windrush:
rastone:
A lot of smart motors in the Potteries and good coach painters.Doug Wild of Vauxhall Street in Longton.His sign writer was a chap called Sam Davies and I saw him doing some Johnie Walker’s vans.I don’t think he did spray motors.In the late 60’s we took our motors from Derby and he painted a short wheelbase Transit for £29. Inside and out.We got in touch with him through Albert Hardacre from Whitacres from Hanley.I remember they used to convert a Ford 4D to forward control.I forget names as I’m 78, but there was a chap at Goldenhill who did some for us ,and of course I think you can often know where the motors come from for their signwriting.We got in touch with Ken Flannagen from Tean us Millmoor who again aren’t going anymore.
Tony
Hi Tony, going slightly off topic but you mentioning coach painter’s reminds me of my apprenticeship at a BMC commercial dealer. Everything was painted with a brush, we fitters used to remove all the cab glass including windscreen and rear windows for the two painters (Frank George and Pete Waters) so that the steelwork could all be painted and then refit it afterwards. Then the writing would be applied, often with gold leaf, and all freehand, fascinating to watch, then varnished over the top. It never faded and lasted for the life of the vehicle, must have been expensive to do even in the 60’s. Those times will not come around again I doubt!
Pete.
Yes Pete it would cost a fortune and not a run anywhere, but we are going off the subject a bit but interesting I think
Tony
PaulNowak:
Lawrence Dunbar:
0
Looks like Tunstall High St to me. Before they knackered it up.
Hiya is it not Burslem ■■? Tunstall would be to far for the flint sheds where they tipped
i thought at first it was Holloway road till i saw the midland bank…
John
3300John:
PaulNowak:
Lawrence Dunbar:
0
Looks like Tunstall High St to me. Before they knackered it up.
Hiya is it not Burslem ■■? Tunstall would be to far for the flint sheds where they tipped
i thought at first it was Holloway road till i saw the midland bank…
John
You know John, I thought it was Burslem before Paul mentioned Tunstall, we used to deliver tarmac to Chatterley Street depot in Burslem back in the 80’s and it just looked vagely familiar? However I am not a Potteries lad so will go with the flow! 
Pete.
I grew up in tunner, & its definitely not tunstall as the town hall & market is on the opposite corner to where the midland bank was & they are not in the picture.
cheers
gaz
The photo was taken in Church Street Stoke, not far from Davey’s old Vernon Road depot.
John
johnny51:
The photo was taken in Church Street Stoke, not far from Davey’s old Vernon Road depot.
John
hiya that street across the road would go to the station would it…thinking on in those days from Davies yard you’d go into Heartrshill
turn right near the Vic to the end do a right and a quick left going for Bradwell turn right down Port hill bank Middleport do a left at Trubshawe cross and off up to the flint yard…wow now the D road is open. out of Davies yard to the roundabout onto the D road for 2 and half miles get off at Port hill Middleport and a left at Trubshawe cross…the journey would be a matter of 6 minutes now… about 3/4 of an hour back then with no traffic
rastone:
A lot of smart motors in the Potteries and good coach painters.Doug Wild of Vauxhall Street in Longton.His sign writer was a chap called Sam Davies and I saw him doing some Johnie Walker’s vans.I don’t think he did spray motors.In the late 60’s we took our motors from Derby and he painted a short wheelbase Transit for £29. Inside and out.We got in touch with him through Albert Hardacre from Whitacres from Hanley.I remember they used to convert a Ford 4D to forward control.I forget names as I’m 78, but there was a chap at Goldenhill who did some for us ,and of course I think you can often know where the motors come from for their signwriting.We got in touch with Ken Flannagen from Tean us Millmoor who again aren’t going anymore.
Tony
When I worked at Wass’s in Longton in 1966, I think it was Sam Davies who used to do all their sign writing, starting with a rough chalk outline and then building it up in paint.
