh, hereford, treddyn and maybe more i dont remember.
around 1970 williams bros were also moving to mostyn (mostyn warehousing) that was when my dad came off the main roads and moved to mostyn and used to shunt from the dock to the warehouse.as a family we all moved to mostyn with him.mostyn dock was a busy port in those days and transport from there picked up steel,timber etc that was when my dad moved out of his atkinson into an office they even got him to wear a tie but thats it.he continued to work at mostyn even had title a of transport manager but we all knew he missed his wagon.
i apologise if i’m rambling on.now i have children and granchildren of my own who weren’t lucky enough to have met my dad and i’m trying to find people who may have known him,worked with him.old photos of williams bros wagons flat backs,tippers whatever - maybe theres a photo of my dad round somewhere.i don’t even know if williams bros still work out of alltami.i know at mostyn they scanias orange and white but williams bros to me were green wagons proudly showing the welsh dragon,dad always had one on his car too.i was looking on here last night and a saw a few of their wagon photos and one contributor said he had a cup with mostyn warehousing scania 111 on it,i have a mug with a green williams bros(wales)ltd wagon on it.
ive got a photo of my dad - if anyone could give me instructions on how to put it on here id be grateful. thankyou.
Hi mostyn, welcome to trucknet and I hope you find what you are looking for.
It was me who had the cup with a mostyn warehousing scania on it!! My dad carried from mostyn docks as a driver for roy webster on a 2800 daf painted yellow. ved221s was the reg number and they had a 2300 painted in williams brothers colours. theres a chap on here called B.Waddy (barry waddy) he used to own waddys haulage and had loads of trucks carrying off mostyn docks. he may have known your dad. I was searching for photos of williams brothers trucks aswell but there doesnt sem to be many about. goodluck.
Just a bit off subject but is there still a chemical plant at Mostyn? I often used the dock weighbridge in the 80’s before tipping a tanker load od acetic anhydride at the plant who’s name has slipped my mind. The plant lads were a great bunch of chaps who always made me a brew and a bit to eat while the tanker emptied.
T.M.
Barry Waddy . HI Tankerman there is a firm there now called Warwick Chemicals ,they have lots of tankers in & out of there 24 hours a day Suttons do a lot ,i think they do something with washing powders ,Morgan Freights ,used to take most of the end product all over Europe ,hope that might help you ,regards Barry Waddy
Barry Waddy. HI Mostyn i rember WILLIAMS Bros taking over a cattle haulage co up that way but i think it was called A B E . Roberts dont know if it is the same co ,a couple of lads from MOSTYN in the office and in the wharehouse and drove the fork trucks the Price family ,are you living in Mostyn , hope this may help you .Cheers Barry Waddy
b.waddy:
Barry Waddy . HI Tankerman there is a firm there now called Warwick Chemicals ,they have lots of tankers in & out of there 24 hours a day Suttons do a lot ,i think they do something with washing powders ,Morgan Freights ,used to take most of the end product all over Europe ,hope that might help you ,regards Barry Waddy
Thanks for reminding me of the name Barry. It’s nice to know that a company is still trading under it’s old name after all these years.
It was about 1978 when I started on the BP contract the first time I went there.
Am I correct in thinking the dock handled a lot of timber and something else which was loaded into tippers.
Russell.
Barry Waddy ,HI Tankerman the Mostyn Dock Co , had timber, cork ,pulp , reels of paper ,a lot of bulk tipper stuff ,pyrites ,sulfer, camel pee, u name it came in .Exported steel coils ,& sheet steel , cement you name it they handled it ,never many strikes there ,then they brought in new managers, then came doctor d e ath Jim O Tool ,cut here cut there soon gone ,he then made it into a role on ,off ferry to Ireland ,many hundreds of thousand poored into it ,lasted abount 18 months ,all closed ,like a ghost town now ,hope it will help you a bit ,Regards Barry
That’s a shame Barry, and a crime, the dock was always busy when I went to weigh in and out for Warwick Chemicals.
Russell.
Barry Waddy, hi Russel you would not no Warwick ,now u turn in the main gate a big high gate house with full length wieghbrdge turn to your left 8 or 10 parking bays ,you wait to be called in then return to them when you are tipped or loaded ,then you are called back to the gate house back over the bridge then on your way ,very saftey first now and slow ,Yours Barry
Which way do you go now to Mostyn from the M56.
When I first started going I used to stay on the A55 for a few miles and then cross over and drop down a hill to come out just after Flint. Then turn left and carry on along the A548. I seem to remember seeing a ship that has run straight up the shore and was used as night club.
It was a right pain having to go through Queensferry in those days.
The last time I went there would be about 1987ish, I went onto the ICI contract in 1988 and stayed until I retired in 1998.
