CRAIG-D:
my dad asked if steve tilford was there when i was at rowes the other day when i was on about this site .Hi Craig, Steve Tilford had left Clarke’s before you had started at Wm Rowe.
I remember Swish when they had green F7 day cabbed artics. One lad used to have a regular night out at Whitwood in the eary 90s. Ginger haired fella
gunnerheskey:
I remember Swish when they had green F7 day cabbed artics. One lad used to have a regular night out at Whitwood in the eary 90s. Ginger haired fella
In the early 90’s the Swish colours were yellow cabs with black chassis’s, they had one F7 sleeper cab tractor unit driven by Phil Ratchel and alot of F6 day cab tractor units, Swish colours changed to blue in the mid 90’s when Beck & Pollitzer took over the transport. Today the transport is back in house with white cabs with blue livery.
Tamworth1:
gunnerheskey:
I remember Swish when they had green F7 day cabbed artics. One lad used to have a regular night out at Whitwood in the eary 90s. Ginger haired fellaIn the early 90’s the Swish colours were yellow cabs with black chassis’s, they had one F7 sleeper cab tractor unit driven by Phil Ratchel and alot of F6 day cab tractor units, Swish colours changed to blue in the mid 90’s when Beck & Pollitzer took over the transport. Today the transport is back in house with white cabs with blue livery.
blue + yellow = green !!!.simples 
Wm Rowe & Sons recovery work at the A38 island Lichfield in the late 80’s one of McCarron transports from Darlington loaded with empty army shell boxes. On entering the island the trailer king pin pulled out of the very rotten rubbing plate leaving the king pin still in the tractor units fifth wheel jaws! The tractor unit recovering the shell boxes was YVO 175Y Leyland Roadtrain with a 265L rolls engine.
Here is a Sedi Atki of Wrights from Twycross loaded with sewage lying on its side on the island outside Bole Bridge Garage Tamworth one winters Sunday evening in the 80’s. Two recovery vehicles were needed for this job.
what was that on the A50 it looks like a load of offal or animal by product of somesort
Yes Craig it was a load of offal which is what the “D” series ford below was carring. There was a milk bottle rolling around on the cab floor which got trapped under the brake pedal as the driver braked for the island top of the slip road on the A38/A513 junction at Alrewas. The driver missed the island and went straight through the side of the railway bridge landing on the tracks below. The driver was ok.
rick strains from rugeley
i recognise them metal dollys
you could smell there trucks from a mile away
Mike P you are right it was one of Rick Strains, i remember changing a starter motor in their yard at Rugeley many years ago and the smell stayed with me for weeks.
My dad, Simon Box, owned B & S Traction Services. Used to operate from the garage at their house, then moved into Chippys yard and offices.
Also had his warehouse for removals & storage, 1st Removals. He actually had one of Chippys last vehicles, an Fl6 Volvo rigid, which we had converted into a removals vehicle. L588 ABJ. (RIP old girl, first lorry I drove on my own after gettin class 2).
B&S operated for over 10 years, always in Tamworth. I wish they could of kept the business running as I would of loved to someday driven one of my dads wagons.
Have loads of photos and will get them one here one day. At their peak, they had 2 brand new Renault magnums (52 plate) along with 4 older magnums and 4 premiums. All were sign written by Barry Eaton in white with blue lettering.
My mom also worked in the office, and I did my work experience with their company. I worked for the removals side for years, and it was thanks to my dad that I got my
Class 2, and then I progressed onto my class 1 last year. Nothin like following in your dads footsteps.
We are now joint directors of a limited company, and both work driving through agencies.
If anyone remembers B&S or even 1st Removals it would be great to hear some old stories!
Dan
Hi Dan, I do remember B & S Traction Services running out of chippy’s yard, i still see chippy about Tamworth he dont change, would be great to see some of you photos on here soon.
Nah chippy’ll never change lol. Gave me plenty of bollockings as a 17 year old having just passed my driving test haha.
Seem to remember he made me sweep the whole yard once coz a crisp packet blew out of my car door n I hadn’t realized.
I’ll dig out the photos.
Mercedes 25-34 V6 good reliable truck but did suffer with compressor head gasket leaking air into the cooling system and blowing hoses or radiators.
hi dan i drove for your dad i started with one of the magnums and then got bf 52 brand new this pic was taken at bakewell truckshow where i got second in the renault class with her
did alan stretch stretton drive this one i used to work with alan when he worked for colin perkins
Colin Perkins there’s a name from the past, I had the dubious distinction of selling him a cargo 1715 around 1996/97 and we sold him some rigid Iveco’s .Is he still about? I know a lot of his work was blue hawk i suppose he lost that to Hardstaffs .
Carl:
did alan stretch stretton drive this one i used to work with alan when he worked for colin perkins
Alan Stretton had the sister merc M650 FJF.