jimcab:
i ran out of unigate dairy in london, most of our milk came from the west country. we ran into chard junction,wellington,evercreech and the reload centre at wincanton. we also had 4 loads a day off the isle of wight. and at least 6 loads came out of wooton bassett(27000 gallons). . . we didnt do litres in those days.
Short story about the Aldermeads(Wincanton) reload centre.When the B cab ERFs were coming in Wood Lane had one and two trailers daily for collection.There was some sort of recall from ERF which meant that the ERF would have to come down to Wincanton Garages,when it duly arrived we had arranged a Big J Guy to go back with the loaded trailer.The Wood Lane driver refused to take this got into his mates cab and went back to London leaving 4500 gallons which as the Aldermeads manager John Cook pointed out would now have to go to Chard out of harms way
Sidecarpat. …Great story, that was me on that day…it was my mate who refused the unit. It wasn’t a guy unit, it was the last remaining aec mandator that he didn’t want…I know a lot of london drivers did get on with cooky. .but i Got on well with him.
jimcab:
I remember that depot in Mayfield, we used to deliver to a few dairies in sussex and kent . I was actually employed by unigate but drove wincanton vehicles.
Mayfield churn lorries all ran to Headcorn and the tankers ran to Hove,Eastbourne Hastings,Peacehaven,then diversions MMB Portslade,Margate,Sevenoaks,HeadcornMaidstone,Southwick Hill,Brighton Co-op
Mayfield had a long history in the milk business the workshops being part of an old Express site and before that South Eastern Farmers
From wood lane we shunted lots of West country milk onto Kent and Sussex dairies…3 loads a day went to Headcorn…Eastbourne, Ramsgate and co-op Dover took a 3000 gallon tanker. We had about 10 aec Mercury’s to pull the smaller tanks.
jimcab:
I remember that depot in Mayfield, we used to deliver to a few dairies in sussex and kent . I was actually employed by unigate but drove wincanton vehicles.
Mayfield churn lorries all ran to Headcorn and the tankers ran to Hove,Eastbourne Hastings,Peacehaven,then diversions MMB Portslade,Margate,Sevenoaks,HeadcornMaidstone,Southwick Hill,Brighton Co-op
Mayfield had a long history in the milk business the workshops being part of an old Express site and before that South Eastern Farmers
From wood lane we shunted lots of West country milk onto Kent and Sussex dairies…3 loads a day went to Headcorn…Eastbourne, Ramsgate and co-op Dover took a 3000 gallon tanker. We had about 10 aec Mercury’s to pull the smaller tanks.
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In the later years we often loaded out of MMB reload centres…Ashford, Portslade and Dorking being the most regular.
jimcab:
i ran out of unigate dairy in london, most of our milk came from the west country. we ran into chard junction,wellington,evercreech and the reload centre at wincanton. we also had 4 loads a day off the isle of wight. and at least 6 loads came out of wooton bassett(27000 gallons). . . we didnt do litres in those days.
Short story about the Aldermeads(Wincanton) reload centre.When the B cab ERFs were coming in Wood Lane had one and two trailers daily for collection.There was some sort of recall from ERF which meant that the ERF would have to come down to Wincanton Garages,when it duly arrived we had arranged a Big J Guy to go back with the loaded trailer.The Wood Lane driver refused to take this got into his mates cab and went back to London leaving 4500 gallons which as the Aldermeads manager John Cook pointed out would now have to go to Chard out of harms way
Sidecarpat. …Great story, that was me on that day…it was my mate who refused the unit. It wasn’t a guy unit, it was the last remaining aec mandator that he didn’t want…I know a lot of london drivers did get on with cooky. .but i Got on well with him.
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John Cook new the job backwards and I always found him very fair,this is an example:during the morning we filled up an A4 desk diary with orders from MMB which on this occasion included Watercombe(Yeovil) 4x4500 this got rubbed out although of course the 4 loaded tanks appeared during the following day and about 2.30 John asked why he had the production manager from Watercombe on the phone.I went into Johns office and explained to which his reaction was "well you wont do that again and phone this driver he will do them for you "and he then pacified the angry manager.Sadly John died some years later after he got home from work
jimcab:
I remember that depot in Mayfield, we used to deliver to a few dairies in sussex and kent . I was actually employed by unigate but drove wincanton vehicles.
I drove at Mayfield 1074-1976 there were 4/5 churn lorries 2 were outstationed one at Eastbourne (George Boniface) and one at Berwick(les Hylands.The other 2/3 were at Mayfild driven by Bill Kent,Dereck Swain and when the fifth came on from Headcorn Tony Godden
There were 3 tankers outstationed Ray Pilbeam,Charlie Kendrew and John Ellis who was on the job for 45 years,I cant remember all the rest but it was a privilege to work with them
jimcab:
I remember that depot in Mayfield, we used to deliver to a few dairies in sussex and kent . I was actually employed by unigate but drove wincanton vehicles.
