McVEIGH & HUMBER McVEIGH

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS OLD TIME LORRIES, COMPANIES AND DRIVERS (INTERACT
81

Wheel Nut:

steptoe:
McVeigh was originaly a small company from Grimsby. The main haulage contractor in Grimsby at that time was Parrots, Parrots haulage had most of the work in the area, including all of Peter Dixons paper mill work prior to them operating there own lorries. When nationalisation came along Alf Parrot decided to have no more to do with transport and bought the Oaklands hotel leaving McVeighs to managed BRS Grimsby. After nationalisation McVeighs carried on but with all of the pre nationalisation work of Parrots and other nationalised companys. They then went on to buy out smaller struggling companies and expanded to quite a large company. The Humber part comes from a company called Humber Wharehousing, which I belive started in a small village in Lincolnshire called Cammeringham, they expanded and moved to Killingholme before eventualy being based in Grimsby.

Interesting

And thank you wheelnut

82

billheads:

andy66:
If my memory serves me right i am sure they had a depot in Lowestoft. :question:

Thank you andy66 and jonb

I’ve just remembered they also had a depot in Thornbury near Bristol.

83

I belive thats where they came from, as other people have said they had depots all over the country. I think they were part of the ROSS group, and later they became HTW and then ACS&T with cold stores in Grimsby, Scarborough and Tewksbury.

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One of HTW’s Scania 112’s parked in the yard in Grimsby next to an ex Sanmar 1633

84

I worked for Humber Mcviegh at Scarborough for a few years between 75 and 82, so that was after the takeover/merger between Humber Warehousing and Mcveigh, I seem to remember a lot of the depots closed, most were Mcveigh depots, and around 1980 give or take a couple of years there was a bit of a rebrand, Scarborough became Seamer transport, based in the old Bells yard at Seamer, although now they are on Cayton Low Road and provide distribution for McCains, A depot at Colsterworth was Granton Transport, Tewkesbury was Tewkesbury Transport(not sure on this one but they did work for Walls), and Grimsby was HTW, Don,t know when the change to ACS&T came in.

Ron

85

:slight_smile: I remember the fridges with STL and GTL on them, cant remember what the Tewkesbury ones had on them. :slight_smile:

86

steptoe:
:slight_smile: I remember the fridges with STL and GTL on them, cant remember what the Tewkesbury ones had on them. :slight_smile:

ACS & T also known as Tewkesbury Cold Stores

87

Wheel Nut:

steptoe:
:slight_smile: I remember the fridges with STL and GTL on them, cant remember what the Tewkesbury ones had on them. :slight_smile:

ACS & T also known as Tewkesbury Cold Stores

I think that was a bit later on when they all had ACS&T on them. Granton, Seamer and HTW all had that livery.

The separate divisions were merged into Associated Cold Stores & Transport Limited in 1984

88

steptoe:

Wheel Nut:

steptoe:
:slight_smile: I remember the fridges with STL and GTL on them, cant remember what the Tewkesbury ones had on them. :slight_smile:

ACS & T also known as Tewkesbury Cold Stores

I think that was a bit later on when they all had ACS&T on them. Granton, Seamer and HTW all had that livery.

The separate divisions were merged into Associated Cold Stores & Transport Limited in 1984

Many thanks to all who replied with information and pics, i am most grateful
billheads

89

Did they take over Eptons from Boston well it was the outskirts of Boston, Epton did the groupage for the Swedeish boat out of Boston I was on for McMurdo of Sanquhar and we took thousands of carpets down to them I regurlarly did 3 trips a week to Eptons. Albert Epton was the warehouse foreman and POP was the forklift driver and Pop senior was dock foreman with Epton used to enjoy going there they were a great team of lads that would be late 60s-early 70s.So Humber must have come in late 70s ■■ . Eddie.

90

Just remembered Eptons were on Punchbowl Lane between Brothertoft and Boston .Eddie.

91

: Humber McVeigh Transport

Had Depots in the following Towns & Cities

Alford Bulk Transport
Avonmouth General/Refrigerated & Warehousing
Boston General Haulage & Warehousing
Cardiff General Haulage Mainly Steel
Colsterworth General/Refrigerated & Warehousing
Grimsby Head Office General/Refrigerated & Warehousing
Hull General/Refrigerated
Immingham General Haulage & Warehousing
Liverpool General Haulage
Lowestoft General/Refrigerated & Warehousing
Manchester General Haulage & Warehousing
Market Deeping General Haulage
Poole General Haulage & Warehousing
Scarborough Refrigerated Haulage
Sheffield General Haulage Mainly Steel
Swansea General Haulage Mainly Steel

The Boston operation started in 1972 from the phone box at the entrance to Boston Dock from this vantage point Terence W. Bowler (Terry) was able to look after the Bulk shipments for Alford Depot and their subcontractors. A local shipping agent “Read & Sutcliffe Ltd” requested we take care of shipment of steel coils for them; this was the birth of the Boston Depot. Soon after a Portakabin arrived it was placed on the Dock, a few weeks later Mr Lol Skinner joined the ranks as foreman, we had tractor units from Alford Depot as shunters in the first few months.

