windrush:
nick lambden:
Yes that is the same man . interesting about the commers .Ron loved them.Smithy used to say how the heat bulged out the head lights. My mate the late Terry Squire’s drove for parkin and Jones.
Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk
Is that the same Parkin and Jones who had a Renault dealership in Alfreton a few years ago, I used to get my Renault 18 parts from them?
Pete.
They must have been an big crowd in their day Pete, I think they ran something like 20 Commers ,all I think, out of Whitwick quarry. I’ve been told they had double that amount up in Alfreton, but don’t know who they carted for . Paul
robinswh:
Ron Meek does ring a bell if its the same guy he was one of the original commer drivers when the large batch of steel bodied 4 wheelers came TNH 265 to TNH 275 I think These came in 1964 . The Ron Meeks I knew was a veteran ww 2 or korea . I was at that fire just passed my test drove my dad up there and he stayed all night I think I picked him up in the morning A few commers were burnt out that night.The 2 stroke was fantastic engine pulled like a train and 18 mpg. Parkin and jones has a couple of 6 wheelers but had to get rid early stability/steering problems the engines were fine.
I bought an ex blood transfusion bus in the early 80’s, reg no G834GYJ, which was a Plaxton bodied Commer. It too was fitted with the two stroke engine and had been converted to carry a racing car by the previous owner. I can vouch for the speeds that it could reach.
They were high revin engines so when they let go it was a mess. They would decoke themselves every so often. Throwing out hot lumps of carbon from the exhaust.
Spectacular at night. Staplefords of markfield used put TS 3s in there coaches.
Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk
parkin and jones had a selection of lorries over the years…in the fifties they bought a bunch of morris commercials from whitwick granite suicide doors and diesel engines carried about six tons . They had a couple of albions then leyland comets . The commers came in the late 50 s TS3 I think also with the two stroke . In the early sixties they bought many 4 wheeler commer with perkins engine and two speed axle…flying machines . There one unusual lorry was an 8 wheel 1949 aec mammoth major also out of whitwick but never seemed to haul tarmac NRA814 this lasted till they went out of business in the late 60…must have had more miles on it than a space shuttle .In alfreton they had construction machines barber green steam rollers etc.
Now for something completely different………myself and 1966 AEC coach oxford bypass 1975 en route to Bournemouth …owned by Bancroft and powers coalville both the coach and I are definitely leicesters bygones !!
Great picture. Coaches have come a long way forward from then.
Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk
the good old days the coach had a clutch and the driver had all his own teeth !!
Yes spot on. I went to Athens in 1973 in a Yates Europa on a Thames Trader chassis 6 cylinder Ford engine 4 speed gearbox vacuum brakes.we did basic conversation to a camper.crawled up the mountains cheeks together back down. A company called Halcyon were running Bedford Paxlaxtons none stop from Calis to Athens .Passengers came on the ferry as foot passengers .The coaches were based there all summer .2 drivers hot seat changeover.
Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk
What was the maximum speed around 40mph ? only drove a thames trader type bus once one bancroft had borrowed quite a noisy machine .Cliffe hill had a bunch of traders in the 1950 s didnt seem to last long again 40mph was horrible in the motorway age.This coronavirus situation is getting on my nerves its like being in prison. The wifes niece is stranded in south africa should be flying to london on thursday then onto toronto where she lives on friday. I havent worked since 2018 when I was delivering new volvo tractors all over western canada horrible money but good hotels flights back etc…fell out with the lead hand and quit
was cleaning a drawer out recently and found a t shirt with the name on the front “the boot inn ibstock”…probably give it to my wife on her birthday
Yes it was slow and very hard ride on leaf springs.Steering very hard. This corona is a pain .That’s going to be a difficult journey.hope she gets back ok. We are stuck in also.
Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk
The boot is still open. Well it was.
Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk
When I was last over 2017 when my mam died me and two of my crazy mates walked all the way from ibstock to wetherspoons coalville for lunch before my arthritis got so bad . Three of us all around 70 years old . We walked through hugglescote and found an auto parts store that was there when I was a kid in the same building cant remember the name but it was like getting into a time machine. I was looking forward to retirement and now its here stuck in the house we had a cruise booked in may but that’s gone now. When I got here in 1977 I was surprised to learn that the professor of physics at the university of Calgary grew up in the quarry cottages at bardon he would be a very old man by now if not deceased …small world
The parts shop is Shepherd and Wilson,it’s not changed since I first went in 1967.still use hand written delivery notes. They have a computer for invoicing but only in the past few years, it’s not on the counter ,hidden away. Ian Shepherd 3 rd generation of Shepherds runs it now. In its day you could anything from there HGV ,Plant ,Car parts .Was a busy place. In the late 60s Walter Clark’s family moved to Canada.He lived in the quarry village. He was in his 60s then.
Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk
The professors name was Allan went to coalville grammar school and leeds university…last I heard he spent a lot of time doing research in Hawaii the big island I think………his wife was from Ibstock. He had a house in the Dalhousie area of north west Calgary. I met him several times in the 1980 s when mutual friends arrived on holiday from England. I m sure if he can retire in Hawaii he would better than this cold hole anytime. Did you know a bloke called Roger George? parents ran the post office school mate of mine now RIP ?
robinswh:
The professors name was Allan went to coalville grammar school and leeds university…last I heard he spent a lot of time doing research in Hawaii the big island I think………his wife was from Ibstock. He had a house in the Dalhousie area of north west Calgary. I met him several times in the 1980 s when mutual friends arrived on holiday from England. I m sure if he can retire in Hawaii he would better than this cold hole anytime. Did you know a bloke called Roger George? parents ran the post office school mate of mine now RIP ?
Yes I did not very well. I remember his parents. Specially his mum as she was in the post office. I lived at Botts Hill farm. Went to Bardon school.I am 68 .So would have started about 1957. Not sure about the professor. Hawaii sounds spot on.
Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk
there could possibly be a few more Leicester Bygone’s,after we get through this present pandemic.lot’s of OD’s and small hauliers in the quarries will be struggling for survival.when i left Croft Quarry almost 10 years ago,i was driving for a geezer who was paying a pathetic basic,plus percentage of the lorry earnings.as i was getting all the crap work,i was glad to escape!
Yes your right. It’s always been a cutthroat job in the quarries.People running expensive equipment for peanut’s.Yes good to be out of it.
Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk
my dad almost purchased a new commer in the early 60 s I m glad he didnt it would have been a disaster . he was going to put it on at whitwick…Nick you grew up close to me from 1962 onwards I lived on bardon road worked at bardon road garage as a part time job when I was still at school .before that I lived in the hood stone row off whitwick road. The winter of 1963 shut down quite a few owner operators at the local quarries
robinswh:
my dad almost purchased a new commer in the early 60 s I m glad he didnt it would have been a disaster . he was going to put it on at whitwick…Nick you grew up close to me from 1962 onwards I lived on bardon road worked at bardon road garage as a part time job when I was still at school .before that I lived in the hood stone row off whitwick road. The winter of 1963 shut down quite a few owner operators at the local quarries
That’s was close.I rember that winter .Thats great . cannot remember the name of the man that owned the garage at that time. My dad had an old Humber Super Snipe ,he had a crash and it was repaired there. I think Fank Walker was working there about then. I went to school with some people from Bardon road.
Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk
A chap I used to caravan with originally came from Coalville before moving to Surrey with Sketchleys and I believe his family had a garage there? Family name was Beadman, does that ring a bell with you lads?
Pete.
