Muckaway:
Anyone know of a haulier that ran maroon F10/F12 artics in the Glos/Wilts area in the late 90s? Reason I ask is that my first plant job was on hire to MultiAgg at Kempsford pit moving soil (HE Services-don’t ask ) and said lorries were running out of there. I remember one was on old T plate-I think company was John----? had white signwriting.
I reckon you’re on about John Allen, he used to park behind the Esso grage in Faringdon but I’ve not seen his name around on lorries for quite a while so he may have moved or packed up.
BB
That’s it, allways old kit. Land behind that garage is being re-developed now so maybe he sold the land for building? I would expect hauling for MultiAgg he couldn’t afford anything newish…
Why would you expect a haulier couldn’t afford newer equipment because of who they haul for? I fail to see where that came from. there’s still a plant yard behind that Esso garage but I’ve not seen any signwriting on the trucks parking there these days. Perhaps when the land between there & the 420 goes for building it’ll all go except the garage.
MultiAgg paid crap rates, their kit was crap compared to other quarry operators-regarding the rates ODs that do work for Smiths have told me, when I was a plant op another shovel driver told me about how bad the plant was (slick tyres on the shovels etc) and I went into Shellingford mid 90s with Dad a couple of times as Smiths were going to do a bit for them during a quiet spell-that didn’t last…
Muckaway:
MultiAgg paid crap rates, their kit was crap compared to other quarry operators-regarding the rates ODs that do work for Smiths have told me, when I was a plant op another shovel driver told me about how bad the plant was (slick tyres on the shovels etc) and I went into Shellingford mid 90s with Dad a couple of times as Smiths were going to do a bit for them during a quiet spell-that didn’t last…
Got to agree with you there Nathan we did a bit for Multi Agg years ago, out of Shellinford and one over Welford/Kempsford way ( can’t remember the name of it ) and the rates were crap so was the kit, broken down most of the time.
Muckaway:
MultiAgg paid crap rates, their kit was crap compared to other quarry operators-regarding the rates ODs that do work for Smiths have told me, when I was a plant op another shovel driver told me about how bad the plant was (slick tyres on the shovels etc) and I went into Shellingford mid 90s with Dad a couple of times as Smiths were going to do a bit for them during a quiet spell-that didn’t last…
Got to agree with you there Nathan we did a bit for Multi Agg years ago, out of Shellinford and one over Welford/Kempsford way ( can’t remember the name of it ) and the rates were crap so was the kit, broken down most of the time.
Their Kempsford pit was down Washpool Lane, off the main road between Welford and Kempsford. It’s just a tip now (well, no change really then! Bardon Aggs Manor farm Pit (proper setup) is nextdoor. Shellingford used to produce a sandstone which somehow got sold as “type 1”. How they managed to get it classified as that, God knows. It might’ve been size-wise but is was nowhere near as hard as Huntmans Naunton stone or anything from Gloucestershire on the mendips. Had a go at levelling some near Winchester when on Sheehans-tracking it in was fun; what didn’t grind up stuck nicely to the 360s tracks
On the subject of Shellingford pit, the old Sands and Gravels pit nearby at Hatford; I reckon best soft sand you could get. Pre-Earthline days Smiths used to send sharp sand in and swap for screened soft or mixed if we were delivering direct (a regular job for me was 3rd party deliveries usually for Jewsons out Evesham way for bricklaying). That stuff could be soaking wet yet nothing stuck in even the most dented tipper body and I never had one complaint regarding its’ quality. Just aswell, as Tony Singh on the weighbridge wouldn’t have given a monkeys anyway!
Muckaway:
On the subject of Shellingford pit, the old Sands and Gravels pit nearby at Hatford; I reckon best soft sand you could get. Pre-Earthline days Smiths used to send sharp sand in and swap for screened soft or mixed if we were delivering direct (a regular job for me was 3rd party deliveries usually for Jewsons out Evesham way for bricklaying). That stuff could be soaking wet yet nothing stuck in even the most dented tipper body and I never had one complaint regarding its’ quality. Just aswell, as Tony Singh on the weighbridge wouldn’t have given a monkeys anyway!