Fascinating to watch a skill like that, which is sadly now lost ! John
johnny51:
rastone:
A lot of smart motors in the Potteries and good coach painters.Doug Wild of Vauxhall Street in Longton.His sign writer was a chap called Sam Davies and I saw him doing some Johnie Walker’s vans.I don’t think he did spray motors.In the late 60’s we took our motors from Derby and he painted a short wheelbase Transit for £29. Inside and out.We got in touch with him through Albert Hardacre from Whitacres from Hanley.I remember they used to convert a Ford 4D to forward control.I forget names as I’m 78, but there was a chap at Goldenhill who did some for us ,and of course I think you can often know where the motors come from for their signwriting.We got in touch with Ken Flannagen from Tean us Millmoor who again aren’t going anymore.
Tony
When I worked at Wass’s in Longton in 1966, I think it was Sam Davies who used to do all their sign writing, starting with a rough chalk outline and then building it up in paint.
Fascinating to watch a skill like that, which is sadly now lost ! John
Hiya…at Jennings there was drove of sign writers and letterers. a chap Harry Huff used to do the wood grain on the horse box cabs as well as the signing…when we was at Harrison,s a really nice chap come at nights or weekends he worked at Supreem salt in the works but was a sign writer.i think he worked at Beeches at one time but there was not enough work for him… the chap didn’t drive so been self employed was a bit of a no no he was also very deaf so communication was not so good. he would always put a name on the lorry if you made him understand what you wanted (write it on paper)he was really nice chap.
Whilst certainly not meaning to be rude, you just don’t seem to get these type of characters anymore . I remember having a foreman many years ago, who had most of his fingers missing, but he could certainly use a set of spanners like a good’un!
Also a one armed car valeter, who’d really make your car gleam !
johnny51:
rastone:
A lot of smart motors in the Potteries and good coach painters.Doug Wild of Vauxhall Street in Longton.His sign writer was a chap called Sam Davies and I saw him doing some Johnie Walker’s vans.I don’t think he did spray motors.In the late 60’s we took our motors from Derby and he painted a short wheelbase Transit for £29. Inside and out.We got in touch with him through Albert Hardacre from Whitacres from Hanley.I remember they used to convert a Ford 4D to forward control.I forget names as I’m 78, but there was a chap at Goldenhill who did some for us ,and of course I think you can often know where the motors come from for their signwriting.We got in touch with Ken Flannagen from Tean us Millmoor who again aren’t going anymore.
Tony
When I worked at Wass’s in Longton in 1966, I think it was Sam Davies who used to do all their sign writing, starting with a rough chalk outline and then building it up in paint.
Fascinating to watch a skill like that, which is sadly now lost ! John
Sign writers put the chalk on and then they put the letter on on the left of the chalk so they didn’t make a mistake and do a letter twice.They also had a piece of string with chalk on it and a knot in the middle which they flipped to give a straight line they used to make the O’s and curved letters just a bit lower than the line to stop a optical illusion.Many sign writers could tell who did the vehicles as some used to shade on the left and some on the right
Tony
Does anyone remember the Bedford QL trucks which worked out of Etruria gas works in the 1960’s ?
They were fitted with a tank body and a nozzle at the rear, and were use for liquid fertilizer spraying
on the local farms. They were painted bright orange, and had a headboard on the cab which proclaimed
"Nitrogenous fertilizer spraying by the West Midlands Gas Board "
I remember that their transfers boxes and military tyres made a real racket!
I bet any photo’s would be a real longshot !
John
hiya…yes my uncle Vin drove one…i don’t know about fertilizer it was gas contaminated water. it was spread on
waste dumps to burn rats. we was told to keep well away…it was nasty stuff.i don’t know about fertilizer more like
weed killer. my uncle was in the workshop at Leek gas works they had a QL (orange)black ■■■■■■ tank with a pipe
like a dogs tail sticking out of the tank…my uncle used to spread the water all over the tip where Adams butter is
now on Sunny hills road…I thought he was ace going all over the rough ground in this clapped out looking lorry.
