a colour pic of the erf I had on bassets a real flying machine --Perkins 6.354
Hi All
My name is David M. Green (Leonard Green Juniors third son).
First let me say a thank you all, on the kind words you posted about my Dad.
Secondly the legal bit for the web site: Terms and Conditions by Rikki- UK Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:53 pm.
3.2 You acknowledge that the copyright, database rights and all other intellectual property rights comprised in or relating to this Website and in the data it contains belongs to Reed Business Information Ltd and its licensors.
I, David M Green agree to share the information, but I as the representative of the Green Family look to retain our ownership of copyright rights in the photo’s posted. If Reed Business Information Limited wishes to use them commercially (i.e. for payment) it must seek my permission first.
I am happy for the Reed , the public to use them, for personal use only.
Now back to the plan
I seemed to spend most of my formative teenage years on Saturday’s going down the yard with Dad and been a general grease monkey / labourer / from the ages of about 10 (not to much health and safety or fuss about children in the work place in them days).
Most of my school summer holidays where spent helping deliver steel as a driver mate with Dad, & his drivers Ken Griffiths & David Foals from British Steel Corp Aldwarke & Thyburgh bar mill
Hi Griff1967 I remember playing with you on Saturday mornings (was it Neil ?)
Down at Bunny Smith’s Yard (who was a fairground ride operator) on Stone Row Way behind what is now Homebase in Parkgate Retail Park in Rotherham
We got into a lot of trouble for shooting at to many things with an old air rifle.
The yard was full of old abandoned fair ground rides, van & truck bodies, scrap engine and chassis rails from a wide variety of Lorries from the 1920’s onwards.
A bit of a potted History on the family and then the company history.
The Green Family have lived in and around the Swinton / Kilnhurst / Wentworth, Rosehill, Rawmarsh areas of Rotherham for about area since at least 1881 probably longer.
Originally they had been farmers, then Coal miners / merchants, then Hauliers (thanks to my partner here, she a bit of an amateur genealogist).
Leonard Green (Senior) started in transport delivering coal with a horse and cart just like his own father had done (My great grandfather Frank Green)
The haulage company was originally set up in the late 1920’s by Leonard Green (Senior born 1908) see photo.
In the early years he had interests inPublic houses (As a landlord), taxis, running a number of pre war Austin taxis trading under the name A. Jowett and Company Limited. The Austin taxi is the one where the passenger’s luggage, sat where the passenger seat would have been in a normal saloon car.
This was run from the Wannop Street Garage premises in Parkgate.
This was also the original site of the haulage company before it moved up to Barbers Avenue, Rawmarsh. I believe he also had an interest in a Petrol Station near what is now Meadowhall in Sheffield
Major customers: Parkgate Iron and Steel, later British Steel Corporation Aldwarke. Delivering steel to the Midlands/nationally.
GEC. delivering electric cookers nationally.
Leonard Green Senior died 1960
From the Sheffield Telegraph dated 18th January 1963 Price 3d.
Text from Special Supplement
Page 8 - Sheffield Telegraph Friday January 18th 1963
Success Story
From the humble horse and cart to a the giant transport fleet
Big Dreams that came true
When 19 year old Leonard Green led his horse and cart through the streets of Parkgate late back in the late 1920’s he dreamed.
Dreams of greater things to come, dreams of building improving, going forward.
The dreams dreamt by every business man however big, however small, whether he has six telephones on his desk or a board room table like a cricket square, or just a horse a cart and a coal contract.
Young Leonard took over from his father and delivered coal from the horse and cart his father had used before him.
And his dreams came true.
Now the one horse power 6cwt excluding driver cart has gone. And the streets around Parkgate are swarming with eight wheel, 16 ton, 150 hp mammoths all carrying the name of Leonard Green to Lands and John O’Groats (and probably even further if his successors have their way).
Control
Mr Green died two years ago and the firm of Leonard Green (Haulage) Limited and the other firm it had absorbed passed in the control of his wife and family.
