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Carl Williams:
Hi Mark, Here is a massive alteration we made to a VanPlan Bedford Panechnicon
The van in the centre in Barrett’s Oak tree livery started life identical to its sister to the left, A Bedford KF Vanplan pantechnicon painted in our cream and brown livery.
In the early 1980s we were approached by Barrett’s the housebuilder, who although one of the nation’s largest housebuilders head office was in Newcastle, where it had been established by Sir Laurie Barrett. They had several schemes to help sell homes including part exchange, free legal fees and they had decided to look into the possibility of offering free home removals. We were in the fortunate possition that we had vans returning empty almost daily from every area of the UK to our Spennymoor base, and therefore were able to bring a removal back into the North East for almost as cheaply as we could offer a local removal from say one area of Newcastle to another. I therefore was able to offer a standard price for removals into any of their building sites based all around the North East. It was further helped that many home buyers were first time buyers and so had very little to move. Also they were often attracted by the layout and furnishing of the ‘Show Houses’ so Barretts also agreed that we store a range of new furniture that was used in the show houses, so we clicked a little extra warehousing & delivering this furniture to the new buyers.
It was agreed in with the price we would paint one of our vans in the Barrett livery which would be used almost exclusively into the new Barrett homes, but of course the biggest glut of removals was carried out using our normal W.H.Williams liveried vans.
So a van was chosen to be re-painted in Barrett’s livery. A Bedford-Vanplan. Full credit must be given to the Late Peter Butler who signwrote most of our vehicles in being able to create in perfection their Oak tree trademark and the first duty of the van was to attend a film shot where it was used in a television advert which was widely shown on Tyne Tees Television to promote this new scheme and also be used in the literature given out at the show houses.
Somme three years or so later the Barrett bedford vanplan suffered an accident that seriously damaged the front of the luton and cab. Bringing it back to Spennymoor we decided it would be uneconomic to return it to Vanplan and get them to replace the front end, which was moulded in one piece, particularly as we were very busy at the time and needed the van on the road. The alternative carried out in our workshops over a weekend was to cut the front of the van away & rebuilt the body as a box-van and fit a standard cab front. The result seen in the picture. Our painters painted and Peter Butler sign wrote together with another Oak tree on the front on the Sunday and after returning to us on a Thursday night was back on the road, looking very different on the Monday morning.
Strange as it seemed a few years ago a photo turned up of it in its final years with only the Hatcher cab roof-light, still written as it had been by Peter Butler to give away its orriginal identity.
Hi Carl,
I’ve seen that TK Bedford OVR 561R posted on the site many times and did notice the front of the body wasn’t in keeping with a normal Vanplan or Marsden body…as you know the four corners of those bodies were moulded…that’s amazing how quick you got her back up and on the road …was that a second hand cab you put on the chassis or a new cab Carl ?
would love to see a pic of her as an integral if you have one !
Barrett were a very big concern back in the early 80s like you mentioned Thatchers baby encouraging the younger generation to own there own home…it exploded but sadly came to an end to.
Would love to see and hear about any more convertions or alterations WH Williams carried out Carl.
Regards Mark
marktaff:
smallcoal:
First pic is jwn23l behind a tipper,the second is e360 tth which Johnny brimfield had new both I have drivenHi John,
How’s things mate…always loved that Bedford 7.5 of Jones’s that body must have been about 2000cuft…she was a fair size body for a 7.5…I think it was an Arlington body on her.You ready for somemore CM mags mate ?
Regards Mark
Hi mark, that wasn’t a 7.5 it was an 18 tonner class 3 licence the only 7.5 he bought was a ford d series which broke down quite a lot yes 23l was quite big and long yes I’m ready for more I think I’m going to Weymouth or Swansea today won’t know till I get in how’s your mother hope all is well
Hi Steve,
These Charles Wood cartons get everywhere…don’t know how many times I’ve had one of these cartons turn up on a job I’m doing…this one turned up on a church job i did this week…Cardiff to Swansea 
Yes mate , they are a good firm mate , they no longer do International these days though.
John and Mark ,how about the luton on this ex Brs wagon , got to be 400 ft !!! 
smallcoal:
Hi all, a couple of piano themes to keep going
Lol …if that was me on the bottom end of that piano pushing that upright up that ramp…who ever was taking that photo would have been behind me also pushing and not taking that photo…I think they are Stubbs lads !
JAKEY:
Yes mate , they are a good firm mate , they no longer do International these days though.John and Mark ,how about the luton on this ex Brs wagon , got to be 400 ft !!!
Yes Steve that’s a big Luton there mate…no power steering I would of thought …standing up in the cab to turn the steering wheel I would of thought when fully loaded…classic BMC but would think there would be a big space above the cab to allow the cab to be tipped.