i would think it was about 1962/3 god did it stink we lived about half a mile away across some fields mum would
soon close the windows if the wind blew it our direction… i,d forgot all about them until you said… sorry no photo,s
John
hiya Johnny 51…i have a mate who has a QL its got a Perkins engine fitted… it whine,s like mad… his is a wrecker
in dark green but looks very army like…he lives in Macclesfield
Hiya i found this on Face book .sorry its poor quality its a photo off the screen the photo belongs to mr Davis
thanks to him
I would think the photo was taken before 1968, look at the amount of tread on the front crossply tyers
John
3300John:
hiya…yes my uncle Vin drove one…i don’t know about fertilizer it was gas contaminated water. it was spread on
waste dumps to burn rats. we was told to keep well away…it was nasty stuff.i don’t know about fertilizer more like
weed killer. my uncle was in the workshop at Leek gas works they had a QL (orange)black [zb] tank with a pipe
like a dogs tail sticking out of the tank…my uncle used to spread the water all over the tip where Adams butter is
now on Sunny hills road…I thought he was ace going all over the rough ground in this clapped out looking lorry.
i would think it was about 1962/3 god did it stink we lived about half a mile away across some fields mum would
soon close the windows if the wind blew it our direction… i,d forgot all about them until you said… sorry no photo,s
John
Hiya John, I’ve no doubt that the QL at Leek was used as a " Rat Destroyer", but the ones at Etruria were definitely used for fertiliser spraying.
In fact, I can remember seeing an article in the Evening Sentinel by the West Midlands Gas Board, describing the benefits of using this service.
John
sammyopisite:
Hi Meirlad when you said you subbed for the guy from Sheffield did he have a couple of Foden,s S10 with the 11" headlights in navy blue as I had a mate who drove for him and told me how good the job was on the crushed cars but he was soon out of work when he went ■■■■ up.
cheers Johnnie
Hiya lads. Sorry I’ve not been on for a while. Illness and all that stuff. In fact I’ve just come out of hospital where I met a lad named Dave Morrey whose dad worked for Alcocks many years ago. We got chatting and he asked his wife to bring in two books: North Staffordshire Hauliers, which he’s loaned to me. What a brilliant read they are! All the old stuff came back to me, and I recognised quite a few of the old faces in there as well as being reminded of firms I had long forgotten about. Amazing stuff, and congratulations to those who complied them as well as to all the contributors. Does anybody know where I can buy copies of the two books, or even of book 1 which was most relevant to me personally?
I’ll try and respond to a couple of queries posed from my earlier ramblings.
Johnnie… yes, I remember those two Fodens well. They were the only wagons that company owned and all the rest was subbed out, eventually all the rest via me. I suppose that made me the real fall-guy, but it affected quite a few owner drivers that worked out of Vic Wild’s yard at the time.
Stay well fella.
Mick.
bestbooties:
Meirlad,
Welcome to the site.
I also worked for Vic Wild on and off for a couple of years, my uncle Harry McBeth got me on there.
At the time that [zb] of a transport manager Clive Hitchen (RIP) was there and he knew it was best not to get too near the drivers window in the traffic office as I know several drivers who would have dragged him through it!
I was one of the owner/drivers along with a few others, and when the 240 Atki’s came out, several were delivered and I was due for the next when Gardners went on strike and the new motors dried up. In his frustration that what few 240’s were coming out went to Herman Tideswell, a dedicated AEC man, so Vic ordered a pair of new DAF’s and young John Taylor and I had them from new.
It’s good to read your stories about the firms in the Stoke area you’ve worked for, I don’t suppose you made a contribution to the books by Ros Unwin called North Staffs Hauliers and Staffordshire Hauliers 2, many of us locals gave some info on firms we had worked for and there’s a lot of history of many of the old firms, but it’s always good to get someone else’s perspective on a firm.
Keep it coming!
