I wrote some lines a few years ago about my father Wally Lee who worked for Lameys in the 60’s / 70’s. Sadly he died about five years ago so I thought I’d put down a few more memories of Lameys and some of the people who worked there.
The firm was owned and run by three brothers: Bill, Sid and Ted. Can’t remember Bill because he died of a heart attack when I was quite young. Sid had really bad arthritis - we used to go out on his boat (when it was built my father fitted the air cooled Lister) quite often but he was another who died young. Ted for some reason spoke with a bit of a ‘plum in his mouth’ and appeared a rather forbidding figure.
In the office worked Bertie Smale, transport manager and my auntie Jean who was the book keeper and outside in the yard was Bert Whitear the foreman, Dickie Keen (who I think had been a driver but just helped out with various bits and pieces). Another guy called Noel drove the forklift and in the workshop - which had room for two wagons - worked my father and Cary Evans - who I bump into from time to time.
Some of the drivers I remember were Jock Perry, Jock McArthur, Alistair Mowatt and George Harman (who’s photo’s are on this site) who went to work for Shell (?).
Apart from the elderly forklift there was an even older crane which I assume was used to unload fertiliser from boats which were ■■■■■■■ alongside the wharf at the bottom on the yard. Think that might’ve finished by the time I started remembering things.
Something I do remember though is being driven with my dad in Ted’s Jag (Gold 3.8S 101 HBH) to collect their first AEC from the suppliers in Exeter. It was a brand new ‘F’ reg six wheeler which had a high sided wooden body ( later replaced); must’ve impressed me because I particularly remember the large window opening and closing handle.
Getting back to the Jag dad had previously gone through the windscreen when being driven to a breakdown by Bertie Smale; went underneath the side of a Bedford TK tipper apparently.
During the school holidays I often went out on breakdowns with dad (Bedford CA van) who always knew where to get to buy the best sausage rolls and pasties. I got to know some of the roads in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset quite well especially the old A361 which was the main road into North Devon. Getting even as far as Taunton took ages: from Appledore to Northam was almost a country lane, then into Bideford and across the old Bridge, Barnstaple, South Molton, Bampton, Wiveliscombe, Milverton (with very sharp corner) and Taunton (I remember we would often stop at a transport café at Hillcommon just beforehand). We would usually be in an AEC - whether rigid or artic - although I liked the Commers TS3’s.
Driving along it from time to time these days it’s fairly quiet - although still quite spectacular - and when I come to one of a number of stretches of road I think, ‘Did dad really overtake here?’.
My father left Lameys in the mid 70’s and started up as an owner driver with a series of D Series box wagons which although weren’t that exciting were reliable. His final vehicle was a Dodge with a Perkins 6354 which never went wrong either.
Happy days!
