hi , my dad use to work at Dents in the late 60 s Bob Littley (70 now) hes told me many a story about when he worked there and reading these threads
brings them to life lol , Iv shown him this site and he knows most of the lads mentioned , he use to do locals round newcastle on a thames trader KEG704 ,drove pet foods wagon and ringtons job , use to work out of Liverpool depot all week and run back saturday when Smithy was the manager,he went on shunting after one of the shunters (Ernie Rennison) had a nasty accident and was cut out of his cab ,he says he had some great times there , he then went on to work at Lazenbys for a few years then onto John Dees for 14 year (thats where i started )
Hi cranedog, I can remember your dad working at Dent’s. Didn’t he have a brother-in-law called Les Pitt who came from the west country, probably your uncle. Hope he’s keeping OK and wish him well for the future. Regards Ronnie Briggs (apprentice fitter turned driver)
Mysterron:
Hi cranedog, I can remember your dad working at Dent’s. Didn’t he have a brother-in-law called Les Pitt who came from the west country, probably your uncle. Hope he’s keeping OK and wish him well for the future. Regards Ronnie Briggs (apprentice fitter turned driver)
Hi Ronnie yeah Les is my uncle he used to work at john dees too he was shop steward there at one time , they both retired now ,my dad lives up dean bank ferryhill and spends all his time looking after his flock of chickens, and Les lives down ferryhill station now i think , not seen him for a while
i,m sure les pitt’s died a few year’s ago now, he used to live in chapel row before it was pulled down.
scaniia141:
i,m sure les pitt’s died a few year’s ago now, he used to live in chapel row before it was pulled down.
yeah your right , just enquired today , iv never seen him for years since him and his wife divorced,
if you go to “scrapbook memories” thread and go to page 197 there is a nice pic of an atki 8 wheeler
been out today with some of dents x drivers . had my 2 pints of coke the crack was verey good as always ronmoor alan lee gordon evens ray lowes bill goudie yan tommy bowen alan armstronge ken tittshall nice to see everybody again . i have told them about this web
Kieth, do you remember Tom Gray Transport from that area, A pal of mine Sid Davison [RIP] Used to drive for him he had an Atki Artic, he left there 1973 7 & came to work for Shorties where he ended his working life, a true gent was Sid. Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
Kieth, do you remember Tom Gray Transport from that area, A pal of mine Sid Davison [RIP] Used to drive for him he had an Atki Artic, he left there 1973 7 & came to work for Shorties where he ended his working life, a true gent was Sid. Regards Larry.
Hi Larry, Tom Gray used to run 2 or 3 six whelers out of spennymoor in the early sixties.I only knew Tom and his son Maurice,they sometimes used to tip return loads in Dents wharhouse.In the middle 80’s i used to service and repair Maurice’s 6x4 Transcon unit when he was running M/E Regards Ken
kennyjohnson:
Lawrence Dunbar:
Kieth, do you remember Tom Gray Transport from that area, A pal of mine Sid Davison [RIP] Used to drive for him he had an Atki Artic, he left there 1973 7 & came to work for Shorties where he ended his working life, a true gent was Sid. Regards Larry.Hi Larry, Tom Gray used to run 2 or 3 six whelers out of spennymoor in the early sixties.I only knew Tom and his son Maurice,they sometimes used to tip return loads in Dents wharhouse.In the middle 80’s i used to service and repair Maurice’s 6x4 Transcon unit when he was running M/E Regards Ken
My cousin Dougie Milburn (R.I.P.) used to drive for Tom Gray in the early/mid sixties.
Hello Boys,
I drove for Dents from 1969 till they closed, Ray Lowes and I delivered the last two loads in order to clear the loads left in the Yard.We were then working for the Receivers as the Company had folded. I got a cheque from the Receivers for my last week of work, and IT BOUNCED! i’ve still got the bloody thing. We have had a RE-UNION every year since Dents folded, the last one was Yesterday 27 Dec. at Tudhoe Cricket Club where 12 of us had a good old chinwag and a lot of ale was consumed.
Keep in touch boys.
