What ever happened to MAT Transport
I knew a lot of the MAT people from the workshops to the higher echelons of the planning department.
Joe Fuller was the bloke with a hand missing and was also the bloke who sent me on my first European trip.
Dave Clarke was the foreman fitter who now runs his own garage in Hull
Johnny Mann is still doing European and is on for N&B
Do you remember the Wilkinsons who did the shunting?
Wheel Nut:
I knew a lot of the MAT people from the workshops to the higher echelons of the planning department.Joe Fuller was the bloke with a hand missing and was also the bloke who sent me on my first European trip.
Dave Clarke was the foreman fitter who now runs his own garage in Hull
Johnny Mann is still doing European and is on for N&B
Do you remember the Wilkinsons who did the shunting?
I was talking to Manyy on NSF the other week.
He still needs a haircut
Who owned MAT TRANSPORT?
georgeking:
Who owned MAT TRANSPORT?
I worked at the Grays Depot until the very last day, the owners were Brian Rosier & Mike … (surname escapes me).
Brian Rosier ran the company into the ground within a short space of time.
Before that the Company had been founded by Arnold Kunzler with ex War Department rail wagons. He passed it to his sons Peter and Robert who ran a solid, multi national outfit for many years.
Sad loss to the industry.
By the way, in reply to an earlier post the MAT driver called Pat was Patsy McMahon from Wisbech, based at MAT Peterborough. Worked there for 30 odd years till he retired five or six years ago, Formerly of the BRS P’boro. Lovely guy, a great character who looked like Michael Caine!
Thanks for that not seen patsy for years now but good to know he is well . Your right he was a good bloke spent many hours in his company in the past. Do any of you rember when they had the warehouse at childerditch was always a friday job pick up groupage all over hen down to childerditch and thats where you would stay till sat cuase by the time it had all been sorted and you were ready to roll you were out of time. good times though plenty of tea drunk in the cafe next door.
i always thought dfds bought them■■?
I remember MAT very well, I was a sub contractor for them for a very long time, they were at that time owned by the Kunzler family in Switzerland, Mechanical and Transportation. In Hull where I was working from There was a General Manager, Geofe******, I forget his name, Cliff Leader was the kingpin of the outfit, and yes he did come from W.Bowkers, Brian Yeardly, who as you all will remember grew to be a very grand organisation after he left MAT, ran the traffic office, along with Terry , again my memory is not in gear, after Brian left Joe Fuller cam in to the office. Dave Clark was in charge of the Garage, Johnny Mann was a fitter (an exceptional fitter) who also at the drop of a hat had to race abroad with the homemade wrecker to rescue any vehicle that happened to be in trouble. As I remember it he was caught speeding on his way out one day, and Clarkie ( he was an awkward prat anyway) refused to pay the fine, so John went driving, many times they asked him to help out in an emergency, but he stuck to his guns and told the Bks. He is still going to and fro, and I do see him from time to time. At the time I was with them we used to use Carisio as our Italian Base, but not the usual Garonne, we used to cross over the bridge to the Paladini Hotel. Yes Angus Sooty (also from W.Bowkers was there) Patsy was from the Peterborough Depot doing the Perkins engines, and Chris Newman was from the Barking Depot. On a good day I can remember all of the others too. It was a great firm to work for,
It has just come to me, that after Brian Yeardley left the Office at MAT, Brian Perry was in there, then we got Derek Heron,(Birdman), he was then there for a lot of years, he had with him John Stone, then as it got busier, that’s when Joe Fuller came in. Then Brian Perry went upstairs and ran the new Overseas Office, when they opened the new depot at Milton Keynes, John Stone went down to there . I’m still a bit hazy on some of the surnames, and I can’t think of the company on Marfleet lane that Derek Heron came from, but it will come back to me.
was’nt there a guy called mick who was in charge of the dover office ( the one in the town) cant remember his last name. Also the workshops etc were at husks.
