M G B:
Loving the CTS pics Tamworth1. Don’t suppose you know if the guy in the office called Derek is still about? We used to subbie a bit for them and I used to call in sometimes for a chat.
Martin.
derek mallone i think his name was ,he was in the transport office …sorry but dont know what happend to him
Hi my name is bob palin i worked for CTS in the 70’s dave malone has passed away now and derek moved to howards transport burton when CTS closed down some of the drivers went too don’t know if he is still about .
I’m Jo… used to be Joanne Ward of Clifton Campville. My father, John, was the eldest of three brothers who ran G Ward and Son Transport from the early 1970s till the early 80s. My grandfather, Ralph Ward, started the haulage firm in 1933 transporting cattle. The photos on this site are mine. The first is my dad standing in front of one of their trucks in the 1960s. The second is at the back of the haulage yard and shows my dad’s 340 Jaguar, which I now own and have taken out for a drive today! I have lots of other photos of the Wards trucks and yard. My father, John and his brother, George were both managing directors, following my grandfather’s death in 1973. Their youngest brother, David was a director and used to drive. All three brothers and their wives are now sadly all deceased, but their children live on!
A few more photos of G Ward and Son lorries. The oldest photo is Grandad Ralph Ward with his first lorry outside ‘The Fingerpost’ in Clifton Campville. My dad with an old lorry outside ‘The Fingerpost’ and a couple taken in the 1960s, one lorry in my dad’s workshop. As well as being one of the managing directors, my dad was the mechanic and used to spray all the lorries, too. The picture of the Guy has me as a 10 year old next to it. This may have been the Guy my dad built from scratch.
Good pics and history there Jo, I don’t recall your family firm but some members might. Years ago we used to take tarmac to a company based at or near Clifton Campville, ‘Tamworth Road Surfacing’, they used to do resurfacing work around the midlands area. Probably no longer operating now though? Have you any more pics to show us?
cracker-bar:
Does anyone remember Browns? He used to have a small yard, opposite the Park Inn, in Kettlebrook. Only had a couple of old Leylands if I remember rightly, he’d occasionally come up to Aucotts, when I worked in the garage, to get parts.
Fred Browne had 3 pale blue lorries and was based in Kettlebrook. He was my great-grandmother’s nephew. He kept his lorries at her yard at The Fingerpost, Clifton Campville for many years. Fred’s brother, Clifford, drove for him for a while and so did David Wright. His stepson, Gary, worked with Fred and took over the firm. Gary Browne now lives in Ireland and he 's still interested in trucks and cars. He also has his own radio show and recently did an interview with my son, Matt Good, who is a musician.
I could not believe my eyes when a saw these beauties, nice one Craig where did you get these from? are there anymore? Have you got any info on the pictures? Any idea who the chap is in the first picture?, the second picture looks like its took at the top of Wards yard in Clifton Campville, is that Jag George Wards ?
windrush:
Good pics and history there Jo, I don’t recall your family firm but some members might. Years ago we used to take tarmac to a company based at or near Clifton Campville, ‘Tamworth Road Surfacing’, they used to do resurfacing work around the midlands area. Probably no longer operating now though? Have you any more pics to show us?
Pete.
I have a feeling that ‘Tamworth Road Surfacing’ belonged to Brian Bailey, who is still around and lives in Clifton Campville, but I don’t think his firm is. Not sure. More pics to follow!
Carl:
top pics craig i dont remember them motors bit before my time i do remember the MANs tho
I remember seeing the Wards MAN’s loaded with paper reels out of Alders coming down St John Street in Lichfield while on dinner from school, they weren’t very old at that time and remember when pulling hard how noisy they were, little do i known that i would work on the very same vehicles as a apprentice mechanic
Were you an apprentice mechanic at Wards? My dad, John Ward, was gutted that they stopped buying British lorries! I don’t think he was a big fan of the MANs, if I remember rightly!
