Thanks for the feed back, Am I right in thinking that Theater garage was the Atkinson dealer for the Tyne and Wear area at the time. Has anyone got any photos or history about the company how long they run and ,when they finished also pics of Longfields would be nice to see, did a google but come up with nothing 
…
Cheers
Carl Williams:
At W.H.Williams Spennymoor we only had one Atkinson, which we bought second hand, however strange as it seems i had almost forgotten about it but 2 diffrerent photos have turned up on the net, and not many more outn of all our vehicles… That must illustrate the popularity of Atkinson, It certainly has had more than its fair share of photos.I can almost certainly say that longfield road were not Atkinson agents until the merger with Seddon. We used Longfield at Darlington a lot as we had quite a few Seddons.
I seem to remember there was a gardner engine agent in Newcastle who we used for Engine parts particularly for our Guys.
But who ever was Atkinson agents were not very goodas I never can remember a rep calling and if they had who knows perhaps they might have got an order.With better sales force they might not have needed to merge.
Like in an earlier post both with that Atkinson and the several ERFs we opperated they never went wrong so the agencies don’t regularly come to mind, as for instance the Leyland agencies who must have been worked off their feet in the spares departments.
Hi Carl Paynters were the Gardner agents in Newcastle. They later whent in with Stadium garage the ERF agents as Paynter/Stadium at Gosforth.
The only Theatre Garage I can remember in Sunderland was in Low Row opposite the old public Weighbridge, just round the corner from the Empire Theatre. It had a 24 hour filling station at the front and a small showroom, but I don’t think there would have been room anywhere to store and repair wagons. To be honest the only lorry dealers I can recall in Sunderland were Adams & Gibbons the Vauxhall/Bedford agents.
kennyjohnson:
Carl Williams:
At W.H.Williams Spennymoor we only had one Atkinson, which we bought second hand, however strange as it seems i had almost forgotten about it but 2 diffrerent photos have turned up on the net, and not many more outn of all our vehicles… That must illustrate the popularity of Atkinson, It certainly has had more than its fair share of photos.I can almost certainly say that longfield road were not Atkinson agents until the merger with Seddon. We used Longfield at Darlington a lot as we had quite a few Seddons.
I seem to remember there was a gardner engine agent in Newcastle who we used for Engine parts particularly for our Guys.
But who ever was Atkinson agents were not very goodas I never can remember a rep calling and if they had who knows perhaps they might have got an order.With better sales force they might not have needed to merge.
Like in an earlier post both with that Atkinson and the several ERFs we opperated they never went wrong so the agencies don’t regularly come to mind, as for instance the Leyland agencies who must have been worked off their feet in the spares departments.
Hi Carl Paynters were the Gardner agents in Newcastle. They later whent in with Stadium garage the ERF agents as Paynter/Stadium at Gosforth.
Thanks Kenny
That reminds me now
Best wishes
Carl
kennyjohnson:
Comberhill Motors at the top of Valey street Darlington were the agents befor Scotts took over.
Comberhill Garages were also in Wakefield
When Paynters and Stadium moved from Gosforth they relocated at Shiremoor in a new building
and when they closed it became a carpet store and now its all in with Boundary mills 
All correct, When L/F, moved to Killinworth, DAF, took the place in St Lawrence Rd, Then Smiles Engineering had it.I dont know if they still opperate from there. such a long time ago. Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
All correct, When L/F, moved to Killinworth, DAF, took the place in St Lawrence Rd, Then Smiles Engineering had it.I dont know if they still opperate from there. such a long time ago. Regards Larry.
Smiles Engineering had the next shop up on St Lawrence road next to longfield rd motors ? like you say
Larry was a long time ago.
Paynters the Gardner agents were in Melbourne Street in the 50s before they joined up with Stadium, The foreman was Jimmy Shaw, certainley new his stuff about Gardners. another fitter was Fred Jones ended up as an owner driver, Regards Larry.
paw123:
Longfield Road Motors were the Seddon dealers at Darlington,also were Perkins Diesel agents,also had Killingworth Harveycome Road?
John Arkle (Fergusons) was salesman when they were Seddon Atkinson dealers
Aye a remember him he was a salesman for Fodens at Darlington before going over to Longfields
John Sisterson who had the wagons up Otterburn (I think) was salesman after John Arkle. I still see him now and then.
Thats good to here John is a real nice bloke I havnt seen him for a long long time, next time you see him give him my regards if you dont mind, He had a few wagons years ago, I used to run out of Tilcons at Kirkwhelpington the same time as he had his wagons in there, happy good old days. Larry.
Getting back to the Atkinson wagons , the firm I worked for in the 50s Had a few. DGR.822. WTN 58 PGR251 SBR 655 SBR 801 645 NVK all Gardner engines The fitters loved them no problems at all. They were all supplied by the Theater Garge Sunderland. It runs in my mind that years later someone at Bedlington had the dealership for a short period, anybody know their name ? Regards Larry.
Oops I missed the one off I used to drive myself TBR997 how could I forget that, old age I think. Regards Larry.
Bells of Ashington had it for a short time the same time as they had the Dennis brand before they got the Mercedes
dealership i think,could be wrong though.
I think your right Bells name came to my mind also, thanks for the info. Regards Larry
Larry was that the same Freddy Jones that was foreman fitter at Alfie Ellis’s, a well built lad but lovely bloke, his Father also drove for Ellis, I’m sure Fred went to be an OD from there, we had one or two other blokes came in after Fred, Bowman was one name I recall and the other Frank something! who might have been at Crow’s. Ian Forrest then became Foreman up until Ellis sold out to Crow. I never worked much on Atkinsons as much as I did on Seddons and later SedAks but thought they were a great British make and looked the part. Cheers Franky.
Im not too sure, But Fred Jones had a Merc artic tipper then he had an 8wheeler Atki & a 8wheeler Foden at the same time his old man drove one of them, He also had a Scania artic & worked out of Formica, I dont know what he did after he lost the Formica job that was in 80s90s, Regards Larry
Fred Jones had the foden 8 wheeler tipper and the mk1 Atki 8 wheeler which he sold to Billy Luntley when Fred bought
the new MK2 8 wheeler Atki,
I can remember him having a F7-4x2 unit(blue cab with white band round the middle) with tipping trailer on the opencast.
The formica job he had the F88 and F10 then when he was shuffled out of Formica went on to
thermilite at north blyth which he had two Scania units on , i can remember him saying didn’t like the scania at all
gave him a bad back as the volvo was so much more comfortable.
Great person liked the chap a lot think he lives up Berwick way now. when he moved from just outside Morpeth.
woodstock:
Can anyone remember who the Atkinson lorry dealer was in the Newcastle / Durham area in the 60s /70s and the address if possible.
thanks
In 1968, it was:
Scotts of Nottingham Limited, Eaglescliffe Industrial Estate, Stockton-on-Tees. Phone Eaglescliffe 3771 Telex (remember them??) 58304