Sniffy:
Later Manro vehicle, is the Hickson name still around ?
As I’ve said elsewhere the name changes in chemicals are mind boggling, H&W at Cass is now Arch Timber Protection but the works are closed and they sub most manufacturing and have a small plant in the old ICI at Huddersfield… The Stalybridge operation may still be going, I seem to remember Norman Lewis or Simon Storage running motors in their colours out of there
Does anybody know if Sterling Mouldings are still going in Stalybridge,they weren’t far from Manro.
Malc was it AKZO at Littleborough I know they changed their name my first load on tankers was out of there and a Demulders driver Brian a really nice fella gave me a hand and checking I was O K and we had a few nights out together after that.
cheers Johnnie
Akzo chemicals Littleboro closed down a good few years ago now and the place has now been flattened ready to build houses on,Sadlers used to have a few tanks in there during the 80s/90s and one of the last companys to work out of there was Brit European.The chap we at Sadlers dealt with at the time was called Bert Kundig.
My first job was with J.M. Heathcote at Stalybridge about 1977-78, I was only 23 years old and the day I started I got told in no uncertain terms that if I had a accident I would have to pay the extra excess on the insurance because I was under 25. After being there some time I went to Fibre Drums in St Helens after a skin full Friday night as i turned off the A580 hit a patch of ice and smashed into a lamp post. Monday morning with Mick Heathcote I got read the riot act, I was let off from paying the excess but just as I was leaving the office he said " you were going to get one of the new dodges but you can forget that. "
At that time you always waved when you ever passed another from Stalybridge Firths, Junction and that cardboard firm on the same street as Heathcotes.
The garage was a mad house Micks brother John run the garage and the were some real shouting matches.
They had a couple Bedford marsden ex Hadfields everyone wanted one because they had a so called sleeper.
Does anyone have any photos ?
What ever happened to Mick and John ?
TIPIT:
Are there any photos about of Alec Sharples wagons from Salford.
I drove for him in '75 doing alot of work from Constantine Lloyds Packing at Newton Heath, Salford Docks and Manchester Containerbase.
They bought one of the prototype (H-grille) Transcontinentals which caught fire with an electrical fault in the yard one day, and totaly burnt out. I heard they changed colour from red / maroon, to yellow / black because it gave them more work out of the docks or something ? Their yard was originally off the A6, (the bottom of Cross Lane) then moved into Trafford Park and Weaste, before going over to Agecroft. Did they link up with a haulier called RJM ? at Agecroft.
Austin Wilkinson at Weaste.
Oswald Ingham’s at Deane Lane, Newton Heath.
Norman’s ( Red TK, lutons ) Clayton Bridge.
When My dad drove for Alec Sharple&son they were on Modewheel road off Eccles new road.Salford.
Bulldog-68, did your dad also drive for Alec when he was at the 1st yard in Salford … I think it was called “Worthington St” now part of Salford Uni, it was a cul-de-sac and the yard was behind big wooden doors at the end all sign written like the lorries. I remember young Alec telling me his dad worked for Atlas Express before setting up on his own, at the time I was with them the fleet was made up of.
Three artics, an ERF LV that Geordie ■■■■ drove, ( I don’t know if this was Alec’s 1st wagon.)
Guy Big J driven by Billy Hopwood who later got their first foreigner an F88.
Leyland Beaver Ergo cab driven by Mick who always seemed to carry nothing else with it but bags of corn from a warehouse beside Salford Docks to CPC in Trafford Park all day long.
They also had five rigids, two of them 16 tonners a Seddon 13/4 driven by Joe from Gorton, ( the front wheel and hub once broke away from it near Ashbury’s Stn ) and a Bedford KM driven by John Brady from Hull.
The other three were 5 ton TK’s one driven by Alec (the son) and mine the only blue one in the yard, and an old '66 reg ( young Alec’s 1st wagon.)
Also 2 vans a Transit and a Viva HA.
They also had 2 subbies Norman Marsden with an 8 ton TK, and Malcolm Mc Ben with a blue Foden artic.
SJS if you get the chance try to get a scan of the old photo Alec kept.
His dad use to run a green 4 ltr Vanden Plas, and young Alec an orange Audi 90.