I drove at Mayfield 1074-1976 there were 4/5 churn lorries 2 were outstationed one at Eastbourne (George Boniface) and one at Berwick(les Hylands.The other 2/3 were at Mayfild driven by Bill Kent,Dereck Swain and when the fifth came on from Headcorn Tony Godden
There were 3 tankers outstationed Ray Pilbeam,Charlie Kendrew and John Ellis who was on the job for 45 years,I cant remember all the rest but it was a privilege to work with them
I was the yard night shunter at wood lane, so I got to know a lot of the night drivers from Aldermeads. …good bunch of lads
Thanks dean, nice bit of info…the Leyland (NAM 179G)…was 1 of 3 badgers delivered new in unigate orange and white…it lasted long enough to be painted Wincanton blue…they lasted a short time only to be replaced by the AEC MERCURY’S. …
Thanks dean, nice bit of info…the Leyland (NAM 179G)…was 1 of 3 badgers delivered new in unigate orange and white…it lasted long enough to be painted Wincanton blue…they lasted a short time only to be replaced by the AEC MERCURY’S. …
Thanks dean, nice bit of info…the Leyland (NAM 179G)…was 1 of 3 badgers delivered new in unigate orange and white…it lasted long enough to be painted Wincanton blue…they lasted a short time only to be replaced by the AEC MERCURY’S. …
Thanks dean, nice bit of info…the Leyland (NAM 179G)…was 1 of 3 badgers delivered new in unigate orange and white…it lasted long enough to be painted Wincanton blue…they lasted a short time only to be replaced by the AEC MERCURY’S. …
jimcab:
I remember that depot in Mayfield, we used to deliver to a few dairies in sussex and kent . I was actually employed by unigate but drove wincanton vehicles.
I drove at Mayfield 1074-1976 there were 4/5 churn lorries 2 were outstationed one at Eastbourne (George Boniface) and one at Berwick(les Hylands.The other 2/3 were at Mayfild driven by Bill Kent,Dereck Swain and when the fifth came on from Headcorn Tony Godden
There were 3 tankers outstationed Ray Pilbeam,Charlie Kendrew and John Ellis who was on the job for 45 years,I cant remember all the rest but it was a privilege to work with them
I was the yard night shunter at wood lane, so I got to know a lot of the night drivers from Aldermeads. …good bunch of lads
Stanfield:
Worked for MMB early 70s for 4yrs has a mechanic and I must say it was one of the best jobs I ever had.Hope you dont mind me adding these photos
210
MMB also tried out some D Series farm tankers which all I think congregated at Tunbridge Wells reputably as Stormonts the Ford main dealer was just up the road
Stanfield:
Worked for MMB early 70s for 4yrs has a mechanic and I must say it was one of the best jobs I ever had.Hope you dont mind me adding these photos
210
MMB also tried out some D Series farm tankers which all I think congregated at Tunbridge Wells reputably as Stormonts the Ford main dealer was just up the road
Stanfield:
Worked for MMB early 70s for 4yrs has a mechanic and I must say it was one of the best jobs I ever had.Hope you dont mind me adding these photos
210
MMB also tried out some D Series farm tankers which all I think congregated at Tunbridge Wells reputably as Stormonts the Ford main dealer was just up the road
jimcab:
Bit before my time . . But a lovely looking beast !
There was a photo either in John Cooks office or up at head office of two of these eight wheeler naming them as tweedled dum and tweedled dee.1974/5 Alan Firmin had a flat bed version in the lorry driver of the year heat in Maidstone
jimcab:
Bit before my time . . But a lovely looking beast !
There was a photo either in John Cooks office or up at head office of two of these eight wheeler naming them as tweedled dum and tweedled dee.1974/5 Alan Firmin had a flat bed version in the lorry driver of the year heat in Maidstone
They had some weird and wonderful names…I drove a guy big j named “tiptoe” and a AEC Mercury named “Ambush”…most of our milk fleet were named after rivers
jimcab:
Bit before my time . . But a lovely looking beast !
There was a photo either in John Cooks office or up at head office of two of these eight wheeler naming them as tweedled dum and tweedled dee.1974/5 Alan Firmin had a flat bed version in the lorry driver of the year heat in Maidstone
They had some weird and wonderful names…I drove a guy big j named “tiptoe” and a AEC Mercury named “Ambush”…most of our milk fleet were named after rivers
jimcab:
Bit before my time . . But a lovely looking beast !
There was a photo either in John Cooks office or up at head office of two of these eight wheeler naming them as tweedled dum and tweedled dee.1974/5 Alan Firmin had a flat bed version in the lorry driver of the year heat in Maidstone
They had some weird and wonderful names…I drove a guy big j named “tiptoe” and a AEC Mercury named “Ambush”…most of our milk fleet were named after rivers
