Lawrence Dunbar:
forster:
Other names from E.Robsons from late 50s’ to mid 60’s were drivers Jimmy Searle (he went to Waughs, driving a four wheeler ERF) Billy Boyd, Billy Jukes, Stan Swaddle, Joe Cusack, Phil Proud and his son Harry, Bill Ritchie, Tony Monsiato, Fitter Ronnie Bright (He later went on his own doing repairs,then emigrated to Australia) All these lads lived in the Gateshead area. Drivers Billy Scott, from Hexham, Davy Jones, and Len Thompson from Stocksfield. and Dougie Holmes, from Medburn. Charlie Bisset,from Rye Hill, Finally, Fitter Alan Brown, from Ponteland. I’d be interested to hear if anyone out there remembers any of these. I’m sure Charlie Bisset’s name has been mentioned on the forum before. One tale regarding Charlie Bisset (maybe it was just a tale!) was that as he hauled a car engine to the upstairs of his house (or flat) on Rye Hill,and somehow the engine slipped and ended up going through the stairs! Cheers, Eric.
Hi “forster” Some of these names are a blast from the past, Billy Scott was a Smilers for a while he drove a crap ERF 8 wheeler PDW 124 it did 31 mph but he seemed quite happy with it Ronnie Bright was there at the same period, He had a Dodge artic ATY 725 B IIRC, Alan Brown was a pal of mine when we raced at Brough Park in 69/70s era Our team name was The Ponteland Rustlers, Sadly he passed away last year, Charlie Bisset, Now he was a real character , I used to be in London a lot when he was driving for Eagle Transport, Never a dull moment on Tower Hill when he was there, Happy long gone days when driving for a living was worth doing , Regards Larry.
HI, Larry, Sad to hear of Alan Brown’s passing. When I worked with him he had an early Mini, powder blue, SNL 709. I recall that he badly injured a finger (maybe even lost the tip) whilst replacing the diff. on an eight wheel Atki. at Robsons. Eric.
How prices have changed over the years, Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
How prices have changed over the years, Regards Larry.0
Thanks for that Larry. (I’m just going to use the term “ORACLE” from now on when i refer to Larry 
)
So with regard to your invoice. If we had put the front number plate in the front window (windscreen), continued to use hand signals and got the bus from Seaton Burn to Team Valley,(to pick the wagon up) we would have saved £44.10s (Just realised that there is’nt a shillings abbreviation on me keyboard. They should cater for us oldies should’nt they!)
So going on these prices, i think that our recollection on the cost of the Reiver and the AEC may be wrong? I thought they should be higher, unless there was a dip in prices of vehicles for some reason? (fuel prices were certainly on the up then)
Seem to remember that the “delivery” charge was about £100 average on vans and trucks at A&G in 78’/79’ish. This was the charge levied by dealer’s to pay for the transport of the vehicle from factory to dealer (and of course passed on to the customer)
n.b. see how they snuck the heater and DEMISTER in at 11 quid? Could have just opened the window’s a bit and used a chamois/hankie/sleeve/hand
Ive just read some sad news in the local paper, Jonnie McDine has passed away aged 87,
Lawrence Dunbar:
Ive just read some sad news in the local paper, Jonnie McDine has passed away aged 87,
He was a great bloke to know, My condolences to his family, RIP Jonnie, Regards Larry.
paulycats:
Lawrence Dunbar:
How prices have changed over the years, Regards Larry.0
Thanks for that Larry. (I’m just going to use the term “ORACLE” from now on when i refer to Larry )
So with regard to your invoice. If we had put the front number plate in the front window (windscreen), continued to use hand signals and got the bus from Seaton Burn to Team Valley,(to pick the wagon up) we would have saved £44.10s (Just realised that there is’nt a shillings abbreviation on me keyboard. They should cater for us oldies should’nt they!)
So going on these prices, i think that our recollection on the cost of the Reiver and the AEC may be wrong? I thought they should be higher, unless there was a dip in prices of vehicles for some reason? (fuel prices were certainly on the up then)
Seem to remember that the “delivery” charge was about £100 average on vans and trucks at A&G in 78’/79’ish. This was the charge levied by dealer’s to pay for the transport of the vehicle from factory to dealer (and of course passed on to the customer)
n.b. see how they snuck the heater and DEMISTER in at 11 quid? Could have just opened the window’s a bit and used a chamois/hankie/sleeve/hand
0r a flat Cap , Or even a Beret, Regards Larry.
Hi Paulycats
Sorry late replying, yes , we did have a Norman driving a KM but I can’t remember his surname. He was a tall thin, lad and lived at Washington. He left us to be boilerman at the newly constructed Washington Tubes factory in the late sixties.
Looking at your list of hauliers working out of Warden Law, they are mostly familiar but I wonder how many are still operating ■■?
Burn & Hewitt is, as you say Stan Burns and Brian Hewitt, they seem to be doing quite well looking at the gear they have. First met Brian 30 odd years ago when he was manager / salesman / everything else at one of the Coxhoe quarries. Can’t remember the name but IIRC it was taken over by Tarmac about 86/87.
You also mention Reg Vardy, can you remember Vardy Vans from Hetton. Not sure if that was Reg or another member of the family.
Getting back to new vehicle prices and charges for extras, one of the first Bisons we bought had the body built by Northern Assemblies (Jakey Robson, Consett) I was going to Cawthornes for spares and by pure chance I followed the new vehicle along the TVTE on it’s way back to Cawthornes for PDI etc. It had a set of Northern Assemblies mud flaps on, which were included in the price for the body. A few days later the wagon was delivered to us with a set of FW Cawthorne mud flaps on and sure enough there was a few quid on the invoice for the mud flaps. I think a few words were said and a credit note issued rather promptly.
Re your suggestion about the Copt Hill, as my Father in Law always said a Pub Landlord is merely a “boozers labourer” (he was in the trade for 20 plus years) and I personally did enough labouring on the coal wagons.
Cheers for now Tyneside
Crowbars fine Dennis at Corbridge Rally, Regards Larry.
pete smith:
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Here,s a one of theirs Pete
servo88:
0
pete smith:
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Here,s a one of theirs Pete
Nice one Servo, glad to see that an old established company still trading, bet Larry would still choose the Foden over that Scania!, Cheer’s Pete
pete smith:
servo88:
0
pete smith:
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Here,s a one of theirs Pete
Nice one Servo, glad to see that an old established company still trading, bet Larry would still choose the Foden over that Scania!, Cheer’s Pete
I sure would Pete, Thanks to you are servo for posting them, Regards Larry.
Hi servo, I had a 1963 S21 Foden identical to this one. Gardner 6LW powered.
Cheers, Leyland 600.
Leyland600:
Hi servo, I had a 1963 S21 Foden identical to this one. Gardner 6LW powered.
Cheers, Leyland 600.
Hi Leyland 600,my dad drove a one it was a tipper & had the 150 LX in it. He later got a S36 with the 680 power plus in it, a flying machine.
servo88:
210
Thank you “servo88” For posting these good old Fodens, The Freeway S21, IIRC,When new it had the S20 cab on, It was badly damadged in the Consett Steel works when it was only months old, & The S21 cab was the only one available at that time, Regards Larry.
