givover:
dafdave:
givover:
Hi, i was from Bolton currently living in Warrington .My old man Norman Mulraney was a driver and as such i used to go in the wagon at every opportunity (even if i was a bit unwell and off school) He started off at Watneys brewery as a drayman this followed a spell for corona then working for Smedleys foods which was in Farnworth these were great days i remember once getting out of a thames freezer wagon only to collaspe on the floof because it was that cold in the cab i lost use of my legs! He then did a stint driving the Asphalt wagon for boydell in tippings road ,later a good run at Parkers transport he had a mate called big Kenny who also drove there he was on all sorts of general haulage and parkers did not seem to mind me going with him as we used to get the bus down on sat morning hang around the Depot and then take the wagon home for that early start Monday .On the sunday night he used to spread his maps all over the floor and plan his route and he used to show us kids the trail say to Southhampton or london of which we would meet other Parker drivers around The Elephant and Castle after parking at Aldgate on a roundabout i think.He joined the BRS in Kay street Bolton on General haulage of which i lapped up every moment this would be the 70s My uncle Neil was the Chief engineer there . He ended up at Markland Scowcroft taking tubes to the North East finally finishing there as a shunter Driver due to a Heart issue . Because i was young and into wagons the likes of Thomas Harwood was on my way to school so i used to watch the old hands shunt and park up the AEC artics in the side cobbled street next to the Depot the was Snaylem up and down tonge moor road also do you remember a firm which had a couple of purple Atkinsons in a yard near to Tom Ashtons Garage then there was Hipwood and Grundy of which i am currently a construction Manager working in Larkhill next to were both Smedleys and Hipwoods would be . I am now 53 and still as i go past Harveys yard to my site i have a peek in as i past . Anyway going to Birch services in the morning to get my fix .Happy days Mike.Hey mike some good memorys there mate.I lived in bolton for 56yrs and prob.crossed your old mans path somewere altho.i dont reognize the name.I worked at parkers aprox 1974/75[remember big kenny]mainly hauling steel for watsons, and tyres for good year[remember them]opp. corona.I also worked on m/scowcroft contract driving 4 wheelers and ocasionally artics.I worked for snaylams late 70s till he cl’osed in 83 mainly hauling mather and platt m,/cs from bradley fold and edbro tipping gears and bodies.Is your old man still alive if so he remember me by my nickname BILKO Happy days
Funny you should mention harveys thats ,who i worked for for 10yrs prior to retireingHi Bilko no sorry he died aged 53 25 yearsago ,i think the manager at marklands was called jim snape (or similar) he was there quite a few years after his first heart attack he came off the road to do shunting works but did the odd trip to Leeds in an Atkinson if you remember Kenny from parkers you may recall that he bought a Pink zodiac and my dad had a blue one. Kenny also died about 27 years ago seemed had all sorts wrong even going blind! I saw a photo of a Snaylams wagon on Northwest trucking site ,Did you know Tommy kelly from tonge moor drove a bedford on market work?.
Hey mike
Sorry to hear about your dad and big kenny.I vaguly remember jim snape but never knew,tommy kelly.Going back to your original post i think the com.on tonge moor rd behind the cricket ground was BOLTON TRANSPORT.He was on contract to containerways and always had their flats on his trls.Never worked for him but heard he was a bit risque.Rumor had it .he used to do things like,securing truck diesel tanks with rope and swopping road tax discs from one truck to another,Aah the good old days lol.
regards dave
