Cheers for that John . im upholland born and bred. .who remembers William gaskell from Crawford village, ian berry from upholland, ashcroft brothers roby mill,bill Smith and Kenny ashcroft aka jockey,len jordan,Halewood brothers ,Bert hilton ,ATSixsmith,alan Tennant, w &j rigby could go on but that’s my lot for tonight cheers jamie
A few familiar names there jamie. A.B.Little, Stubshaw Cross, now that’s definitely A in M. Are they still operating ? I used to see their tippers flying about all the time but I don’t get about the same since I knocked it on the head. I don’t have any photos of their motors either.
Wm. Gaskell’s, they had a couple of wagons on the brickworks although I think most of their work was out of H.J.Heinz. One of their brick drivers was a really nice old lad name of Johnny Peet. Not the one we spoke of earlier that won the Volvo, ( spawny git ), we always called him JF, as I think his second name is Francis. The other Gaskell’s driver at Ravenhead was called Billy. I just can’t recall his last name at the moment. He lived in Beech Hill and was known far and wide as Billy Brick. Didn’t montgomery’s end up in their old yard ?
Now Ian Berry, their place used to be up that narrow alley at the side of what used to be the old post office. My brother drove for him for about 15 years until he contracted lymphoma and died about 11 years ago.
Ashcrofts used to park opposite the Catholic college on the way to Roby Mill. They used to run with us on the sand job out of Borrow pit when I drove for S&A Gaskell. The elderly driver, I never knew his name but I think he drove a 6 wheeler Ford D series, reversed into my motor on a job at Oldham, damaging the radiator and I got sacked on the spot. Gaskell’s justice.
Rigby’s had 5 or 6 wagons running out of Ravenhead when I was there but gradually transferred over to that block plant at Widnes when the work began to thin out.
The other names I remember but I had no direct experience with them. I remember them building those posh houses on Halewood bros. yard. That must be getting on for 30 years ago now.
I’m glad you mentioned Dailton road. I seem to remember a bit of a haulage yard on the left hand side behind The Stanley, would that have been Sibbald’s place ? I’m going back to the early 70’ s, and I was knocking a piece off who used to live in one of the flats in the corner. I won’t mention any names obviously. Who knows, we may be related. I used to park my wagon between the blocks of flats on Dailton
Road when I was on a dodgy night out.
One of our drivers at Trevalan used to live a bit further up, you may have known him. George Hitchen, aka Richard Widmark. He ended up with a good job driving a little 4 wheeler all over the country delivering for Bulldog Tools, but I haven’t seen him for years either.
Anyway, I reckon that’ll do for now. I’ll look for some relevant photos to post.
Cheers. Eddie.
hi eddie lots of memories there. …ian berry still lives in the big barn but has finished now, Jeff rigby running 3 or 4 out of widnes as you say, i remember ashcrofts they ha 6 wheeler dodge and a d series both with v8 engines either ■■■■■■■ or perkins cant remember, the yard up dailton roads still there john ackerley running a few on flour and grain , I live a bit further down from the Stanley about 100 yrds on the other side of the road my garden backs onto the brickworks. remember vince Dean who also parked at dailton he ended up with a daf on for tarmac his lad raced motorbikes was sponsored by rogersons at orrell post my dad used to park at the little farm halfway up tower hill on the right before you got to laithwaite at the top. you must have been to Ronnie gaskells garage at the bottom of alma hill he finished in 1980 cos he had a dicky ticker ge lived in the house next door up all the steps. he died 4 years ago at 88 used to drink in the old dog cheers ja
Hi jamie, can’t say I knew Vince Dean, or Ronnie Gaskell either if I’m being honest, but I remember the garage on the Tontine. Didn’t it become a car showroom before they built houses on there ?
I’ve had a few pints in The Old Dog myself over the years, it was my brother in law’s local. I don’t know if you knew him, his name was Tony Price but everybody called him Pal. He lived just off Alma hill but died earlier this year.
If you’re familiar with the block paved path that winds down from The Old Dog Down to where Dingle Belles used to be, well I delivered the blocks from Marshall’s at Ramsbottom when I drove for Steetley out of Ravenhead. That’s my one and only claim to fame.
When we were on the CB, Johnny Peet’s handle used to be Blue Prince. Next time you bump into him tell him Malt loaf was asking after him. Malt loaf being my handle. Yeah, I know. ( pause for a few seconds to allow the laughter to subside ) and moving on.
Now that Upholland has been officially sanctioned as a legitimate offshoot of the A in M thread, I feel more comfortable about posting these pics. Maybe you know this lad, he only lives over the road from you after all. No doubt he’ll be delighted to know his photo is on TNUK. 
Go steady mate.
Cheers. Eddie.
