Scan from a publicity brochure.
hi nigel, looking at this photo i’m sure the driver is a guy called reg griffin from carlton. his son stuart worked on the plant until he started driving the loading shovel at hov.
nigelhunt:
This is a picture of the first lorry i ever drove on the road with HGVL PLATES,the driver of this lorry was fred smith from lowdham notts.
He came of transport and joined us in mobile plant.He also used to drive the volvo low loader.
cabhappy:
hi nigel, looking at this photo i’m sure the driver is a guy called reg griffin from carlton. his son stuart worked on the plant until he started driving the loading shovel at hov
I vaguely remember Reg, think he used to call at my Dad’s for plants.
Nigel, didn’t Brian Pashley used to drive this one occasionally as well? ISTR him dropping Dad off after work in similar. Think they might have had a Bedford TK before that.
PS, still searching for those pics. Got a scanner working now.
Just read through this thread. Hoveringham is a place i ride through regularly. The offices have completely gone and i think its just flat there now, but i could be wrong, a big mound of rubble was just left there for ages and with going through most days i just forget 
The pit is just full of water but there are still a few warehouses/sheds left.
When i first went that way the place had a strange feel to it. It was very quiet with this huge lake and i got a strange feeling, could tell the place once used to be busy(too young to remember it being a quarry.
If anyone wants some pictures of what its like now then ill take my camera with me next time i go through which will probably be friday now.
Good to see the pictures of how Hoveringham and the other sites used to be. Especially Hoveringham with it being a place i regularly go through. 
Yeah stick them on here Joe, sure there will be plenty of interest.
Agreed ! I’d love to see a few pics of how the place is now ! The last time I was out that way was when I took a detour on my way back from the Belvoir show a few years back and I did it specifically just to take a few pics of the few remaining wagons that used the place as a base.
While I was there, I had a good look at the sixties style of the offices and was awed by them. Might have been a lump of ugly concrete to an ordinary Joe (no pun intended ! 
) but to me with all the years of heritage and old wagons that had passed by, I was getting all misty eyed about the place ! 
Be really sad to see it all razed to the ground and I’m guessing the weighbridge has gone too.
Oh well, that’s progress for you. 
I’d appreciate that too, Joe. I was sent a pic of the old weighbridge after demolition of the offices, think by Nigel, but unfortunately can’t find it now. Regarding noise, if the wind was in the right direction you could hear the plant working from Thurgarton village, where I lived; in fact in later years the residents of the posh new housing estate complained bitterly about the reversing bleepers on the FLT’s in Marshalls (formerly Trent concrete) and succeeded in curtailing their working hours. Obviously none of them worked there, stuck-up ■■■■■■■■■
The pond outside the offices was originally a gravel pit of course; later, Hoveringham landscaped it and stocked it with rainbow trout. Those employees who were “in the know” soon cottoned on to the fact that the trout were fed on pellets when they were young and could still be coaxed to the surface (and into a convenient landing net!) by a mixed handful of breadcrumbs and small gravel.
Out of interest, Joe, many of the fields behind the works (down by Conygreve Farm) were also gravel pits, and when exhausted were backfilled with flyash which was pumped as slurry from Staythorpe power station; cattle now graze on them. Hoveringham were pioneers in industrial reclamation and won many awards for it; another legacy of theirs is the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont, near Nottingham, also a gravel pit to begin with.
gnasty gnome:
Out of interest, Joe, many of the fields behind the works (down by Conygreve Farm) were also gravel pits, and when exhausted were backfilled with flyash which was pumped as slurry from Staythorpe power station; cattle now graze on them. Hoveringham were pioneers in industrial reclamation and won many awards for it; another legacy of theirs is the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont, near Nottingham, also a gravel pit to begin with.
Well theres something i never knew!
Ill be down on Friday all being well, theres a road that goes off from the road which takes you to caythorpe/back to the A612 and where im guessing was a way to the gravel pits themself. As you come away from the A612 it goes left just after the offices.
Thats the way im going to go and ill see what things i can find/where i think things were.
