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oiltreader:
Passed my driving test(1952) when apprenticed to a House Furnisher in a 1930s Bedford identical to this, and over the next 4 years did quite a lot of “flittings” the van was long past it use by date, but hey some great adventures, one memorable trip returning north from the Borders and getting stuck in a snowdrift, spent the night the back wrapped up in packing sheets, even remember the detail they were grey with red thread hemmingin the morning the rad was froze, always make do and mend, no moaning groaning just got on with it, always make the other guy go backwards unless going upstairs it was heavier but less awkward.
The boss’s son bought a farm so one of my slightly unusual jobs was carting loose straw, my apprenticeship was always a poor second to driving that old van, I loved it
Oily
PS apologies for the “Old Tyme” ramble intrusion among you guys and the fine machines you have today.
Hi Oily…I love the old stories mate…some nice posts you have put on recently to …always wanted to ask someone like you what those old before removal vans were like to drive with a big load on there back ?
marktaff:
oiltreader:
Passed my driving test(1952) when apprenticed to a House Furnisher in a 1930s Bedford identical to this, and over the next 4 years did quite a lot of “flittings” the van was long past it use by date, but hey some great adventures, one memorable trip returning north from the Borders and getting stuck in a snowdrift, spent the night the back wrapped up in packing sheets, even remember the detail they were grey with red thread hemming
The boss’s son bought a farm so one of my slightly unusual jobs was carting loose straw, my apprenticeship was always a poor second to driving that old van, I loved it
Oily
PS apologies for the “Old Tyme” ramble intrusion among you guys and the fine machines you have today.Hi Oily…I love the old stories mate…some nice posts you have put on recently to …always wanted to ask someone like you what those old before removal vans were like to drive with a big load on there back ?
Bedford it should have read 
smallcoal:
Hi mark,corgi model truck artic
Hi John…yes it is a nice model that mate…they have the same model in the office in a glass case…Lanes have got some nice trucks to…that’s an old shot there with the LDV van that’s long gone…that’s the new place in Truro.
Regards Mark
Mark , yes those shippers can have heavy gear, loads of waste materials to get rid off and bloody unpacking and reassembling of beds with lost bolts and screws .
JAKEY:
Mark , yes those shippers can have heavy gear, loads of waste materials to get rid off and bloody unpacking and reassembling of beds with lost bolts and screws .
Hi Jakey, just had a rummage in the shed and this was the only “tool” we had, a bed spanner, the old 2 bed ends with rail brackets, 2 angle iron rails and a pine frame with a centre mesh panel attached all round with expander springs, some were quite elaborate inasmuch as at one end of the frame there were double cross beams with adjustable bolts (same key fitted these) for tensioning the middle panel. The frames were bloody awkward to get up a winder staircase and many a time had to be dismantled(constructed in a way that made this was possible) and then rebuilt.
Oily
Edit…just had a thought it was the later Vono frames that had the expander springs, the wooden frames had the mesh panel pinned on the sides and one end.
Hello Oily, yes the good old bed spanner , infact I made my lad find mine and use it on a bed last week in Tiverton !! he had never used it before 
but after he said it was spot on and just the right size for getting the bed apart quickly , infact I cannot remember the last time I had used it it was at the bottom of my small tool box on my truck .
Mark ,we do a bit of subbying for Robinsons of Abingdon , they do not have toolboxes supplied on the wagons ,you have to take your own , I have come unstuck when I am driving there sheds because I forget they do not have any .
marktaff:
oiltreader:
Passed my driving test(1952) when apprenticed to a House Furnisher in a 1930s Bedford identical to this, and over the next 4 years did quite a lot of “flittings” the van was long past it use by date, but hey some great adventures, one memorable trip returning north from the Borders and getting stuck in a snowdrift, spent the night the back wrapped up in packing sheets, even remember the detail they were grey with red thread hemming
The boss’s son bought a farm so one of my slightly unusual jobs was carting loose straw, my apprenticeship was always a poor second to driving that old van, I loved it
Oily
PS apologies for the “Old Tyme” ramble intrusion among you guys and the fine machines you have today.Hi Oily…I love the old stories mate…some nice posts you have put on recently to …always wanted to ask someone like you what those old before removal vans were like to drive with a big load on there back ?
