BIGGEE:
That’s a good photo, it was a normal sight in Bradford in those days, 4 high and jump them in, rope the second tear, and long bines front to back, give a lad a load like that today and he’d panic, more than likely he wouldn’t have the balls to sheet it, let alone drive it, keep them coming, lets have some more memories, it’s good for the sole.:-Jack 
Archie Paice:
denisglover:
this to archie, steve saville passed away last june unfortunatley he ad cancer. billy pary came to a reunion do we held s/savailles pub in in march the 31st 2003 he ad retired bye then we all ad sum good time wi billy and the rest of them
excepte a fewha ha lol anything else just ask as i thnk iwas the only driver who kept a diary.an a good memoryHullo “denisglover”,
Another couple, do you ever see big Alec nowdays ? he lived just down Gelderd Road towards the City, and also Shaun, he was on those tractor cabs the last I remember. Alan Bennett, I had a fantastic New Years Night with him in the Hotel Wien one year. He was a very clever and well known man in the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards before AOne, I know this because my youngest Son was in the Regiment.
Cheers, Archie.
hi Archie,big AL now works for stobarts been there a few years now,this guy is mint,came to my my wedding when i was 19,and i got re/married at 37 he came to this one to have another ■■■■ up.think he likes wedding cake more than i do been married 5 times i think,Shaun died most be over 10 years ago rip
i will let you speak to dennis before i put the others up mate
Jack Graham:
BIGGEE:
That’s a good photo, it was a normal sight in Bradford in those days, 4 high and jump them in, rope the second tear, and long bines front to back, give a lad a load like that today and he’d panic, more than likely he wouldn’t have the balls to sheet it, let alone drive it, keep them coming, lets have some more memories, it’s good for the sole.:-Jack
Yes that picture brings back memories Jack. One day was in depot when Harold Priest told a couple of us to shoot up to Hall Ln w/house to help out as someone was off that morning. We were about to get sheets lifted up onto load on last bale when we saw F/L driver setting off for the cafe opposite w/house, not needing a telling we followed. Wed finished dinner when lad whod been off came in,chill out no need to rush back lads, says he, I`ve tipped your load. The way of tipping was to shove bales over the side with a clamp truck, sure enough when we shot over the road the load was just a big heap on the floor. The worse thing was the load was 3 deliveries so the bales had to be sorted before reloading. As for driving a load of wool it was an art in itself, I always tbought they rolled like a ship at sea. You had to hug the white line pushing others off the top of the camber at times to kill the roll. A couple of names for you Jack, Granville Daines,Con Tyson, Mick Smith, Jack bell, MIck Oldfield, Albert Doyle, “Capt conk” (never was sure of his real name) and Alf Bennett who thought he could easily outrun Sonnie Bearstowe at London depot, the look of shock, when he looked back to see Sonnie reaching to grab him, was a picture.
To ddrbsn.:-
I think most of those names you remembered, will be looking down from the clouds at us all now, I’m glad you could remember them it helps me to jog my memory, because remembering names is one of my downfalls, but it brings back lots of memories from Fitzwilliam Street, there was so much going on in those days, I remember Mick Smith was killed after he walked across the road after getting off the bus going home in Thornton, he was in a bad way for a couple of days, until they had to turn off the life support machine, I went to his funeral along with quite a few drivers Jack Robbie Russel Hutchinson, I was setting off to go away but went to the church in my lorry, and set straight off after, the only person who said I couldn’t go was Geoff Wilkinson, but he had no chance, I’d worked with Mick since 1963, and wasn’t going to let him down at his funeral, JMR looked at my lorry parked outside the church along with Russel and smiled and said nothing. :-Jack
Hi there, all you retired A ONE truckers. Stuart Sugden (DRY GINGER) here! Stuart Broughton (RUM and BLACK) told me the other day about this website and I think it is terrific. Do you remember when I used to organise the XMAS CONTINENTAL DRIVERS MEALS each year? Wouldn’t it be great if we could get together again 
I have quite a few photo’s of the 70/80’s that might be of interest to someone. The only thing is,I need to be told how to attach them to this forum!
Lovely to read yourcomments Jackie Graham. Remember the time you and I were travelling to HUNGARY (with COLD DRAW products)? And you had that crash at the border between Germany and Austria? AMERICAN BOB came to your rescue!
I.m sure we allhave some story’s to tell. More later. 
