Here cop for this gingerfold just an update on what amillington wrote about Frank Thompson & Bill Heap & co at HKR little lever. Yes you are right Frank who was a Scouser started off driving for Roscoe then made his way into the office. The working week of Bill Heap was as follows He loaded up at Yates & Duxbury paper mill Saturday morning came home with the wagon about 2 pm parked in front of the house til 2 pm Sunday then He set off for London He would get to Mrs Kings digs in Islington about 8 pm I think. He would start off with His 28ish drops at 8 am Monday then return to Mrs Kings at tea time have his tea then possibly go for a pint or go to the flix with other HKR lads such as Frank or Fred Carrol, Jack Tidy or Harry Jones to mention four. Then Tuesday he would finish the rest of his drops and come back to Little Lever fuel up etc then come home at 10 pm. Wednesday morning He would load up again 17 ton 28ish drops come home for dinner then off again at 2 pm into Mrs Kings 8 pm ish on the road at 8 am Thursday delivering the paper to the printing companies all over the city back to the digs at tea time or later sometimes then Friday at 8 am off to finish the remaining drops and come back to Little Lever fuel up and then get home at 10 pm and Saturday next day is the start of the weekly cycle He did that for over 10 years. I went with him a few times and having been in the same line of work but only on a daily run home every night and only doing 37 and a half hours a week with possibly 4 hours overtime oh yeah and we had taillifts so it wasn’t as much handballing like He had to do I realise what graft it was in those days Bill Heap had a six pack before they where invented. tell you something else then when power steering came in it wasn’t as light as these days the wagons now are very light to drive I know cos when I started driving I didn’t have power steering and I had fair sized arms then I got Power steering and the muscles shrunk yes I can remember Bill having to do An umpteen times shunt back and forward to get round some of the streets down London cars parked right up to the corners you know what I mean. the motors Bill had at Roscoes where the octopus, aec mammoth major mkv a 6 legger seddon and on odd occasions 4 legger seddon and 4 legger dodge. Bill also worked for David Hall before HKR with an octopus the first steel cab type cream brown and red when they where in Walshaw in the mill faceing the momument. Going back to when I went to London With Bill He did show me 2 grooves in the road about half way to London Yes the back axle came off one of Roscoes and the chassis made the grooves. Aye they where proper drivers in them days coming down shap to the jungle café being over taken by their own drag or pup as some called them. P.s all the years Bill brought the motor home it was parked in the same spot each time and when it was loaded it had 17 ton on Saturday to Sunday and dinner time Wednesday the rest of the time it was empty but still 7 ton and yes it did collapse the sewer pipes in the road. oh before I forget Bill was an expert roper & sheeter as I recall He didn’t use ropes He would put the main sheet on neat envelope corners and then the flysheet and put dollies on the sheet ties never heard of him losing a load neatest loads I’ve ever clapped eyes on ta ra for now ginge.
Welcome 2nd Gen driver and that’s a great first contribution, very interesting memories. Harry Jones, he taught me how to reverse an artic when he worked for Ray Holden. He had enough kids for a football team and a couple of substitutes.
Thanks Gingerfold Just a couple of other snippets. On one of my trips to the smoke with Bill Heap we stopped at the services on the M1 for a brew and on returning to the wagon I noticed a pair of pliers full length of the handle stuck in a tyre on the third axle and yep you know what I’m going to say they where drivers in them days, Bill changed the wheel Himself none of this waiting to have it done for you by a mobile tyre fitter. Speaking of brews do you remember a roadside greasy spoon snack bar called the copper kettle if my memory serves me right it was on the A5 at Atherstone. By the way are you the Ginger from Smiths of Bury in the Seddon Atkinson (not the borderer type the first of the big square sleeper cab type) loading cable drums for Gateshead British ropes ? one more thing about Bill he was coming back up from the smoke on the M6 in the octopus empty and felt a bang from the rear, when He looked in his nearside mirror He saw a Reliant robin disappear down the banking He got home that night with a cut on the back of his head from hitting his head on the back of the cab. oh yeah speaking of the back of the cab Harry Roscoe decided to put a “spy in the cab” it was a round casing with a clock in the middle and a circular graph inside it was mounted over the passenger seat if you could call them seats back then needless to say it got a wet rag hung over it to make it rust up Ta ra for now Ginge.