CRAIG-D:
there are off a friend of a agency driver that works in TNT alan said his friend jo is/was a ward yes i thing that was georges car …dont know who the chap is though alan is going to ask if there is any more pics…i see theres a aliance box trailer/ body in the bottom pic too
Lets hope he has some more pictures, dont think that chap is George Ward but it could be his brother John. He was a Mechanic in their workshop. Wards did alot of work for Aliance box.
Indeed the chap is my father, John Ward, George’s brother. He was the mechanic as well as a co-managing director with George. It was also my father, John’s Jag, which I still own. I went out in it today. Yes, Wards did a lot of work for Alliance Box and 90% of their work came from Alders Paper Mills before Smurfitt’s took over and brought their own transport with them. It killed our haulage company. Sad times. G Ward & Son began in 1933, I believe, when my grandad, Ralph William Ward bought his first lorry. He must have got the money from his dad, George, to set it up; hence ‘G Ward & Son’…When Ralph died in the early 70s, my dad, John (the eldest), his brothers, George and David, took over the company. All sadly deceased now.
I had the pleasure of working with peter abella and dave Williams and Peter not Hardin but his 1of his drivers, back in the Harvey Shaw days,I was working 4 Chris burgess at the time, we ran out of Hans ultimate yard ,summit cross, dave Williams drove a 141, wot a nice bloke to work with, peter abella had 141 then got himself a 142 6wheeler ,I was lucky to do many miles running with Pete,(yes I think Pete did drive 4 caddys back in the days,peter from hardins another really nice bloke had a 142 we all did click some miles,and it was a pleasure, there was some rite good men on Harvey Shaws , that’s when drivers stopped to help each other out, now days they’d soonner run us over than stop n help, thank Christ I’ve only 11 years left be 4 I say up this industry, coz it’s well n truly finished, sorry if I’ve woffald on, but I don’t norm leave feedbacks (thank f. c I hear u say, bids
MRSMANGE:
I had the pleasure of working with peter abella and dave Williams and Peter not Hardin but his 1of his drivers, back in the Harvey Shaw days,I was working 4 Chris burgess at the time, we ran out of Hans kirimar, yard ,summit cross, dave Williams drove a 141, wot a nice bloke to work with, peter abella had 141 then got himself a 142 6wheeler ,I was lucky to do many miles running with Pete,(yes I think Pete did drive 4 caddys back in the days,peter from hardins another really nice bloke had a 142 we all did click some miles,and it was a pleasure, there was some rite good men on Harvey Shaws , that’s when drivers stopped to help each other out, now days they’d soonner run us over than stop n help, thank Christ I’ve only 11 years left be 4 I say up this industry, coz it’s well n truly finished, sorry if I’ve woffald on, but I don’t norm leave feedbacks (thank f. c I hear u say, bids
writerjo:
As requested, some more photos of G Ward and Son (Clifton Campville) lorries.
IMO that great shot of the new motor would suggest that it was a Leyland,possibly a Badger and judging by the gear stick in the cab and the bonnet moulding which I think will make it a later model prior to the Ergos been launched in '65 the derv tank is also classic Leyland.The first LAD cabs were just bare metal bonnets and dashes and they got a face lift in 63/64? when they got the black moulded dash and bonnet.Cheers Bewick
My dad drove for wards for a while (stuart deeley) …I Carnt remember how long he worked there I know he had a Guy Big J and also a scamell crusader… A few names that worked there when he did …Bob Starkey,Steve plant ,tony salt ,Tony salts dad not sure if it’s his right name or nick name but my dad called him Ebbo or eb salt
ive not been on here for a good while glad to see pics of wards although i remember the man,s when they loaded in alders paper mill
mrsmange glad some one else remember pete harding and pete obello im friends on facebook with pete hardings son jack whos driving for his dad now
Harrison, Chippy, Chetwynd all came to Fruehauf (tamworth) for parts and ken from Aucotts with the greasy flat cap
Chippy owned race horses
my neighbour when i were a lad drove a blue s80 8 wheeler for harrisons and chetwynds were my second cousins i knew chippy ya didnt wanna get on the wrong side of him