Griff Fender Swansea also ran a fleet of these similar to this one.
Pic of the one of the later model ones they ran .
Nice pic there Steve always a pleasure to see mate.
Hi mark nice to see you even if it is opposite direction where was you off to ,how’s mam down there
smallcoal:
Hi mark nice to see you even if it is opposite direction
Hi John,
On my way up to Cardiff to load a church job going back to Swansea mate…I saw you the following day to…I was at the Texaco garage at Pencoed fueling …you were going up on to the motorway east bound mate !
I will sought some more CM mags over the weekend for you to exchange mate ?
marktaff:
smallcoal:
Hi mark nice to see you even if it is opposite directionHi John,
On my way up to Cardiff to load a church job going back to Swansea mate…I saw you the following day to…I was at the Texaco garage at Pencoed fueling …you were going up on to the motorway east bound mate !I will sought some more CM mags over the weekend for you to exchange mate ?
I was running up to Ross to pick up 13 ibc,s for Newport tip in xpo cold store then back for 4 drops local yes no probs mate ,
Hi all,I borrowed this of the humble ford site bet you never seen one of these before
The BMC’s had a split front to the Luton and a hinged floor to allow the cab to tilt, we used a broom handle to push the floor up! 
Pete.
Early 80s, Blackpool, small INCREDIBLY HEAVY safe, 3 foot x 3 foot. Stairs. 3rd floor, no lift.
We took it up two floors, it decided to come down the quick way after my mate tripped and lost the trolley handles.
We declined to try again because of the size 10 holes in the stairs where the safe had dropped through.
steviespain:
Early 80s, Blackpool, small INCREDIBLY HEAVY safe, 3 foot x 3 foot. Stairs. 3rd floor, no lift.
We took it up two floors, it decided to come down the quick way after my mate tripped and lost the trolley handles.
We declined to try again because of the size 10 holes in the stairs where the safe had dropped through.
Hi mate,bet that was fun at the time hope you made a quick exit
Hey bud, yeah we ■■■■■■ off smartish. Didn´t get paid either. Left the safe in the cellar and we kinda called it a draw
smallcoal:
steviespain:
Early 80s, Blackpool, small INCREDIBLY HEAVY safe, 3 foot x 3 foot. Stairs. 3rd floor, no lift.
We took it up two floors, it decided to come down the quick way after my mate tripped and lost the trolley handles.
We declined to try again because of the size 10 holes in the stairs where the safe had dropped through.Hi mate,bet that was fun at the time hope you made a quick exit
That sounds like a script from ‘Only fools and horses’…
John SUllivan was one of my porters at the time
No, he wasn´t.
But yes, at the time it was a ■■■■■. We´d unloaded a full wagon into the hotel, about 4 hours work, left the safe for last, screwed up bigtime, then not got paid Back then the customer used to give you a cheque, cash, or show you a completed invoice.
TBH, we weren´t sure we still had jobs when we got back to Morecambe.
Hehe, Bill Aspinall was NOT happy
steviespain:
John SUllivan was one of my porters at the time
No, he wasn´t.
But yes, at the time it was a ■■■■■. We´d unloaded a full wagon into the hotel, about 4 hours work, left the safe for last, screwed up bigtime, then not got paid
TBH, we weren´t sure we still had jobs when we got back to Morecambe.
Hehe, Bill Aspinall was NOT happy
I think on my time on the job we did one safe move ,it was mostly pianos which I hated with a vengeance,I remember it was always cash jobs we did Neil wouldn’t accept cheques as he feared he would get ripped off ,even dhss payed cash for the contract we had with them on complete of invoice
I didn´t do too many pianos, luckily. The ones I did do were a nightmare, agreed.
Heheh, I jusat remembered. Eric, one of the porters, said to the hotel manager…
“Would you mind emptying the safe, it saves us carrying extra weight”
Well, me and Ken just looked at each other trying to keep a straight face.
Yeah, let´s take 2 lbs of paperwork out, Eric! The safe weighs 400 lbs ffs!
BWAHAHAHAHA
steviespain:
I didn´t do too many pianos, luckily. The ones I did do were a nightmare, agreed.
Heheh, I jusat remembered. Eric, one of the porters, said to the hotel manager…
“Would you mind emptying the safe, it saves us carrying extra weight”
Well, me and Ken just looked at each other trying to keep a straight face.
Yeah, let´s take 2 lbs of paperwork out, Eric! The safe weighs 400 lbs ffs!
BWAHAHAHAHA
I would have burst out laughing straight away and the manager must be a dimwit to fall for it but it lightened the mood I like it