Eddie Heaton:
As an afterthought, I believe the registration OO on the ERF was Essex.You probably knew that.
Cheers Eddie.
Ahh - now it makes sense!! Cheers Eddie - I was convinced that was a 5, not an S…
Could it be a Firmin Coates wagon?? They used that colour for a long time didn’t they??
You’ve probably nailed it there Marky. The shade of blue is a perfect match for Firmin Coates. Actually, what made me think P&O was what appears to be a white door panel on this photo, but it’s probably just the light reflecting.
I’ve Googled Firmin Coates and they appear to have vehicles registered all over the country, from Barrow to Somerst and many places in between.
I’ve loaded out of Byley on several occasions but never realised what a large company they are.
I assume from the Somerset registrations that the company has cider connections.
None of this is important of course, but it serves as a workout for the brain and beats watching the telly any day of the week.
Cheers. Eddie.
Eddie, you’ve just mentioned Byley there and it’s reminded me of something related to the ERF which ■■■■ Penn took from my old neighbour, Keith Cheetham. As I said previously, it was new to Allied Mills and ran to Burton on Trent every day pulling a flour tank. It did the job for 7 or 8 years until Keith bought it. Not long afterwards, he asked me to look through the classifieds in Commercial Motor for anyone selling a Jennings sleeper conversion or a full sleeper cab, which he wanted to put on the ERF. After a couple of weeks, I found one - which turned out to be in the same yard as Firmin Coates at Byley Cross.
To get the sleeper pod was a proper tale in itself. Cheethams only had the two tractor units, and Bob’s Peugeot 504 diesel car. Wondering how we were going to get the cab home to Burscough, Bob rang the milkman, who had a Mercedes pickup. For a few quid, he lent us the Merc and we set off to Byley, part-loaded with some straw bales to rest the sleeper pod on. With Bob in his early seventies and me not having a driving licence, it was an ‘entertaining’ trip - I think he found three gears on the way there and just the other two on the way home. I thought they’d shifted Burscough by the time we got back. A few days later, we went to Ashton to see ■■■■ and we studied one of his ERFs to see how the pod was fitted. We listened intently to the advice given on how to do the job and the next week I was given an angle grinder and told to cut the back of the daycab off!!! This I did, remembering what I’d been told at Ashton and after a few days of juggling bits about and lifting, cursing & swearing, we’d converted the cab - and didn’t have any bits left over. My only regret is that I don’t have a single picture of it, before or after the conversion.
Anyway, the point of this ramble is that the firm we got the cab from had a very tidy small fleet of ERFs and the sleeper pod was off a motor that had been written-off in an accident. They were navy blue and red and I can’t remember the firm’s name. This is a longshot, but can you ever remember seeing them, or even what they were called??
Can’t help you with that one I’m afraid Marky. No doubt someone on the Cheshire Hauliers thread may have the answer though.
With regard to the Allied Mills motor, I’ve got quite a number of photographs of Pennington’s B series ERFs but not the one you’re looking for unfortunately.
B series ERF with an 8LXB and a coffin on the back. Have I got that right?
I personally don’t remember the motor as I more than likely wouldn’t have been working there at the time.
The next time I see David, I’ll enquire about the vehicle in question and if I come up with anything, I’ll put it on here.
Cheers. Eddie.
The other wagon was one that I drove for a spell. Fleet No 2. Photo taken at Parkside colliery.
Best I can do mate.
Cheers. Eddie.
Nice one Eddie. Cheers bud.
Eddie Heaton:
01Here’s your old motor in Pennington’s colours Viking. Blow me if I didn’t have it all along and I’ve only just realised. Designated fleet No 4. Photo taken on the Adamson St. Yard.The other wagon was one that I drove for a spell. Fleet No 2. Photo taken at Parkside colliery.
Best I can do mate.
Cheers. Eddie.
Great photos Eddie, Keep them coming please, Regards Larry.
Eddie Heaton:
And now, as they say, for something completely different. Does anyone remember seeing these going up and down the road? I’ll wager a certain gentleman from Flintshire does. Bananas featured prominently in the goods carried. Preston docks for the small boats, Barry and Barrow for the larger ones, Liverpool if Geest felt lucky and it wasn’t raining.
This Mickey Mouse S 21 Foden is the first one Ive ever seen with its livery as close as it could get to mine, Great photo too, Regards Larry.
Eddie Heaton:
01Here’s your old motor in Pennington’s colours Viking. Blow me if I didn’t have it all along and I’ve only just realised. Designated fleet No 4. Photo taken on the Adamson St. Yard.The other wagon was one that I drove for a spell. Fleet No 2. Photo taken at Parkside colliery.