But what wagons did they run in the later years ?
It would be nice to see some old photos of Claribell Motors Fairfield Str also Ellah Broadbent Newton Heath I used to back load off in 50s60s there was plenty of work from Manchester to the North East in those days & not to forget Storey Bros Cheers Larry from Tyneside
TIPIT:
Bulldog-68, did your dad also drive for Alec when he was at the 1st yard in Salford … I think it was called “Worthington St” now part of Salford Uni, it was a cul-de-sac and the yard was behind big wooden doors at the end all sign written like the lorries. I remember young Alec telling me his dad worked for Atlas Express before setting up on his own, at the time I was with them the fleet was made up of. ?
Alec Sharples worked for Fred Davies (St Helens) out of Flax St, Salford mid to late 60s .
TIPIT:
Bulldog-68, did your dad also drive for Alec when he was at the 1st yard in Salford … I think it was called “Worthington St” now part of Salford Uni, it was a cul-de-sac and the yard was behind big wooden doors at the end all sign written like the lorries. I remember young Alec telling me his dad worked for Atlas Express before setting up on his own, at the time I was with them the fleet was made up of.
Three artics, an ERF LV that Geordie ■■■■ drove, ( I don’t know if this was Alec’s 1st wagon.)
Guy Big J driven by Billy Hopwood who later got their first foreigner an F88.
Leyland Beaver Ergo cab driven by Mick who always seemed to carry nothing else with it but bags of corn from a warehouse beside Salford Docks to CPC in Trafford Park all day long.
They also had five rigids, two of them 16 tonners a Seddon 13/4 driven by Joe from Gorton, ( the front wheel and hub once broke away from it near Ashbury’s Stn ) and a Bedford KM driven by John Brady from Hull.
The other three were 5 ton TK’s one driven by Alec (the son) and mine the only blue one in the yard, and an old '66 reg ( young Alec’s 1st wagon.)
Also 2 vans a Transit and a Viva HA.
They also had 2 subbies Norman Marsden with an 8 ton TK, and Malcolm Mc Ben with a blue Foden artic.
SJS if you get the chance try to get a scan of the old photo Alec kept.
His dad use to run a green 4 ltr Vanden Plas, and young Alec an orange Audi 90.
But what wagons did they run in the later years ?
My dad drove for him in the early to mid 70’s and I was quite young so only remember Mode wheel road. Next time I see him I will try and find out.
His name is Ricky Field he drove a 4 wheeler flatbed AEC Leyland? not sure what model He speaks with a Cheltenham accent. Does that ring and bells with anybody?
Wheel Nut: How easy it is to get sidetracked on t’interweb. I took a walk down Flowery Field looking for pictures of a Castrol lorry
I ended up in some buggers front garden, it has all gone, now
It certainly is Malc, I often start off in the desert in Namibia and sometimes end up somewhere near Birch Services, now that’s what I call really getting lost .
Wheel Nut: How easy it is to get sidetracked on t’interweb. I took a walk down Flowery Field looking for pictures of a Castrol lorry
I ended up in some buggers front garden, it has all gone, now
It certainly is Malc, I often start off in the desert in Namibia and sometimes end up somewhere near Birch Services, now that’s what I call really getting lost .
Hi Chris, as Paul mentions on his cracking North West Trucks website British Vita took over Nobles whose Northern Depot was in Ashton so as Wheelnut mentioned the Hyde area I though that I would repost this photo from I.I.R.C. Stansfield.
I wonder if Moomooland can ever remember seeing this Bury Van Hire Merc knocking about in the early nineties .
mushroomman:
Hi Chris, as Paul mentioned on his cracking North West Companies thread British Vita took over Nobels whose Northern Depot was in Ashton so as Wheelnut mentioned the Hyde area I though that I would repost this photo from Stansfield.
Regards Steve.
Sorry if i upset any of the North South divide. I know the lovers of Cheetham Hill are not as friendly with the people of Marple, but to a Yorkshireman, Manchester is just a big area of Lancashire that covers all the dark satanic mills
Thomas Crompton and Sons of Wigan have a new line up of vehicles in Ashton in Makerfield
Courtesy Wiganworld.
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