CMC (Cement Marketing Company)

[885rbb]

Good morning!

I have a photo to share, and would be delighted if anyone could shed any light on it.

Family stories say it was taken at either:

• Cubby’s Yard, Carlisle, or
• South Shore Road Cement Works, Gateshead

My Grandpa, Edmund Robson Cuthbertson is the young man on the far right. Judging by the fact that he has all his hair ( ), I’d date this somewhere around 1926-1932. My mother said it was South Shore Road; she was born in 1935.

Grandpa left E. Robson (Gateshead) Ltd. and went to work for CMC/Blue Circle.

I’m off gallivanting today in my old jalopy, to Haworth (Bronte Parsonage) so I’ll check back later to see if anyone recognises either the people or the place.

Kind regards,

Ellie

[kevmac47]

885RBB:
Good morning!

I have a photo to share, and would be delighted if anyone could shed any light on it.

Family stories say it was taken at either:

• Cubby’s Yard, Carlisle, or
• South Shore Road Cement Works, Gateshead

My Grandpa, Edmund Robson Cuthbertson is the young man on the far right. Judging by the fact that he has all his hair ( ), I’d date this somewhere around 1926-1932. My mother said it was South Shore Road; she was born in 1935.

Grandpa left E. Robson (Gateshead) Ltd. and went to work for CMC/Blue Circle.

I’m off gallivanting today in my old jalopy, to Haworth (Bronte Parsonage) so I’ll check back later to see if anyone recognises either the people or the place.

Kind regards,

Ellie

No pics Ellie, did you add the attachment? Regards Kev.

[peggydeckboy]

HELLO 885RBB,
Sorry it looks as if the photograph has not turned out, i would have no idea where you are, however i am sure someone on here will tell you how to post photographs on this site.i think they use photobucket ,however i have been on here for about 4 years and still cannot get it right posting photos.pdb

[885rbb]

Hi,

I’m so sorry; my photo hasn’t uploaded. I have only joined the forum in the last few days so I’ll get my head around it and upload asap.

Ellie

[885rbb]

Hello again,

I have sorted the problem of the missing image; seems it must be a jpeg or tif etc., so I copied my image which was in MS Word into MS Paint, and then saved it as a jpeg. Then I edited my post and added the image. Simples!

Hope to hear from someone soon.

Best wishes,

Ellie

[kevmac47]

885RBB:
Hello again,

I have sorted the problem of the missing image; seems it must be a jpeg or tif etc., so I copied my image which was in MS Word into MS Paint, and then saved it as a jpeg. Then I edited my post and added the image. Simples!

Hope to hear from someone soon.

Best wishes,

Ellie

Great old photo Ellie, although I don’t think there will be many folks left who will be able to recognise your grandpa!! I wonder if that location later became Orrell and Brewsters yard? Regards Kev.
Ps. Your idea of “simples” and mine are very different !! My brain is now fried.

[885rbb]

Hi Kev,
It’s more the location of the shot that I’m curious about (I’d know Grandpa Edmund anyday ), Where was/is Orrell and Brewster’s Yard, please?
Ellie

[kevmac47]

885RBB:
Hi Kev,
It’s more the location of the shot that I’m curious about (I’d know Grandpa Edmund anyday ), Where was/is Orrell and Brewster’s Yard, please?
Ellie

I’m getting my roads mixed up Ellie, O&B’s yard was on Hawks Rd, ( I think) which is just up the bank from South Shore Rd. Regards Kev.

[885rbb]

Hi Kev,

Hawks Road runs under the railway bridge (past Davy Roll and Mecca Bingo), down to the corner of Law’s Stores Warehouse and then leads on to Saltmeadows Road. Right? The photo was taken in the days when cement was delivered in bags, and had to be man-handled onto the flatbeds most of the time. Thirsty work! From what I know, Grandpa only worked for Robson’s (family business) and the CMC/Blue Circle so can’t think why he’d be in a competitors Yard??

Saving images into jpeg. or tif. files was straightforward (once I realised what was wrong, should have got it immediately). I’d be happy to send you screenshots of the procedure if that would help? Shouldn’t need to used Photobucket; too convoluted!