Best I can do mate.
Cheers. Eddie.
hi eddie do you remember Jimmy Wadsworth he had a 6 wheeler tipper a leyland i think was a mate of my dads they were both on a tip in Warrington area during the building strike in the early seventies when a load of flying pickets turned up …apparently Jimmy was a big ex rugby player or bouncer but he made my dad talk them out of the situation. …dad said he was cacking himself but they got away without a problem cheers jamie
Hi Larry, yes you’re right, the paint jobs are very similar. Did your motor have the air splitter on the column or did it have one of those manual splitters mounted like a handbrake on the floor ? You know the ones I mean, where you needed two left arms to execute a gear change and a split shift at the same time?
And how did a Cheshire motor end up in Ponteland?
Here’s a very rare photo of the ERFODAK 
that I used on low loader work. Quite often grossing off in the 60/70 ton area with a 150 Gardner. They wouldn’t believe you nowadays would they?
This one looks even more like yours than the previous one.
Cheers. Eddie.
Hi, Eddie , I remember them well ,Do you remember the 4 brand new ones bill had from that Foden garage just before the Race corse there wasla pub on the corner we had few scoops in ,bill Leased them to i think Pritchetts to pull there 40 ft vans thinkthey had 180 Gardeners ,after 3 years he sold them for more than he paid new ,that was Bill ,just a bit of usless info for you Eddie ,Cheers Barry
Cheers. Eddie.
Hi, EddIE , IIRC ,is the garage a horse feed dealers now ? are the pubs still there ? Cheers Barry
After Warrington Commercials, I think the place was called Haydock commercials and I think they were DAF agents. You need to be very careful on here Barry or you wind up making a ■■■■ of yourself.
The place burned to the ground at some point, I forget the year.
When it was rebuilt, it became Robinson’s saddlers, as you say, a retail outlet for equestrian accessories.
Robinsons relocated to the former Brooke Bond premises in Lockett road a few years ago and I don’t know who has the place now.
The Bay Horse is still there, but The Collier’s Arms , or The Dull Pick, as it was more informally known, was demolished a long time ago and now forms part of the car park for The Bay Horse.
Personally, I preferred The Dull Pick as a watering hole. It was a bit more downmarket than the place next door. You didn’t get many women going in and the landlords were real characters. I’ve come rolling out of there at 3 am many a time. I could probably write a book about The Dull Pick actually Barry but this isn’t the place for it.
I do go on a bit don’t I? Go steady mate.
Cheers. Eddie.
Can’t go on any longer without mentioning a.b.little from near the old rams head.my dad was pally with jock and wouldn’t go near the place if the ram was open as jock wouldn’t let you go home! ! I’ve spent many days steam cleaning their eight wheeler fodens and erfs what a job.we soaked everything in diesel the night before then next morning started with the scraper …you only got the machine out after dinner! ! we once weighed one foden before cleaning and it was quarter of a ton lighter when I finished cheers jamie
Would hauliers in upholland /orrell qualify for this thread?
atkiman:
Would hauliers in upholland /orrell qualify for this thread?
Better speak to Mr. West about that mate, it’s his thread after all. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind though. When all’s said and done, we’re only talking a couple of miles, which is why I’m including this photo. I don’t remember this outfit personally if I’m being honest. It’s a nice looking motor though isn’t it ?
I’m only guessing here, but it looks like the bottom end of Miry lane to me. What do you think jamie ?
Now eddie lovely motor that…wonder if he’s related to kieth sibbald who ran leyland constructor tippers from the yard in dailton road…dunno about the location eddie bit before my time.do you remember the bloke who ran two atkis from a yard opposite Carr mill on the right just after you pass the bottom of mosses bank heading to the lancs cheers jamie
scrub my last remark chaps .i never read the name on the headboard properly soz jamie
atkiman:
Would hauliers in upholland /orrell qualify for this thread?
As a Barrovian, who only qualifies for this thread on a personal level as a subby to Pritchett Brothers in the early seventies, I have been fascinated by the legs and arms it has grown!
Especially since I am one of the worst offenders of going off thread on here and everywhere else!
Surely Wigan, Haydock, Standish, Newton le Willows, St. Helens, Warrington, and even Liverpool, where we loaded Jacobs biscuits, plus the Wirral, where Van den Bergh and Lever Brothers held sway should all be included!
There has been the odd contribution from people who remember NMT. I loved their Scanias, anything more about them would be welcome.
Thanks for all your contributions Eddie, and others, a brilliant history of the area
John.