They now also control Leonard Green (Garages) limited: WR & J Wood (transport) Limited : and A.Jowett and Company Limited Mr Green s wife Kathleen is now chairman of the firm with his daughters Eileen, Kathleen and sons Leonard and Colin as directors.
Gallons
The company is based in Parkgate, in Barbers Avenue, up which the original Mr Green, his horse and cart often struggled with a heavy load of coal.
They opened a Birmingham depot at Smethwick in 1957 since a lot of their trade was between Parkgate and Birmingham
There fleet of 70 lorries carries material mainly steel and electrical equipment all over the country and in the process travels a total in a year of some 2 million miles and uses up nearly 250000 gallons of diesel oil.
Two things got the company where it is today
The first was Mr Green’s determination and abilities. The second was the customers.
“Good Customers have played an important part in the success of the firm.” said Colin.
“We had and still have plenty of good customers. And with such good customers you can’t go far wrong”.
The garage side of the business apart from the usual service and sales also undertakes the maintenance and painting of the transport fleet and builds truck bodies for it
Tentative
“We are about to start building a new garage and a Warehouse on the transport depot grounds” said 26 year old Leonard. “There is a great shortage of warehouse space in the district so we are putting a 20000 square foot warehouse storage building for customers who have difficulty in storing there goods prior to transport”.
The plans for this and the garage have been passed and they hope to start building with in the next few month.
Other plans for the future are a bit more tentative.
“We are looking into the possibility of continental transport at the moment” said Eileen.
Memories
The company is employing about 105 people, but it’s the drivers that get the glamour and they deserve it too they are the characters.
The Green’s drivers are no exception, like “Big Alf “Leadbetter who drives an eight wheeler. The 42 year old is packed with driving memories and stories to tell in the Cafes and transport office at Greens……
“Stranded in Snow on Beatock Summit for 18 hours, I had a primus stove with me and cooked my self a meal”.
The giant eight wheeler Lorries all sliding broadside one after the other down a treacherous track covered in black ice. I didn’t think I was going to come out of that one alive
Alf has been in Long distance driving since the War finished “and I wouldn’t swap it for anything. The drivers are a great bunch of lads altogether it’s a great business to be in”
I’m sure Mr Green and his horse would nod their heads in agreement.
Alex Lindsay — Page 8 - Sheffield Telegraph Friday January 18th 1963
Company Reg no. 00527993
Leonard Green (Haulage) Limited
TRANSPORT HOUSE,
BARBERS AVENUE,
PARKGATE,
NR ROTHERHAM,
S62 6DE,
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone Rawmarsh 2333/7
Incorporated 13-01-1954 put in to voluntary liquidation November 1977
A potted history from my lifted from my dads CV also gives you a fairly accurate reflection of the history and key dates of the company’s he owned and worked for.
Leonard Green Junior
Born 1936
JANUARY 1958-DECEMER 1959 Leonard Green (Haulage) Ltd., Smethwick Depot, West Midlands.
MANAGER - Responsible for day to day running of depot. Seven vehicles running trunk service Midlands, Yorkshire, North East and sub Contractors.
Married 1960.
JANUARY 1960-NOVEMBER 1960: Leonard Green (Haulage) Ltd., Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
GENERAL MANAGER - Responsible for day to day running of depot. Seventy five vehicles and one hundred and twenty staff and work force.
Sons note
Leonard Green Senior’s had a heart attack in 1957 , both Leonard and possibly Colin where allowed to leave national service early on compassionate grounds to come back and help with the family business.
Leonard Green Senior died late 1960
Leonard was made upto a director along with his brother Colin and sisters, Kathleen & Eileen Green.
Leonard and Colin Green joint Managing Directors
Colin Green died suddenly & unexpectedly of a heart attack in 1969.
DECEMBER 1960-NOVEMBER 1977:
Director of Leonard Green (Haulage) Ltd.
A General Haulage business - Total control and policy making for operation of approximately eighty vehicles operating from two depots.
