Dieseldogsix:
What’s the story behind the wreck, hope the driver was ok.
Hello, dieseldogsix, I can’t tell you much above the crash only that it was before my time a lathams, the driver was Ramon Waddington,who is still around. He was based at Preston after recovering from the crash ended up on trunk out of Preston Ray’s partner was John Kirkby they had one of the 2, 8 cylinder 240 Atki’s GHP668L and the other GHP667L was based out of Coventry the driver there was Alf Fletcher. The company also had some more but with 180 Gardners, one out of Coventry driven by Brian Evans, ther was quite a few Guy big Js which went to Ramsgate, I remember Tony Smith, and Ike,sorry the old grey matter is running out, but all these lads worked hard and there was good competion to be the high earner. The body kits were made by Municiple trailers of Bamber Bridge, Preston. They were all back lowders,and quicker to load than the ERFs and Foden, which had carrimore bodykits all with York big D 5th wheel couplings one had to drive through the bottom of the trailer up and on to the top deck of the rigid, then you would pull up the lever and the top deck raised up level with the top deck of the trailer and we would reverse over on to the trailer. Lathams was a good place to work.I will show Ray your coments. regards h186j
I’ve worked with Alf Fletcher and Brian Evans, Joe Lomas, and Johnny Frankton was a good family friend, but I’m not sure if he worked for Lathams.
Dieseldogsix:
What’s the story behind the wreck, hope the driver was ok.
Hello, dieseldogsix, I can’t tell you much above the crash only that it was before my time a lathams, the driver was Ramon Waddington,who is still around. He was based at Preston after recovering from the crash ended up on trunk out of Preston Ray’s partner was John Kirkby they had one of the 2, 8 cylinder 240 Atki’s GHP668L and the other GHP667L was based out of Coventry the driver there was Alf Fletcher. The company also had some more but with 180 Gardners, one out of Coventry driven by Brian Evans, ther was quite a few Guy big Js which went to Ramsgate, I remember Tony Smith, and Ike,sorry the old grey matter is running out, but all these lads worked hard and there was good competion to be the high earner. The body kits were made by Municiple trailers of Bamber Bridge, Preston. They were all back lowders,and quicker to load than the ERFs and Foden, which had carrimore bodykits all with York big D 5th wheel couplings one had to drive through the bottom of the trailer up and on to the top deck of the rigid, then you would pull up the lever and the top deck raised up level with the top deck of the trailer and we would reverse over on to the trailer. Lathams was a good place to work.I will show Ray your coments. regards h186j
I’ve worked with Alf Fletcher and Brian Evans, Joe Lomas, and Johnny Frankton was a good family friend, but I’m not sure if he worked for Lathams.
joe Lomas is still driving car transporters just spoken to my brother on the phone he was saying Jonny frankton did drive for lathams he drove on days the same foden as our dad Stan Druse drove on nights
Dieseldogsix:
What’s the story behind the wreck, hope the driver was ok.
Hello, dieseldogsix, I can’t tell you much above the crash only that it was before my time a lathams, the driver was Ramon Waddington,who is still around. He was based at Preston after recovering from the crash ended up on trunk out of Preston Ray’s partner was John Kirkby they had one of the 2, 8 cylinder 240 Atki’s GHP668L and the other GHP667L was based out of Coventry the driver there was Alf Fletcher. The company also had some more but with 180 Gardners, one out of Coventry driven by Brian Evans, ther was quite a few Guy big Js which went to Ramsgate, I remember Tony Smith, and Ike,sorry the old grey matter is running out, but all these lads worked hard and there was good competion to be the high earner. The body kits were made by Municiple trailers of Bamber Bridge, Preston. They were all back lowders,and quicker to load than the ERFs and Foden, which had carrimore bodykits all with York big D 5th wheel couplings one had to drive through the bottom of the trailer up and on to the top deck of the rigid, then you would pull up the lever and the top deck raised up level with the top deck of the trailer and we would reverse over on to the trailer. Lathams was a good place to work.I will show Ray your coments. regards h186j
I’ve worked with Alf Fletcher and Brian Evans, Joe Lomas, and Johnny Frankton was a good family friend, but I’m not sure if he worked for Lathams.
Here is a few names I remember.
John Frith engineer
Mick Frankton engineer
Ray Waddington
John Kirkby
Freddie Guest
John Lucas (lucy)
Eddie Lane
Bert Tilling
Roy Tilling
Jimmy Tuson
Gordon Farrall
Joe Coppu
Hamilton Jamieson (jamie)
Bill Duncan
Charlie Lakeland manager at Preston
Mike Latham director
Dave Barrows md
Bill Hain manager at Bathgate
Gavin ?..who died in Glasgow.
I’m sure Brian Evans will add the Coventry names
that leave the ramsgate and Cambridge Car lads,
regards
h186j
Not forgetting,
Vin Thompson
Brian Thompson
Colin Percival
The tall bloke in front of the Foden I think was Eddie Lane
regards
h186j
I noticed a mention of Ricky Jones I new him as a driver at Lathams Ellesmere Port on the Vauxhall contract, Ricky had a Scania 80 Hoynor drawbar outfit, (a frame) one of the best drawbar drivers I’ve known. Phil Clibery, Dave Murphy all ex Ellesmere drivers I still see Phil from time to time.
We had 2 Scania drawbars at Preston one driven by Billy Duncan and the other by Vin Thomson, they were brilliant to drive + they had a heater and a radio you could listen to.
Mike Latham had another company Lathams Auto Bulk, traveling to the middle east, drivers Freddie Guest, Tommy Gudeon using Merc 1418, Man diesel 232s it didn’t last maybe Altury 169 would be able to expand on this I have a few photo’s to post later.
Dieseldogsix:
What’s the story behind the wreck, hope the driver was ok.
Hello, dieseldogsix, I can’t tell you much above the crash only that it was before my time a lathams, the driver was Ramon was based at Preston after recovering from the crash ended up on trunk out of Preston Ray’s partner was John Kirkby they had one of the 2, 8 cylinder 240 Atki’s GHP668L and the other GHP667L was based out of Coventry the driver there was Alf Fletcher. The company also had some more but with 180 Gardners, one out of Coventry driven by Brian Evans, ther was quite a few Guy big Js which went to Ramsgate, I remember Tony Smith, and Ike,sorry the old grey matter is running out, but all these lads worked hard and there was good competion to be the high earner. The body kits were made by Municiple trailers of Bamber Bridge, Preston. They were all back lowders,and quicker to load than the ERFs and Foden, which had carrimore bodykits all with York big D 5th wheel couplings one had to drive through the bottom of the trailer up and on to the top deck of the rigid, then you would pull up the lever and the top deck raised up level with the top deck of the trailer and we would reverse over on to the trailer. Lathams was a good place to work.I will show Ray your coments. regards h186j
I’ve worked with Alf Fletcher and Brian Evans, Joe Lomas, and Johnny Frankton was a good family friend, but I’m not sure if he worked for Lathams.
joe Lomas is still driving car transporters just spoken to my brother on the phone he was saying Jonny frankton did drive for lathams he drove on days the same foden as our dad Stan Druse drove on nights
