Nmp. Three pictures of Bosman Volvos. Nice distinctive colour scheme. Always looked tidy.
Great pics there Sandway - I thought that Derek Linch had ceased trading a few years ago, must be up & running again I guess.
And, the Bosman FH coming down the hill at Lydden towards Paddock Bend - now that brings back some memories for me. I held the lap record at Lydden for a while in the 350cc Production Bike class, riding a Yamaha Rd 350 ypvs - a long time ago…
sandway:
Paul Willis provided me with some great photos for the Promotor thread recently. I understand Paul works for Derek Linch Transport based down on the flatlands near the coast. Hope you don’t mind me posting some photos of that company here Paul. Must say the lorries do look smart and colourful and I see the boss has been spending a bit of money on distinctive number plates as well as on a new Scannia.
…and 1 of the Volvo’s has an Atkinson Silver Knight on its grille.
David
kmills:
Great pics there Sandway - I thought that Derek Linch had ceased trading a few years ago, must be up & running again I guess.
And, the Bosman FH coming down the hill at Lydden towards Paddock Bend - now that brings back some memories for me. I held the lap record at Lydden for a while in the 350cc Production Bike class, riding a Yamaha Rd 350 ypvs - a long time ago…
And another photo of a parade lap at Lydden. Not going as fast as you were though. Sounds like you had a good time. I used to go down there late 60’s I think. Believe John Taylor was driving a Haynes of Maidstone Ford at that time. All a long time ago.
Four more photos of Bosman Volvos courtesy of Ashleigh Pike on Kent Hauliers & Drivers Facebook page.
5thwheel:
…and 1 of the Volvo’s has an Atkinson Silver Knight on its grille.David
Thus doubling its value? 
Another Ashleigh Pike photo.
Whilst working for Mitchell & Robertson in the early 70’s we were often in Pattenden Lane, Marden and would see one or two of the G G Tomkinson lorries at their depot there. I was always impressed by them. A clean and modern fleet working for ICI at Yalding amongst others. I didn’t see them on the road a lot as much of my work in the early 70’s involved night work and their’s didn’t.
The attached photo shows one of their rigs looking very smart.
Is it my eyes or are those pallets being transported on top of the unit! Yes, you’re right it is my eyes. You have to look twice though.
Another fine image thanks to Ashleigh Pike.
Photos courtesy, once again, of Ashleigh Pike.
Coulling Bros loomed large in my teens. After leaving school in Lenham I worked in Harrietsham and in between those villages and my home were the haulage fleets of Marley, whom my brother worked for as a driver, Lenham Storage, where I had friends working and Coulling Brothers.
One of the Coulling brothers had a nice house built in Harrietsham in the early 60’s. The new house was one street away from where ■■■■ Phebey, one of their most notorious drivers lived. ■■■■ allegedly wrote of more lorries than any other driver employed by them. Coulling Brothers bought an old ex-army lorry after the war and grafted away building up the business through the 50’s. Later their main customer was the Spun concrete pipes factory on the way to Canterbury. I worked in the Marley Foam factory for a year and would often see one of their trailers parked up at the back by the loading bay.
Coulling Brothers yard was on a small rural crossroad and was not the most salubrious of places with a few sheds at the back. It was near the villages of Platts Heath and “Sandway”.
Nmp. Coulling Bros in foggy conditions.
Early days in the ‘Lenham Storage’ story. Early 50’s at a guess as Tubby Tolhurst was building up his business.
Tom Johnston livestock haulier from Maidstone so it says on the door. Looks to me like this time he’s loaded with Kent peg tiles. Anyone know anything about him?
sandway:
Tom Johnston livestock haulier from Maidstone so it says on the door. Looks to me like this time he’s loaded with Kent peg tiles. Anyone know anything about him?
Yes, Tom Johnston ran livestock transporters from Detling from the 1940s with a mixed fleet of AECs, Commers, ERFs etc. Vintage Roadscene recently brought out a special booklet in their Road Haulage Archive series called ‘A Life With Lorries’ by Neil Johnston, who gets to a lot of the truck shows and events and is a keen modeller. Much of the company’s history is outlined in there, along with lots of pictures! Robert
ERF-NGC-European:
sandway:
Tom Johnston livestock haulier from Maidstone so it says on the door. Looks to me like this time he’s loaded with Kent peg tiles. Anyone know anything about him?Yes, Tom Johnston ran livestock transporters from Detling from the 1940s with a mixed fleet of AECs, Commers, ERFs etc. Vintage Roadscene recently brought out a special booklet in their Road Haulage Archive series called ‘A Life With Lorries’ by Neil Johnston, who gets to a lot of the truck shows and events and is a keen modeller. Much of the company’s history is outlined in there, along with lots of pictures! Robert
Morning Robert. I think there may be a bit of confusion here. I always thought the Kent livestock company up at Detling above Maidstone was D A Johnson. The photo I posted yesterday was of Tom Johnston, different spelling, but also from Maidstone.
I remember seeing Johnsons lorries in the late 50’s and they were livestock hauliers but the attached photo of RKE 110G, an Atki Highline with 180 Gardner engine has Fuels written on the side of the door. Nothing strange about that of course, hauliers had to diversify with as wide a customer base as possible as most did. I have also posted a second photo of RKE 110G after it had been acquired by Lock of Headcorn and the front windscreen had been changed and a sleeper pod added. By 1977 this lorry was in the hands of Alan Butcher who ran Invicta Transport based at the end of Hart Street in Maidstone and I drove it for Alan on a Wim Voss contract for three months to the Benelux countries. Not one of my better experiences.
sandway:
ERF-NGC-European:
sandway:
Tom Johnston livestock haulier from Maidstone so it says on the door. Looks to me like this time he’s loaded with Kent peg tiles. Anyone know anything about him?Yes, Tom Johnston ran livestock transporters from Detling from the 1940s with a mixed fleet of AECs, Commers, ERFs etc. Vintage Roadscene recently brought out a special booklet in their Road Haulage Archive series called ‘A Life With Lorries’ by Neil Johnston, who gets to a lot of the truck shows and events and is a keen modeller. Much of the company’s history is outlined in there, along with lots of pictures! Robert
Morning Robert. I think there may be a bit of confusion here. I always thought the Kent livestock company up at Detling above Maidstone was D A Johnson. The photo I posted yesterday was of Tom Johnston, different spelling, but also from Maidstone.
I remember seeing Johnsons lorries in the late 50’s and they were livestock hauliers but the attached photo of RKE 110G, an Atki Highline with 180 Gardner engine has Fuels written on the side of the door. Nothing strange about that of course, hauliers had to diversify with as wide a customer base as possible as most did. I have also posted a second photo of RKE 110G after it had been acquired by Lock of Headcorn and the front windscreen had been changed and a sleeper pod added. By 1977 this lorry was in the hands of Alan Butcher who ran Invicta Transport based at the end of Hart Street in Maidstone and I drove it for Alan on a Wim Voss contract for three months to the Benelux countries. Not one of my better experiences.
Deffo Tom Johnston: there’s a whole section of the book on it! Robert
Well thats answered my question re Tom Johnston Robert. So any info on D A Johnson anyone.
I have attached a photo of one of Woodies old uns. When I worked for Mitchell and Robertson we subbed a fair bit of work off them when our own work dried up but this lorry was around a bit before then.