Hi Nathan
Is Tont singh sill about? he used to be the Dragline driver when I used to go in there with my uncle.
He’s retired now, he suffered a bad stroke about 6 or 7 years ago. Pete “Cuddles” Radband’s retired too…
From what I’ve been told, knavvy (and bulldozer) drivers were the most short-tempered of all quarry workers!
Do you remember when Sands and Gravels used to load their own lorries before anyone elses?
Muckaway:
He’s retired now, he suffered a bad stroke about 6 or 7 years ago. Pete “Cuddles” Radband’s retired too…
From what I’ve been told, knavvy (and bulldozer) drivers were the most short-tempered of all quarry workers!
Do you remember when Sands and Gravels used to load their own lorries before anyone elses?
Yeah I do remember them doing that. They didn’t rush to much either.
Muckaway:
He’s retired now, he suffered a bad stroke about 6 or 7 years ago. Pete “Cuddles” Radband’s retired too…
From what I’ve been told, knavvy (and bulldozer) drivers were the most short-tempered of all quarry workers!
Do you remember when Sands and Gravels used to load their own lorries before anyone elses?
Yeah I do remember them doing that. They didn’t rush to much either.
They always did that for as long as I went in there. Not wishing to slag them off I’m sure it was just there way of doing things, but when you went through there gates you went back 20 years.
I was running out near Malmesbury this week; On a couple of trips I passed the pits in the Ashton Keynes area, noticing Constants Three Bridges Pit. It’s all closed down now although the sign on the gate looks modern, what happened to them? I see Cullimores are still running out of Dairy Farm pit aswell as operating Roundhouse Farm near Kempsford, so I take it Dairy Farm’s just recycling and Culli-Mix?
Muckaway:
I remember that lorry now! Did you do clay from Bishops Cleeve to Ewelme? Dad did it with a B-reg 8 wheeler that had an almost identical body but shallower. Is that anything to do with Tommy, Jack and Bert Davies?
Yeah we did do some Clay from Bishops Cleeve to Ewelme. I worked for Tom,Bert and Colin. Jack was on his own by the time I worked there.You may not know Colin as he was in the yard all the time on stanby for breakdowns and sutch. I ran Blackthorne and Banbury with this sometimes from Hardwick.
Jack Davies has recently packed it in and his 21 year old ERF has been sold abroad…
Muckaway:
I remember that lorry now! Did you do clay from Bishops Cleeve to Ewelme? Dad did it with a B-reg 8 wheeler that had an almost identical body but shallower. Is that anything to do with Tommy, Jack and Bert Davies?
Yeah we did do some Clay from Bishops Cleeve to Ewelme. I worked for Tom,Bert and Colin. Jack was on his own by the time I worked there.You may not know Colin as he was in the yard all the time on stanby for breakdowns and sutch. I ran Blackthorne and Banbury with this sometimes from Hardwick.
Jack Davies has recently packed it in and his 21 year old ERF has been sold abroad…
Muckaway:
I remember that lorry now! Did you do clay from Bishops Cleeve to Ewelme? Dad did it with a B-reg 8 wheeler that had an almost identical body but shallower. Is that anything to do with Tommy, Jack and Bert Davies?
Yeah we did do some Clay from Bishops Cleeve to Ewelme. I worked for Tom,Bert and Colin. Jack was on his own by the time I worked there.You may not know Colin as he was in the yard all the time on stanby for breakdowns and sutch. I ran Blackthorne and Banbury with this sometimes from Hardwick.
Jack Davies has recently packed it in and his 21 year old ERF has been sold abroad…
) and said lorries were running out of there. I remember one was on old T plate-I think company was John----? had white signwriting.
Bardon Aggs Manor farm Pit (proper setup) is nextdoor. Shellingford used to produce a sandstone which somehow got sold as “type 1”. How they managed to get it classified as that, God knows. It might’ve been size-wise but is was nowhere near as hard as Huntmans Naunton stone or anything from Gloucestershire on the mendips. Had a go at levelling some near Winchester when on Sheehans-tracking it in was fun; what didn’t grind up stuck nicely to the 360s tracks 