This period covered the change over from rigid to articulated vehicles, the introduction of A & B license regulations to 0 licenses.
The implementation of plating and testing of vehicles.
Director of Leonard Green (Garages) Ltd.
An E.R.F Dealership and Crane Fruhauf Trailer distributor.
Period includes the up grading of L.G. (Garage) Ltd from vehicle repair shop to E.R.F Dealership and Crane Fruhauf Trailer distributor.
This includes operating a twenty four hour workshop, paintshop and bodyshop.
NOVEMBER 1972-NOVEMBER 1977
Director of Leonard Green (Midlands) Ltd. — A groupage companies acting from Smethwich depot
Director of Leonard Green (1971) Ltd. — A groupage companies acting from Rotherham
Director of Leonard Green (Retreads) Ltd. — A tyre retreading plant selling tyres to the group and other tyre users.
During this period, I also served as:
A committee member of the Road Haulage Association Sheffield Area.
Chairman of Sheffield and Rotherham Sub Area
Member of the Long Distance Committee of Road Haulage Association.
Associate member of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers .
Founder member of the Sheffield branch of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers.
Founder member and director of Sheffield and Rotherham Area Training group.
Sons note
All these business went in to voluntary liquidation in November 1977 after the family shareholders fell out over: who was running the business, money, one of the directors husbands leaving there wife & kids for another woman etc. etc.
All these business and assets where then sold off by auction on May 9th 1978 by Cox Dewar & Beatons Auctioneers (according to the The Rotherham Star press article front page of 2nd May 1978)
Leonard Green (Junior) then set up again on his own, a much smaller new business.
From: The Rotherham Star Tuesday 2nd May 1978
Price 8 Pence — Page 1 - Front page
Haulage Firm for Auction
By our Rotherham Staff
A Rotherham Haulage Firm which went into liquidation last November is selling up, lock, stock, and barrel. Everything from the firm’s filing trays to fork lift truck is to come under the auctioneers hammer. The sale will take place next Tuesday (9th of May 1978) at the former premises of Leonard Green (Haulage) Limited in Barbers Avenue, Rawmarsh. Also up for auction are the complete contents of sister firm, Leonard Green (Garages) Limited’ which went into voluntary liquidation.
Lorries, cars, spare parts and workshop equipment will be among the 412 lots on offer by Auctioneers Cox Dewars & Beaton.
And for the garage owner who has everything, there is a 2500 gallon diesel tank which leaks.
FEBRUARY 1978-DECEMBER 1988: Leonard Green and Co Ltd Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
Trader and later Director Leonard Green and Co Ltd
Road Hauliers running four vehicles hauling steel (British Steel Corp. Aldwarke to the Midlands), foodstuffs (Sutherlands Canned foods-Sheffield) and time sensitive magazines (sub contracting for TNT moving newspaper rolls to a print factory nr. Scarborough - Pole Star ?).
Closed December 1988.
Sons note
This business ran from three sites over the 10 years of operation.
Originally starting from Bunny Smith’s Yard (who was a fairground ride operator) on Stone Row Way behind what is now Homebase in Parkgate Retail Park in Rotherham.
Before moving to Scothern Haulages old yard (bought in partnership with Hillstate Limited) on Glasshouse lane, Kilnhurst.
After the partnership broke up, Leonard then rented garage premises back on the, what was now Tate Steel Works site on what had previously been Leonard Green’s Barbers Avenue site.
Now the housing estate on the bottom end of Barbers Avenue.
January 1989-February 1989: A.B.S. Distributions Ltd, the old Brickworks, Glasshouse Lane, Kilnhurst, Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
Class one HGV driver.
April 1989-December 1989: Truswell & Sons Ltd, Attercliffe, Sheffield.
Responsible for increasing return local tonnage on a fleet of 20 vehicles. Also to increase customer base in Yorkshire and West Midlands Area. Made redundant.