To cut a very long story short after about a year with the Clearing House operation expanding all the time Mr Don Burkitt (Bucket) traffic coordinator and Mr Ralph Baxter (Bern) was now the local shunter, all three were brilliant to work with and drink with.

Just before Christmas 1973 negotiations had started with H. Epton & Sons Ltd, Punchbowl Lane, Boston. By January 1974, the Boston Depot for Humber McVeigh was opened, there were three Epton boys, Marshall he was the oldest Albert looked after the Swedish Exports and Jonny Epton. Jonny was a strange bloke, always trying to stab people in the back, he always wanted to tell tales he was truly like a child. All three had been given jobs within the Boston operation, to tell you the truth only Albert gave a fair days work for a fair days pay.

Warehousing:- There was 48000 sq feet of good first class Warehousing at Punchbowl Lane, operated by Albert Epton (Exports) Charlie Ulyatt (Warehouse Foreman) Pop Panton and Biscuit were the forklift drivers.

Epton’s had a mixed fleet of units ERF’s and Atkinson’s about 9 in all, with Gardner Engines 2x240 + 7x180 along with a couple very old shunters on the docks with no doors.

After a time the Road Units increased to 20 plus that included 6 Volvos from Lowestoft Depot with day cabs the rest of the fleet was made up with Atkinsons and ERFs all with Gardner Engines. The Dock shunters now 6 of them were Atkinsons with 150 Gardners in them. After the first of trading Boston Depot expanded again with an additional 20,000 sq feet of warehousing along with a Warehouse Manager Mr Patrick Butler he looked after everything to do with the warehouses under Boston. Now Boston Depot was turning over some months the same amount and more than the Grimsby Depot Head Office was doing.

More expansion for Boston Depot, Terry the Manager sat with accountants from the cold store division to devise a computer system for the whole of the Humber McVeigh, one of those accountants Sam McGowan would say if General Motors can turn out a Profit and Loss within three days, then Humber McVeigh Ltd, should be able to do the same. Now with the new systems in place more office staff was needed, with accounts staff, traffic clerks and receptionist meant we needed a new office, so we took over the vacant customs office overlooking the dock, an ideal site for a port operation.

Now, Boston Depot was set up to take on the World, so to speak, this little depot turned over the same amount as the Grimsby some months. The Manager could find work anywhere and everywhere, he was a genius at his job, he had diesel running through his veins. Being an ex-driver he could show the Guys a thing or two about sheeting and roping, and he was also a human satnav.

Geoff Hallam one of the founding fathers of Humber Warehousing, and subsequently the Managing Director of Humber McVeigh Ltd, became ill and of course had to take some time off. With a seat being empty at the top it didn’t take the accountants long to get rid of him, and the newly recruited Jim Holt into his place, unfortunately he was not fit for purpose an idiot in fact. He only was in his job for the best part of 12 months or so when the Boston Depot Manager saw through him and left the Company.

Sam McGowan, accountants and the bean counters from London and the cold store division ruined a truly great Company. Humber McVeigh Ltd would have been a force to be reckoned today, if only those in charge of Associated Fisheries, London had done their jobs in a correct and proper manner.

By Terry Bowler (Boston Depot Manager)

92

: Humber McVeigh Transport

Had Depots in the following Towns & Cities + Depot Manager

  1. Alford Bulk Transport + (John Spence)
  2. Avonmouth General/Refrigerated & Warehousing + (Don Freeman)
  3. Boston General Haulage & Warehousing + (Terry Bowler)
  4. Cardiff General Haulage Mainly Steel
  5. Colsterworth General/Refrigerated & Warehousing + (Mike Harness)
  6. Grimsby Head Office General/Refrigerated & Warehousing + (Jim Fellows)
  7. Hull General/Refrigerated
    (8) Immingham General Haulage & Warehousing
  8. Liverpool General Haulage + (Frank Williams)
  9. Lowestoft General/Refrigerated & Warehousing + (Stan jackson)
  10. Manchester General Haulage & Warehousing
  11. Market Deeping General Haulage + (Mike Pettit)
  12. Poole General Haulage & Warehousing
  13. Scarborough Refrigerated Haulage + (Doug Palmer)
  14. Sheffield General Haulage Mainly Steel + (Lenny Bedford)
  15. Swansea General Haulage Mainly Steel
93

Humber McVeigh Transport Ltd

Humber McVeigh Transport Ltd — Could have been a great force in today’s market place, the same as Eddie Stobart is today. If the so called accountants and the bean counters had been kept under control. The shareholders of Associated Fisheries plc, should be asking some very awkward questions, and find out why they were hung out to dry by the accountants and bean counters.

