my dad worked for gl baker out of there bristol depo going to kidderminster to bristol and back to kidderminster then next day kidderminster to the paper mill in warrington thats all he did driveing a 180 garder big j guy he did that for a few years bringing his truck home, at that time there were a few drivers driving for bakers of bristol around the droitwich and worcester area
Hi all,
During the early 90s, my dad drove for GL Baker from their Carlton Depot in Barnsley. He has only just retired from this job, so he was with them right through their transition to BOC Transhield, and then in turn to GIST. Apparently, the designers of the goods inward at M&S stores had a lot to answer for…right b******s to get in and out of by all accounts! York probably being the worst, right at the bottom of ‘The Shambles’, and on a junction, surrounded by oblivious tourists!!! 
I found a few pics of their wagons below…not sure which depots they were from. Enjoy.
Cheers.
pops powell:
my dad worked for gl baker out of there bristol depo going to kidderminster to bristol and back to kidderminster then next day kidderminster to the paper mill in warrington thats all he did driveing a 180 garder big j guy he did that for a few years bringing his truck home, at that time there were a few drivers driving for bakers of bristol around the droitwich and worcester area
Hi pops 
Would that be the Oldland depot? I used to go to SBL school right next door and used to slope out in breaktime to go to the chippie or the sweet shop and well remember the small yard jampacked with Guys and then Marathons… That was in the late seventies
All built on now though…another yard gone… 
Piston broke:
pops powell:
my dad worked for gl baker out of there bristol depo going to kidderminster to bristol and back to kidderminster then next day kidderminster to the paper mill in warrington thats all he did driveing a 180 garder big j guy he did that for a few years bringing his truck home, at that time there were a few drivers driving for bakers of bristol around the droitwich and worcester areaHi pops
Would that be the Oldland depot? I used to go to SBL school right next door and used to slope out in breaktime to go to the chippie or the sweet shop and well remember the small yard jampacked with Guys and then Marathons… That was in the late seventies
All built on now though…another yard gone…
I worked at the oldland depot in the early 70s, all Big Js and Atkis,i remember the name of the lane the yard was off,“The Clamp”,it was certainly cramped!!.
Piston broke,I went to SBL school in the late 50s,it was plain Oldland Common Sec ,loved the playing field with the steam trains alongside!..chris
hi,
gl bakers had a big fleet in the 60’s& 70’s mainly working in and out of thames board mills in west thurrock then onto containers like all the others.my uncle, john poulton was there in the sixties and his mate dave cheeseright was there a little longer i also remember patsy keogh who was a good mate at the time(mid 80’s) no photo’s though.
steve.
Hi guys
Here’s a photo of one of the old GL Baker fridges that I bought in about 1990. I sold it in Jordan after tipping Ankara and Beirut.
were they the same firm who were carriers at smithfield in the 60s and early 70s? fredm
hilltop4:
Apparently, the designers of the goods inward at M&S stores had a lot to answer for…right b******s to get in and out of by all accounts! York probably being the worst, right at the bottom of ‘The Shambles’, and on a junction, surrounded by oblivious tourists!!!
Please be assured there was no discrimination - Thatcham depot deliver to Oxford (in the basement, off a single-track back street), Kingston-on-Thames (narrow town centre alleyway leading to 90-degree turn to basement), Salisbury (roof-top, suitable for 7.5T) and Uxbridge (60s basement with loads of pillars, also suited for 4-wheeler), and many more idiotic places besides. And all with Gist’s version of the urban trailer, i.e. 13.6m long, close-coupled tandem with a huge and evil rear overhang.
There’s a theme developed there mate…all pre RDC days, where designers scratched out their plans on the back of a ■■■ packet (nowadays, and some people would argue about the ethics on this one) RDCs, and out of town stores situated at retail parks have far more land to play with…theres a site just off the M18 at Doncaster with nearly 30 docks!!!..
hilltop4:
There’s a theme developed there mate…all pre RDC days, where designers scratched out their plans on the back of a ■■■ packet
Here’s Oxford - only a narrow little city centre street, but it’s inside that the fun actually starts!
And Chichester…
All look about right…you wouldnt want to out a Transit in them never mind 40 ft! No doubt all the local business’s and residence have alot to say about the ‘big dirty’ lorries reversing up their streets too
hilltop4:
All look about right…you wouldnt want to out a Transit in them never mind 40 ft! No doubt all the local business’s and residence have alot to say about the ‘big dirty’ lorries reversing up their streets too
In fact, facing the Merc in Chichester, is a shop with a flat above it, a new-build, naturally (i.e. built decades after the M&S delivery point) in which lives Mr. Angry. As a result of his interventions the first deliveries of the day are met about half a mile away by the store staff, to check the temp and turn off the fridge. How much difference that makes when the driver then spends 10 minutes outside dodging all the street furniture during his blind-side, dog-leg reverse I couldn’t say!
