DEANB:
Bonallack advert from 1959.0
I know the name well enough, but no experience with them.
Carl?
Dennis Javelin:
God only knows how much we must have paid out over the years in spurious claims.
As you say Dennis, “company jobs” usually factored in a bit of bunce for “breakages” which often turned out either false or too small an amount to be worth chasing.
This is not to say that stuff didn’t get broken or damaged with the mob I worked for (except on my jobs of course… 
), but legit claims were generally satisfactorily sorted out.
Hello Dean
Thank you for asking ,still black and blue but the swelling is declining !!! I am still having to drive his motor and still wash it ,not every day like him but i am trying to keep on top of it , i did mine today when i got back ,did the Merc Vito on Saturday and the estimating car on Sunday !!! still need to do his motor though .
JAKEY:
Hello DeanThank you for asking ,still black and blue but the swelling is declining !!! I am still having to drive his motor and still wash it ,not every day like him but i am trying to keep on top of it , i did mine today when i got back ,did the Merc Vito on Saturday and the estimating car on Sunday !!! still need to do his motor though .
Not good for you JAKEY,but i think it will be very wise to let it heal fully before trying to rush him back as you will
end up back at square one. 
You keeping busy ?
Good morning Dean,
Yes we are very very busy struggling to keep up ! having to turn jobs away now ,even ones i quoted for ! 
i have been renting a porter off Robinsons but there is no way i let there drivers drive my brothers wagon ,i rather leave here parked up than that.
Regards Steve
JAKEY:
Good morning Dean,Yes we are very very busy struggling to keep up ! having to turn jobs away now ,even ones i quoted for !
Regards Steve
Glad you are busy Steve.
Sargents 1994.
I was reminded by Carl W on his thread of evil things called ‘bed-settees’. These were fiendish contraptions that weighed several cwt and would swallow a man whole if you didn’t learn how to tame them. I didn’t move many because they were going out of fashion in my time (thankfully). Anyone ever had to deal with one (other than Carl, obviously)?
Personally, I’d rather deal with a pianola.
An article on Abels from the 1990s (click twice to read):
I rarely (if ever) saw a shabby-looking Abels wagon in my time and when your fleet is advertising your company, it makes a lot of sense to keep your wagons clean and tidy.
Thanks to DeanB for the scans (copied from the Paul Gee thread).
Hi all,sorry not been on been busy but a silver cloud has appeared,they sacked our manager thursday because he did nothing but cause problems,I am only on pump overs now which is good as I don’t do other work now it is changing for the better hopefully,how’s things with you Steve,and mark hope all ok
Hey up John , that is great news mate , did you push the manager ? 
We bloody busy still ,i been out every day for 5 weeks now as my brother still off , back on my motor for Monday ,great run , collect three X ray machines from 1x Margate,1x Canterbury,1x Ashford in Kent all for Oxford starting at 6am though .
Back on my brothers wagon then for the rest of the week , Barnstaple . most likely night out again .
JAKEY:
Hey up John , that is great news mate , did you push the manager ?We bloody busy still ,i been out every day for 5 weeks now as my brother still off , back on my motor for Monday ,great run , collect three X ray machines from 1x Margate,1x Canterbury,1x Ashford in Kent all for Oxford
Back on my brothers wagon then for the rest of the week , Barnstaple . most likely night out again .
I was in Barnstable the other day with 3 pallets of food flavoured powder,with the manager gone things are looking up because he cocked up the pump overs one was 2 days late they ran out,I said I’m only doing pump overs and it’s been agreed days
smallcoal:
Hi all,sorry not been on been busy but a silver cloud has appeared,they sacked our manager thursday because he did nothing but cause problems,I am only on pump overs now which is good as I don’t do other work now it is changing for the better hopefully,how’s things with you Steve,and mark hope all ok
Hi John / Steve…not been on for a while hope your both keeping well…John come across you once or twice in the in last couple of weeks on the M4 mate 
Things changing for the better with you at work John ?
How’s things with you Steve…how’s your brothers foot notice you still busy mate ?
Pinched this pic off Facebook…well known old Swansea company back in the day George Bros…Norman George recently passed away he was one of life’s character’s
Hi mark yes have noticed nice to see you mate hope family ok,yes hopefully things should be easier for me did you see the pic of me and Steve in Exeter services,this manager we had did nothing and took on a lot of out of area jobs which messed the pump overs up so glad he gone
Hello Mark ,
Glad to see your back on here mate , you must be busy to ?
My brothers going to be off another 6 weeks , and i am struggling to keep up ,might have to find some one temporary.
Back on my motor tomorow for three days then back on his for two most likely with a night out in Barnstaple .
Where is Dean ? quite ?
JAKEY:
Hello Mark ,Glad to see your back on here mate , you must be busy to ?
