Does anyone have any history of the owners of Bradley Fold Garage pre-1962? I am researching family history and wondering who ran haulage businesses from there after 1924. I know William Wallwork continued to run it back in 1924 but wondered if anyone knew what year he finished or if the Wallwork family were at Bradley Fold Garage for long.
I’ve not posted before, but have been reading this thread with great interest.
There seems to be a great deal of knowledge regarding old Bolton hauliers, does anyone have any memories, or any info on a haulage firm from Atherton, they were called Knowles Brothers, they had their base on Thomas Street and were operating around 1940-1960 ish.
The reason I am asking is that Frank Knowles was my Grandad, I remember being taken to the garage/yard when I was little, I was born in 1962, but I have hardly any memories of being there,and my Dad didn’t really speak much about them when he was alive.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Seeing the words ‘Little Lever’ reminded me - every transport cafe I ever went into in the early seventies had ‘Chuck of Little Lever’’ as graffiti on the lavatory walls!
John
John West:
Seeing the words ‘Little Lever’ reminded me - every transport cafe I ever went into in the early seventies had ‘Chuck of Little Lever’’ as graffiti on the lavatory walls!John
Not to mention, ‘Kilroy wos here’ and the scurrilous rumour: ‘Armatage Shanks’!! Robert 
amillingtonhaulage:
Does anyone have any history of the owners of Bradley Fold Garage pre-1962? I am researching family history and wondering who ran haulage businesses from there after 1924. I know William Wallwork continued to run it back in 1924 but wondered if anyone knew what year he finished or if the Wallwork family were at Bradley Fold Garage for long.
I cannot help you with Bradley Fold Garage details, unfortunately, but there was a small haulier at Bradley Fold until the 1960’s whose name I cannot remember. He ran a couple of Seddons. Also in Little Lever in that era was owner driver Harry Greenhalgh who also kept the Horse Shoe pub with his wife Blanche, in Lever Street (now Halligan’s). Harry also had a Seddon Mark 5 with an ‘A’ Licence which Ray Holden bought off him. Back much earlier in the last century Johnson & Riley who had the terra cotta pottery at the back of Tong Road had a small coaching operation as well, and a relative of mine, Harry Orr, had a ‘pirate’ stage bus business in competion with Bolton Corporation, who eventually bought him out to get rid of him. Happy Days. 
gingerfold:
amillingtonhaulage:
Does anyone have any history of the owners of Bradley Fold Garage pre-1962? I am researching family history and wondering who ran haulage businesses from there after 1924. I know William Wallwork continued to run it back in 1924 but wondered if anyone knew what year he finished or if the Wallwork family were at Bradley Fold Garage for long.I cannot help you with Bradley Fold Garage details, unfortunately, but there was a small haulier at Bradley Fold until the 1960’s whose name I cannot remember. He ran a couple of Seddons. Also in Little Lever in that era was owner driver Harry Greenhalgh who also kept the Horse Shoe pub with his wife Blanche, in Lever Street (now Halligan’s). Harry also had a Seddon Mark 5 with an ‘A’ Licence which Ray Holden bought off him. Back much earlier in the last century Johnson & Riley who had the terra cotta pottery at the back of Tong Road had a small coaching operation as well, and a relative of mine, Harry Orr, had a ‘pirate’ stage bus business in competion with Bolton Corporation, who eventually bought him out to get rid of him. Happy Days.
I have a bit of history for you about Harry Orr, “In 1921 Mr Harry Orr started Little Lever’s first regular bus service, running from the village to Moses Gate. He named his bus “The Leverite”. It was painted in dark green with side seating and was fitted with a calcium carbide lamp in the passenger section. It has solid tyres and entrance was from the rear. The first two drivers were Mr Orr himself and, when the service was established, Mr Bill Cranshaw. Mr Orr also ran buses from Little Lever to the Coach and Horses public house on the Bolton/Bury road.”
I’ve read about Johnson and Riley, started by Robert Johnson and George Riley, they made terracotta and then got into cars and transport but I’ve tried researching about Bradley Fold Garage in the 1920s but hit a brick wall.
Here’s another old picture of A Millington Haulage. On 4th March 1938, Albert Millington, Elizabeth Millington, Joseph and Harry Roscoe (Harry’s father) were directors when A Millington Haulage became a limited company, A Millington Ltd, as a private company operating from Kershaw Avenue with owners addresses as 34 Tong Road and 20 Kershaw Avenue, Little Lever. It was later in the 1950s that the site on Kershaw Avenue was split into 2 halves. The Roscoe’s operated from one side and the Millingtons from the other side until 1965.
Here’s a quotation to deliver Planet Plasterboards around the Midland and south from 1932.
Any one remember Beaumont Transport from Glynn street Farnsworth, had a garage behind Norris Wood workers. Operated bright blue and yellow motors, Leyland’s and ERF’s in the early 70’s and then switched to Volvo’s. Ran by Charlie and his son Derek. They did a lot of general haulage around Bolton and Salford?
Fascinating stuff. thank you for the info. I had been trying to remember the name of Harry Orr’s first bus. I recall my dad saying that Little Lever residents would deliberately “miss” a Bolton Corporation bus so that they could ride on one of Harry Orr’s, thus supporting the local man. His bus garage was on Church Street / Redcar Road junction where the mini roundabout is located. It was a brick building and held a couple of buses. Little Lever Urban District Council used it after Harry Orr ceased business. They garaged the village dustbin wagon there and other council vehicles.
And yes I remember Beaumont Transport of Farnworth.
Hi all,i did a load to bury tother day so I went round Bolton ring road,and it got me thinking was it origionally built as a ring road,and when was it built.Was Bolton a bottleneck in them days,maybe it was a major trans pennine route,it must of been a modern dual carriageway when new,its now reduced to single now with white lines,it was fairly quiet about 8am when I went round.