From looking on maps there are alot of lakes around there, which i take were all the old gravel pits?
please see link/ thread Hoveringhams east london quarry and photos posted by lillydragon aka Bob Santry
The picture with the three Fodens loaded with coal is at High Moor colliery near Killamarsh on route to Staythorpe power station, the driver in the front one (AAL 719H) is Tom Brailsford now in his eighties, the one behind was driven by George Butler, sadly no longer with us and the one on the weighbridge (BRR 181H) was diven by Ron (Taff) Taylor.
Found this in one of my books
D Series Ford
TARMAC:
nigelhunt:
Just a couple for bonkey.
This one brings back memories ! This was the tow truck based at Old Cliffe Hill Quarry, Markfield in Leicestershire, it moved up here from Hoveringham in 1987, and is photographed outside the Cliffe Hill transport workshops, and was in everyday use until about 1990 when the company owned fleet was pensioned off, and all Tarmac lorries became owner drivers. It was then purchased by one of the Cliffe Hill drivers who restored lorries, and for many years later could be seen from the M1 Junc 22 when traveling North (where the last photo was taken) awaiting restoration, it may still be there, as I have not been there for many years (I’ll find out …)
it’s still there dennis moulding ownes it. it’s not being restored think he bought it for sentimentle values it needs a lot of work tarmac took it off the road because the gearbox faild cracking the gearbox casing and over the winter winter wile waiting for repair the engine froze up cracking the block it’s such a shame would love to see it restored!
before it became a wreaker truck it was a tipper (reg number BJU 689B) run by the late reg hoggar (steve hoggars dad) before being converted the reason it became a Q plate along with a few others was because the log books got lost so the re-registerd them
the reason
hello nigel i used to work with my father for hoveringham gravel in tarvin quarry beeston cheshire the fleet was made up of leyland comets albion reiver 29ts 2 scammell routemen 6 foden s39 & later on s8os mark morgans re john pearsons s21 worked all its term outof elvaston quarry in leicester never at beeston mydad & i 25 years untill tarmac took over moved the fleet of haulmasters out made everybody redundant & closed beeston down Mr Needler would never have sanctioned any of it
No doubt you will have seen this one many times before but its still worth another look.Saw it yesterday at the Scorton vintage fayre nr Garstang and its a credit to the owner who I believe comes from the Blackburn area.
JOHN.
Many thanks to you all,for the information about HOVERINGHAM GRAVEL.
At this moment in time we are undergoing major restorations with my house,and i am finding it hard to
persue my interest as my computer and printer are packed away.Hoping to be back soon and thanks for
keeping this thread alive.
After being laid-up with gearbox problems - the Pearson’s Foden S21 was back in fine form over the weekend at Bloxham…
Hiya Everyone
As I did not realise this site existed till yesterday it came as a very pleasant surprise that it does My Name is Dave Weston and I used to work as Mechanic the Workshop Foreman at Reading (Pingewood) and latterly Bray quarries all at Hovvys used to know me as Ducky Dave, and I wonder is there anyone on this site that remembers me, I actually worked there from 1969 till 1976 some great times.
The Pictures of the Scania at Reading is one of the ones I remember fondly because it was a sister one I did my HGV training in alongside Vic Skelton the then Foreman Driver at Reading.
So Much I remember so If anyone would like to get in touch contact me via this site
Oh and by the way I am still in touch with Johnny Hard who was the southern region transport man
Hi Ducky Dave, im Littlerichard the son of Johnny Hard. Hope you enjoyed the pictures of the Scanias at Reading and the Fodens that were based at Colchester i dont have anymore pictures but i hope you have some and maybe could post them on here.
Hiya Richard
Thanks for the reply good to hear news from you I am afraid all of my pics of that period are gone I’m afraid but I still have so many memories of some good times Give my best wishes to Dad He REALLY was on of the Nicest bosses I ever worked for a really lovely man if you have any pics of dad around the era of the 70’s I would appreciate seeing them too could you send to
Dave Weston in Cornwall
Hi All,
Im still looking for info regarding my ex- Hoveringham Foden S39 AAL712H that is currently under restoration. The majority of the chassis is now back together and the axles are now back in.
If anyone could help me with some pictures or information it would be great. ashley.pearson@btinternet.com