Hi Tankerman
Angus moved to Milton Keynes when MAT set up a depot there and when they closed down I lost track of him. Cliff left MAT long before they closed down and whent working for a firm in Bradford. Cliffs lad (Gary) was a fitter at Brighton Street.
Cliff
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.
Carlc:
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.
We started to make the wrecker when we were at Popple street, I took the dash and all the inside out of it then refitted it into the new cab, but I dont remember it been a sleeper.
Do you remember the time I passed Kevin (plantem) Riley on Corley bank Harry?
I had just got the new Marathon in 1974 and blew Kevin off no problem up the hill. I had to produce my weight ticket in the Drapers arms Islington that night to prove I was fully loaded, he didn’t believe anything could pass his Scania 110.
Would that be your old Atki Harry.
Thanks carlc for the info on Angus, I often wonder where the old mates and fellow drivers finished up.
I have just had a phone call from a mate of mine, Jack Birchall, who worked with Cliff Leader at Bowkers and is still in touch with him, they spoke two weeks ago.
The good news is that Cliff is still alive and well aged 81 and living in a flat opposite Airdale Hospital near Steeton.
They met not long ago at Perranporth on holiday.
No further info on Angus though but jack will ask Cliff next time they speak.
hiya,
The one on the right of this picture is my old bus CBV 311C " the powerhouse" could get her down to about 3 MPG when I was in hurry up mode and she would fly.
thanks harry long retired.
hiya,
The one on the right of this picture is my old bus CBV 311C " the powerhouse" could get her down to about 3 MPG when I was in hurry up mode and she would fly.
thanks harry long retired.
Please to have reunited you both. I will look and see if I have another picture taken by Roger.
Update on this - Roger did not but Arthur Ingram did - neg. 29543. Will look it up tomorrow.
Tankerman:
I have just had a phone call from a mate of mine, Jack Birchall, who worked with Cliff Leader at Bowkers and is still in touch with him, they spoke two weeks ago.
The good news is that Cliff is still alive and well aged 81 and living in a flat opposite Airdale Hospital near Steeton.
They met not long ago at Perranporth on holiday.
No further info on Angus though but jack will ask Cliff next time they speak.
T.M.
hiya,
Jack Birchall another long serving Bowker man now he must be a good age, wonder if “George” is still about he was the yard foreman and easy to spot a smashing guy who took everything in his stride never once saw him rattled and if he wanted you to do something he always asked you politely, Russell did Stan Hindle get to retirement age he sure burnt the candle at both ends when he was younger I got on very well with him and we had many boozy weekends together having to call in the Bowker office to get some down the road money because we had spent our ex’s over the weekend Harold Newlove used to shake his head when he saw us making towards the traffic office window and was reaching for the “tin box” even before we asked another one of Stan and my boozeing chums was Don Smith all regulars in the Hamilton.
thanks harry long retired.
Jack Birchall worked for Shearings coaches and ran the Torquay end for many years, he finished up owning a big hotel on the sea front which he sold recently for close on a million quids, he comes up to Accrington now and again and we meet up. He is 76 and fit as a fiddle, he also owns a villa somewhere on the Med and when he rang last night he was just getting ready to set of until it warms up again here.
Stan Hindle was a boozing mate of mine in the Horse Shoe pub Accrington and he left Bowkers and went driving a little TK for a local chap. Stan stopped on the A5 near Atherstone one day to buy a bag of potatoes from a road side cafe and dropped dead lifting them into his cab.
I have a photo of him which I will dig out and post for you. He never made it to retirement.
George, as you say stood out in a crowd of white men but a good guy who also came in the Horse Shoe now and again with Stan.
Don Smith, no idea Harry.
I have trawled through my hundreds of MAT and Bowker photos but can’t find one of your Flying Atki.
Tankerman:
Jack Birchall worked for Shearings coaches and ran the Torquay end for many years, he finished up owning a big hotel on the sea front which he sold recently for close on a million quids, he comes up to Accrington now and again and we meet up. He is 76 and fit as a fiddle, he also owns a villa somewhere on the Med and when he rang last night he was just getting ready to set of until it warms up again here.
