Remamber R.K.Crisp"s well , cant remember drivers , but i do have one story , when i saw one of Crisp"s parked up on the east bound Autostrada , heading into Milan , set of trailer wheels missing , the story , as far as i can remember , !!! was that they dragged it on to the services , a couple of miles farther on , By the time the driver had Telexed home and got reply back , probably a couple of hous !! went back down to truck to find the rest of the wheels gone , !!! (memory gets a bit cloudy but as far as i know thats about true )
Just like old trucker, I remember the company, but not the drivers names. Crisp had a yard near, or in, the BRS depot , opposite the first B&Q at St Denys.
One of the drivers I do remember, you would perhaps describe him to-day as
"not the sharpest tool in the box “. We use to get at one time either a " bottle” or 200 cigarettes from Townsend Thorreson, free, as part of the drivers perks. So this guy is comming back into Southampton, but he’s over the limit for bottles and cigs, so he takes the air filter out of the Big J, stuffs in the extra duty free, still in the carrier bags, into the air filter casing, and screws the lid back on. He gets halfway up the ramp when she starts to miss fire, then as he’s crossing the quay to the customs, she starts pouring white smoke, then splutters to a stand still. The carrier bags had been sucked down the inlet trac, and being nice and warm in there, had heated into a nice messy goo, A few of us guessed what had happened, and I must admit, I did have a bemused grin. A tugmaster pulled him into the compound, and as far as I can remember he actually got away with it. Don’t think the fitter who had to strip the motor down, or the boss, would be as amused as some of us spectators though.
Still, happy days.
Another funny incedent in Southampton , came off the ferry , remember “Wally” , who used to sign and stamp the “waterguard” certificate before you could go ■■? he asked this driver if he had anything he shouldnt !! ie ciggs and drink , driver said no , when Wally gently put his hand on his shoulder and turned the driver round to face his lorry , we collapsed laughing !!! The driver had thousands of ciggs and bottles , he had taken the persex nameplate out of the illuminated headboard , stuffed all this contraband in there , came off the ferry , nightime, put his lights on , it was lit up like a glass showcase !!! fantastic , cant remember the haulier , it was an F88 though , i do remember that much , good old days ■■?
“ainacs” , going back to your post with the mickeymouse Foden and the Guy, loading out of , looks like 106ish , Cape boat perhaps , Pretoria castle or the likes , did Meacher run Guys , could it be one of theirs ■■? i am sure they had the name and Phone no written on the front /■■ hard to tell colours from a B&W pic but it is a light colour , could it be Meachers Yellow ■■?
Going back to Crisp’s I have a feeling that Mick Leech did drive for them I will ask him next time I speak to him!
Regards Pat
I have just spoken with Mick Leech he did indeed work for R K Crisp out of Southampton
The names he remembers are Dicky Hamilton from Southampton and Jerry and John who came from Birmingham they all went abroad.
Regards Pat
Thanks for posting the pic of R.K. Crisp Big J 4T Pat, it may be in black and white but thats not how I see it. I see it in bright yellow with bold black signwriting and it takes me back to the early 70’s just like it were yesterday.
The main contract that they had was with a crane company and used to ship out with crane jibs and parts etc. They also ran low loaders for transporting crane bodies. There was an incident that I’m sure Mickey Leach will remember that may even have been the downfall of Crisp’s but I couldn’t swear to that. It happened in Holland in the 70’s when they shipped a huge heavy packing-case load. When reaching Holland they were not happy with the width and insisted on turning it on to it’s side which made it very high. Well It proved to be more solid than a motorway bridge and it came tumbling down to the tune of I believe about £3 million .
I also remember Dicky Hamilton very well indeed and he was famous for keeping a very detailed diary of daily events which he would use if necessary against the office. I was with him one day at Philco, Bergamo, Italy and he had just phoned the depot. He told me that he would update his diary and it went something like…" I told him I was loading and clearing today and he said you must be on Fridays ferry. I replied ‘F’ off I’ll be on Saturday morning. He said I must get Fridays boat and I told him ‘Bo***cks’ Saturdays the best I can do. He then explained that if there was any argument then he would show the diary to verify what had been said. Smashing bloke was ■■■■, one of the old breed that you just love to remember.
Hi Nobby here is another one for you I know that UCC or Union Cartage had adepot in Southampton and I believe Jim Cokely was a driver there but I found this old pic of a UCC lorry (Probably not from Southampton) in a spot of bother apparently the road gave way! Do you have any further info?
