Your right about Bridges, they did get taken over by B.R.S and later became Lynxs they moved to Leyland just off Golden Hill lane in the late 70’s in the same Ind Est as Cannings. My parents had one of the off licence/grocers on Inkerman St and we were consantly being chased away from the yard at eldon st by the drivers, it was a great place to play. My ex wife’s Dad used to work there and went with them to Leyland as BRS. But was made redundant and then went to work for Parcel force nagain in the same Ind Est, didn’t like to go to far away from where he started out . Sadly he has now passed away but we used to have some great conversations about Bridges it used to be an institution in Preston.
Have you read Harold Bridges’ autobiography? I found it very compelling
Your right about Bridges, they did get taken over by B.R.S and later became Lynxs they moved to Leyland just off Golden Hill lane in the late 70’s in the same Ind Est as Cannings. My parents had one of the off licence/grocers on Inkerman St and we were consantly being chased away from the yard at eldon st by the drivers, it was a great place to play. My ex wife’s Dad used to work there and went with them to Leyland as BRS. But was made redundant and then went to work for Parcel force nagain in the same Ind Est, didn’t like to go to far away from where he started out . Sadly he has now passed away but we used to have some great conversations about Bridges it used to be an institution in Preston.
Have you read Harold Bridges’ autobiography? I found it very compelling
240 Gardner:
Have you read Harold Bridges’ autobiography? I found it very compelling
[/quote
Yes, very compelling indeed. Harold Bridges must surely qualify as one of the gentlemen of British Road Transport.
]
I read it on holiday - when I first picked it up I thought it was rather dry and self-centred, but then I read on and couldn’t put it down. Caused me all sort of domestic strife!
240 Gardner:
Have you read Harold Bridges’ autobiography? I found it very compelling
[/quote
Yes, very compelling indeed. Harold Bridges must surely qualify as one of the gentlemen of British Road Transport.
]
And guess what I found in a second hand book shop in Newbury today!! For all of £3.25.
With it (and which I also bought for £3.25) was “The Big Load” by Ted Murphy, featuring a drawing of a Scammell Highwayman tanker on the front cover, and published in 1963. The sub-title is “The story of a heavy-lorry & continental coach driver” - my holiday reading.
Taskman:
Got loads knocking about but this photo is of GTD 299B the driver is John Nowell(thats not him but me in the photo when I was twenty) and along with Brian Maloney(Brian later went on to work for Wynns ending up a driver there) and myself we transported this prop for the QE2 to the Clyde back in 68/69 not too sure, Walsh’s actually delivered three of the props for the QE2 the fourth one coming up from London(I think) the old girl had a 220 ■■■■■■■ with a Fuller box but originally being delivered with a ZF which later went into MTD 535G,
[/quote
Hello Taskman,
Gilbraith Haulage of Accrington bought out a company called Garston (either Haulage or Wharfage) in the 60’s and they used to transport props. I remember seeing one in the yard at Accrington when the driver had come in for a service and the prop which looked about the size of the one in you pic was still on the trailer… The unit was a red Leyland with the LAD cab with the deep doors. The trailer had a frame on so the prop could be tilted somehow. I wonder if it springs to your mind, The driver looked a bit like Mick McMannus the old wrestler off TV.
I used to stay in a cafe at Maddison and Smith’s out based drivers used it. Until that is they were caught lowering a portable TV out of a bedroom window in to one of the cabs. (1970)
Portable TV - blimey, you’ve stayed in some posh digs
Russell .
I stayed in Riggend caff once, there was no room for such luxuries, about 20
beds in the room and no more than a foot between each of them .
No wonder we put up with so much by sleeping in those old cabs
Tankerman You were king of the road in those days if drove one of those. & twenty years old . I don`t think I drove an artic until I was 23…
Stayed at one digs somewhere up North & the ex-sailor that ran it used to wake the drivers up in the morning by throwing a great big brass bell down the stairs…
harry: Tankerman You were king of the road in those days if drove one of those. & twenty years old . I don`t think I drove an artic until I was 23…
Stayed at one digs somewhere up North & the ex-sailor that ran it used to wake the drivers up in the morning by throwing a great big brass bell down the stairs…
Hi Harry, I think you have misread the posting, I quoted taskman’s post which included the picture and was refering to another company which hauled props.