Hi marktaff, petrol and not a lot of puff, often getting repaired, 1935 vintage, winter time and “torch battery” lights, a battery that struggled to keep them lit never mind starting the motor so frequent use of the starting handle. My mentor, a journeyman, skilled cabinetmaker and upholsterer, he had a driver’s licence, say no more and was quite happy for me to be the pilot, so a steep learning curve, most work was local(rural Aberdeenshire). It was surprising what could be packed into that old van, upholstery webbing straps onto side slats and we do not carry space I was often reminded, half height tail board dropped on chains and loaded, tarp with buckle and strap closure for the upper half. Fully loaded the best brakes were the gears but then again it them days not a lot of traffic about which also brings to mind that most of the families we were moving would not of had cars, bikes yes and more then likely tied on the back of the load, not unusual to have some family members squeezed into the cab, happy days
Oily
These with permission and thanks to Dave Fawcett, the Bedford VAL pigeon carrier I’m guessing would have started life as a removal van, mebbe not 
Oily
oiltreader:
marktaff:
oiltreader:
Passed my driving test(1952) when apprenticed to a House Furnisher in a 1930s Bedford identical to this, and over the next 4 years did quite a lot of “flittings” the van was long past it use by date, but hey some great adventures, one memorable trip returning north from the Borders and getting stuck in a snowdrift, spent the night the back wrapped up in packing sheets, even remember the detail they were grey with red thread hemming
The boss’s son bought a farm so one of my slightly unusual jobs was carting loose straw, my apprenticeship was always a poor second to driving that old van, I loved it
Oily
PS apologies for the “Old Tyme” ramble intrusion among you guys and the fine machines you have today.Hi Oily…I love the old stories mate…some nice posts you have put on recently to …always wanted to ask someone like you what those old before removal vans were like to drive with a big load on there back ?
Hi marktaff, petrol and not a lot of puff, often getting repaired, 1935 vintage, winter time and “torch battery” lights, a battery that struggled to keep them lit never mind starting the motor so frequent use of the starting handle. My mentor, a journeyman, skilled cabinetmaker and upholsterer, he had a driver’s licence, say no more and was quite happy for me to be the pilot, so a steep learning curve, most work was local(rural Aberdeenshire). It was surprising what could be packed into that old van, upholstery webbing straps onto side slats and we do not carry space I was often reminded, half height tail board dropped on chains and loaded, tarp with buckle and strap closure for the upper half. Fully loaded the best brakes were the gears but then again it them days not a lot of traffic about which also brings to mind that most of the families we were moving would not of had cars, bikes yes and more then likely tied on the back of the load, not unusual to have some family members squeezed into the cab, happy days
Oily
Oily great story mate…as you say to be mentored by a skilled cabinet maker and upholsterer…I don’t think people had most of the crap that the people of today carry around with them these days…but still heavy bits of furniture back then…all made to last !
I can’t help mention the bed spanner Oily…I had one for many years but it went missing out of my toolbox…not put back in the box when finished with…that’s all I could put it down to…a Vono bed spanner it was…I would love to have a chance of driving one of those old Bedfords always intrigued me.
Some nice posts again Oily…Chinese six the integral Marsden !
Regards Mark
JAKEY:
Mark , yes those shippers can have heavy gear, loads of waste materials to get rid off and bloody unpacking and reassembling of beds with lost bolts and screws .
Steve very much so mate…typical south African job dismantled the bed but could not find the fixings…no bits box …one arm chair packed full of books 
yes the waste material is a bloody problem…not a lot you can 're use just got to skip it all.
marktaff:
JAKEY:
Mark , yes those shippers can have heavy gear, loads of waste materials to get rid off and bloody unpacking and reassembling of beds with lost bolts and screws .Steve very much so mate…typical south African job dismantled the bed but could not find the fixings…no bits box …one arm chair packed full of books
yes the waste material is a bloody problem…not a lot you can 're use just got to skip it all.
Hi ,mark I was by brittanias in Exeter today nice place they got ,I’ve seen a lot of lanes trucks today where you been today anywhere nice
smallcoal:
marktaff:
JAKEY:
Mark , yes those shippers can have heavy gear, loads of waste materials to get rid off and bloody unpacking and reassembling of beds with lost bolts and screws .Steve very much so mate…typical south African job dismantled the bed but could not find the fixings…no bits box …one arm chair packed full of books
yes the waste material is a bloody problem…not a lot you can 're use just got to skip it all.Hi ,mark I was by brittanias in Exeter today nice place they got ,I’ve seen a lot of lanes trucks today where you been today anywhere nice
Hi John…I thought I saw you this morning between sarn and Pyle westbound on the M4…I did flash then realised it wernt you…lad with beaded but was a 6 wheeler…you been down west country again today mate have you ?