Class one driver operating into the Midlands with remit to find return work back to Sheffield
and Yorkshire. Left to take management position.
JANUARY 1990-DECEMBER 1990: J.J. Shepherd (1946) Ltd Outibridge, Sheffield.
COMMERCIAL MANAGER
Responsible for liaison with customers and finding new ones. Negotiation for haulage rates and services for thirty vehicles in general haulage and distribution. Purchasing of plant, vehicles tyres and spares. Made redundant in October 1990 despite rising sales.
OCTOBER 1990-TO 18.06.1995: Glass Gover Distribution Ltd, Maltby, Nr Rotherham.
Class one HGV driver, Agency and now casual driving with chilled food and supermarket provisions to time scheduled deliveries.
Leonard Green Junior, my Dad died suddenly & unexpectedly of a heart attack on Fathers Day 18.06.1995 RIP
Drivers I remember:
David Foals (Lived in Maltby nr Rotherham)
Ken Griffiths a great bloke and a fantastic character
A big friend of Leonard Green Senior and Junior.
He worked for Leonard Green Senior after coming out of the coal mines after been injured in a mining accident and was the shop steward whilst working for Leonard Green (Haulage) Limited
He was always telling tales about his time in the Merchant Navy as a ships stoker
He had been on the big WW2 convoys to both to the Med. and the Murmansk convey run.
(He did not enjoy that one)
I guess this really coloured his out look, as he taught me to swear like an old sailor 
Ken used to smoke roll ups and whilst out and about driving would regularly, roll up with both hands whilst steering with his knees.
Certainly the wheel cut ridges in the M1 and A38 slow lanes used to greatly help steer the truck
Neil ■■? aka the egg shell blonde , bald as a coot.
Trucks I remember:
A Guy Big J4T bought from Alan Stinson for the sum of £500.
This blew up shortly after purchase one of the pistons had developed a crack , which had eroded through the piston crown (about 2 inch of Aluminium on the 14 litre ■■■■■■■ engines) I remember we replaced this in Alan Stinson of ABS, garage in what was then, the old brick works in Kilnhurst (Now all demolished).
2 x ERF A series ■■■■■■■ powered 14Litre 180 HP 9 speed Fuller gear box GKN Kirkstall Axles
No Power steering
2 x ERF B series 32 tonne artic 14Litre ■■■■■■■ 220 HP 9 speed Fuller gear box GKN Kirkstall Axles MAY808P — Driven by David Foals
Now with power steering, I remember thinking how marvellous it was to be able to steer them whilst shunting with out having to stand up and pull on the steering wheel.
2 x Volvo F88’s both P reg. Not the most reliable of trucks but very fast compared with the ERF’s
On cold winter morning the entire yard used to disappear in clouds of smoke on cold start ups.
Relaying and repairing the floors of many trailers with tongued and grooved hardwood timber then cladding that with ½ inch thick marine grade plywood, trailers in the steel transport business used to get some stick.
Other associates companies,
He dealt with Scothern Haulage, they ran a fleet of Atkinson Borderers also pulling steel from British Steel Aldwarke.
Alan Stinson one of the founder directors of ABS ran from the Old brick works, Glasshouse lane, Kilnhurst Rotherham (I believe Alan had previously driven for Leonard Green Haulage)
He ran a in partnership for a while at Scotherns old yard in Glasshouse lane, Kilnhurst Rotherham with Mick Angel & Ray Mouser of Hillstate Ltd. Kilnhurst business Park Glasshouse Road Kilnhurst Rotherham S645TH 01709-582253
(Both ex Barnsley council employees)
The partnership bought the land from Scothern Haulage and bought and sold diesel fuel
They ran predominately Dodge 32tonne artics in the Tipper trade
Funny stories
1/
When he was based at Bunny Smith’s yard (on Stone Row Way behind what is now Homebase in Parkgate Retail Park in Rotherham).
All the vehicle maintenance work was done outside. There was no covered workshop.
