LordDerby:
: 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)
Thats an awful of info , i sm very grateful for you taking the time to enlighten us all many thanks
billhead
