DRY GINGER:
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.
Hi Stuart, well that’s a turn up for the books, now the words getting around and were all getting in contact again, it’s making us use our brains again instead of doing the things like too many folks do when they retire, and yes I can never forget that trip when I ended up with my unit with the back end in the ditch, it was the only accident I had in over 50 years driving, and it upset me for a long time, there were too many people hurt, and Bob did come to help, he was a great guy, do you remember he offered to pay the fine etc, it takes a lot for someone to trust a person who lives in another country like he did, we were friends for a long time and he was a great guy, and yes it would be nice to get together again, because the lads at A One were a good bunch to work with, and we had some fun, and worked well together. :-Jack
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
Sorry but I have no info on Albert Doyle, I remember him but never heard anything about him for too many years. Regards :-Jack
the last batch of continental drivers at a one we had a driver called ■■■■,the driver had broken down in France with electrical faults,was ringing so we could get Volvo out to him,OK i rang action volvo and was asked the details drivers name please,■■■■ Turpin,the guy said he nearly fell of his laughing,that is his name i swear lol,i think he went to work for stobarts after a one
if anybody is wondering what the b/w tipper photo is about on page 7 it is of my uncle Brian Wilkinson who was a driver then,but moved into the garage ,he worked for a one for 32 years,the reference is of my dads who worked there for 30 years,was the 3rd lad JMR employed this was in 1944,my dad was 14,JMR 29 years old.he got the first new wagon a one bought,reg JUM103,and was the first to go aboard in the 50s with JMR and 3 others,only when to Antwerp,i have 2 port cards some wear wot he set to my mam
i think the longest serving driver at a one was KENNY KEENIGAN one of my dads old mates 32 years from Leeds,i was told by my dad about when Brian trailer mated him,night time came end up sleeping in bail of hay in a farmers field and Brian was woken up by cows licking his feet,woken my dad to the reply ,no time mess today,can not have both breakfast or a wash,BREAKFAST was the reply…Ha good choice
the first f10 we got was JCP160S which john carter got the low loader driver,but had to go back to Volvo because they had put a coach diff in it 90 mph,first fl10 we got was d176 sorry forgot the rest which went to Chris marshall.we need jack back on with the stories great readings,mine are just facts
keith 2:
the first f10 we got was JCP160S which john carter got the low loader driver,but had to go back to Volvo because they had put a coach diff in it 90 mph,first fl10 we got was d176 sorry forgot the rest which went to Chris marshall.we need jack back on with the stories great readings,mine are just facts
Hi Keith, dont know about the first F10 going to John Carter, but my fist new one was the F88, 290, RUA982R, it was the one JMR sent to the Great Yorkshire Show, about 1975/6, it was all painted up far better than the others, even the chassis was varnished and polished, it had two bunks in at the show, but before I could get my stuff into it, John Carter had been in it and taken the second bunk out, “and I wasn’t too happy at that”, I can tell you, but my dad being a blacksmith got me the angle and stuff and I made my own, and a couple more besides for a couple of the lads, I had a proper sprung mattress and was more comfortable up top than on the bottom bunk, but being the show motor and being a better paint job than the others, I looked after it and it was still as good when we got the new F10s, and it pulled better, I think at that time we kept them for about 3 to 4 years, and then got a new one, I know we gave them some stick,“no restrictions then” these things would fly and pull, some of us were doing over 3000 miles per week, but we had regular full servicing every second trip and checked every trip for faults, you lads in the workshop were kept busy and did a good job, it wasn’t often we had to go out with a different vehicle, only for MOTs etc, they were the good days, the bad days were when Jack sold out to an accountant, he was a disaster waiting to happen and it did.:-Jack
keith 2:
if anybody is wondering what the b/w tipper photo is about on page 7 it is of my uncle Brian Wilkinson who was a driver then,but moved into the garage ,he worked for a one for 32 years,the reference is of my dads who worked there for 30 years,was the 3rd lad JMR employed this was in 1944,my dad was 14,JMR 29 years old.he got the first new wagon a one bought,reg JUM103,and was the first to go aboard in the 50s with JMR and 3 others,only when to Antwerp,i have 2 port cards some wear wot he set to my mam
I remember Brian very well, he was a great guy, we sometimes went for a pint at dinner time down to Morley,but once we started on the Tetleys that was it, and we were nearly always late getting back, often a couple of hours, but no-one really cared too much because all the work got done, and we never crashed on the way back, it was a very sad day when he died, I remember JMR took his new van back to his house and kept it there, but relented when a job came up for a van, and I took it to Italy carrying a control panel for a new machine being made for Elida Gibbs we pulled for, it was a sad day because JMR was really knocked back when Brian died, and he was very reluctant to let the van go. Regards :-Jack
names of drivers at Aone when i started… jack broadbent… jack graham… bob cowen…ken malinson …dennis glover…alan bennet…stuart sugden …allan render …peter scuIlik… ian scullik …dennis brown …taffy davis …tapper jack… jack tether… billy parkinson, martin jackson… frank robson… john taylor…(catweasel)…stuart broughton …ray (from southend)…jack dawson. les mullins… norman marriot …arther knott,…dave thomas… terry laighton …
HAPPY DAYS (ME AND STUART SUGDEN AT MY PLACE TRYING TO DOWN LOAD PICTURES ON TO SITE SOME GOOD ONES …
does any of you A1 drivers,remember mick jays,he had a 88 lived in eccleshill,parked it in the prince of wales pub car park.sometimes calls in the cricket club at undercliffe,bradford.
