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!
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!
Thanks Ian - that’s great detail
Cheers
Ant
Jimmy Jones died not so long ago (cancer ) i think . The garage was at Knypersley traffic lights and was called Red cross garage . they also had black &silver striped sed atki unit with a tipper trailer. I was only talking to a mate of mine about them not so long a go . nice lad Jimmy was
As anybody seen or heard anything of Popeye (John Oldacre) recently, been trying to track him down, but without any success, not seen him for about 6 years. ■■
Likewise, have not seen him for best part of 20 years, although last time I did speak to him he was doing some sort of European recovery work after he had been pulling for Franz Maas transport for a while.
He did hint at having some sort of illness, but he was able to live with it.?
For several years now I get to read the Bereavement column in the Sentinel every evening, (It’s an age thing), and I haven’t seen anyone of the trucking fraternity for some time, with the exception of Ron Carman RIP and Jack Corrie RIP couple of years ago.
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!
Thanks Ian - that’s great detail
Cheers
Ant
Jimmy Jones died not so long ago (cancer ) i think . The garage was at Knypersley traffic lights and was called Red cross garage . they also had black &silver striped sed atki unit with a tipper trailer. I was only talking to a mate of mine about them not so long a go . nice lad Jimmy was
Jimmy was a diamond. My mum was best mates with his missus, Sue. He used to knock out come cracking grey imports, I had an awesome Celica off him
Bestbooties, you triggered some old memories for me talking about looking at the Bereavement column in the Sentinel. I spent a lot of my childhood in Normacot, where my Fathers friend was Priest in charge. A place of many happy memories for me.
I can remember the icy cold nights, and been awoken by a loud knocking at the door, then seeing Father Williams, cape flying in the wind, hand clasping his beretta to his head, as he raced down to the Florence, to administer whatever comfort he could to the victims of some pit accident. A different age…
Then a few weeks ago, going on a coach to the Vic, (old enough now to let someone else drive…(.but the modern “steering wheel attendant” where you feel every gear change does grate on me)! We passed the end of Lightwood Road, and the Florence…all gone…probably for the best…but its funny how the memories are triggered.
Bestbooties, you triggered some old memories for me talking about looking at the Bereavement column in the Sentinel. I spent a lot of my childhood in Normacot, where my Fathers friend was Priest in charge. A place of many happy memories for me.
I can remember the icy cold nights, and been awoken by a loud knocking at the door, then seeing Father Williams, cape flying in the wind, hand clasping his beretta to his head, as he raced down to the Florence, to administer whatever comfort he could to the victims of some pit accident. A different age…
Then a few weeks ago, going on a coach to the Vic, (old enough now to let someone else drive…(.but the modern “steering wheel attendant” where you feel every gear change does grate on me)! We passed the end of Lightwood Road, and the Florence…all gone…probably for the best…but its funny how the memories are triggered.
Cheerio for now.
Florence, Hem Heath, all gone now. I often wonder as I pass the site if the shoppers in that Lidl - or is it Aldi - realise they are standing over what was, I believe, the deepest shaft in Britain!
if any of you ever get chance to see the video alan did called on your bike just watch alans face when bob matthews tells him he has to reload from italy .it’s a picture bless him
FF, Bunchy gave me a copy of this DVD at the reunion.
Further to this post.Bob Matthews and I did our first M/E trip together to Baghdad back in '74.
ian what happened to bob matthews after he went to nippress.?
[/quote]
I I worked for Bob when he had two trucks on nippress. Called his company carrolls of stoke. We used to do the Muller yogurt contract for years out of Felixstowe. Saw home about ten years ago he was working for Ronnie dale up in cobridge Hanley out of imperial trucks yard.
Last saw Bob at Ron Carman’s funeral two or three years ago. He’s retired now of course and despite how close we were when we were the first of Carman’s to run to Baghdad together for several trips, he was not very talkative. I also saw Ken Goodwin, Eddie Bailey and Phil what’s his name,(Big lad, full of talk?)
Also had a few words with young Rod Carman, he was just a teenager at college when I knew him first, but he did remember me and was pleased I turned up for his old man’s funeral.
Question specifically for bb. I note in one of your previous posts you mention a driver by the name of Ray Bailey.
I drove for Steetley Transport between 1982 and 1988.
I was on brick deliveries working out of Ravenhead near Skem., although I spent a lot of time in the Potteries, loading out of Brownhills, Keele, Parkhouse, Chesterton and the like.
The wagons were serviced at Chesterton workshops next to Holditch colliery.
When a certain John Jones became area manager for Steetley, he subbed out most of the brick work and concentrated on tippers.
Around about 1987 a driver named Ray Bailey came to work with us. He was a good looking lad and very friendly also. He reckoned to have done work in the M/E and I had no reason to doubt him.
He was based up at Skem with us technically, although he lived somewhere in the Stoke area. I never saw a great deal of him as we were all down the road most of the time anyway.
The last I heard of him, he’d been seriously injured in an accident at Chesterton brickworks when one of the fork trucks reversed over him.
Would this have been the same Ray Bailey that you worked with mate ? and if so, do you know how he went on ?
I think I’ve asked this before but do you remember William Newton in Hamilton Road (John Bedson) and what a horrible depot they had.They moved to a new place in Longton.I sold him a D800 in 1966.Nice bloke John eventually gave up and worked for the Staffordshire County Council and was involved with buying school buses so I was involved with that job to.Said it was the best job he’d ever had.He lived in Hopton and sadly his wife died and John died a few years ago not all that old I think.I took a Thorneycroft Mastiff in P.ex with a Boalloy cab and pulled like a good’n.Bringing it back to Derby the gear lever broke off but no problem at hold ups etc.He ran on Goldendale.