By the way saw John Lee today he has given me some pics to put on here so watch this space!!!
Regards Pat
Trucks Pat? Trucks? Well okay then,two trucks loading in Southampton Docks.
First of all they are carrying out what is quite an unusual thing for Southampton
and that is ‘direct loading’. That is where the goods are craned directly off the ship and onto awaiting lorries. This was only done normally with very few cargos such as bales of wool, otherwise cargo would go into the sheds.
I would guess that the berth in question to be 104 and the Foden is one of Yardley of Leeds. The photo was taken in the early 70’s after they changed their livery to turquoise and white from the dark blue that we all knew.
The Big “J” ?.. I can see it in my mind. Grey with blue graphics and Bevois Valley is in there somewhere but for the life of me I can’t see a name at this time. The Foden is definitely Yardley’s probably a trunk motor from Southampton depot that was at Endle Street. Please someone like ‘old trucker’
help me out with the Guy Big J, I’ve given you the colours.
I don’t recall Bevois valley you sure you don’t mean Belgrave Road? Yardleys had a garage in Bevois at the bottom of Rockstone Lane and South Cliff Road I seem to remember. There was a company in Belgrave Road opposite where Mammoth were can’t remember their name though was it Southwaite’s no the old grey matter is failing me!!!
Regards Pat
Hi Pat, you never fail us do you? You always come up with some amazing
photos. Yes ‘Big’ Jim Cokely did drive for U.C.C. (Union Cartage Company).
Lets see if I can’t not let you down with the lorry in a hole situation.
Somewhere in the corner of my mind I remember part of the old Blackwall
Tunnel colapsing and swallowing a lorry. This would have been in the mid 60’s
but I’m going to need some help from one of our cockanese buddies from that neck of the woods. I’m sure that someone can come up with the full story
and elaborate on what I have said.
Here you are Nobby a right rogues gallery
From L to R
Mick Leach, Tony Hilton, John Lee and Bingo (John Dollery) R.I.P
Regards Pat
Remember Jimmy Alfords JFA? Whatever happened to old Jim? An old friend of mine called Oscar Leighton used to do the industrial tribunal for Haulage companies back in the late 90’s. I used to ship out of Portsmouth to Le Havre and stop at the restaurant an hour from the port on the way to Bordeaux. Must try to post my pics soon.Liz
Jimmy Alford sold up his fleet to Debens who I believe just sold them on, but in the dael they got a long lease on jimmy’s pemises in Andes Rd Nursling and they are still there now.
Jimmy is as good as retired although him and his wife do have a good number of commercial properties rented out. Jimmy has taken up golf and this take up a lot of his time.
Regards Pat
Well theres a fine bunch of specimens Pat. The four musketeers!!
I reckon theres a few stories could be told of those four men.
Each one of them touched my life in some way on more than one occasion
and I can remember a period when Tony couldn’t come home for a while hmmmm.
He stayed away doing the tipping and loading in Italy in my old Scania and I
would do a change over with him in Macon with an ex: Squibby Big J sleeper
like the one you posted of R.K. Crisp. I expect the stories will come out on here in time or over the table in some pub! All good men but although Bingo is
sadly missed his memory will live through his escapades.
“I can remember a period when Tony couldn’t come home for a while hmmmm”
Things don’t change much then!!!
Here is another long departed haulier the late great Mick Chant manys a good laugh I had with him! Very sadly missed even after al these years!!!
Regards Pat
The lorry in a hole picture.
This was not a UCC unit. It looks like a subbies ERF and from what I can remember it wasnt on the road but was parked in a yard that was built
on top of the old Blacwall Tunnel which I believe gave way overnight
and there was more lorries involved. We will just have to wait and see
what one of the old timers from that area and era can come up with.
Yes Pat, Mick Chant another character who was well known and respected.
Looks like the photo was in Skillbeech’s yard at Bakers Wharf.
And theres another name “Baker”, certainly a lot has happened in that old yard over the years. Eric Baker was a bit of a legend in his time and that old yard
must contain a lot of ghosts.
Right here is a puzzle for you anyone know who this is a Squibb’s driver? Now informed it is John Eaton from the Portsmouth area CB handle ‘Ocean Clipper’.
Regards Pat
hey Ron meant to tell you i saw the Gypsy Trucker( Larry Fitz…) at a car boot sale last yr, very thin on top and not alot of teeth left, HE HE, Wicked chap. i do see quite alot of the old guys still.