Leonard used to keep all his tools oils etc. in an old railway cabin parked on the back of a scrap trailer accessed by a short step ladder.
He’d just bought a brand new work coat the previous week.
One particularly freezing cold frosty Saturday morning, I was asked to help him put a 25 gallon drum of thin liquidly lithium grease in the back of the tool cabin.
Been only about 12 at the time, I took the top and he took the bottom.
About half way up, I slipped on the frost, staggered a bit on the step ladders & the lid came off tipping the best part of the 25 gallon drum of Grease all over my dad.
Needless to say, we got the remains of the nearly empty drum of grease into the shed despite the fact
I nearly died, I was laughing so much.
Dad didn’t say much he was to busy was fuming as his brand new coat, hat, overalls, jumper, shirt, trousers all went of the fire we had lit for a bit of warmth earlier in an old oil drum.
There was a bit of a deathly silence in the car all the way home as he drove home in his underpants whist sat on rags to get a shower and wash all the grease out of his hair.
All before 9AM in the morning, ouch.
2/
Later, whilst sharing the yard on Glasshouse lane with Ray Mouser & Mick Angel they where offered an old Railway Guards van for next to nothing from contacts in British Steel in Aldwarke, Rotherham. They have one just like it in the National Railway museum in York.
This again was loaded on to an old scrap trailer and was then used as a snap cabin for the drivers on Saturday mornings. This was completed with a little coke stove to warm the place retrieved from some ones old green house. In addition this was supplemented by a twin burner gas cooker run off a rather large 50 kg propane cylinder for boiling the kettle on.
Sadly one Saturday after snap time and every one had gone back to their duties.
Then there was a sudden scream of fire.
We all looked up to see smoke pouring out of the snap cabin.
The place was truly ablaze, with black smoke poring out of every crack
I guess the snap cabin would have been at least 50 years old at the time and the timber was fire crackingly bone dry.
We think a hanging tea towel had fell / been blown on to the lit coke stove and set the place ablaze.
A quick call to the fire brigade soon had the blaze out.
Although the big gas bottle, continued to blaze away for a bit.
Structurally the place was intact, but the interior and every thing in it was burned black and pretty much ruined.
What to do with a ruined old guards van ?
I know let’s take it of the back of the trailer (pulled off with chains using a 32 tonne tractor unit) and lets fully burn it out. Then we can cut up the remaining metal frame for scrap
So some time later, some scrap trailer manovering to the other side of the yard, so no were near anything else of value and some chain & tractor unit work.
The old snap cabin was on the floor filled with old scrap tyres, with an old Seddon Atkinson Borderer cab left by Scothern Haulage on top of it, several pints of dirty old diesel splashed about inside it, a few lit oily rags later it was soon well ablaze again
Thick Black chocking smoke from the old tyres, fibreglass Atki cab & snap cabin poured skywards the flames grew and grew.
Then the shouting started. Over the back of the yard on Glasshouse lane ran a street of houses.
All of which every one had failed to notice had their washing hung out.
They were not best pleased with their neighbours.
Then came the sirens again, the fire brigade where back in town.
They were not best please to find the same shed on fire, now stuffed full of old truck tyres and with a lorry cab on top of the fire all belching out thick black smoke (enough to hid a battle ship).
Needless to say they insisted on it been put out creating huge amount of black soot & white smoke and steam for our neighbours, followed up by threats of calling in the police for wasting fire brigade time and not advising them of a controlled burn etc. etc.
Next time, we rang the fire brigade first, told them it was a controlled burn and torched the lot at about five in the morning before the neighbours got up and hung the washing up or noticed the smoke.
There was none of those new fangled waste transfer notices / environmental legislation in place in those days.
3/
On the same site of the above snap cabin incident.
My dad accidentally dropped a hard wood trailer timber 4inch by 4 inch by 8 foot long about 2 foot on the top my head, all whilst trying to straighten out a bent stanchion on a Tautliner curtain-sider trailer.
Needless to say I saw stars for quite a while.
