Joe Priestley.

hate to dig this old post up but did anyone ever find any pics. would love to see some :sunglasses:

Hi everyone .

Just wondering if anyone has any pictures of Joe Priestley Transport Ltd. My dad worked for them for over 30 years, they were part of the Cyprien Fox Group, if i remember rightly they had depots in Newton-le-Willows, Leeds, Glasgow, Newport.
They became part of Alltransport International Group and later taken over by Bibbys

My dad worked on there He was the fitter at Tower hill they atkis on the f plates all had zf boxes and 220 they also had some 8 leggers on the pinchin johnson paint contract which were yellow and black with dropside bodies. They were based at Tower Hill next to the Sun Pub by Mint Street which was great for backing into the depot of an evening. They also ran some park royal cab 8-wheel AEC’s and ergo cabbed mercurys. They had a branch up Liverpool which was Priestley’s. They were part of the Clarkson group. After a while Tower Hill shut and my dad went to the old Chobbham farm depot in stratford where they ran a park royal mercury. 2x F reg atkis, a big J with a V6 ■■■■■■■ and a lefthand drive 110 sleeper, which was new at the time. They traded there in the same colours but under the name of All Transport which was agents for Speedex shipping of Ratcliffe Wharf, Stepney. That division finished up at HTS, the other half went to Howe European, Enfield.

Another spin-off was Vulcan freight at Feltham who used to run Trader Luton vans and Transit diesels out to Italy with computer parts. All of these companies were owned by Clarksons, the travel people from Leeds I think. And the MD Cypriens was Mr Len East and John Newton was the transport manager. He said there was a scotch division and a welsh division as well.Howe later were took over by ACH

P.S It was the groupage that went to Howe European and the refridgerated side went to HTS.

Re: Alltransport
Have only just come across this thread but it’s too good an opportunity to miss especially as the information is so accurate and memorable. Firstly, Mrken, I knew your dad as the fitter at Alltransport in Chobham Farm, Stratford. I joined Alltransport in December 1969, my first international driving job. Yes they did have an Atkinson (reg. ULN 569F) and a Guy Big J with a V6 Krupp ■■■■■■■■ and a LHD 110 Scania. The Scania was driven by Chris Owen and the other driver there was Joe Henessey. My first trip to Italy was in the Atki. together with Chris in January 1970, after that I alternated between the Atki and the Guy depending on which was fit to go. After a couple of months at Chobham Farm we were tranfered to Howe Transport at Enfield (where Howe European also operated).
In August 1970 Alltransport sold the 3 tractor units and the ex-Spedex trailers to HTS the 3 fridge trailers went to Grangewood Transport in Deptford, I remember taking a couple there myself. Chris, Joe and myself went together with our Transport Manager Roy Cook and his assistant Bill Highfield to Hiltons. I stayed at Hiltons until April 1973 when they finally ended driver accompanied services to Europe. You mention the computer handling division which was indeed transfered to Feltham I am sure you will remember Malcolm Hobdale. I am very grateful to Malcolm as he give me my first international driving job. Thanks for the thread Its great to see something on TruckNet that I can directly relate to.
Please let me know if you have any old photos or memorabilia from Alltransport/ Spedex as I have nothing from this time.
Best regards

Hi Ken

Yeah you are right! My Dad always mentioned you. If remember rightly, I was only about 10 yrs at the time, Malcom Hobdale had an aubergine coloured Capri, the girl in the office was Eve and there was another driver Alfie Ball - I think! Chris Owen worked for us up until we packed up in 2004 on our draw bar, last heard he was working on Containerships. Joe Hennessy boys, I see from time to time and I will look for some phots, I sure we have some somewhere. When they finished operating at Chobbham Farm, Dad went to Vulcan freight at Feltham, where they started all transport, international computer transport and they were sending transit diesels and Ford traders and D series to France and Italy. Sadly I cannot find out much more at present, as Dad died last month at 84 yrs, so he had a good run! Glad to know you are still about
MrKen

Thanks for acknowledging my post. Sorry about your dad, please accept my condolences.
If I remember correctly didn’t you have a firm called Elstrans or similar I seem to remember you had a yard near Stratford Bridge and then moved out to Chadwell St. Mary and your trucks were always immaculate. Hope I got this right!
All the best for now.
Ken
ps Do you still have contact with Chris?

I think I may have answered this one before but my dad was Chris Owen. That Scania was like family;)

Hi Justin, I’m glad to have known and worked with your dad, I learnt a lot from him. We kept in touch on and off in the years after Alltransport and HTS. Best regards
Ken Davies

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Hi Ken, thanks so much for sending a reply and the message. I remember your name and I am sure at some point we must have met. Do you have any old photos by chance? Best Justin

Hi Ken, was it this draw bar Daf?