How times have changed,When you cross over the border from Northern Ireland to the South these days you don’t even notice it.I used to go to Dublin a lot for Ness Furniture.Its cheaper to go from Stranraer to Belfast and drive down, the port charges are a lot higher if you use Dublin Port or Dun Laoghaire,That’s why the Ferry fare is dearer.
Bill
hi ronnie
i also went to BALBRIGGAN in the early 70s out of wavin, i took large pipe out and came back with
small bore stuff, you are correct about the border crossing them days, i think about 5 stops in around
3 miles to clear, the middle being the armed forces.
i got to balbriggan in 1 day, dropped the trailer in the factory and went to digs in the town, a pub.
had a good night with the locals, went to the factory next morning and the trailer was empty so only had
to load, tie down and go. they told me i had to clear the border by 4.30pm with it being a friday as no
HGVs were allowed over after that till 6.00am monday
i enjoyed the trip as it was something different
alan
kennyjohnson:
dm7301:
kennyjohnson:
684MPT and York Freightmaster van, photo off a add. for York TrailersI wonder if this is the same box (minus wheels, axles and landing gear) which was used as the store to keep the steam cleaner in on the wash bay? That was a York trailer although I remember it was silver with red signwriting and vertical braces along the outside walls so perhaps not.
Darren.
Hi Darren that was trailer18 it was longer than the one in the photo. It was the second van to come. The next van was a Crane trailer. Ken
Hi Ken,
Thanks for the info and I stand corrected. On reflection it was a longer van. Was reading your post on the Williams thread earlier about the Cream coloured Atki’s on the Birds (General Foods) jobs and the Merc’s which replaced them. Was it the LPS1418 with the square cabs that replaced them? I remember Dad driving one of these in the '70’s in red and white.
Darren.
dm7301:
kennyjohnson:
dm7301:
kennyjohnson:
684MPT and York Freightmaster van, photo off a add. for York TrailersI wonder if this is the same box (minus wheels, axles and landing gear) which was used as the store to keep the steam cleaner in on the wash bay? That was a York trailer although I remember it was silver with red signwriting and vertical braces along the outside walls so perhaps not.
Darren.
Hi Darren that was trailer18 it was longer than the one in the photo. It was the second van to come. The next van was a Crane trailer. Ken
Hi Ken,
Thanks for the info and I stand corrected. On reflection it was a longer van. Was reading your post on the Williams thread earlier about the Cream coloured Atki’s on the Birds (General Foods) jobs and the Merc’s which replaced them. Was it the LPS1418 with the square cabs that replaced them? I remember Dad driving one of these in the '70’s in red and white.
Darren.
Hi Darren,
There were 2 cream atkis Des Mitchel got them both new on Birds, 684MPT & KUP513C. When Des had to have a holyday at the Queens expence,Arthur Spence went on Birds and got the Merc new OPT…D. It had the early round fronted cab it was painted cream.When Des came back he could not go on Birds so he got one of the first two new F reg Volvos. The York trailer no.18 came with KUP, the Crane trailer came with the Merc.
when i started DENTS in the very early 70s des mitchell had already gone.
arthur spence had the flatfronted merc which was now painted red, tony davison and tony claughan
had the 2 f reg volvos, the rolls eagle and the day cab 88 had not been there long and roly was still on
with his first sleeper 88 
alan
When Rolly got the first F88 Martin Dawson got 685MPT off him. One monday morning Martin loaded at Smart & Browns and set off for London, north of Stamford he ran into the back of a RAF motor being towed by another one,they had just pullded across the carriageway and straightend up. I am not quite sure if one or two were killed in the back one. The next day me and Rodger went down to Peterborough to see the motor, but that was end of 685 .
Ken.
kenny.
yes i heard about that unfortunate incident, martin was still on box work when i started so what motor did he get after that?? i should remember but cant
alan
does any one remember des mitchell from spennymoor he was at road rollers at sedgefield as a fitter when i was driving low loader
hello there
i dont know him but if you read the last dozen posts you will get some idea of who does
alan
DARREN
you have a reply on the “BROCHURE” thread
Last time I saw Des Mitchell was at Roly’s funeral.
Bill
iamupforit:
DARRENyou have a reply on the “BROCHURE” thread
Hi Al, - Thanks for letting me know…forgot to check. 
Hi Bill - was the wagon on the DAF brochure in Dents colours?
Cheers,
Darren.
Hi Darren, No they were not in Dents colours but I cant remember what colour they were , It was a long time ago.
Bill
back in the late 70s i was driving a daycab sedatki with a 240 gardner, the one claughan had on the watford job, well, it was coming up to test time when i got back from the first trip of the week, i
reported into the window and was informed of the forth coming test and told i had a demo unit for the
rest of the week. it was a dome topped ERF sleeper, yippee 
, with a 290 ■■■■■■■■
next morning off i went to watford then over to avonmouth for tea, on the way home next day i
was stopped by the law just north of wetherby for going too fast , the cop must have been in a good
mood as he only gave me a rocket and sent me on my way, phew, a close one 
, when i got to
eaglescliffe brewster had just finished loading a trailor with empty pallets so i roped them down and went
to the yard, fuelled and was told to take them to dagenham, so off i went with a night at huntingdon in
mind. well, just south of grantham there was roadworks stretching down to colsterworth and i was going
like a train when, looking in the mirror i saw a large red estate car a couple of hundred yards behind
and knew he was going to try and overtake before the cones, he didnt make it, i saw the bonnet dip as he braked hard and followed me through at about 60mph
i was having a bit of a chuckle when we cleared the cones and he came out and scooted past, ha
SH*T, his back window lit up with the words STOP POLICE bu**er, it cost me 40quid and
3 points 
alan
Alan, you certainly lived dangerously, I had a quiet life by comparison.
Bill
hi bill
can you remember that ERF demo coming into the yard, great big roomy cab, like a living room.
but it went like the wind. cant remember who took it on the first part of the week, i did 2 trips and
i am sure it was here for the best part of the following week, it didnt seem to impress the management
though, not a patch on the volvos, dafs etc, my opinion only
alan
Sorry Alan, can’t remember that ERF at all, I once had a Magirus Deutz for a week when Martin Dawson was a rep.It was a sleeper cab but it had no curtains for some reason, it had the worst throttle pedal of anything I ever drove.It felt as though it had brake shoe spring on it. Very poor MPG, Muffin wasn’t impressed.
Bill
Hi Alan,
I can remember Gerry Kenny driving a 6x2 E-series ERF demonstrator around 1988 'ish. I also beleive that there was an Iveco there around the same time. Dad had a Ford Cargo demonstrator with the 10litre ■■■■■■■ motor for a week once.
Darren.
i can remember that maggie bill, i wasnt there at the time but knew martin dawson was working for
them, i am not surprised muffin wasnt impressed
darren, the ERF demo i had was a “C” series but only a 4x2, maybe gerry got that 6x2 when he
had that bump at woodall, it would be 88 ish, i dont remember that cargo your dad had
i have said i was fined 40 quid and 3 points but in fact it was an endorsement them days not points
alan
there is a 60th birthday in the ECHO this morning for KEITH ATKINSON
is it you bronco or are you younger
alan