Rochdale based KKJ 27V seen in Paddock Wood
Thanks gents, I have found this thread fascinating, as a kid I had a affection for Lorries ( I hate calling them trucks) and indeed from the age of 19-30 spent time driving vans then lorries, in the early 80,s I had a regular van round throughout Kent and deliberately used to go past Henleys Spelmendon yard just so I. Cd see their vehicles, I also used to go out in John Jempsons as a kid, Thames Traders, then Albion, and finally AEC, when I passed HGV I drove Leyland Lynx’s for a Chicken Company before driving Wincanton Milk Tankers for 8 or so years, I have long left the industry, but still love old trucks and this thread on here has been one of the best for me.
12D the firms first artic an AEC Mercury.
Seen here leaving the top yard at Spelmonden nr Goudhurst with a load of hops on,
driven by Arthur Rivers.
Photo courtesy of Jack Henley.
That reg number 12D is still in use on a private vehicle.
12D is still in Jack Henleys ownership at one time it was on his late wifes car a Merc 190.
Sad news to report again I am afraid to say.
I have just found out that Jack Henleys longest serving employee has passed away, his name was Bryan Gibson known as Lofty.
Bryan worked for the company in the early days as a driver and ended up in the workshop he was still there at the end when Jack sold out to wrm.
Many people would have known Lofty by site as he spent many years taking. jacks vintage lorries to many rallies mainly the old ERF ema876.
Thoughts are with his family at this sad time.
I used to drive for KRAFT HUMKO Trafford Park and deliver into Henley’s Ensor Mill Rochdale late 1970s early 1980s, an art reversing downhill inside the mill. Not an easy task with a j series ERF or Atki Borderer. Most days the Rochdale drivers would load up at HUMKO main plant and also collect from Manchester Haulage and warehousing near Trafford swing Bridge.
lawrence2765:
Sad news to report again I am afraid to say.
I have just found out that Jack Henleys longest serving employee has passed away, his name was Bryan Gibson known as Lofty.
Bryan worked for the company in the early days as a driver and ended up in the workshop he was still there at the end when Jack sold out to wrm.
Many people would have known Lofty by site as he spent many years taking. jacks vintage lorries to many rallies mainly the old ERF ema876.
Thoughts are with his family at this sad time.
Sad news indeed, are any funeral details known or has this already taken place?
Lofty was the first person I met when starting off at Henley’s and the first impression that he was the friendliest and nicest of men held true always. I don’t think I can ever remember seeing him not wearing a tie or without his cap. He was also old-school polite, Father (Percy) or Mother would always be greeted by a touch of the cap, as would be Jack as an indication that his instructions were understood, or the same to any visitor to the yard. Just occasionally you would here a comment from Sooty that Lofty’s socks were on fire again as he rushed around on some errand for Jack. In my time Lofty was regarded perhaps unofficially as foreman driver, if there was a Tyler boat to be loaded then it would normally be Bryan who loaded it. He and Sooty (Gordon Taylor)were then what we called the Goudhurst shunters although the title was used not in the more modern sense, he would load lorries for some of the early starting drivers; doing this many, many times for me. There would always be a neatly written note in the cab with some comment about the load and a message of good luck. Since he knew all of the market deliveries there would never be any issue with drops having been loaded in the wrong order. It went as far as having Covent Garden, Spitalfields or The Borough stands loaded in the easiest way to get them off too. ‘Loft’ was also normally the one who had the somewhat dubious privilege of going out in the Matador to recover some ailing or bent wagon from the far reaches of the country, normally at very short notice.
Oh dear, we are getting fewer and fewer from those days.
Another one of Lofty behind the wheel of CKN 400Y.
In this weeks courier it states that funeral arrangements are to be advised.
In this weeks courier it states that funeral arrangements are to be advised.
Hello everyone, I’m Lofty’s eldest son, Robert.
I’ve only just discovered this site and was amazed to find so much discussion about Henley transport, and the kind words about my dad. The comment about “Loft’y socks being on fire again” really made me chuckle. As I read it I could hear Sooty Taylor’s voice saying it. I know Sooty very well. Not only did dad and Soot go back a long way, he’s also my wife’s uncle!
Dad passed away on the 17th of May in St Thomas’ hospital, London. He was 81. There will be a funeral service at Tunbridge Wells crematorium, but I can’t give any more details as we are waiting on the coroner’s office to release certain paperwork.
Regards,
Rob Gibson.
G0UOO:
Hello everyone, I’m Lofty’s eldest son, Robert.I’ve only just discovered this site and was amazed to find so much discussion about Henley transport, and the kind words about my dad. The comment about “Loft’y socks being on fire again” really made me chuckle. As I read it I could hear Sooty Taylor’s voice saying it. I know Sooty very well. Not only did dad and Soot go back a long way, he’s also my wife’s uncle!
Dad passed away on the 17th of May in St Thomas’ hospital, London. He was 81. There will be a funeral service at Tunbridge Wells crematorium, but I can’t give any more details as we are waiting on the coroner’s office to release certain paperwork.
Regards,
Rob Gibson.
Hello Rob,
have sent you a private message.
regards Chris Lawrence
Lofty’s funeral will be at the Tunbridge Wells Cemetery Chapel (same place, but not the crematorium itself). Friday, 12 June at 11am.
There will be an announcement in the Kent and Sussex Courier.
Rob Gibson.
Sorry, that should be 11.30am.
Wrong time again!
12.30pm at the cemetery chapel.
lawrence2765:
Erf E6 4 wheeler with a Boalloy Insuliner body,this was the second Erf E6 purchased by the company.
It was used for collecting from local farms for onward transhipment onto the artic fleet,then come late afternon early evening it would do a delivery to a local rdc possibly Sainsburys at Allington,Charlton or Hackbridge or to Tesco at snodland.
This was allocated to Dave Palmer from Spelmonden (Goudhurst depot) whose previous vehicle was a 7.5t Ford Cargo,Dave was specifically put through his hgv test for this vehicle,its reg was E330 WKP and was fleet no 33.
The photo was taken on the Paddock Wood distribution centre where over the years the company had many customers based on here,the likes of Del Monte,Pascual Fruit Imporers,Bryboard and compagnie fruitiere.0
I worked for Henley’s for a short time. Roy Hook took me on in September 1990. I had only passed my HGV licence 1 month before. I was given E330 as my first vehicle which I drove for a month until a new driver was taken on and it was taken from me!
GKL 255V an East Kent based motor seen here tipping /loading with Alpha haulage of Sittingbourne
night man Malcolm Hobbs parked up taking his time off somewhere.
Whenever possible we always tried to keep the Henley units on the the Henley trailers and the Mack units on the Mack (our main customer) trailers but it didn’t always work