Yes Cliff, Garry Leader was there, from 1977 I worked nights 8:00pm to 8:00am so I probably serviced your truck a few times. We had Alan Parker a fare haired chap that never got dirty, Harold Low was a small chap with glasses, Norman Craggs was a big fellow, and quite a few more that I can’t remember,I was on nights till the closed the nightshift down and took redundancy, on retrospect I wish i had gone on days. I was the long haired guy called mucky Mick.
I certainly do remember you. When we left the motors for service on nights we used to hope that there was not a lot wrong with them otherwise we used to be stuck in Hull all the next day shunting back and forth to the docks with someone alses motor. It was a shame that the night shift finished, we ended up having our motors serviced by Hausers in MIFT and then when they shut the garage we went to local dealers in Manchester. I remember fitting a radio in my old 110 (EYH 102J) and left it on service, when I came in the following morning Clarky had taken the radio out and cut the power lead up into 1inch strips and left them in a little pile on the dash. I loved working for MAT, when you went away you felt as secure as being in your Mothers belly.
Cliff 
I think this was Tom Burston’s 111. He was a cowley subbie/owner driver from Swindon, a real gent.
harry_gill:
hiya,
Ah Hull depot where’s Cliff Leader we was both at Bowkers at one time seems like BC late 60s when Cliff moved to MAT Hull I think.
thanks harry long retired.
hiya,
Does nobody know?? must be well into his 70s now.
thanks harry long retired.
L94 DJX what a motor used to go to italy most weeks get to the top of frejus if you turned it off it would not start again for 2 hours until it cooled down.Roder carmichael had it new then trever Quontock got it.
Is Roger Charmichael still about? Have not heard anything of him since we double manned arun to Spain and he was taken ill.
That picture of EYH105J, if i remember correctly, that truck was written off and became the wrecker.
I mentioned elsewhere that I worked with Joe Fuller when I first started driving, in fact it was Joe who sent me to Germany on my first ever trip alone. I was 17 or 18 and green as grass. He had a pristine mk 2 Cortina with a steering wheel button for his clever attachment!
Hi Mikehat
You are nearly there it was an old day cab 110 that was converted to a sleeper caqb wrecker but it was Mat 1 that was the doner. I have a photo of it somewere.
mikehat1:
That picture of EYH105J, if i remember correctly, that truck was written off and became the wrecker.
Hi wheel Nut.
Joe Fuller was one of lifes good guys. I remember when we had to weigh every trailer we picked up in Hull and either redistribute the load if it was drive axle overweight or have some of the load taked off or give it to someone with lighter tractor. If it was late in the day and the trailer was for Manchester area and I could get home and I had an overweight trailer Joe would say “do you want to get off” followed with a wink. I would say yes and he threw the weighbridge ticket in the bin and I would go hopeing that the weighbridges on the dual carrigway and jcn 21 were shut. Bloody good guy.
Cliff
Wheel Nut:
I mentioned elsewhere that I worked with Joe Fuller when I first started driving, in fact it was Joe who sent me to Germany on my first ever trip alone. I was 17 or 18 and green as grass. He had a pristine mk 2 Cortina with a steering wheel button for his clever attachment!
harry_gill:
harry_gill:
hiya,
Ah Hull depot where’s Cliff Leader we was both at Bowkers at one time seems like BC late 60s when Cliff moved to MAT Hull I think.
thanks harry long retired.hiya,
Does nobody know?? must be well into his 70s now.
thanks harry long retired.
Last time I saw Cliff Leader was late 70’s early 80’s when I was on contract to BP Hull.
I used to stay at the transport digs on Walton street and Cliff and Angus Suttie used to have a drink with me in the local boozer.
I am 74 tomorrow and Cliff seemed to be a few years older than me so as you say “he must be in his late 70’s now”
Where dig Angus finish up, any idea?
T.M.
Tankerman:
harry_gill:
harry_gill:
hiya,
Ah Hull depot where’s Cliff Leader we was both at Bowkers at one time seems like BC late 60s when Cliff moved to MAT Hull I think.
thanks harry long retired.hiya,
Does nobody know?? must be well into his 70s now.
thanks harry long retired.Last time I saw Cliff Leader was late 70’s early 80’s when I was on contract to BP Hull.
I used to stay at the transport digs on Walton street and Cliff and Angus Suttie used to have a drink with me in the local boozer.
I am 74 tomorrow and Cliff seemed to be a few years older than me so as you say “he must be in his late 70’s now”
Where dig Angus finish up, any idea?T.M.
hiya,
Ah yes Russell had forgotten about Angus him and Cliff were great buddies saw Cliff a couple of times after he left Bowkers but never came across Angus again, I’m nearly 76 so guessing Cliff must be nearer 80,wonder what happened to him and Angus when MAT Hull finished ■■ I’m going back to about 1970ish here so there’s a lot of water gone under the bridge since then in fact a rare trip to Hull was one of the last jobs I did for Bowkers before I moved to pastures new, that Scania 80 that they lumbered me with has a lot to answer for horrible heap of rubbish.
thanks harry long retired.
My old mate Stan Hindle got a new Scania 80 after his Vabis at Bowkers. I got a lift to Ma Buchers digs in Islington with him when I went to the motor show.
He let me drive it from Watford gap to the drop at Dunstable, I though it was the very best thing I had ever driven, bar none.
My own wagon at Gilbraith’s at the time was a Scammell Highwayman that’s why, you remember that one don’t you Harry.
Going back to MAT’s drivers, Angus Suttie’s wife once whacked me across the head with her handbag for calling him Sooty. It caused a laugh in the Walton Arms if nowt else.
T.M.
Tankerman:
My old mate Stan Hindle got a new Scania 80 after his Vabis at Bowkers. I got a lift to Ma Buchers digs in Islington with him when I went to the motor show.
He let me drive it from Watford gap to the drop at Dunstable, I though it was the very best thing I had ever driven, bar none.
My own wagon at Gilbraith’s at the time was a Scammell Highwayman that’s why, you remember that one don’t you Harry.Going back to MAT’s drivers, Angus Suttie’s wife once whacked me across the head with her handbag for calling him Sooty. It caused a laugh in the Walton Arms if nowt else.
T.M.
hiya,
I know I got the first new 80 didn’t realize Stan got the next one I had the “powerhouse” before that an Atki with a big ■■■■■■■ in it which only the Scania Vabis of (Cliff Leader) could outrun,then to be given an 80 thing which wouldn’t pull your “proverbial” back, I did drive what must have been Stan’s motor for a trip and believe me it was equally as much rubbish as my own after one trip with the 80 asked Bill for my old motor back but no joy, now Kevin Riley’s 110 was a different motor altogether, yes Russell remember well the Scammell (had one like it at Killingbeck’s) the one you tried to run me down with when I was en-route to the yard you never did get me I’m still here, but you did succeed in putting the s"""s up me a few times, the old Highwayman was a hard work motor but I loved them King of the Road feeling eh’.
thanks harry long retired.