Not old but today’s North East hauliers to give the thread a nudge, all courtesy of Richard Says.
Oily
Hiya,
I may have said this before, I can’t remember but I do think Larry Dunbar’s
livery is as nice as any I’ve ever seen green and red proper lorry colours.
thanks harry, long retired.
Hello!
I’m a newbie to this site and forum, but I was pointed here by my son. I’m the grandson of the Edward Jennings who had John Jennings Haulage Ltd of Oakwellgate Gateshead.
I was thrilled to see some names mentioned in this thread which reawakened so many memories from my childhood, and some of friends from my adulthood as well.
John Merritt is a name that doesn’t take me back that far, but only about 20 years. It’s strange that he drove for my grandfather before driving for me in the 90’s and into the noughties too. Only he wasn’t driving wagons then, but coaches. It was at his funeral that I met Albert Morrison (and his wife) whom I’d seen around, but I couldn’t place him although he was more familiar than just someone on the street. I introduced myself after he’d told me that John and he had worked together for John Jennings, he was surprised at my name, to say the least! I last saw him a while ago at the 'bus stop near the Greencroft Club at Windy ■■■■.
Among the other names mentioned so far, I remember Tommy Gray, even though I must only have been about 5, or less, at the time. I remember him as a teddyboy! Big Jock McNeil shouted at me from his front door on Whitehall Road in Gateshead as I was standing in traffic, a good few years ago. It was a miracle that he recognised me after 30 odd years. I also saw him, and had another chat, at a wrestling match at Gateshead Leisure Centre, between Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy, what a laugh!
Little Joe, or so I was told by my dad (GIlbert Jennings, before he died in 1971) drove the first Gateshead artic, it was a Bedford and had wooden blocks on the pedals, just for him. I last saw Joe in about 1976/7 when he was allocating work for John Crow, when they were on Shearlegs Road. I hardly recognised him, as he was wearing a suit. He gave me a few runs with my 18.3 metre Ford D800 Turbo caravan transporter (North Eastern Caravan Haulage Company). It was a lot of fun to drive, but I had to give it up after only a few years, as I was sick of getting pinched for it being overlength.
Another driver who hasn’t been mentioned yet, was John Devlin, God’s gift to women, with his sparkling eyes, gleaming teeth and wicked moustache and whiskers! John was a son of little Tommy Devlin who used to be mechanic for Phillips Transport, also of Oakwellgate. One of the Phillips partners was Basil Mao, whom I last saw in about 1975 serving petrol on nightshift at the Three Mile Garage, because he was skint after paying the redundancy to his drivers, poor old bugger! John Devlin is still hanging on, clarting about with vintage cars and Rolls Royces at one of his two premises, at either Newburn or Crawcrook. I last saw him about two years ago.
Other drivers who come to mind are Geordie Iveson and little Jimmy Pringle, although I think they were mostly local men, running in and out of the Close Works, and into Jenningsies scrap yard with nicked pig iron, covered with turnings. Then there was Billy Lakey, married to my dad’s sister. I’m not sure whether he was ever a driver, or whether he just worked on the tip at Windy ■■■■ sorting out the scarry scrap from the Close Works? He latterly kept about 100 pigs next to our garage at Pelaw. Anyone remember him?
I see old Jimmy Adams got a mention. That also brought a vivid memory back. Of course. you’ll know that Jimmy Adams bought what was left of John Jennings Haulage after the old man died. Well, a friend of mine bought a Seddon platform wagon off him, in the 70’s I think. He asked me if I would go with him to pick it up from the yard at Walker. I was to drive the wagon back to my place in Pelaw. What came as a great surprise to me was that when I climbed into the cab to get it out of the garage, I noticed that the Operators Licence disc was still in the window, and the name on it was…John Jennings Haulage Ltd! Honestly, you could have knocked me down with a feather! Another thing about that was that as I climbed into the cab, I was smacked with the pungent smell of hot diesel which I had always associated with the little old 50’s Seddons with the coachbuilt cabs which my grandad had run, too.
Happy days? I remember my mother complaining that she couldn’t get stuff in the car boot when we were going anywhere, because there were always 2 Albion halfshafts and a diff in there, along with the ever present tool box!
