F110 GKL fleet no 11 Paddock Wood based motor new to Brian Penfold,seen here with a new tandem axle fridge van that we got our hands on it before the sign writer got it a very rare instance,Jack most probably didnt know about this i suspect.
H73 CKM ERF E14 fleet no 73 this was a typical maximum wieght artic the company was running it was fitted with the 365 ■■■■■■■ engine,coupled to a rear steering triaxle gray adams fridge boxand typically used on rdc deliveries of fresh produce to the likes of tescos,sainsburys,adsas and waitrose.
G280 OKO fleet no 28 was the first ERF E14 full sleeper purchased by the company, it would have also been the 20th ERF E series purchased (the 19 before this all had the rest cab fitted ie fold down bunk in cab).
Seen here parked in the new lorry park at Paddock Wood it had the 320 ■■■■■■■ engine with the eaton twin splitter and was always a Paddock Wood based motor.
The ERF E series was the most popular model of ERFS purchased the company and ran a total of 31 of these,after purchasing G280 OKO the rest of the E series would all have been full sleeper cab versions with the exception of F511 VEG a second hand purchase which had the rest cab fitted.
TKR 670X fleet no 67 this Seddon Atkinson 300 6 wheeler was based down in Hersden just the other side of Canterbury.
The company had an East Kent depot for many years the first one down at Nickle Farm at Chartham on the Ashford to Canterbury road,but after Jack had a falling out with the farmer Pip Arnold he had to find another depot and no longer carried their fruit.
Both East Kent depots had the same manager a chap called John Roberts but no matter what job they undertook it had to be notified to the main traffic office at Paddock Wood.
There was only 6 or 7 vehicles based at the East kent depot all would have been maximum weight artics with the exception of a rigid vehicle which would be used for collecting direct from farms for consolidation or onward delivery.
TKR 670X seen here whilst up at Paddock Wood depot.
During the early and mid ‘70s the Henley fleet was far more dependent on smaller vehicles with probably about 65% not being maximum weight artics. There was quite a significant number of 16ton four wheelers and roughly half a dozen each of six wheelers and 24 ton artics. I believe that Chartham depot (Nickle Farm) had one Marshall six wheeler (Tim somebody) a couple of AEC four wheelers, one Mercury artic, Dennis Mills’ ERF Lorry and trailer, Bert Willis’ ERF artic and another ERF artic.
While on the whole one could say that Roy Hook and Frank Martin were liked and Jack respected and perhaps (begrudgingly by some) admired, the same could not be said about John Roberts, very few seemed to have a good word to say about him. This was probably because he just didn’t seem to inspire confidence in his ability to do the job, whereas everyone knew that Roy Hook knew his onions, (pun intended) and Jack his customers and his business, inside out.
It was said that being a supplier to Jack was ‘an experience’ - he drove a hard but very fair bargain, would be on your case if things weren’t right, but he came back time and again if you were up to scratch,and most importantly the deal was for immediate payment, by at the latest return of post, less 1 or 2 percent for that very useful concession.
There was always the feeling that Henley’s was based on very strong foundations.
I always beleived that with john roberts at Hersden the only thing that kept him in his job was the relationship he had with the east kent farmers,it was a relationship that was even admired by the likes of Jack and Roy but they never mentioned it in public.
I can recall once during a management meeting Jack had to get John Roberts on the phone and it normally took John a long time to answer the phone as he would be down the warehouse out in the yard in the drivers mess room or on the toilet,Jack had thephone on hands free whilst ringing out and was saying to the rest of us yes with Roberts you have to talk to him as if hes a dog,John Roberts on this occasion answered the phone straight away and heard Jacks comment and he done no more than just started doing his impression of a dog barking!we were al in fits of laughter including Jack.
With Hersden depot being a small operation with a lot of spare time on his hands John Roberts would always be on walkabout and seldom at his desk,during the time i knew John he was in his fifties short and very overweight and it was always funny when i would ring the depot and John would have t run from wherever he was to answer the phone and he would be totally out of breath,once thephone conversation had ended i would give it 2 or 3 minutes and ring John back,once again he would run to the phone wherever he had gone back to,i would then say sorry John wrong number put the phone down and lauh my socks off!
Man B170 YKK seen here on the m4,the company was to run 11 units of this particular model in 6 x 2 form.
When the increased weights were introduced the company chose to run 6 x 2 tractors with tandem axle trailers as the norm even though the company did have a couple boalloy insuliners triaxle trailers.
In the last few years maximum weight tractors were Erf or Man,Jacks opinion of the Mans was that they were the best of the foreign crap but he still ran 32 of them!
I can recall a conversation with a chap called Mike Jefferies several years ago who i met after the company had been sold to the other lot,Mike was an ex salesman who sold Jack many Atkinsons and many Seddon Atkinsons.
Once the deal had been done with Jack there was always a cheque for Mike to take away for the full amount and could be banked straight away,Mike said i could always rely on selling Jack Henley a lorry or two and always coming away with the cheque.
It wasnt unusual for Mike to deliver the vehicles himself to the company but with MLL 570L the Atkinson 8 wheeler flat with 30ft flat body Jack didnt trust Mike to deliver that so the transport manager Roy Hook was despatched to bring it home.