Oh, and the view in the photo is the only access - to the left is a dead end into a car park, and the road is blocked off behind the the spot where the photo was taken
Mr Angry!!!..I bet he still likes to go into the shop and pick up his fresh ■■■■■■ milk though!
hilltop4:
Mr Angry!!!..I bet he still likes to go into the shop and pick up his fresh ■■■■■■ milk though!
Don’t they all??
hilltop4:
Hi all,During the early 90s, my dad drove for GL Baker from their Carlton Depot in Barnsley. He has only just retired from this job, so he was with them right through their transition to BOC Transhield, and then in turn to GIST. Apparently, the designers of the goods inward at M&S stores had a lot to answer for…right b******s to get in and out of by all accounts! York probably being the worst, right at the bottom of ‘The Shambles’, and on a junction, surrounded by oblivious tourists!!!
I found a few pics of their wagons below…not sure which depots they were from. Enjoy.
Cheers.
Isn’t it a shame that despite the size of the BOC fleet (and they were pretty much all British - I think the Spalding group ran their Swedes over the water) that the famous ERF and Foden marques vanished. Even BOC is under a different banner now, and I don’t think that you’d get away with having any sort of patriotic flag these days, as in the once great GL Baker livery - maybe the Virgin group ought to get involved. They don’t seem to mind flying the flag! Also, on the subject of Transhield, what happened to the Polarstream reefer? I thought that they were supposed to be the future (Nitrogen wasn’t it)
I worked for GL Baker in Stratford twice 1968 and 1969 (got the sack for not turning up for work on New Years Day 1969) but returned after meeting up with one of my mates who told me to turn up and ask for my job back, it was much better the second time around. As I remember the Muggleton’s (Ronnie and Harry) seemed to run everything like a military operation. We didnt see much of the boss George Littmoden (I think his name was!) not a bad job as driving jobs went in those days, drove a Leyland Comet (scammell coupling) mainly running out of Thames Board Mill Purfleet to Warrington, Birmingham and Bristol and waste paper from Council sites back to Purfleet, did some loads for Lafarge Cement as well, I think there best customer was Marks & Spencer but that was mainly based at Faversham depot, I think it was around this time that they were bought by BOC along with some other haulage companies.
Happy Days
KenDavies
kendavies:
I worked for GL Baker in Stratford twice 1968 and 1969 (got the sack for not turning up for work on New Years Day 1969) but returned after meeting up with one of my mates who told me to turn up and ask for my job back, it was much better the second time around. As I remember the Muggleton’s (Ronnie and Harry) seemed to run everything like a military operation. We didnt see much of the boss George Lipmoden (I think his name was!) not a bad job as driving jobs went in those days, drove a Leyland Comet (scammell coupling) mainly running out of Thames Board Mill Purfleet to Warrington, Birmingham and Bristol and waste paper from Council sites back to Purfleet, did some loads for Lafarge Cement as well, I think there best customer was Marks & Spencer but that was mainly based at Faversham depot, I think it was around this time that they were bought by BOC along with some other haulage companies.
Happy Days
KenDavies
Good memories there Ken. It was George Littmoden (hence the name GL and the Baker was added to make it more UK less Dutch I think) I never met Mr George as he was known but did often see (Mr) Roy Littmoden and I think (Mr) Paul Littmoden was the youngest - they were later directors of the BOC Distribution Services operation. Not sure what became of them after the Baker company was sold. A lot of the staff went to the new purchaser, Blakes which was then sold to Express Dairies I think)
hayday:
Also, on the subject of Transhield, what happened to the Polarstream reefer? I thought that they were supposed to be the future (Nitrogen wasn’t it)
I remember reading a article in Comical Motor, decades ago, about Transhield, and I recall it saying that BOC got into providing transport for M&S on the back of supplying the refrigeration.
The Polarshield was still in operation when I did some work at Thatcham in 2000, but the whole installation had disappeared when I went back in 2010.
yes my dad and a few drivers from kidderminster droitwich and worcester areas all worked out of the oldland depo bristol i dont think they could have parked there trucks or trailers in that small yard all together,My dad taught me to rope and sheet at a very early age and i am 54 now and can still rope and sheet companys looked after there drivers in them days not like today with some 19 year old with his computer telling you how to do the job but aint got a clue about transport or the problems u face on the roads or at the delivery,Dad alwys said in them days what dont get done today theres always the next day,They may have old trucks in them days but there was always some one to help you drivers today would run over you to get in front,The old days were the best gl baker dad always said were a good company to work for.
I remember when i worked at ROAD AID in Widnes my boss told me that this wagon,BIG RON, came from GL Baker in Warrington.