Old NE Haulage Companies? I remember PG Walton, who was in the place where Albany Motors is now, Capstaff, L.P. Nelson and Son, of South Shields. (I well remember old Jimmy Nelson knocking a bloke out in the weigh cabin at Marsden Quarry when he was about 72!) and McPhees, where there was a sign beside the phone saying (words to the effect of) “This phone must NOT be answered as McPees Transport!”
Lastly…have any of you old buggers got any pictures of my grandad’s wagons, please? My brother and I have hunted high and low, but haven’t come up with anything more than one of a few wagons standing outside the yard in Oakwellgate.
Is there anyone left? I wonder.
TTFN,
Edward
Hi spardo, A Scania tractor unit running bobtail drove past my house this afternoon accelerating hard from the road junction in a 30 mph area with louder aural effects than the local boy racers some of which take some beating.
Cheers, Leyland 600.
Edward Jennings:
Hello!
I’m a newbie to this site and forum, but I was pointed here by my son. I’m the grandson of the Edward Jennings who had John Jennings Haulage Ltd of Oakwellgate Gateshead.
I was thrilled to see some names mentioned in this thread which reawakened so many memories from my childhood, and some of friends from my adulthood as well.
John Merritt is a name that doesn’t take me back that far, but only about 20 years. It’s strange that he drove for my grandfather before driving for me in the 90’s and into the noughties too. Only he wasn’t driving wagons then, but coaches. It was at his funeral that I met Albert Morrison (and his wife) whom I’d seen around, but I couldn’t place him although he was more familiar than just someone on the street. I introduced myself after he’d told me that John and he had worked together for John Jennings, he was surprised at my name, to say the least! I last saw him a while ago at the 'bus stop near the Greencroft Club at Windy ■■■■.
Among the other names mentioned so far, I remember Tommy Gray, even though I must only have been about 5, or less, at the time. I remember him as a teddyboy! Big Jock McNeil shouted at me from his front door on Whitehall Road in Gateshead as I was standing in traffic, a good few years ago. It was a miracle that he recognised me after 30 odd years. I also saw him, and had another chat, at a wrestling match at Gateshead Leisure Centre, between Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy, what a laugh!
Little Joe, or so I was told by my dad (GIlbert Jennings, before he died in 1971) drove the first Gateshead artic, it was a Bedford and had wooden blocks on the pedals, just for him. I last saw Joe in about 1976/7 when he was allocating work for John Crow, when they were on Shearlegs Road. I hardly recognised him, as he was wearing a suit. He gave me a few runs with my 18.3 metre Ford D800 Turbo caravan transporter (North Eastern Caravan Haulage Company). It was a lot of fun to drive, but I had to give it up after only a few years, as I was sick of getting pinched for it being overlength.
Another driver who hasn’t been mentioned yet, was John Devlin, God’s gift to women, with his sparkling eyes, gleaming teeth and wicked moustache and whiskers! John was a son of little Tommy Devlin who used to be mechanic for Phillips Transport, also of Oakwellgate. One of the Phillips partners was Basil Mao, whom I last saw in about 1975 serving petrol on nightshift at the Three Mile Garage, because he was skint after paying the redundancy to his drivers, poor old bugger! John Devlin is still hanging on, clarting about with vintage cars and Rolls Royces at one of his two premises, at either Newburn or Crawcrook. I last saw him about two years ago.
Other drivers who come to mind are Geordie Iveson and little Jimmy Pringle, although I think they were mostly local men, running in and out of the Close Works, and into Jenningsies scrap yard with nicked pig iron, covered with turnings. Then there was Billy Lakey, married to my dad’s sister. I’m not sure whether he was ever a driver, or whether he just worked on the tip at Windy ■■■■ sorting out the scarry scrap from the Close Works? He latterly kept about 100 pigs next to our garage at Pelaw. Anyone remember him?
I see old Jimmy Adams got a mention. That also brought a vivid memory back. Of course. you’ll know that Jimmy Adams bought what was left of John Jennings Haulage after the old man died. Well, a friend of mine bought a Seddon platform wagon off him, in the 70’s I think. He asked me if I would go with him to pick it up from the yard at Walker. I was to drive the wagon back to my place in Pelaw. What came as a great surprise to me was that when I climbed into the cab to get it out of the garage, I noticed that the Operators Licence disc was still in the window, and the name on it was…John Jennings Haulage Ltd! Honestly, you could have knocked me down with a feather! Another thing about that was that as I climbed into the cab, I was smacked with the pungent smell of hot diesel which I had always associated with the little old 50’s Seddons with the coachbuilt cabs which my grandad had run, too.