My brothers going to be off another 6 weeks
Back on my motor tomorow for three days then back on his for two most likely with a night out in Barnstaple .
Where is Dean ? quite ?
Unfortunaely i am not surprised to hear your brother is off for another 6 weeks JAKEY. Those broken bones on the feet
can take a while. 
Nice to see Mark back.
Lewis’s Removals from 1975.
DEANB:
JAKEY:
Hello Mark ,Glad to see your back on here mate , you must be busy to ?
My brothers going to be off another 6 weeks
Back on my motor tomorow for three days then back on his for two most likely with a night out in Barnstaple .
Where is Dean ? quite ?
Unfortunaely i am not surprised to hear your brother is off for another 6 weeks JAKEY. Those broken bones on the feet
can take a while.
Nice to see Mark back.
.Hi Dean, you really find some excellent articles and brochures of vans. This one uses a cab front obviously purchased from Duple.and making a real eye-catcher. Its interesting to see new vehicles but I thought you might be interested in this comparison I wrote three years ago comparing the life of a Bedford Marsden compared with an Albion with alloy bodywork by Arlington showing how they performed through a lifetime of work. Like many bodies shown in brochures Arlington specialised in the use of light Alloy frame with Aluminium panels riveted unto place. In the case of this vehicle and its older sister only partly visible to its left we experienced rivets popping loose as ware and tare and oxidation of the aluminium surrounding them caused regular maintenance problems and the alloy back-frame on both vehicles cracked needing plating. The Marden with the fibreglass body required nothing and I believe only had one re=paint in our time with us when it adopted our traditional livery after about 5 years use and anyone looking at it could be confused into thinking it was a new vehicle
Tale of 2 vans
On the left Albion Victor (Passenger Chassis) Chassis supplied and body built by Arlington in light Alloy. Engine Albion Diesel
On Right Bedford SB Passenger chassis. Chassis supplied by Adams & Gibbon Ltd Main Bedford Agents Durham City Body built & supplied by Marsden Coachbuilders Ltd body, cab & roof in glass fibre. Engine Bedford 330 cu in diesel 5 speed David Brown Gearbox Single speed axle
Albion new 1965 Bedford 1966 about 8 months apart. Neither involved in any accidents lasting natural lifespan.
Both pantechnicon bodies 1800 cu ft
Cost New: Bedford aprox 2/3 of Albion.
Road fund Licence: As Bedford was lighter Unladen weight aprox £50 per year cheaper
Fuel Consumption: Bedford 12 mpg Albion 10 mph
Reliability: Bedford excellent Albion Fair
Maintenance costs Bedford aprox 2/3 of Albion.
Lifespan before joining Scrapyard in the sky. Albion 7 years when both chassis and body were beyond economic repair Bedford 12 years with us then sold for further use to Richardsons Removals Ltd Stockton on Tees who got several more years use.
Mileage achieved in working life: Albion aprox 250,000 miles Bedford 650,000 plus with us plus Richardsons further use
There was a lot of snobbery about Bedford’s being the poor cousins of more Premium trucks but many of us made a lot of money out of the reliabilty & quality of Bedfords
smallcoal:
Hi mark yes have noticed nice to see you mate hope family ok,yes hopefully things should be easier for me did you see the pic of me and Steve in Exeter services,this manager we had did nothing and took on a lot of out of area jobs which messed the pump overs up so glad he gone
Hi John …family all ok thanks for asking !
Yes saw pics of you and Steve’s trucks…great to finally meet mate…I will do my best to meet also especially when this lockdown is lifted…sounds like that manager was a bit of a toy with you John ?
Best he’s moved on mate.
JAKEY:
Hello Mark ,Glad to see your back on here mate , you must be busy to ?
My brothers going to be off another 6 weeks
Back on my motor tomorow for three days then back on his for two most likely with a night out in Barnstaple .
Where is Dean ? quite ?
Hi Steve …sounds like your juggling there at the moment with your brother off…yes would be ideal if you could find someone to fill the gap while he’s off
In all fairness you do a lot of work in the South West Steve…well it’s still going strong the housing market let hope it stays strong !
DEANB:
JAKEY:
Hello Mark ,Glad to see your back on here mate , you must be busy to ?
My brothers going to be off another 6 weeks
Back on my motor tomorow for three days then back on his for two most likely with a night out in Barnstaple .
Where is Dean ? quite ?
Unfortunaely i am not surprised to hear your brother is off for another 6 weeks JAKEY. Those broken bones on the feet
can take a while.Nice to see Mark back.
Lewis’s Removals from 1975.
0
Hi Dean…hoping your keeping well !
Been catching up on some of the wonderful stories and adverts you been posting…that’s some van there …that’s a Duple coach conversion by the looks of it.