2nd Gen Driver:
Thanks Gingerfold Just a couple of other snippets. On one of my trips to the smoke with Bill Heap we stopped at the services on the M1 for a brew and on returning to the wagon I noticed a pair of pliers full length of the handle stuck in a tyre on the third axle and yep you know what I’m going to say they where drivers in them days, Bill changed the wheel Himself none of this waiting to have it done for you by a mobile tyre fitter. Speaking of brews do you remember a roadside greasy spoon snack bar called the copper kettle if my memory serves me right it was on the A5 at Atherstone. By the way are you the Ginger from Smiths of Bury in the Seddon Atkinson (not the borderer type the first of the big square sleeper cab type) loading cable drums for Gateshead British ropes ? one more thing about Bill he was coming back up from the smoke on the M6 in the octopus empty and felt a bang from the rear, when He looked in his nearside mirror He saw a Reliant robin disappear down the banking He got home that night with a cut on the back of his head from hitting his head on the back of the cab. oh yeah speaking of the back of the cab Harry Roscoe decided to put a “spy in the cab” it was a round casing with a clock in the middle and a circular graph inside it was mounted over the passenger seat if you could call them seats back then needless to say it got a wet rag hung over it to make it rust up Ta ra for now Ginge.
Hello mate.
In your post you mention the copper kettle,yes I remember it well fantastic café,best burgers for miles around.The crack was good in there as well wiith don and his missus.I used it regular in the 70s/80s when I drove for snaylams/parkers/and sheldons.Lived in Bolton 56yrs.Went by aka bilko,happy days.
regards dave.
Hiya Dave My owd mucker, Bill heap had a mammoth major belonging Harry Roscoe it was blue with Sheldon Bury on the doors this was at a time when Roscoe had I believe wound HKR up and bought Sheldon / Howarth Wilson running out of Tottington rd Bury if I’m not mistaken Sheldons of Bury where green at some time. I can still hear that bloody ratchet handbrake being released when he set off for the smoke in fact all the street must have heard it. Does this motor ring any bells. Regarding Snaylams did you ever load packing cases packed with machinery for export out of Smith & Cooke of Ainsworth in the 60s or 70s? so long for now Dave
2nd Gen Driver:
Hiya Dave My owd mucker, Bill heap had a mammoth major belonging Harry Roscoe it was blue with Sheldon Bury on the doors this was at a time when Roscoe had I believe wound HKR up and bought Sheldon / Howarth Wilson running out of Tottington rd Bury if I’m not mistaken Sheldons of Bury where green at some time. I can still hear that bloody ratchet handbrake being released when he set off for the smoke in fact all the street must have heard it. Does this motor ring any bells. Regarding Snaylams did you ever load packing cases packed with machinery for export out of Smith & Cooke of Ainsworth in the 60s or 70s? so long for now Dave
The Mammoth Major Mk.V came with a couple of AEC Mercurys when Harry bought them and their A Licences from Thomas Burton (Rhodes) Ltd. of Middleton. Burton’s were mainly tipper operators so they wanted to sell their three flat lorries.
As for the Copper Kettle, that was the regular first stop on the way from Little Lever to London. Don and his wife were rather large units and I used to wonder how they both managed to fit behind the counter and in the cooking area. Don always wore a flat cap.
Just looking at the crusader with the yellow sheeted load and it looks suspiciously like a load out of lorival yeah or nay? I can still recall seeing snaylams and relience motors in Smith & Cookes at Ainsworth. I was on the sideloader at this time pre hgv days.One time I needed to get in the what they used to call the hangar there was one of reliences in the way it was an ergomatic cab possibly a mandator couldn’t find the driver so I pulled it out it had a lowloader trailer on it the one with the 4 wheels across the back end the removable pairs well when I got up the yard there where 4 thick black lines from where it was parked. The driver came back to tell me the air needed building up and that it was a problem with the trailer. It still pulled well
2nd Gen Driver:
Hiya Dave My owd mucker, Bill heap had a mammoth major belonging Harry Roscoe it was blue with Sheldon Bury on the doors this was at a time when Roscoe had I believe wound HKR up and bought Sheldon / Howarth Wilson running out of Tottington rd Bury if I’m not mistaken Sheldons of Bury where green at some time. I can still hear that bloody ratchet handbrake being released when he set off for the smoke in fact all the street must have heard it. Does this motor ring any bells. Regarding Snaylams did you ever load packing cases packed with machinery for export out of Smith & Cooke of Ainsworth in the 60s or 70s? so long for now Dave
Hiya mate.
