cav551:
Anyone remember Hall’s (sheds) of Paddock Wood?“If you want a balls-up get a Hall’s hut” was the rather unkind local joke about the company. I think one or other of the Keeves brothers who later drove for Jack Henley had worked there previously.
When I worked for Fred Mumfords we used to deliver Halls sheds all over the country,Also they started to make Large wooden buildings.I remember having to deliver one to Hull think it was to be used as a Post Office… 
Harry Monk:
bobthedog:
Thanks, Harry… Is that Keith Godden in the pilots chair do you know?More pics if you have them please…
It is, unfortunately it is the only Barrio pic I have though.
Just seen this picture. I remember him doing Spain in the early 90s in a 48 Turbostar about when he passed away, he also ran an F12 at the time. Used to get the Santander boat with him sometimes. Lovely bloke.
driverjoe:
Mark R:
The Mercedes wrecker has now ben bought by a friend of mine who intends to restore it back to its original condition. It started out as a 1626 tractor unit and one day will become one again.That’s good as it looked in sad state when i took the photo
Friend of mine as we’ll, hope he gets on with it
re H E Woodcock the driver with the mandator went on to drive with Tomkinsons & now drives for Lenham Storage
Have found this photo of my 1924 merc JOR 820 P after a bad respray
Mark R this might be of interest,was posted on Facebook this evening and all others with an interest in Sittingbourne lorries of time gone by.
I can see:
Wood Teynham flat front Mercedes(Mitchell&Robertson?)
Butler & Coleman x2
Turbostar
A Wood x2
David J Murphy
Eh Nicholls(just)
Kemsley
BOC Transhield
Hammond curtainsider
Enjoy 
Yes, what a great bit of video. I really enjoyed watching that. As well as the firms you mention, there was also an Ash Suppliers Volvo but unfortunately only a brief glimpse from the back. I used to drive in the carnival myself but its just too much aggravation now days. The last one I did was (I think) 2006 and I had to have scaffolding put round the trailer to conform to the health & safety regs. In years gone by we just used to hitch up to a flat trailer or curtainsider and leave it down on the Eurolink or in Milton and let them get on with it. I’d take the unit home and give it an extra polish and go back to the trailer later in the afternoon, by which time it would be fully dressed up.
Happy Days.
Digby used to drive this for Barrio, I think. I used to work with him on EKE of Canterbury. He was a Sittingbourne man and ran his own trucks, tidy Volvo F12 Mark 2 Gob-stoppers - I drove for him once. The A&RJ Woods pic below that: I used to drive those Mercs for them (part-time). Robert
Mark R:
Yes, what a great bit of video. I really enjoyed watching that. As well as the firms you mention, there was also an Ash Suppliers Volvo but unfortunately only a brief glimpse from the back. I used to drive in the carnival myself but its just too much aggravation now days. The last one I did was (I think) 2006 and I had to have scaffolding put round the trailer to conform to the health & safety regs. In years gone by we just used to hitch up to a flat trailer or curtainsider and leave it down on the Eurolink or in Milton and let them get on with it. I’d take the unit home and give it an extra polish and go back to the trailer later in the afternoon, by which time it would be fully dressed up.
Happy Days.
Glad you liked it Mark.Takes us back a bit!
I always remember the A&RJ Wood two tone blue mercedes being a regular in the Carnival,driven with the number plate in cab spelling RON.
That would be the late Ron Reed. He went on Hammonds after Woods and I think may have ended up on Dodds. He passed away several years ago but I still see his son Mark from time to time. He was a carnival regular.
I hope Mark doesn’t mind me putting this photo on here in Rons memory. Not a great picture but better than nothing.
Having had a trawl through the forum, I have found virtually nothing about about G.E. Farrant Transport of Tunbridge Wells. While never working for them I used to get involved with some of the repairs to their very smart fleet of Foden tippers in the 1980s. They had a yard and a rather ramshackle workshop, in North Farm Road. I have vague memories of this workshop still having bits of steam vehicles hanging around. Below is a link to some history of the company. At least one of their vehicles, a six wheeler, survives in preservation. I think this is one of the lightweight Foden “Sixers” made in the late '70s. If it is I remember taking the cab off when it came in for a block and pistons.
Any further memories?
I remember Farrants very well. They had mostly Fodens when I was on the tippers but I do remember a Volvo F7 eight wheeler too (C870 CKE). They also had an ERF almost the same as mine, reg number (F143 EKR). A very nice fleet of tippers.
My first 2033 Merc
DB haulage from Ashford 1625 merc if I remember
Jarvy:
As promised
Hello Jarvy I had a mate who drove for dockspeed a few years ago his name was Bruce was you on there then & do you remember the name? 
MOC:
Jarvy:
One more, Dads is behind this oneGood pics Jarvy, does you Dad know a guy called " Accot" cant remember his christian name,think he still works for David Lumsden and has done for years
That would Ronnie Acot a old school driver worked for all the local firms in his day.
Jonathan Earnshaw:
Hi all. Just came across this forum by chance; what a great nostalgia trip to hear many of the names now sadly gone. I was in the lorry sheet trade from '77 through till '88 and we made mainsheets, flysheets, tipper sheets etc. for a lot of the hauliers through Kent & Sussex and supplied rope and ratchet straps etc. The tarpaulins shown in the pictures of Hammonds, Woodcocks, A&RJ Wood, Firmins, Swains, Francis Davis & Coombe Valley are almost certainly ones that we manufactured. We used to have a van on the road delivering the new sheets & collecting sheets for repair and in my early days I used to drive round to all the yards on a weekly basis. Happy days…Other hauliers that have come to mind that I haven’t seen mentioned (apologies if I’ve missed any) are:Louis Reece - Horsmonden
Turks Transport - Benenden
Underwood Haulage - Lenham (sold out to Yeardsley?)
AA McNaughton - East Malling (What was the name of the other haulier in E Malling just under the bridge next to the station?)
Towmaster - Sheerness
J&L Smith - Larkfield
Dover Stevedoring (I seem to recall these were something to do with George Hammond)
A Wood & Sons - Detling
Home Counties Dairies - Headcorn (became Unigate)
C Foreman & Son - Headcorn
South Eastern District Growers (somewhere in East Kent- maybe someone remembers)More will come to mind I’m sure. Anyone have any memories of these companies and what happened to them? (Maybe some are still operating).
I remember the van coming to coullings yard at lenham many moons ago.