Russell.
I remember working for williams,late 70s out of a small depot they had outside lymm,work was ok,tackle snanias 80s 81s enough said,general haulage mainly seawheel containers to hull,steel from brybo to hull,lads great to work with, tm a real b…tard had you running all hrs if you let him.
tankerman,
the last time i went to mostyn thats the way i went off the a55 after the services[travelling west]t/r straight to lights in flintt/l follow rd to dock t/r over r/way bridge follow rd round to dock gates.
regards dave.
Barry Waddy, HI Russel you come down the new part of the M56 past the cafe Dunkirk and the VOSA check point ,to the end follow the new signs for Flint up past the indst est over the new bridge brings you out by the paper mill at Oakenholt 1 mile from Flint,on the coast road ,a dordle now ,yours Barry Wad
dafdave:
I remember working for williams,late 70s out of a small depot they had outside lymm,work was ok,tackle snanias 80s 81s enough said,general haulage mainly seawheel containers to hull,steel from brybo to hull,lads great to work with, tm a real b…tard had you running all hrs if you let him.tankerman,
the last time i went to mostyn thats the way i went off the a55 after the services[travelling west]t/r straight to lights in flintt/l follow rd to dock t/r over r/way bridge follow rd round to dock gates.
regards dave.
Brymbo Dave,that’s a blast from the past,I went there two or three times with billets from Sheffield in the 60s,I’ll bet it’s long gone now.I think you went up a hill to the works?
Chris Webb:
dafdave:
I remember working for williams,late 70s out of a small depot they had outside lymm,work was ok,tackle snanias 80s 81s enough said,general haulage mainly seawheel containers to hull,steel from brybo to hull,lads great to work with, tm a real b…tard had you running all hrs if you let him.tankerman,
the last time i went to mostyn thats the way i went off the a55 after the services[travelling west]t/r straight to lights in flintt/l follow rd to dock t/r over r/way bridge follow rd round to dock gates.
regards dave.Brymbo Dave,that’s a blast from the past,I went there two or three times with billets from Sheffield in the 60s,I’ll bet it’s long gone now.I think you went up a hill to the works?
Our farm across the valley from Brymbo steelworks works closed 1990 ish i think big housing estate now
You are right chris,a fairly steep hill if i remember correctly.
regards dave.
B,Waddy, HI Tankerman ,are u still at it or out to grass like me who did you drive for when u came into Mostyn ,i might have seen u when u were going to the weighbridge ,We had a few lorrys loading out of the docks ,red & blue SED/ATKI E R Fs ,SOME FODENS ,cheers Russel yours Barry Waddy
I retired in 1998 Barry, I was allocated a new Foden and within a few months my back was so painful I finished up bedridden for 6 months and then had two spinal operations. The DVLA took away my HGV licence but I was well covered by the Company and Union so I was happy to pack it all up at 61 y/o. I was with Gilbraith Tankers for 30 years so the pension was OK as well. I recovered OK and have no health problems now.
When I went to Mostyn I would be driving a Marathon and then later the Roadtrain below.
Below is the Foden which saw me off,
And this is the first lorry I was allocated when I started in 1969.
it was a good job, plenty money no rush. BP Hull would load us in a morning for delivery the following day at Mostyn. We parked at Bury and got a lift home. After we tipped Mostyn we loaded Caustic ex Runcorn and ran back to Bury. BP then expected us back at 10AM the next day so it was just a nice 7.30 AM start from Bury. It was only half an hour home and plenty of local traffic each way for a lift.
Two nights expenses and £25 on top because the operator at Mostyn let us steam out there free.
Russell.
barry waddy
thankyou for that information barry,il have to look into it further.i think you could mean maldwyn price he was warehouse manager and his son cliff worked there too.yes ive lived in mostyn for 43yrs,il never leave here now.
the dock has recently won a big contract with the offshore wind turbines.my brother paul roberts(doc) worked at mostyn dock in the early 70s before taking his hgv and working owner driver.my son also worked there recently,its proper posh there now.thankyou again for taking the time to reply.
B, Waddy , HI Mostyn ,i must know you and your family were in mostyn do you live yes i new Maldwyn and Cliff he had his own motor iirc he marreid a girl from Hull think it didnt last long havent seen him for many years, didnt his dad have big win on lottery or somthing like it ,nice to hear from you .Cheers Barry Wad
barry waddy.
i live in maes pennant.yes thats right and no it didnt last long,dont know where he is now.maldwyn moved from mostyn to prestatyn after his win,he passed away a while ago.he had a brother bob price who drove tippers i think but cant remember who for.he was married to my dads sister,they lived in trefnant.some of the other lads from warehouse emrys jones,john jones n llew davies.