Archie Paice:
It has just come to me, that after Brian Yeardley left the Office at MAT, Brian Perry was in there, then we got Derek Heron,(Birdman), he was then there for a lot of years, he had with him John Stone, then as it got busier, that’s when Joe Fuller came in. Then Brian Perry went upstairs and ran the new Overseas Office, when they opened the new depot at Milton Keynes, John Stone went down to there . I’m still a bit hazy on some of the surnames, and I can’t think of the company on Marfleet lane that Derek Heron came from, but it will come back to me.
Archie,was it Arrow Bulk tankers on Marfleet lane - formerly known as Easthaugh Brothers? It’s a long time ago so could be wrong.
There was a company called Marfleet Refining but I don’t know if they had their own transport.
Companies that I remember well from Marfleet lane and Hedon Road were Link Transport wich was owned by John Bogg and included Slaters and a family link to Alan Carter who is still amongst Transport. There was Spear Transport and Warehousing off Valletta Street and Key Transport who became Humber Keytrans.
Fenners had a place on Marfleet lane, as did Humber Oils (Humbrol) There was also Hewetson Flooring who did the parquet floors.
many more will come to mind after a sleep 
Thanks Lads, The company that I was thinking of that Dereck Heron (Birdman) came from was Keyways, as you say they were Key Transport, they were up a small road behind the Fenners Factory on Marfleet Lane. What about Falkinghams, or Ian Blakey or Wake Bros, Tutty’s, or even Solly Micheals or Alf Battams. also Bowkers had a Yard on Vicky Dock, there were many more I know, plus lots and lots of us OD’s in the City in those days also.
ArchiePaice
Archie Paice:
Thanks Lads, The company that I was thinking of that Dereck Heron (Birdman) came from was Keyways, as you say they were Key Transport, they were up a small road behind the Fenners Factory on Marfleet Lane. What about Falkinghams, or Ian Blakey or Wake Bros, Tutty’s, or even Solly Micheals or Alf Battams. also Bowkers had a Yard on Vicky Dock, there were many more I know, plus lots and lots of us OD’s in the City in those days also.
ArchiePaice
And what about yer man from Wincomlee - S.E.G.-Stewart,Elspin and Greenhough I think it stood for.Reader Brothers,Haltemprice Transport,Thompsons from Hedon with the cattle wagons,Bulk Storage Paull,Hull Fish Meal 
,Tank Ferry Trailers(Thomas Allen) and as you say Archie a load of others.We had a driver based at Hull somewhere up Hedon Road who worked for A.E.Evans tankers from Sheffield.He ran out of BP and Amoco at Easington gas plants.Kenny Vint he was called and got killed when he rolled his Mandator over near Patrington I think,about 1979.
Archie Paice:
Thanks Lads, The company that I was thinking of that Dereck Heron (Birdman) came from was Keyways, as you say they were Key Transport, they were up a small road behind the Fenners Factory on Marfleet Lane. What about Falkinghams, or Ian Blakey or Wake Bros, Tutty’s, or even Solly Micheals or Alf Battams. also Bowkers had a Yard on Vicky Dock, there were many more I know, plus lots and lots of us OD’s in the City in those days also.
ArchiePaice
Richardson Transport too, later bought out by that little toe rag who owned Huon Haulage. Wake Bros became Mainstream Motors and Blakey is still at it J.E.S Tutty and John Tutty 
Alf Battams lads were still running the job till a few years ago although I think they are into the leisure industry now.
I learnt a lot from Bill Malcolmson 
From my computer,
Scania 110
Regards, Bert Wolters
Didn’t Johnny Etherington end up on MAT? I worked with him on SCA and last saw him around1990 when I was on Russell Davies.
No john was’nt on MAT, not all the time I was subbing there. His brother Peter was, also from SCA. The last time I saw John he was on for David Croombe, I heard recently though that he left his Wife and with another Lady was two manning (?) it on Murfitts. That’s about all I can tell you now.