Any pictures of Wass’s motors
Eddie Heaton:
Question specifically for bb. I note in one of your previous posts you mention a driver by the name of Ray Bailey.
I drove for Steetley Transport between 1982 and 1988.
I was on brick deliveries working out of Ravenhead near Skem., although I spent a lot of time in the Potteries, loading out of Brownhills, Keele, Parkhouse, Chesterton and the like.
The wagons were serviced at Chesterton workshops next to Holditch colliery.
When a certain John Jones became area manager for Steetley, he subbed out most of the brick work and concentrated on tippers.
Around about 1987 a driver named Ray Bailey came to work with us. He was a good looking lad and very friendly also. He reckoned to have done work in the M/E and I had no reason to doubt him.
He was based up at Skem with us technically, although he lived somewhere in the Stoke area. I never saw a great deal of him as we were all down the road most of the time anyway.
The last I heard of him, he’d been seriously injured in an accident at Chesterton brickworks when one of the fork trucks reversed over him.
Would this have been the same Ray Bailey that you worked with mate ? and if so, do you know how he went on ?
All this took place 30 years ago mind.
Cheers. Eddie.
Ray Bailey was a very good friend of mine on C&B and he did indeed do some middle east work.
We worked together on Litcor, then when that finished I went to work for a firm in Loughton Esserx, (Expo Freight)
Some years later I was in the brickworks at Skem when I met another old pal from my days on Vic Wild’s, Kenny Brough, and he told me about Ray’s accident with the fork lift.
He made a good recovery and went back to work but he has now retired and does not intend doing any more.
He lives out Blythe Bridge way now.
Thanks for the info mate, I’m really pleased to hear he’s doing o.k. I’ve often thought about him over the years and wondered what happened to him, he was a decent lad. At the time of the accident, the word was, it was unlikely he would ever work again. If you ever bump into him, tell him Ronnie and Eddie from Skem were asking after him.
Eddie Heaton:
Thanks for the info mate, I’m really pleased to hear he’s doing o.k. I’ve often thought about him over the years and wondered what happened to him, he was a decent lad. At the time of the accident, the word was, it was unlikely he would ever work again. If you ever bump into him, tell him Ronnie and Eddie from Skem were asking after him.
Cheers. Eddie.
I send him a Christmas card and 'phone him from time to time.
When I rang him a couple of years ago to tell him about the Stoke international drivers re union he was not interested, I think now he’s retired he’s put it all behind him.
As you say, a nice lad.
Anyone worked for clem Brassington ,I first met him in 97 ,I was put on to him by K & H ,as I’d be doing burslem hot lane and hewitts for k & h from DSF refractories ,the work with c & l was really good for a few yrs but I think he suffered some stiff competition ,places he sent me were thomas boltons through maxi haulage ,the brass founders at Newcastle next to mcgreadys ,mare laminates ,Hewitt refractories ,fox colours nr dilhorne I think ? ,Iae ,park hall joinery , a powder coates duke street fenton area ? And a crate makers too ,by the time C & l finished I was well out of it ,anyone remember him having the brand new V8 s fitted in the Ivecos , the last I heard clem lived by Wetley rocks garage .
It is with great sadness that I announce another sad passing of a great man and legendary Stoke haulier
Unfortunately Phil Durose (Dad of Lee Durose) passed away suddenly on the morning of Dec 23rd- I have been advised today that the funeral will take place next Friday 15th Jan at 1 pm - Fulford Church Nr Hilderstone / Blythe Bridge -Staffs.
A great man - who I owe a great deal to - also a long family friend
It is with great sadness that I announce another sad passing of a great man and legendary Stoke haulier
Unfortunately Phil Durose (Dad of Lee Durose) passed away suddenly on the morning of Dec 23rd- I have been advised today that the funeral will take place next Friday 15th Jan at 1 pm - Fulford Church Nr Hilderstone / Blythe Bridge -Staffs.
A great man - who I owe a great deal to - also a long family friend
R.I.P - Phil Durose
Hi Ant hows it going,sad loss mate had a pint with Phil 2 weeks before Christmas burnt a bit of deisel talking about the Mosspak days, and also when me and him used to go doing the weekend Stobart shunt to Lockeren for Lee.
like you sed great loss.
The man could have written a book about all the things he got up to .
regards Nick Basford
Hi All
Sad news about Phil, last spoke to him about 6 weeks ago, to say I was shocked is an understatement.I hope that church will take us all !!!
RIP Phil & thinking of Lee & Lisa at this sad time
Duls
Punchy Dan:
Anyone worked for clem Brassington ,I first met him in 97 ,I was put on to him by K & H ,as I’d be doing burslem hot lane and hewitts for k & h from DSF refractories ,the work with c & l was really good for a few yrs but I think he suffered some stiff competition ,places he sent me were thomas boltons through maxi haulage ,the brass founders at Newcastle next to mcgreadys ,mare laminates ,Hewitt refractories ,fox colours nr dilhorne I think ? ,Iae ,park hall joinery , a powder coates duke street fenton area ? And a crate makers too ,by the time C & l finished I was well out of it ,anyone remember him having the brand new V8 s fitted in the Ivecos , the last I heard clem lived by Wetley rocks garage .
