Saw Johnson’s gritting the lanes where I lived as a young lad. Used to hate cycling on the new chippings though.
I cannot believe ■■■■■ Fleet ever went abroad. Must have been collecting from the docks before it broke down. Only driver I knew on there was Ned Scobie back in the very early 70’s. Anyone know anything of the Crouch wrecker?
The latest edition of the CVRTC news contains a really good article about Arnold Transport of Gravesend.
cav551:
The latest edition of the CVRTC news contains a really good article about Arnold Transport of Gravesend.
Written by a former Arnold’s driver. The CVRTC News is an excellent read. Highly recommended. 
Brian Reeves from Biddenden, Kent. Some more great photos from Paul Willis. Many thanks for sharing them Paul.
I passed by the Coulling Brothers yard often as a lad in the late 50’s and early 60’s. Although they didn’t have a glamorous fleet they always seemed to be up together. However, as can been seen from the attached photos things went downhill as the brothers approached retirement. They could at least have covered up the rust on the bumpers. A sad sight.
It seems Coulling Brothers had a Daf unit, reg S696 KHY. When they packed up the unit was sold to KCS in Sittingbourne who re-registered it P40 KCS.
New owners still didn’t bother repainting the bumper though!
Re: the Coulling Bros thread, Coullings where sold to Town and Country Turf back in the early 2000s, who ran the company into the ground and shut the door in 2008 or 2009, it was a sad day when the company shut as I grew up with them in my life, as my dad was a driver there an they were the company that allowed me to get my hgv licence, the 814 Mercedes Benz was my first lorry.
Joe
Kent ‘Lorry driver of the Year’ competition perhaps. See the W E Reeve driver keeping a close eye on things whilst sitting in his lorry. Interesting that the Reeve lorry is loaded. Was there a separate competition for roping and sheeting?
Good to see early Alan Firmin lorries. Mixed with their drivers a fair bit in the early 70’s when I worked for Mitchell & Robertson but these photos are from much earlier.
sandway:
Good to see early Alan Firmin lorries. Mixed with their drivers a fair bit in the early 70’s when I worked for Mitchell & Robertson but these photos are from much earlier.
Fantastic picture. There used to be many pictures hanging up in the reception at Wares Farm. Putting my sleuth’s hat on I guessing that 5th from Left reads: Alan Firmin, Paul Firmin, Ian Firmin, Eric Crundwell? Percy Wakely and Bob Benstead? Lorries from Right are: Albion (6wheeler AF 4 ?), Foden 8 wheeler AF 66, Atkinson Chinese 6 (AF 106 ?), MkV 8 wheeler AF 105, MK III 8 wheeler AF 57. The rest I can’t identify
Maybe Karl can help? Eddie must be in there somewhere ( between the Atki and the MkV?) as must Bob Willard but I am only going by stance and height
cav551:
sandway:
Good to see early Alan Firmin lorries. Mixed with their drivers a fair bit in the early 70’s when I worked for Mitchell & Robertson but these photos are from much earlier.Fantastic picture. There used to be many pictures hanging up in the reception at Wares Farm. Putting my sleuth’s hat on I guessing that 5th from Left reads: Alan Firmin, Paul Firmin, Ian Firmin, Eric Crundwell? Percy Wakely and Bob Benstead? Lorries from Right are: Albion (6wheeler AF 4 ?), Foden 8 wheeler AF 66, Atkinson Chinese 6 (AF 106 ?), MkV 8 wheeler AF 105, MK III 8 wheeler AF 57. The rest I can’t identify
Maybe Karl can help? Eddie must be in there somewhere ( between the Atki and the MkV?) as must Bob Willard but I am only going by stance and height
The photos are courtesy of Tim Dadson who’s father, I believe, drove for Firmin’s. I have attached the remaining photos. I assume the last one is of members of staff as well as the boss.
Apart from the Firmin family the only person I can positively identify is Percy Wakely (3rd from left front row.) I am pretty certain Eric Crundwell is 3rd from right front row as well. I would not wish to offend anyone by misidentifying their relatives since it is around 50 years since I last saw them, and they were then ‘a few’ years older than in this picture - Ian Firmin would have been in his mis twenties. I have two possibles for Eddie Weiss and also Norman Dadson unless I am mixing him up with his brother (John?). Quite a few in the picture would have been employed on the farm.
I’m fairly confident the chap in the first photo is Paul Willis who has provided many great pics both on here and the Promotor thread.
A photograph has popped up on the Henley
Transport facebook page of the 3rd V8 Mandator
Reg OKL 410G uote=“gingerfold”]
lawrence2765:
gingerfold:
lawrence2765:
gingerfold:
1
02 from Jack Henleys collection.
the artic 12D loaded with hops was the companys first articulated vehicle and was driven by Arthur RiversCorrect, Jack Henley loaned several of his photos for “AEC Lorries in the Post-War Years”
Jack as you know ran 2 V8 Mandators OKK 160F , CGH 420H do you know the registration number of the 3rd one ?
regards Chris
There are three Mandator V8s recorded to Jack Henley, but only two registration numbers were noted in the chassis build records.
VTG4R 031 was OKK 160F (09/05/1968)
VTG4R 032 was ■■? ■■? (10/05/1968)
VTG4R4 360 was CGH 420H (27/03/1969) Note: VTG4R4 is the second series with some design differences from the first series.
[/quote]
sandway:
Looks like this is a photoshoot. Just out of the paint shop perhaps.
This photo does appear in Neil Johnston’s book. It was taken in July 1958. It was the first LAD-cabbed Dodge in Kent, apparently. There is a (non visible) sheepdog keeping the sheep still! Ro