Ellie

[frankydobo]

Hi Ellie a good old pic and I would say your correct in saying the period is around the late 1920’s to early 30’s, the solid tyred wheels of the wagon point to that, the vehicle itself looks to be a Leyland they did a cab similar in shape back then, most other vehicle makers tended to have a circular side window to the cab, although without a good look at it you can never be certain. Difficult also to tell if the yard is South Shore Rd, there is I’m sure still a cement works down there usually these places have long histories of operating in the same places despite name changes over the years and alterations to buildings.
There are older members on this site Ellie but very few into their 80’s or later and from the Northeast, Larry who you spoke to usually recalls many old names of people, companies and places but someone actually on here that knew your Grandfather might be stretching it apart from Jim Wilkinson you’ve already mentioned. As for posting photo’s its easier to have your pics as JPeg and in a folder in your My Pictures main folder, when you click on Upload attachment it will go straight to there for you to add.
Many members used Photobucket for storing and adding photo’s but these have now been lost as Photobucket has some strange conditions to use the site as you may know, I haven’t bothered with it for many years now, if you look back at some of the older threads and posts on here many fine pics have gone although there is a fix for it mentioned at the top of the site Threads but I’m not sure how well it works. We always welcome old photo’s though, cheers Franky.

[frankydobo]

Here’s a 1929 Leyland Hippo to compare, the one in Ellie’s photo may well be a Beaver, Leyland started to use their ‘Zoo’ range of model names around 1920 right up until the T45 Roadtrain arrived. Franky.

[885rbb]

Good morning Franky,

Thank you so much for your informative reply; I do remember Grandpa saying he’d drove Leyland vehicles as well at Fiat and Lancier.

The image of the Leyland Hippo is, indeed, a great likeness - I really didn’t expect this as my photo must be touching 90 years old. Fantastic to know so much about the haulage vehicles in those days. We can only imagine the discomfort of driving a vehicle with solid tyres these days, not to mention that it was an open cab without glazing in the door windows. Grandpa used to wrap up well in woollen scarfs around his neck and head as well as home-knit balaclavas, but still ended up with neuralgia.

There is still a cement works at South Shore Road; I’ve passed it thousands of times. In it’s ‘hey-day’ the Cement Works it was quite a majestic, Italianate waterfront building in spite of its dusty/industrial produce. The remnants of this organisation is now owned by Tarmac; I think they had an alliance with Lafarge who took it over in recent years. I’ve attached some recent photographs which I’ve captured from Google Maps to illustrate what remains now. (Source: google.co.uk/maps/@53.53390 … 331264,15z).

When I was a child and rode around with Grandpa in the Foden, (1960s - Nov. 1971 when he retired), we never visited this site - always loaded at Ryhope (south of Sunderland). I remember the old South Shore Road site vividly as we always drove that way home from Newcastle’s Quayside Market on Sunday mornings in Dad’s A40. We’d cross the river via the Swing Brige, then turn immediate left along South Shore Road to the Cement Works were the road bends 90 degrees right up Deptford Road before joining Saltmeadows Road; this avoided traffic. The CMC on site had huge iron gates (always locked on Sundays!) and as you drove towards the site, all of the nearside land on approach belonged to CMC, was was banked up with aggregate etc. What remains today is a far cry from the photograph (and rightly so, mustn’t halt progress). I can see that none of those old structures remain, hence post to ask if anyone recognised it. For example, my Dad used to often ride around with Grandpa in the 50’s before he married my mother, had he been with us today he would have been 86 (a youngster comparatively ). I’m sure a lot of drivers had ‘lads’ in their cabs; some had little granddaughters!

Thanks for narrative on Photobucket, Franky. I didn’t use it, as I said, too convoluted. Easier to manipulate images and save in your chosen format via MS Paint.

Best wishes, and most grateful,
Ellie

[dieseldave]

peggydeckboy:
HELLO 885RBB,
Sorry it looks as if the photograph has not turned out, i would have no idea where you are, however i am sure someone on here will tell you how to post photographs on this site.i think they use photobucket ,however i have been on here for about 4 years and still cannot get it right posting photos.pdb

Hi pdb,

There were already some issues with Photobucket, but then they’ve gone and buggered it up even worserer by making a charge for what was once free.

We have a way of uploading pics, which is described here in this link:

New Easy way to upload photos

And best of all… it’s free!!