Old Bill
A great picture taken by the late Roger Kenney. Hope it stirs somebody’s memory
Hi there John McNally, do you remember when we were on strike? We used to stand at the bottom of the drive and John Henry would stop his Merc and say good morning,we used to say good morning Mr Dent ever so politely. When he came out at lunchtime, he would stop and say ‘‘I see that you are all still here boys’’ The replies we gave are unprintable. Pineapples name was Ronnie Simpson, God only knows why he was called Pineapple.
Regards Old Bill
old bill:
Hi there John McNally, do you remember when we were on strike? We used to stand at the bottom of the drive and John Henry would stop his Merc and say good morning,we used to say good morning Mr Dent ever so politely. When he came out at lunchtime, he would stop and say ‘‘I see that you are all still here boys’’ The replies we gave are unprintable. Pineapples name was Ronnie Simpson, God only knows why he was called Pineapple.
Regards Old Bill
Yes I remember the strike well, never been in a union since and made alot more money aswell. I gave Pineapple his nick-name when he move up from Lancing near Brighton, I got him the job at Dents and he started calling everyone carrot crunchers or something like that, so I nick-named him "Pineapple and it stuck, he really got mad when I met him at Hilton Park some years later when I was driving for Sherlock Transport services, he was with some of his mates (can’t remember who he was driving for then) anyway they all started laughing at him. it’s a pity I never new of your annul get-together, I would have come up, hopefully next year. I remember most of the lads you mentioned, I wonder if Ronnie Moore remembers the night in Stowmarket, the pair of us had been in a field nicking peas, it was pitch black and on the way back, Ronnie decided to relieve himself in the middle of the road, when a Police car pulled up,as luck would have it, the police saw the funny side (maybe they knew we were Dents drivers lol) if I remember well, I think one of them was a lass, maybe she liked what she saw. Keep the blogs coming in. John (Mac) or as they call me over in Ireland Beano.
retriever:
A great picture taken by the late Roger Kenney. Hope it stirs somebody’s memory
Anyone remember who’s truck this was
beano111:
retriever:
A great picture taken by the late Roger Kenney. Hope it stirs somebody’s memory
Anyone remember who’s truck this was
HI Retriever, Toney Davieson got 773 PT new.It came with 772 PT,a thames trader unit, driven byJackie Shed,two 4 in line, and two single axle trailers.Next came 1934 PT Arthur Spence got that new and more BTC trailers.Then came 7819 & 7820 PT Gordon Davis & Cess Turner got them two
Regards Ken
You’re a mind of information Kenny, you either have a great memory or a stack of diaries hidden away, either way, the information you have given this blog is priceless. Happy New Year to all ex Dents drivers, hope you all have a Happy, Healthy and prosperous 2012.
Hi all. Ive just been told of this by Keith Atkinson so I thought Id look in. Some great photos. I worked at Dents between about76 and 79.
I remember John McNally well, (glad you still about John). Seeing some of the names brings back some memories. Yes Stowmarket was the scene of my greatest escape when crossing over the line after going into town for a hair cut. The train came from nowhere and I swear I saw the whites of the drivers eyes as he hurtled past at 120mph and I dived for cover. I cant remember who I was with but I was shaking for quite a while. Inches from death I tells ya. It was sad Roly passed last year, our paths crossed occasionally as does mine and Keith A. Havent seen Billy Goundry for while, but hes still into his old bikes like me I hear. Roger Maughan used to give me a real hard time when I was there and my feelings to him were not warm ones. But after I moved away down south and came back to visit, he made me very welcome and showed me round his restoration projects out back. He let me park my trailer in the yard overnight and I saw a different side to him and I wish Id known him better.
I had, amongst other rubbish, the M.A.N. HBR946N without a heater which I`ll try and scan and post up if I get chance.
So if anyone remembers “the Muppet” AKA Colin Caygill let me know.
Hi Colin, I can remember you. Do you still sit in the bath to shrink your Wranglers? We all had some great times together when we were at Dents.
Those were the days! When we had to put two sheets and a drip sheet on a load of tea, and we had to find farms bloody miles from anywhere in order to deliver twenty ton of asbestos sheets one at a time by hand.What sort of bike have you got? I have a 1961 BSA Golden Flash, A 1965 Triumph Thunderbird, and a1978 Honda CX 500.Do you rember sitting at West Wratting for hours witing for a load of tea. Happy Days!
Regards Old Bill