It is Taskman who was 20 in the picture, not me.
I started driving artic tankers in 1968 ( I was 30 the youngest they woulld start)and started on a long nose Scammell for Gilbraith, My mate told me there was a job going and to get on the tankers was a dream come true. My mate used to bring his tanker home, wich was also a Scammell and he gave me lessons on the town car park. When I went for the job I had to take a test and luckily for me I was the only one who could manage the Scammell gate box so I got the job… Anybody who has handled a gate box will know that you have to go through every gear both up and down. there is no cross gate nuetral, a quick box when you are used to it. The noise through the wooden floor boards was deafening and no power steering. The tanker was very close to the back of the cab because we were sat behind he engine, not over it. The best way to connect the suzies was to back under the tank but not get too close to the cab, put the suzies on and then back right under the tank till it clicked onto the turntable. Otherwise you had a struggle squeezing between cab and tank. I have seen more than one driver do this and not had the handbrake on the tank and as soon as they pushed the airline in the tank ran back off the plate. Good old days, I wonder. I wish I had some photo’s of one of the Scammells. All mine are Buffalo’s, Marathons and Roadtrains. Ok on the big brass bell. You should have nicked it and weighed it in.
All the best. Russell.
gazsa401:
I don’t know if any of these firms have been already mentioned
But here’s some from my home city of Nottingham
Stirlands
Clearway
A. R Marshall and Sons
Steads Transport
Geo Dominic
Keetch
J D Irving
Middletons
Allison Freightlines
BWH
B J Transport
Joe Chambers Transport
Bulk Powders
Placketts Parcels
Hensons
Central Freight
K and M Hauliers
Arthur Gee
Watts of Notts
BJ Newton
NEJ:
Here are some more to add to the list of " possibly " long gone hauliers !!!
Dobsons of Edinburgh [Dark Green Atkis]
Silver Roadways [Poss. Tate & Lyle of Liverpool]
Edward Derbyshire of Liverpool
Stewart Cameron of Drymen
Motherwell Bridge of Motherwell
Bridges of Leyland [parcel carriers]
Cannings of Leyland [ran red & white AEC Mandators]
Smith & Robinson of Leeds [orange tankers mainly ERF,s & F88,s]
■■? of Sanquhar [can,t remember the name]
Russell of Bathgate [Blue & Grey Atki Borderes & Guy Big J,s]
Russell of ■■? [ Purple F88,s & Atkis]
Gibbs of Fraserburgh
Browns of Grimsby
Humber Mc.Veigh [Green Guy Big J,s]
One other com. that I can,t remenber ran from Burscough nr. Ormskirk to Crieff on trunk up one night and back the next they ran Plain Red Seddon Atki 400 day cabs.
Davidson & Adamson [ Newcastle? ran dark blue Daf 2800,s]
Naylors of Leyland
K&G Transport of Bamber Bridge [owned by Peter Valentine & bought out Kirkdale Lewis Haulage of Liverpool about 1973]
Bolton Roadways
Smiths of Eccles [Red ERF,s]
Harris of Northwich [Maroon & Cream ERF,s flats & tankers out of ICI ]
Beresfords of Stoke on Trent
Atkins of Derby [I think the first british haulier to use Tachos]
Before Beresfords took them on denationalisation it was Bersford , Caddy and Pemberton.
lczjs:
David West Transport Dunfermline Fife. Another old Transport Company Gone!
Being a Fifer Born and and Lived there until I was 20.
I remember David West’s Transport.
Another one is Andrew Wishart Ltd Kirkcaldy. Also gone.
I am sure this Company will be familiar to some
when viewing the attached photographs.
Some more of Stirlands halfway through the decline of a great company sadly ruined by the men in suits and poor management
The pride of well presented lorries starting to show
. Sadly he has now passed away but we used to have some great conversations about Bridges it used to be an institution in Preston.
and along with Brian Maloney(Brian later went on to work for Wynns ending up a driver there) and myself we transported this prop for the QE2 to the Clyde back in 68/69 not too sure, Walsh’s actually delivered three of the props for the QE2 the fourth one coming up from London(I think) the old girl had a 220 ■■■■■■■ with a Fuller box but originally being delivered with a ZF which later went into MTD 535G,
[/quote
- blimey, you’ve stayed in some posh digs