come onthen boys more stories please
Jack Graham:
To ddrbsn.:-
I think most of those names you remembered, will be looking down from the clouds at us all now, I’m glad you could remember them it helps me to jog my memory, because remembering names is one of my downfalls, but it brings back lots of memories from Fitzwilliam Street, there was so much going on in those days, I remember Mick Smith was killed after he walked across the road after getting off the bus going home in Thornton, he was in a bad way for a couple of days, until they had to turn off the life support machine, I went to his funeral along with quite a few drivers Jack Robbie Russel Hutchinson, I was setting off to go away but went to the church in my lorry, and set straight off after, the only person who said I couldn’t go was Geoff Wilkinson, but he had no chance, I’d worked with Mick since 1963, and wasn’t going to let him down at his funeral, JMR looked at my lorry parked outside the church along with Russel and smiled and said nothing. :-Jack
I know what you mean Jack funny how them in the office knew what JMR would want better than JMR himself, probably why Russell and me never hit it off . Always had time for Mick Smith, sorry to hear of his demise but as you say time dosnt stand still. Do you have any information on Albert Doyle I had a message on facebook from I believe his daughter but it was only after Id errased it that the name rang a bell. I Know what you mean about remembering names, always did have trouble, it`s a struggle to put names to things that happened last week never mind 30-40yrs ago…Dave
Hi Stuart, Think this was one of your trucks. The flying merc people keep talking about
A rare photo of a Bowies filling up in the A one yard as you know didn’t last long
The first FH at A one
Brand new out of the paint shop. Painted by Jack Horncastle (Odd legs)
top pics keith the old f7 with the tall trailer on and that fl is well smart i always liked them keep them coming 
dreva:
top pics keith the old f7 with the tall trailer on and that fl is well smart i always liked them keep them coming
2nd trip i did for a one when the garage shut down,was with a fh and a 15.9 trailer to London in bow,no maps i could could have sat down and cried ,tipped and i was getting out of here at 3am,got my self on the a13 and other drivers were flashing me i went over all the 7half ton bridges,let me get back up north,novice driver but did 2 years of it,this job is not for me.back into a garage where i know what i am doing,ha most of the time
yes i have had a nice 1 mile reverse back up a country lane they will teach me to follow a rigid driver
keith 2:
dreva:
top pics keith the old f7 with the tall trailer on and that fl is well smart i always liked them keep them coming2nd trip i did for a one when the garage shut down,was with a fh and a 15.9 trailer to London in bow,no maps i could could have sat down and cried ,tipped and i was getting out of here at 3am,got my self on the a13 and other drivers were flashing me i went over all the 7half ton bridges,let me get back up north,novice driver but did 2 years of it,this job is not for me.back into a garage where i know what i am doing,ha most of the time
Hi keith 2, we all made mistakes when we first started going away, and any driver who says’s he didn’t is a liar, but it’s not as easy as some folks think, “but you should have carried a map at least”, most drivers usualy went with someone who had the experience but it sounds like you were thrown in at the deep end first time, my first trip over the water, was to Italy with Dawson the idiot, and it was a nightmare, all he did was try to show off and make me look small in front of the other drivers, but it didn’t work because In ended following one of Archibalds back from Aosta to Calais, and let dozy Dawson show of to himself, but my fist trip to Hungary was by myself, I went to one of the farthest places we went, right up near the Russian border, and all I did was just go at my own pace and learn to recognise places so I could remember them next time, the round trip took me 9 days approx 3 and a half thousand miles there and back, but I remembered the way for next time, the only place I came unstuck was in Budapest, I went through a low bridge and scrapped the tram wires with the tilt, the inspector wasn’t too happy she told me to go back but the bridge was even lower on the other side, so I just sat there and made a pot of tea to calm down, right in the middle of Budapest, then a young lad got into the cab and showed me the way onto the right road, and the only thing he wanted was my sun glasses, and believe me it was worth it, it’s all about taking your time so you can recognise the route for next time. :-Jack
dreva:
yes i have had a nice 1 mile reverse back up a country lane they will teach me to follow a rigid driver
Hi Dreva, dont think your the only one who has had to reverse a long way back, and as I said “to Keith 2”, it’s all about learning the job, I was actually driving for about 50 years in all, and even had to do that a couple if times in Italy, and you should try doing it without hitting any of the crazy car drivers over there.
"It’s all in the game"and every driver has to go through the mill, and learn by his mistakes. :-Jack .
ddrbsn:
Jack Graham:
To ddrbsn.:-
I think most of those names you remembered, will be looking down from the clouds at us all now, I’m glad you could remember them it helps me to jog my memory, because remembering names is one of my downfalls, but it brings back lots of memories from Fitzwilliam Street, there was so much going on in those days, I remember Mick Smith was killed after he walked across the road after getting off the bus going home in Thornton, he was in a bad way for a couple of days, until they had to turn off the life support machine, I went to his funeral along with quite a few drivers Jack Robbie Russel Hutchinson, I was setting off to go away but went to the church in my lorry, and set straight off after, the only person who said I couldn’t go was Geoff Wilkinson, but he had no chance, I’d worked with Mick since 1963, and wasn’t going to let him down at his funeral, JMR looked at my lorry parked outside the church along with Russel and smiled and said nothing. :-Jack
I know what you mean Jack funny how them in the office knew what JMR would want better than JMR himself, probably why Russell and me never hit it off . Always had time for Mick Smith, sorry to hear of his demise but as you say time dosnt stand still. Do you have any information on Albert Doyle I had a message on facebook from I believe his daughter but it was only after Id errased it that the name rang a bell. I Know what you mean about remembering names, always did have trouble, it`s a struggle to put names to things that happened last week never mind 30-40yrs ago…Dave [/quote
Hi Dave, I didn’t have a problem with Russel Hutchinson, or JMR, but I had a few problems with G Wilkinson, although I worked with him most of the time, he was far too arrogant for me, and tended to look down too much on the drivers, but that’s only my impression of him, but I did manage to get on with Russel. :-Jack