I don’t think there was a ring road as such, it developed to the west and north of the tow, fistly Crompton Way, then Moss Bank Way, Beaumont road sections. The A666 Farnworth By Pass leading into St. Peter’s Way was built in the 1960s. Bolton was never a bottleneck as such, before the M61 was built, (again late 1960s), the main A6 trunk route from Manchester / Salford went to the south of the town (it still does) through Little Hulton, Blackrod, Chorley etc. Chorley was a bottleneck at peak traffic times. Bolton is much more of a bottleneck now since the modern day planners got to work and altered all the roads.
backload:
Any one remember Beaumont Transport from Glynn street Farnsworth, had a garage behind Norris Wood workers. Operated bright blue and yellow motors, Leyland’s and ERF’s in the early 70’s and then switched to Volvo’s. Ran by Charlie and his son Derek. They did a lot of general haulage around Bolton and Salford?
Hi I do its my grandfather your talking about . My father was roger and his brother Derek were the 2 sons my dad started up on his own and Derek and Charlie carried on . Derek ended up with the company and just the one truck for years then his son John ran one truck but he folded it up a few years back .ive been looking for pictures of the firm as I only have the one so anyone have any pics ?
ctb1803:
backload:
Any one remember Beaumont Transport from Glynn street Farnsworth, had a garage behind Norris Wood workers. Operated bright blue and yellow motors, Leyland’s and ERF’s in the early 70’s and then switched to Volvo’s. Ran by Charlie and his son Derek. They did a lot of general haulage around Bolton and Salford?Hi I do its my grandfather your talking about . My father was roger and his brother Derek were the 2 sons my dad started up on his own and Derek and Charlie carried on . Derek ended up with the company and just the one truck for years then his son John ran one truck but he folded it up a few years back .ive been looking for pictures of the firm as I only have the one so anyone have any pics ?
Hi there
These topics may help your quest :-
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=39470 ( i’ll bump this one up a bit )
Steve.
I’m guessing its Stuart who put the Beaumont’s picture up, coz it was John that put the post about Beaumont’s up. I’ve been trawling this site for weeks trying to find a mention of us.
I have a Cine film of that truck being painted in the garage at the back of Farnworth together with the first artic we had and the yard full of Bedford’s. Can remember going over to Yorkshire in that truck and it almost stopping on the M62 we must of been doing 10mph by the time we got to the top of the hill also remember seeing Grandad driving it, loading at MEL in Swinton which was a rarety because he was usually in the office manning the phones ( 3 of from what I remember, big outfit…!)
Next time I see you will have a good chat, will dig out some old pics and keep them in the cab to show you, mostly from the F88 days.
Good site enjoy the nostalgia, try n check out Tom Brierly in the North Manchester post, think Danny put a reply up.
Sorry I stand corrected its Craig’s post after much reasurch that’s Stuart Beaumont in the nappy, should have known he’s never been far from a truck in his life. 
If you read this “gingerfold” I’ve just spoken to Bill Heap’s son and he was telling me some stories about his dad and a chap called Frank Thompson who worked at HKR starting low then eventually working in the offices. Bill Heap used to load up on a Saturday morning with paper for several drops in London. Tar paper as a base then 17 ton of paper (which eventually collapsed the drains outside their terrace house after years of parking there). He’d get home 10pm on a Tuesday night, then Wednesday morning load up again and be out until 10pm Friday night for loading Saturday morning again. This was before the M1 and M6. Another story is where Bill showed his lad 2 deep grooves in the road where another drivers back axle had completely dropped (I can’t remember which driver it was but you’ve mentioned him in a previous message, one of the Jones or Humphries possibly). Just thought I’d share his memories while they are fresh in my mind. Sound like good times.
Gooday everybody, my dad drove for snaylams in the 60’s his name was roy hacking if anyone remembers him please let me know, he sadly passed away after an accident at work, he was at ti markland in bromley cross at the time, that was in 1991, he also drove for reliance motors, and if memory serves me well he did a bit for Parker’s, i my self have worked at Bolton roadways, obertelli’s, Kenny harveys on european, marklands and a few other small hauliers doing european before taking the plunge and becoming an owner driver and subing for dons transport in Basel Switzerland, good times everyone?..
amillingtonhaulage:
If you read this “gingerfold” I’ve just spoken to Bill Heap’s son and he was telling me some stories about his dad and a chap called Frank Thompson who worked at HKR starting low then eventually working in the offices. Bill Heap used to load up on a Saturday morning with paper for several drops in London. Tar paper as a base then 17 ton of paper (which eventually collapsed the drains outside their terrace house after years of parking there). He’d get home 10pm on a Tuesday night, then Wednesday morning load up again and be out until 10pm Friday night for loading Saturday morning again. This was before the M1 and M6. Another story is where Bill showed his lad 2 deep grooves in the road where another drivers back axle had completely dropped (I can’t remember which driver it was but you’ve mentioned him in a previous message, one of the Jones or Humphries possibly). Just thought I’d share his memories while they are fresh in my mind. Sound like good times.
Finally catching up after being away from the site for a few months. Yes, I remember Frank Thompson very well and he was the Transport Manager, although without the title as such in those days. I recall that Bill Heap was the London multi-drop expert and with 17 tons on the Leyland Octopus it used to purr along. I once overtook it heading south on the M6 and it sounded a treat. Mentioning Frank Thompson made me remember another Frank. namely Frank Horrocks who ran an AEC Mandator and his dad drove an AEC Marshal for him. They lived at a farm at Nab Gate, Harwood.