Very interesting stuff David,thanks for posting it. I was a shunter at Glass Glover Distribution Maltby and I remember your dad very well when he worked there on a casual basis.A real nice bloke,no fuss,just got on with the job,and a shame he died so suddenly like that.I once told him I had kept an “A” series ERF back for him (I think we were all Scania at the time) and he said “no bother,I’ll tek it”,laughing.
Chris
Hi David, Brilliant read hope you have some photo’s to share, long live the memories of Leonard Green Transport
Cheers Mel
coca cola kid:
Hi David, Brilliant read hope you have some photo’s to share, long live the memories of Leonard Green Transport
Cheers Mel
Nice one , love the memorys, some old names there , we ran out of steelows at the same time ,
Hi david what photos are u claiming copyright to a lot of the pics are mine taken with my own camera,others some are Peter Davies others chris Hudson ,also bobb Hobbs (na3t)who sells them commercially.your dad Len did have a large album of pics but he loaned them to one of the fitters in the garage & never got them back,I spoke to him shortly before he died to see if he could provide any pics for bob tucks book but he did not have any,you are welcome to borrow any of my pics but I retain the copyright ,some of the others including the scothern pics belong to dave parkin,also some Revs (register of erf vehicles) --ALAN
Sabrina tipper Barbers Avenue in Parkgate Iron and Steel colours, scanned from negatives dated March 1961
Sabrina tipper Barbers Avenue inSabrina tipper Barbers Avenue in Parkgate Iron and steel colours, scanned from negatives dated March 1961 Parkgate Iron and steel colours, scanned from negatives dated March 1961
Sabrina tipper Barbers Avenue in Parkgate Iron and steel colours, scanned from negatives dated March 1961
Ken Stan and Kentred - print proof advert @ tyre depot Barbers Ave 1960s
Can any one remember their full names ?
Leonard Green Jnr. @ work in the top office at Transport House, Offices on Barbers Ave. Rawmarsh 09.1961
Must have been a hot day ? note the Ice Cream.
Sue &Jo by Fuel Pump , Barbers Avenue L.Green Haulage estimated dated 1976 or 77
Note the long gone cooling tower.
Recovered from a very faded poloroid
WWT383G. Dennis Maxim Photgraphed by Wrigleys of Rotherham .dated 09.1968.
I have some more pictures of the top garage opening @ Barbers Ave.Rawmarsh from 1965.
But currently the file size is to large to post.
Once I’ve shrunk them a lot I’ll post these on shortly.
Hopefully these photo’s address the copyright questions.
I don’t claim ownership / copy right on any one elses pictures only the ones I’ve posted.
Cheers DG
Hi david thanks for clearing the up the copyright query.the tyre men in the pic one is ken shaw who later did the same job at british steel(stans name will come to me he drove one of the bonneted mercs)brian dale was a Norfolk man,I had just started at greens (sept 67 not 66) when they went out on strike,ken griffiths was the shop steward at the time .the four drivers who worked were ken shaw don ward jim turner & stan.The erf in the pic(no24)had a eventful life,it went on the night trunk to smethwick,& whilst changing trailers it rolled into the canal at the bottom of the yard.when it was recovered the handbrake was on( the driver was a ex mason bros from maltby)he must have got wet.it was brought back to Rotherham piggyback but coming out of smethwick it lost the top of the cab under a low bridge.the parkgate tipper was also wrote off on wash lane when the driver went under the bridge with the tipper raised.mick angel also worked at greens while I was there,dave foulds is still driving at ABS ,alan Stinson drove the other bonneted merc.the Dennis maxim was driven by Peter kitchen,& he was reversing into m.b.d.at west bromwich it was a low jutting out roof on the weighbridge & as he swung round it took the top of the fibreglass roof off.another erf was parked at sheffield rolling mills ( driver Ralph gretton)he parked to take his notes in & the canal bank collapsed,so that was another in the canal.alf lead better worked with me at British steel-- regards.alan