I’ll bet I know you Ian. I need to see faces nowadays. Clive Hitchen (RIP). LOL. He had a habit of disappearing whenever he was settling up with me. I was one of those who would have dragged him through that window! I reckon even Vic Wild didn’t know the extent that Clive (RIP) was robbing us. I’m not surprised that so few of us owner drivers never made a go of it. By the time Clive (RIP) had skimmed off the cream, we had only mouldy cheese to keep our trucks running and our families out of the poorhouse. But that was more than half a lifetime ago and I can laugh at it now. 
If anyone ever wants to use my humble offerings at any time in a new book, they’re welcome to them. Gratis.
One company that I rented trailers (tippers) from was Caulkins at Loggerheads. I also had some work off them. The work was good even if the payment wasn’t. (Or maybe it was and Clive (RIP) had skimmed a big chunk off it before I got it.) Mostly grain to Liverpool.
Keep safe fella.
Mick.
After Vic Wild had packed up, and I was working for Chapman and Ball, when they went ■■■■ up, Jack Corrie (RIP), started Litcor International, originally doing tipping work and Clive Hitchen (RIP) came to work for us as a driver, how are the mighty fallen?, what a smarmy ■■■■■■■ he was!
bestbooties:
After Vic Wild had packed up, and I was working for Chapman and Ball, when they went ■■■■ up, Jack Corrie (RIP), started Litcor International, originally doing tipping work and Clive Hitchen (RIP) came to work for us as a driver, how are the mighty fallen?, what a smarmy [zb] he was!
Ian
Hope your well ?
Thought I knew most of the company’s from around here from the past but Litcor !!! That’s a new one didn’t know Jack had that ■■?
Learn something new every day - what did they run ?
Cheers Ant
Willie Roadstar:
bestbooties:
After Vic Wild had packed up, and I was working for Chapman and Ball, when they went ■■■■ up, Jack Corrie (RIP), started Litcor International, originally doing tipping work and Clive Hitchen (RIP) came to work for us as a driver, how are the mighty fallen?, what a smarmy [zb] he was!
Ian
Hope your well ?
Thought I knew most of the company’s from around here from the past but Litcor !!! That’s a new one didn’t know Jack had that ■■?
Learn something new every day - what did they run ?
Cheers Ant
Ant,
When C & B hit the buffers, the drivers went all ways to find other jobs of course. I and one or two others went over to Jenkinsons from Manchester who had had some dealings with C & B, but after a few weeks not knowing when or if you’ll be working I jacked and was about to start working as a night trunker for John Raymond out of Bridgend,as Tommy Brain, (Ex Vic Wild driver), was setting up a changeover system for Raymonds.
A few days before I started, Jack Corrie rang me up and said he had started a new company in partnership with Jeff Litwin, boss of Simon International from down the smoke.
The firm was to be called, Litcor International (Litwin and Corrie), and started with 4 new motors, Mercedes SK’s 1626’s. I rang Tommy Brain to say sorry but had got a better offer, and he was half expecting it.
We started working out of the builders yard on Sneyd Hill opposite Commercial Engineers, and with me as drivers were Ray Bailey, Ken Hawkesworth and Barry Powner. At some time Clive Hitchen RIP came to work for us.
It was intended that we did international work, but in the short term we did a lot of tipping work subbed from B J Waters, but that included some jobs like loading scrap lead slag from Runcorn out to Germany, then loading back iron ore from Germany to Bedford.
We started subbing some of SI’s work to the middle east and I did Baghdad a couple of times in my Merc.
After a short while we moved up to the old Cowlishaw-Walker factory in Biddulph, which Jeff Litwin apparently bought cash with a suitcase full of money. then one day Jeff Litwin asked me to fly out to Italy and rescue one of his F12’s as the driver had broken his ankle and was in hospital.
I then kept this motor and worked for SI for 12months or so
While we were working as Litcor, we had a young lad, Jimmy Jones, who was the spray painter, and he bought a Leyland artic tipper which he ran on Litcors “O” licence with Clive Hitchen as driver.
When the balloon went up with Litcor and SI, Jack got an “O” licence to run the one tipper originally, in the name of Halcyon Haulage, based behind that filling station at the traffic lights in Gillow Heath, and the rest as they say is history!