Terry Bowler

94

Humber McVeigh Transport Group
This is what happens to a very successful company when the senior management, those in London adopt a Pontius Pilot attitude and allow the Bean Counters and the so called Accountants a free hand. They try desperately to become operational transport men, but when it comes to it they’re clueless.
Terry Bowler:- The Boston Depot Manager

95

LordDerby:
: Humber McVeigh Transport

Geoff Hallam one of the founding fathers of Humber Warehousing, and subsequently the Managing Director of Humber McVeigh Ltd, became ill and of course had to take some time off. With a seat being empty at the top it didn’t take the accountants long to get rid of him, and the newly recruited Jim Holt into his place, unfortunately he was not fit for purpose an idiot in fact. He only was in his job for the best part of a month or so when the Boston Depot Manager saw through him and left the Company.

What happened to Geoff Hallam? He was and probably still is a top man, a real gent. I remember him operating his own fleet from Stallingborough and later managing other companies but not seen him for 10 years or more. Is he still around, or retired?

96

I remember reading an article in the commercial motor about 30 years ago and it said that Humber McVeigh had over 500 lorries.

97

The formation of Humber Warehousing Group Ltd

I was always under the Impression that they’d started Humber Warehousing Group at “Irby” with the help of a local farmer by the name of “Lockwood” so I believe, that’s if memory serves me right. But the poster below tells a completely different story. Can anyone Help?

It was only when the expansion of the Company demanded a great deal more seed capital to accommodate their rapid expansion do they look for more suitable backers. Welcome Associated Fisheries, they had the much needed cash to take the Company forward, with the minimal amount of worries. Geoff Hallam & David Marsh were now on their way.

First moving into Granville Street, Grimsby, just of Ladysmith Road, ideal for Christian Salvesen cold Store and right next door to the Birds Eye Factory It seems Humber Warehousing had found their “Klondyke” under the guidance of Geoff Hallam. They had to many lorries for such a small depot, again with the backing of Associated Fisheries a New site was sort, this would be their last and final move, so in the mid-sixties land was purchased on Pyewipe Industrial estate, these days it’s called South Humberside Industrial Estate. A fantastic purpose build depot was formed on the site with huge servicing facility, spray shops and body building all under the one roof, there was enough parking for their fleet and several others.

By 1969 (G) Reg, they had a fleet of New Vehicles AECs Mandators & Mercury’s with some 4 and 6 wheelers tippers for the Alford Depot. I can imagine there would be in excess of of 100 Units all told, then over the next couple of years came Fodens, Scammells, Guys, Fords, ERFs and Atkinsons, along with hundreds of new york trailers. The Drivers had the power under the bonnet, they were paid at 26 miles per hour. For every 26 miles they covered they were paid one hours pay, there was little wonder everybody wanted to work for Humber Warehousing.

Terry Bowler (Boston Depot Manager)

98

I was fascinated to read all your comments and some kind words about my Grandfather Geoff Hallam and the origins of Humber Warehousing and its later merger into Humber McVeigh transport. He is still involved in the industry and still in touch with Arthur Lockwood whom he founded the original company with back in 1948.

I have printed out all of the comments and photos for him and I will get him to write up a piece for the board about the company, but Terry has covered an awful lot of it.

Billheads - happy to put you in touch with my Grandfather to help you with your research and give you first-hand knowledge of how it started and the later merger.

Terry, when I rang my Grandad to tell him about this website he said you worked for him for a long time and he would love to get in touch again — if you e-mail me at michael-hallam1@sky.com we can perhaps share contact details.

Best Wishes,

Mike Hallam
Grandson of Geoff Hallam - Founder of Humber Warehousing and later MD of Humber McVeigh

99

What a brilliant thread!.
Thanks to all contributors - I have really enjoyed reading it.

Threads like this are what makes this site great!.

100

I remember them im nearley sure the took Cusick Transport over & had a depot in Langley Road Salford the used to deliver bales of Danish bacon in Manchester to a firm in Ancoates Street Ladefoged &Co it was a quick tip they had an overhead monorail crane 3 bales at a time one of the easy tips in those days Regards Larry