[885rbb]

Good afternoon,

I have eventually found the photo of my Grandpa and one of his Blue Circle lorries. The photographer (unknown) has placed my Grandpa central to the shot, so I haven’t a clue which lorry he is standing next to, although the vehicle ID number 847 is clear, and the Blue Circle boiler-suit and cap were Blue Circle issue. I have no idea where it was taken, but the tiles in the background are interesting - perhaps Marley’s? (I have vague recollections of some association with BC).

This shot is my recollection of Grandpa.

Would be great to know if anyone can add my information.

Thanks in advance!

Ellie

[lawrence_dunbar]

885RBB:
Good afternoon,

I have eventually found the photo of my Grandpa and one of his Blue Circle lorries. The photographer (unknown) has placed my Grandpa central to the shot, so I haven’t a clue which lorry he is standing next to, although the vehicle ID number 847 is clear, and the Blue Circle boiler-suit and cap were Blue Circle issue. I have no idea where it was taken, but the tiles in the background are interesting - perhaps Marley’s? (I have vague recollections of some association with BC).

This shot is my recollection of Grandpa.

Would be great to know if anyone can add my information.

Thanks in advance!

Ellie :Great stuff, IMO The wagon is a S18 Foden going off the trim etc,Regards Larry.

[erf64cu1]

Ellie,
Just been talking to my dad about the photos. The first on was taken at Gatehead, just at the entrance to Tarmac’s premises. The cement depot was originally Johnstone’s cement works, until Associated portland cement manufacturer, was formed, an alliance between cement producer’s, which became CMC.
The cement came by boat to Gateshead from Northfleet or Swanscombe, Kent off loaded to the warehouses by crane then loaded for delivery around Northern England/Southern Scotland. Sunderland depot opened when bulk cement started to be delivered in the late 50’s. It was in south dock by the bridge. Cement came both in bulk and bags to Sunderland . CMC (Blue Circle) moved to Heaton when the cement works opened at Eastgate, to be served by rail.
The 2nd photo is at Cubby’s Carlisle a builders merchant. The Foden is an 8 wheel flat ‘FG’. My dad will come up with the registration no doubt. Alan Gibbson used to run Sunderland depot. I think we have a photo somewhere of me in my dad’s Scammell Routeman loading on the weighbridge.
Hope this ties up some loose ends.

[885rbb]

Hi Iain,

Thank you for your reply and the information; wasn’t expecting this much!

1st Photo (Group)
I can now say with certainty that this shot was taken at South Shore Road somewhere in the late 20’s early 30’s and that the vehicle was likely a Leyland Beaver as it only had 4 wheels.

2nd Photo (Blue Circle)
So my memory of Cubby’s Yard at Carlisle is now also confirmed as accurate, and the shot has been identified at that location. Again, the Foden badge that I remember so vividly has also been verified. I don’t remember Grandpa driving any other vehicle. This is my first recollection of his lorry, but then the photo you shared in an earlier post is much more familiar. I think this photo may have been taken late 50’s as Grandpa looks younger on here than my earliest memories. Perhaps my Dad took the photo as he often went out with Grandpa for the day if he was out of work (shipwright).

Am I correct to assume that the Foden in this shot was an earlier issue than the coloured shot that you shared in your earlier post? Over the 10 years that Grandpa worked at BC after I was born, I think he had a 2-3 new lorries. The last one I remember had a more modern Foden badge.

Was wondering what ‘847’ represents - is that the inventory number of the purchase of vehicle by BC?

Weighbridge at Ryhope:
I remember that well - Grandpa up on the ladders with the hopper, there was an office with a window that sat underneath the weighbridge. Grandpa brushing off any spill-over before we set off. The railway/tramlines that ran along side the depot. The bait room, the loo and the office, the steps that lead up to the riverside. Is there anything there these days?

I don’t remember Grandpa driving anything else except bulk powder; I’ve researched ‘Foden 8 Wheel FG’ and can only see images of models, which indicates perhaps could have been either flatbed or cylinder? Attaching just out of interest. He retired on 30 November 1971, his 65th birthday after completing 42/43 years service

So your Dad drove a Scammel? Would love to see that picture of you in it at the weighbridge if you can find it.

Thanks for sharing these amazing memories, Iain. I hope your Dad has enjoyed reminiscing too. In my head, he’ll always be ‘Uncle Jimmy’, as he as about 25 years ago at Barnard Castle

Ellie