Stan Hindle was a boozing mate of mine in the Horse Shoe pub Accrington and he left Bowkers and went driving a little TK for a local chap. Stan stopped on the A5 near Atherstone one day to buy a bag of potatoes from a road side cafe and dropped dead lifting them into his cab.
I have a photo of him which I will dig out and post for you. He never made it to retirement.
George, as you say stood out in a crowd of white men but a good guy who also came in the Horse Shoe now and again with Stan.
Don Smith, no idea Harry.
I have trawled through my hundreds of MAT and Bowker photos but can’t find one of your Flying Atki.
T.M.
hiya,
Russell, Retriever has posted a pic of my old girl go back about four posts there she is standing proud next to what I think was Cliff Leaders Scania Vabis it was a Bowker one off too expensive too run a bit over-engined for it’s time all the other Atki’s had 150 and 180 Gardners mine had a biggish ■■■■■■■■
Hi Mikehat
Sorry about the mistake, my head went on “tilt” again. I have no idea how I came up with sleeper cab. It was old MAT 1 and I have put a picture of it on.
Cliff
mikehat1:
Carlc:
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.
We started to make the wrecker when we were at Popple street, I took the dash and all the inside out of it then refitted it into the new cab, but I dont remember it been a sleeper.
That’s the one, I did most if the electrics, Rob Palmer built the body and the jib he also did all the hydraulics, Rob was one hell of a fitter, Dave Clark put a lot of Park Drive ash into the build but that,s about all, and Alfy pap painted it.
hiya,
The one on the right of this picture is my old bus CBV 311C " the powerhouse" could get her down to about 3 MPG when I was in hurry up mode and she would fly.
thanks harry long retired.
Mr. Gill, here is CBV 311C as photographed on the M1. Also a blow up of the tractor - I do not know if you can recognise who the driver is.
hiya,
The one on the right of this picture is my old bus CBV 311C " the powerhouse" could get her down to about 3 MPG when I was in hurry up mode and she would fly.
thanks harry long retired.
Mr. Gill, here is CBV 311C as photographed on the M1. Also a blow up of the tractor - I do not know if you can recognise who the driver is.
hiya,
Obviously not certain but the driver could quite well be me, my driving style “arm across the steering wheel” and remember having to put a flysheet on that “leaky tilt” and possibly having to call in into MAT’s at Barking en-route for Dover and o’er the water, but trailer only I never got my feet wet on that stretch of water, did get to have a paddle in the Irish Sea on the odd occasion for a different firm.
thanks harry long retired.
Geoff Scott also lived thereabouts, I reckon he retired going on 8/9 years ago.
I also knew Little Freddie for many years but the one thing that escapes me
at the moment is his surname. He ran a scruffy old Scania from memory,
working for MAT Dover, running out of P’boro.
A great bunch - I may have said earlier that Patsy called into my office on
the day he retired and by that time I had known him around 33 years or so
not many around like him now, thats for sure.
Thanks for that Ricka. Freddy was good fun to be with, he had an ex army jeep and used to do the shows with it. Patsy was something else, it was never dull when he was around I can still picture him in full flow in the London and Paris.
ricka:
knowall:
Patsy McMahon lived in Wisbech.
Cliff
Geoff Scott also lived thereabouts, I reckon he retired going on 8/9 years ago.
I also knew Little Freddie for many years but the one thing that escapes me
at the moment is his surname. He ran a scruffy old Scania from memory,
working for MAT Dover, running out of P’boro.
A great bunch - I may have said earlier that Patsy called into my office on
the day he retired and by that time I had known him around 33 years or so
not many around like him now, thats for sure.
Geoff Scott also lived thereabouts, I reckon he retired going on 8/9 years ago.
I also knew Little Freddie for many years but the one thing that escapes me
at the moment is his surname. He ran a scruffy old Scania from memory,
working for MAT Dover, running out of P’boro.
A great bunch - I may have said earlier that Patsy called into my office on
the day he retired and by that time I had known him around 33 years or so
not many around like him now, thats for sure.
Regards
K
little Freddies surname was Dowland,one of life’s gentlemen,i last saw him at MAT Greys about 6 years ago