In reply I joined snaylams aprox 1975 and left when they shut in 83?I never loaded machinery in ainsworth.When I joined sheldons from snaylams all the motors were blue.They were based at tottington before moving to were b&q are in bury.They finally moved back to HKRs original place in market st l/lever before going bust aprox 92.
regards dave.
Calling DAFDAVE seeing as you worked out of where B&Q is can you tell me the name of the haulage company that was in a yard at the other end of wood st on the jct wood st & parsonage st they had a rake of Atkinson borderers artics red cab white roof and also one Bedford TK or KM six legger with rear axle steer I think they used to carry drums of glue if i’m not mistaken. they were there before I started on the road , after I’de started driving in 75 I bumped into a bloke I hadn’t seen for a while by the name of John Constantine or John conners to friends who drove for that company I can’t for the life of me remember what company it was you wouldn’t happen to know him would you.
moomooland:
0
Any old drivers of snaylams.My memory these days is bad but I remember the 2 crusaders coming but cant name this driver.Would it be barry marsden??
regards dave.
Heading North at the start of the M50 at Ross on Wye.
moomooland:
0Heading North at the start of the M50 at Ross on Wye.
Cheers mate another good picture of a com. I have fond memories of
GINGERFOLD or. DAFDAVE I’ve got a question for you it will test your grey matter and probably give your ages away if you have heard of these two companies . Bill Heap drove for them for a short time in the 50s LEO ROADWAYS and another one called BEETSONS both of bury LEO ROADWAYS LIVED at the bottom of walmersley.rd bury and had a garage in the old wellington barracks on bolton rd bury and BEETSONS I might be wrong but I’m almost sure BEETSONS could have been a waste rag merchant cos that’s pretty much all Bill had on and the garage was where WICKES BURY is now the Victoria pub was next to it.This was before his HKR/ SHELDONS run by Roscoe days.
2nd Gen Driver:
GINGERFOLD or. DAFDAVE I’ve got a question for you it will test your grey matter and probably give your ages away if you have heard of these two companies . Bill Heap drove for them for a short time in the 50s LEO ROADWAYS and another one called BEETSONS both of bury LEO ROADWAYS LIVED at the bottom of walmersley.rd bury and had a garage in the old wellington barracks on bolton rd bury and BEETSONS I might be wrong but I’m almost sure BEETSONS could have been a waste rag merchant cos that’s pretty much all Bill had on and the garage was where WICKES BURY is now the Victoria pub was next to it.This was before his HKR/ SHELDONS run by Roscoe days.
Unfortunately before my time mate.I didn’t start in haulage till 1970.
regards dave.
No, those two firms don’t ring any bells with me either.
gingerfold:
No, those two firms don’t ring any bells with me either.
Hi yet again also before Roscoe days Bill Heap drove for Easthams of bury in th early 50s ERF 8 legger and pup any bells on that yeah or nay? Ta ra Ginge best regards.
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
Chuck of L/L was my dad, his name was Bob Whitehead and he was a driver for Davidson Radcliffe Transport (DRT) on the paper. Used to go with him everywhere in the 70’s in an old ERF flatbed. He even had a t-shirt printed with Chuck of Little Lever on it. He passed away a few years ago but would have loved this thread
Just read through this thread since I started it in 2010 ! 7 years ago what fascinating reading it turned into all those names, and hauliers from the dim and distant past an age before globalisation ruined the country I posted a video on YouTube GMP Motorway Traffic Policing 1979 ! Check it out an hour long piece of northwest Motorway nostalgia [emoji1]
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Last Sunday 23rd March my father sadly passed away. Perhaps someone on this forum remembers him, Frank Morris. He worked for numerous companies in the Bolton area including Parkers, Snaylams, Bolton Export Packing, Bolton trading (Smiths) and many more. He also did a stint on the buses and coaches. A truly versatile man. He spent the last 40 years as an owner driver for most of the big hitters in the concrete game. Incredibly, he was still behind the wheel of a 6 wheeled mixer at the age of 80, working the odd day as a relief driver. 65 years behind the wheel; His tales of 3 speed crash boxes, failing vacuum brakes going downhill, building fires under the fuel tank in winter, Snowbound on Shap without a cab heater. Roping and sheeting and the night trunk to Glasgow. His tales were legendary as was my old man. Me and my brothers spent our summer breaks perched on the engine cover of Seddons, Atkinsons and Comets visiting the docks and cotton mills of Lancashire. He will be sadly missed by family and friends.