Now eddie yes i do know that bloke i went to school with his daughters he pulled out of ravenhead for a bit then got a cement mixer ran out of the yard where you photographed mick kirby small world eh.if i see john ill tell hm . Regarding my post about albert regan I’m sure bewicks ended up with peetys scania g943dkc or something like that i asked Dennis if he ever bought a motor off albert which he hadn’t but i think it was snatched back when he went bust so it would have been sold by haydock commercialls .sank many a pint in the old dog mesself probably same time as you cheers jamie
I remember John Ackerley when he was running in & out of Allied Mills at Seaforth. He bought a couple of units from there and I used to see them up & down the M58 regularly.
Remember these eddie? they ran out of East lancs paper mill in Radcliffe till about 1988 i think onward got the work then .subsequently bewicks took it over a few years later.The handsome chap in front of the daf is my great mate dave birchall with his son Craig who is now about 28!The pic was taken at the yard at the top of Tower Hill. Just spoke to dave and he remembers George hitchen also remember finches from appley bridge cheers jamie
Hi, John , do you remember a haulier from up ■■■■■■■ way ran a erf a series 6 wheeler tautliner i think it w as black it had 180 in it ifirc the name on the back doors ,was Ray Steel i think ,It WAS a flying machine, unot many could keep up with it ,would be in late 70s Cheers Barry
I can’t say that I recognise your mate jamie, but I certainly remember those wagons. Does Dave know if George is still knocking about ? The last time I saw him was at a car boot sale with his wife at Wrightington hospital about ten years ago, possibly longer.
Your mention of Finch’s reminded me that my late brother started there in about 1972 after Jack Tinsley, the owner of Lancashire Quarries died and the business folded.
He remained there through several changes of ownership. When they were bought out by Kingston Minerals he went with the wagon. Same again when ARC took over, he stayed put. Then some outfit with a quarry up Wheelton way took over and he went with them. Even Kirbys offered him a job at one point but he just wouldn’t shift.
Then I think they closed the place down and he ended up out of work.
Unemployment was something totally alien to him and I never saw a bloke look so dejected.
I took him out with me in the brick wagon to try to teach him how to operate a Hiab, ( you could do things like that back then, before the world went completely barmy ) , but he just couldn’t hack it. He’d always been a tipper man and just couldn’t adapt.
Fortunately, Berry’s were looking for a driver at the time so that’s where he ended up for the rest of his working life.
Just a load of rambling sentimental nonsense. Hope you don’t mind.
Cheers. Eddie.
Now eddie, don’t know if George is still going but his lad lives opposite the coop if i see him I’ll ask him.wish my dad was still alive he’d have loved this thread ironically he died in a home on lees lane in appley bridge of altzhiemers just a couple of hundred yards from the quarry entrance where he used to losd 40 years previously for ravenhead in his trader . used to see the kirby brothers regular they always stopped and chatted as i took dad out in his wheelchair great blokes .dave told me a bloke from finches used to park his eight wheeler foden outside the house every night and weekends on the estate no one bothered then think his name was jack cheers jamie
Anyone living in the Upholland area may have seen this rumbling past their front door on the odd occasion. The first wagon I had for Steetley’s. It went like a train…when it went. It had the TL 11 engine in it. Cracking motor, but this one was susceptible to overheating , among other problems.
Now eddie great pic that.it was taken about 100 yrds from where I am sat cheers jamie
Perhaps someone will remember Ron Smith. He only had the one wagon as far as I’m aware, but he kept it smart. I think his yard was in Foundry lane in Highfield, Pemberton, on the old Pemberton colliery site. It would have been somewhere near to where Freddie Brown, of Highfield haulage fame had his place. It could even have been the same yard, but I couldn’t swear to it.
I worked with Ron pulling containers out of Cawood’s terminal at Garston in the 70’s before moving over to the western end of the dock to do the Lancashire flats for Irish Sea Ferries.
Eddie.
i remember max Turner from foundry lane he ran some 6 wheeler tippers cheers jamie
Now eddie there’s a British vehicle day on Sunday at the leyland museum…plenty going cheers jamie
Seeing as how there’s jack on the box, let’s jump start this one again. Geest trailer park, Sutton. St Helens 1970. Setting off for Barry dock. JRT, Tony Burrows’ old motor and mine, 3602 KH. No twist locks, just a cross over the back container. Try getting away with that one nowadays.
Now eddie I’ve just took my daughter to feed dave kirbys horses and they had the fleet lined up in the field and I’d forgot me phone to take a picture. will get a copy of it off dave this week and post it along with some of their routemans if i can cheers jamie
Hiya Jamie, here’s another snap for you mate. You’re familiar with both of these lads. Taken quite recently in Queen St. What was it you said about looking old ?