I don’t even remember Jack having many demonstrators, we always had demos at Teynham. I suppose he must have tried new stuff from time to time.
well certainly in the last 11 years of the company i was employed there i can only ever recall straight off a couple of demos.
both demos were Erf e series tractor units but at the time we were already running several e series units,the demos were an e14 with 365 ■■■■■■■ and an e12 with a perkins (i think).
there was definately no volvo ,scania or mercedes demos in my time.
Seddon Atkinson 401 XKJ 490X Rochdale based vehicle parked up in the old trailer park in Paddock Wood,seen here coupled up to a plain blue trailer not sure about the trailer because we never normally rented any trailers with the exception of extra fridge boxes in the run up towards christmas.
XKJ 490X was one of 5 Seddon Atkinson tractors that was converted to 6 x 2.
Another Seddon Atkinson 401 that was also converted to 6x2 MOW 302Y,this was the only Seddon Atkinson 401 in the the fleet with the 300 Gardner engine and the only other vehicle in the fleet with the 300 gardner was the only Erf C series sleeper cab GKR 310Y, the Erf was also converted to 6 x 2 by ERF themselves and was kept by ERF for about 6 months after the conversion for various trials.
MOW 302Y seen here parked in Hop Pocket Lane in Paddock Wood coupled to a Crane Fruehauf Boalloy Insuliner,chances are this outfit would have been delivering produce to Waitrose at Bracknell,as they were the first supermarket to require chilled produce deliveries.
Paddock Wood based man the late Derek Wells had this unit from new and was no stranger to doing continental runs in it,the majority of these would have been out to Spain.
The company also used to run a lot of AECS right across the range has anybody got any photos of Henley transport AECS they can post please?
A shot taken in the old Scats site at Paddock Wood before it was redeveloped into the new lorry park.Fleet no 20 C200 VDO new to Paddock Wood based driver Jim Wakefield,seen here coupled to a Louis Reece tautliner another on of the members of the Foreign and Home Roadways consortium.
Jim always done a first class job and always kept the motor immaculate but he left the company to become an owner driver for a few years,then after that became transport manager at S & S Services at Tonbridge then after that i think he done a stint at Staplehurst Transits in the office,havent anything of Jim for a long time but hope hes doing ok another one of the good old Henley boys.
TKR 540X fleet no 54 this was the last ERF B series purchased by the company,this one as like most of the rest was powered by the 240 Gardner engine.
There was a total of 19 B series in the fleet all had the 240 Gardner with the exception of MKO 480W this was powered by a 265 rolls transmatic,only 1 other 265 rolls appeared in the fleet which was in a Seddon Atkinson 401 UKO 440X.
540X was new to Paddock Wood based driver George Waghorn a truly top bloke who would do anything for the company or for any of his work colleagues,George was none to happy doing the supermarket work where you had to chase like hell as you often left the customes late due to them still packing the produce and we were on tight deadlines,but he was always happy on any general haulage work we had especially if it meant pulling the last flat trailer and roping and sheeting in any weather especially on hops.
Two early 38 ton tractor units Seddon Atkinson 401 and the Man 16.321 these were two of the 3 units pitched together to see which way the company wanted to go at 38 tonnes operation,the other was the Erf C series tractor GKR 310Y,both the british built tractor units were powered by the 300 gardner engine.
The Man was decided to be the best bet for 38 tonnes operation although the tractor unit FKP 250Y only stayed on the fleet for a total of 16 months as it was traded in against an Man 22.321 6 x 2 tractor unit A130 RKR,this was the third Man ran by the company and as usual its regular driver was the late Richard Harris,his other Man unit prior to 250y was the first Man unit to join the company being FYJ 870V.
The two british units were both converted to 6 x 2,the Seddon Atkinson by primrose and Erf by ERF themselves.
A line up of tractor units taken at Paddock Wood in the hops marketing board yard.
NKN 43P,WKO 72S,CKN400Y,AKK 122T and the Atkinson would have been either SYF 400N or LKO 787P.
At the time this photo was taken NKN 43P would have come back down to Paddock Wood to finish off its days after being replaced by CKN 410Y at the Rochdale depot.
A practice that went on for several years tractor units on trunk between Paddock Wood and Rochdale depot would have been matched up on changeovers ie NKN 42P (PW based) would virtually always switch trailers midway with NKN 43P (Rochdale based) both were ERF B series tractor units with day cabs fited with 240 gardner engines,they were both replaced each end by two ERF C series tractor units at the same time those being CKN 400Y (PW based) and CKN 410Y (Rochdale based)
Mick Gould’s recovery website features a picture thread with a background many should know well.
I believe that I am correct in saying that NKN 42 and 43P were the first two B series ERFs purchased. LKO 787P was also the last new Borderer which became Brian’s on delivery didn’t it? The first Seddon Atkinson 400 reg number escapes me for now, but it may well have been first used by Alec Hay when he moved on from the only ■■■■■■■ powered Borderer on the fleet PLC 6(1?)0 L which was also the only vehicle to have a Jake Brake at the time.
Okk 423p was the first Seddon Atkinson 400 to join the fleet it was the first of a total of 8 400 series,all were powered by the 240 Gardner engine.
Plc 610l was the only Atkinson Borderer with a ■■■■■■■ engine on the fleet and Lko 787p was the Atkinson Borderer and that had a 240 Gardner engine in it.