I am researching and writing the history of Chris Metcalfe and his companies in Keighley from his first vehicle in 1931 up to the takeover by Rapide in 1993. In 1968 he held 30 A-licence vehicles and 14 B-licence vehicles. Can anyone clarify the difference in licences thoroughly or add any information/photos etc at all on Kit Metcalfe or his companies.
There are a couple of pages on Commercial Motor Archive, 2nd January 1976, quite a few photos about just keep digging if I come across any I’ll put them on. Les.
Many thanks for the photo Les, have you any idea where it was taken? I actually have purchased that particular copy of the 1976 Commercial Motor edition thanks you, and also found two more articles in other editions in the archive regarding Rapide taking Metcalfe’s over.
That`s a company i had forgotten about , did they do overnight trunks to London , i remember their Mandator drawbars on Manningham Lane coming from Keighley.
exmetcalfesman:
I am researching and writing the history of Chris Metcalfe and his companies in Keighley from his first vehicle in 1931 up to the takeover by Rapide in 1993. In 1968 he held 30 A-licence vehicles and 14 B-licence vehicles. Can anyone clarify the difference in licences thoroughly or add any information/photos etc at all on Kit Metcalfe or his companies.
I may be able to through a bit of light on your query regarding the old carrier licencing system !
It was fairly rare for a Haulier to hold both types of the licence so I could only resume that Metcalfe’s possibly ran some tippers maybe ? The difference between A & B licences was the “A” licence was a pure carrier licence albeit with a declared “normal user” restriction but with the ability to operate nationwide. Whereas a “B” licence was mileage restricted in increments up to around 100 miles radius from the firms base and there were further restrictions on the types of goods that could be carried by a particular “B” licence holder. However one advantage for holding a “B” licence was the Operator could carry his own goods e.g. many Coal Merchants held “B” licences which meant they could carry and sell their own coal and also carry out third party haulage usually within a short/medium radius of their home town. In the days of Carrier licencing there were always attempts by some “B” licence holders to try and upgrade to an “A” licence which always brought howls of objections from the “A” licence Operators who jealously guarded their own very valuable licences and they didn’t see why lowly “B” licence holders could gain backdoor entry into the lucrative “A” licence “club”.
So It would be interesting to learn what Metcalfe’s “B” licence was used for ? Hope my spiel on Carrier licencing was of interest Cheers Bewick.
PS There is a member on TNUK called Carl Williams who’s Family firm was called W.H. Williams from Spennymoor and I’m sure Carl would be able to elaborate even more on the trials and tribulations of the old carrier licence system !
Many thanks Bewick for your explanation - it makes things a lot clearer now. Yes Ramone, London drawbar trunks 5 nights a week.
I backloaded off Chris Metcalfe who were on Dalton Lane Keighley,would be 1968 time.IIRC it was concrete kerb stones for Sleaford from a place near Bradford. Gaffer was chuffed as it were Sheffield Holiday fortnight and steelworks were shut.Must have been a decent rate otherwise he would have moaned like F. 
Bewick:
exmetcalfesman:
I am researching and writing the history of Chris Metcalfe and his companies in Keighley from his first vehicle in 1931 up to the takeover by Rapide in 1993. In 1968 he held 30 A-licence vehicles and 14 B-licence vehicles. Can anyone clarify the difference in licences thoroughly or add any information/photos etc at all on Kit Metcalfe or his companies.I may be able to through a bit of light on your query regarding the old carrier licencing system !
It was fairly rare for a Haulier to hold both types of the licence so I could only resume that Metcalfe’s possibly ran some tippers maybe ? The difference between A & B licences was the “A” licence was a pure carrier licence albeit with a declared “normal user” restriction but with the ability to operate nationwide. Whereas a “B” licence was mileage restricted in increments up to around 100 miles radius from the firms base and there were further restrictions on the types of goods that could be carried by a particular “B” licence holder. However one advantage for holding a “B” licence was the Operator could carry his own goods e.g. many Coal Merchants held “B” licences which meant they could carry and sell their own coal and also carry out third party haulage usually within a short/medium radius of their home town. In the days of Carrier licencing there were always attempts by some “B” licence holders to try and upgrade to an “A” licence which always brought howls of objections from the “A” licence Operators who jealously guarded their own very valuable licences and they didn’t see why lowly “B” licence holders could gain backdoor entry into the lucrative “A” licence “club”.
So It would be interesting to learn what Metcalfe’s “B” licence was used for ? Hope my spiel on Carrier licencing was of interest Cheers Bewick.
PS There is a member on TNUK called Carl Williams who’s Family firm was called W.H. Williams from Spennymoor and I’m sure Carl would be able to elaborate even more on the trials and tribulations of the old carrier licence system !
Eyup Dennis,I remember seeing those applications published in Comm Motor.Often the only way tha could get an “A” licence were by buying wagon with one allocated to it.
Many thanks for the photo Les, another AEC that I had the pleasure of driving.
Another one for you mate.
I did quite a lot of agency driving for Chris Metcalfe during the Rapide takeover. I recall the motors were blue and white but were all old vehicles with a paint job. Nothing was new. Did a lot of runs in the old DAF 2300 which was painted in the red and white colours of Chris Metcalfe. Mainly covered Yorkshire and Lancashire with rolls of fabric…jesus what a back breaking job that was. They seemed to vanish about 12 months or so after the Rapide takeover.
Metcalfe’s were taken over by Rapide in 1993 and Rapide was finally dissolved in 2001 although a notice of administration was issued in 1997.
That’s a fine photo of the twin-steer “Mickey Mouse” cabbed Foden, minus its drag.
The picture looks familiar, is it from an article in the Commercial Motor in 1976?
exmetcalfesman:
The picture looks familiar, is it from an article in the Commercial Motor in 1976?
Yes I think it is its from a mag anyway.
I worked at Chris Metcalfe London depot right up till it moved to Harlow under the new name Rapide I think they were call . We used to get the daily trunk down from Keighley . Alway had second hand motors in London first it was old navy Bedford TKs the ex bread lorry’s Fiats . The new trunk motors were a Daf and a scammel Road train in the new white with stripes old lorries were red