stuart broughton:
names of drivers at Aone when i started… jack broadbent… jack graham… bob cowen…ken malinson …dennis glover…alan bennet…stuart sugden …allan render …peter scuIlik… ian scullik …dennis brown …taffy davis …tapper jack… jack tether… billy parkinson, martin jackson… frank robson… john taylor…(catweasel)…stuart broughton …ray (from southend)…jack dawson. les mullins… norman marriot …arther knott,…dave thomas… terry laighton …
HAPPY DAYS (ME AND STUART SUGDEN AT MY PLACE TRYING TO DOWN LOAD PICTURES ON TO SITE SOME GOOD ONES …
WOW i remember all of these lads,remember bob cowen and billy Parkinson getting the last f88s S262WUG and s263…262 became our wrecker truck
stuart broughton:
names of drivers at Aone when i started… jack broadbent… jack graham… bob cowen…ken malinson …dennis glover…alan bennet…stuart sugden …allan render …peter scuIlik… ian scullik …dennis brown …taffy davis …tapper jack… jack tether… billy parkinson, martin jackson… frank robson… john taylor…(catweasel)…stuart broughton …ray (from southend)…jack dawson. les mullins… norman marriot …arther knott,…dave thomas… terry laighton …
HAPPY DAYS (ME AND STUART SUGDEN AT MY PLACE TRYING TO DOWN LOAD PICTURES ON TO SITE SOME GOOD ONES …
Hi Stuart, you forgot Donald Jackson, (Darky Donald), , Phew! and I thought I had a bad memory.
sad things also happen in the garage as well,remember a UK driver called Bert Friend getting killed going up scotch in a 6 week old f7 …B376…the truck was returned to the garage,a new bare cab was to be put on it and i had to swap all the wiring over,by did i feel sick,it got repainted but no body would drive it and crossroads bought it and sold it,…another time a Continental lads wife got killed in a f10 or 12 they were only married 6 weeks that also returned back to the workshop,but they cut the cab off and it went to the scrap yard ,thank god for that but stll put a new cab on it.sad times
jerry truckartist:
Here’s one i painted a good few years ago, couldnt find a picture of an A one tilt anywhere, Now there’s plenty appearing on this thread
Jerry
nice one Jerry,good reg think the truck belonged to either pete scullik or al render,i was just a lad then
BIGGEE:
does any of you A1 drivers,remember mick jays,he had a 88 lived in eccleshill,parked it in the prince of wales pub car park.sometimes calls in the cricket club at undercliffe,bradford.
hi,a david jays rings a bell,a tall dark haired lad late 70s
keith 2:
sad things also happen in the garage as well,remember a UK driver called Bert Friend getting killed going up scotch in a 6 week old f7 …B376…the truck was returned to the garage,a new bare cab was to be put on it and i had to swap all the wiring over,by did i feel sick,it got repainted but no body would drive it and crossroads bought it and sold it,…another time a Continental lads wife got killed in a f10 or 12 they were only married 6 weeks that also returned back to the workshop,but they cut the cab off and it went to the scrap yard ,thank god for that but stll put a new cab on it.sad times
Hi Keith, your right about the sad times, unfortunately this is a sad side of the transport industry, we were fortunate at A One, we didn’t have too many accidents, but the two you mentioned of Bert Friend, I had just come back home from a trip, I went to put my lorry into the workshop for the usual check-over, and was wondering where every one was, when the manager at the time told me they had all gone to the smash, he had hit one of the bridges on the M6, I remember Tony telling me the wrecker was no good it was too badly damaged so they sent a low loader and a fork truck to get it onto the trailer, it was a very sad day, but the other one where his wife was killed was on the A14, he had run into the back of a container lorry that had broken down, I cant remember the name of the driver, but if I remember right, he was the brother of Billy Parkinson’s wife, but your right they are sad days.
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!