I’ve been up to Fleet just off the M3 today delivering small job out of our store…in Swindon tonight…picking small job up in Lechlade in the morning to take back to Swansea…you past Lanes New place in Marsh Barton today…they spent a fortune building the new store …nice place though mate.
marktaff:
smallcoal:
marktaff:
JAKEY:
Mark , yes those shippers can have heavy gear, loads of waste materials to get rid off and bloody unpacking and reassembling of beds with lost bolts and screws .Steve very much so mate…typical south African job dismantled the bed but could not find the fixings…no bits box …one arm chair packed full of books
yes the waste material is a bloody problem…not a lot you can 're use just got to skip it all.Hi ,mark I was by brittanias in Exeter today nice place they got ,I’ve seen a lot of lanes trucks today where you been today anywhere nice
Hi John…I thought I saw you this morning between sarn and Pyle westbound on the M4…I did flash then realised it wernt you…lad with beaded but was a 6 wheeler…you been down west country again today mate have you ?
I’ve been up to Fleet just off the M3 today delivering small job out of our store…in Swindon tonight…picking small job up in Lechlade in the morning to take back to Swansea…you past Lanes New place in Marsh Barton today…they spent a fortune building the new store …nice place though mate.
I had hinkley point and marsh Barton I left yard at 7.15 this morning might see you tomorrow if you on way back ,yes it’s very big
oiltreader:
These with permission and thanks to Dave Fawcett, the Bedford VAL pigeon carrier I’m guessing would have started life as a removal van, mebbe not
Oily
Hi Oily, I think the Bedford VAL was most probably designed & built as a Pigeon Carrier.
I remember my father telling me of a visit to Marsdens about that time when he went to see how they were getting on building one of ours.
Aurthur Rathbone who designed most of the vans at that time was wandering round with a bit of wood, deep in thought, next to a van that was partly built, and dad said to him, ‘What are you up to’ 'Its a pigeon carrier & they want all these bloody doors to open at the same time; He was obviously figuring out how he could get all the doors to open together. About a month later there was an article & photo in Commercial Motor about a pigeon carrier they had built & how they had come up with this unique design to open all the doors so all the pigeons could fly out together, giving them an equal start. That may not be the van but there is a good chance it was.
Hope you’re keeping well, regards Carl
Hi mark and jakey, how’s your week been ,it been busy with us ,took me 4 hours Friday bridgewater to Bridgend due to m5 accident then a smash in the tunnels horrendous day 
I think I’m on west wales Monday I will drop them into you 
cheers John
smallcoal:
Hi mark and jakey, how’s your week been ,it been busy with us ,took me 4 hours Friday bridgewater to Bridgend due to m5 accident then a smash in the tunnels horrendous day
Hi John…it’s getting worse the traffic mate especially those tunnels…the Welsh assembly talking shop …they have spent 11 million so far just studying the project…it must be 20+ years and still nothing in place…just talk talk talk mate…but we are the ones suffering and business…rant over
It’s been a pretty busy week with me as always John…done Newport early week tipped inbound shopping job…job up to Fleet Hants Tuesday …picked job up in Lechlade Swindon Wednesday and tipped it Thursday swansea…local yesterday…and now on my way to Gloucester for wedding…won’t be there Monday mate I’m off nice long weekend…keep told of them mags I can’t exchange at the moment…next week ?
marktaff:
smallcoal:
Hi mark and jakey, how’s your week been ,it been busy with us ,took me 4 hours Friday bridgewater to Bridgend due to m5 accident then a smash in the tunnels horrendous dayHi John…it’s getting worse the traffic mate especially those tunnels…the Welsh assembly talking shop …they have spent 11 million so far just studying the project…it must be 20+ years and still nothing in place…just talk talk talk mate…but we are the ones suffering and business…rant over
It’s been a pretty busy week with me as always John…done Newport early week tipped inbound shopping job…job up to Fleet Hants Tuesday …picked job up in Lechlade Swindon Wednesday and tipped it Thursday swansea…local yesterday…and now on my way to Gloucester for wedding…won’t be there Monday mate I’m off nice long weekend…keep told of them mags I can’t exchange at the moment…next week ?
No probs mate have a good weekend cheers John ps glos was my area when I started glos Cheltenham and Cotswolds still is when I not on pump work
Hello John and Mark,
Most of last week I was either in the office or out quoting in the little Vito van ,but Friday had a cream job for Robinsons (so there own crews were saying) 5 containers to London (Wandsworth) in a uncarred for Daf 18 t 2016 lf . Nice enough to drive except it was grubby in side and out and well pranged . Caught traffic on the elevated at the end of the Mickey 4 ,so I was 30 min late , every thing except one book shelf that went down stairs was either in a skip or stacked in to the garage ,result !!! my hands got dirty though , oh and even though it was stinking rich banker "no tip " !!! not drove a big one since last August so the tail swing was fun at times , I did wipe the dash down and cleaned the windows as I was feeling bored whilst on break and it made me feel better on the way back.
Mighty strange but there was not one tool (except me) in the wagon ,not even a bent screwdriver , also boils my ■■■■ that door catches are bent and instead of bending them straight ,they just use a webbing . 