Happy days? I remember my mother complaining that she couldn’t get stuff in the car boot when we were going anywhere, because there were always 2 Albion halfshafts and a diff in there, along with the ever present tool box!
Old NE Haulage Companies? I remember PG Walton, who was in the place where Albany Motors is now, Capstaff, L.P. Nelson and Son, of South Shields. (I well remember old Jimmy Nelson knocking a bloke out in the weigh cabin at Marsden Quarry when he was about 72!) and McPhees, where there was a sign beside the phone saying (words to the effect of) “This phone must NOT be answered as McPees Transport!”
Lastly…have any of you old buggers got any pictures of my grandad’s wagons, please? My brother and I have hunted high and low, but haven’t come up with anything more than one of a few wagons standing outside the yard in Oakwellgate.
Is there anyone left? I wonder.
TTFN,
Edward
Welcome Edward, there’re few names to rattle the memory cogs there! John Merritt, I first got to know him when I worked part time on the coaches for Hall Bros,( Bartons) 1969ish? he was a regular service man on the Coventry route along with his sidekick Noel Gandy. When I moved to Wardley a few years later I used to meet the pair of them for a drink, I don’t remember much about that!!! 
. Next, Little Joe (,Hewson) he was the manager of the depot at Kings Cross the short time I worked for John Crow. He used to sleep under the desk in the office after having a row with the battleaxe in his digs. 15 years later I worked with his brother Sid on the Castrol contract at Onward (Birtley). Tommy Gray, the man with the loudest gravel voice ever, the last time I saw Tommy he was driving for Tyneside Safety Glass on the Team Valley.
I’m sure you will get a few more replies to your post. Regards Kev.
Well Edward, Its nice to see the likes of you coming onto this thread, I knew Tommy Jennings from the 50s, He did the work out of A/W Ltd just around the corner from his yard on Garden Street. Tommy Gray, Little Joe Hewson Albert Morrison Bobby Brown, Jock McNiel, Plus some more drivers but Im not as sharp as I used to be with names, They sold out to J.R Adams , But Im not sure what year that was, I dont have any photos but I do have lots of very happy mems of running up & down the road as it was called in those good old days with these old drivers, The last I heard Tommy Gray was in an old folks harem 
,& Albert I saw him at a funeral a couple of years ago at SaltwellCrem He was walking with a stick but still going strong, Regards Larry.PS I used to drive for Baxters Road Services Ltd on the Quayside in those good old 50s days.
Edward Jennings:
Hello!
I’m a newbie to this site and forum, but I was pointed here by my son. I’m the grandson of the Edward Jennings who had John Jennings Haulage Ltd of Oakwellgate Gateshead.
I was thrilled to see some names mentioned in this thread which reawakened so many memories from my childhood, and some of friends from my adulthood as well.
John Merritt is a name that doesn’t take me back that far, but only about 20 years. It’s strange that he drove for my grandfather before driving for me in the 90’s and into the noughties too. Only he wasn’t driving wagons then, but coaches. It was at his funeral that I met Albert Morrison (and his wife) whom I’d seen around, but I couldn’t place him although he was more familiar than just someone on the street. I introduced myself after he’d told me that John and he had worked together for John Jennings, he was surprised at my name, to say the least! I last saw him a while ago at the 'bus stop near the Greencroft Club at Windy ■■■■.
Among the other names mentioned so far, I remember Tommy Gray, even though I must only have been about 5, or less, at the time. I remember him as a teddyboy! Big Jock McNeil shouted at me from his front door on Whitehall Road in Gateshead as I was standing in traffic, a good few years ago. It was a miracle that he recognised me after 30 odd years. I also saw him, and had another chat, at a wrestling match at Gateshead Leisure Centre, between Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy, what a laugh!
Little Joe, or so I was told by my dad (GIlbert Jennings, before he died in 1971) drove the first Gateshead artic, it was a Bedford and had wooden blocks on the pedals, just for him. I last saw Joe in about 1976/7 when he was allocating work for John Crow, when they were on Shearlegs Road. I hardly recognised him, as he was wearing a suit. He gave me a few runs with my 18.3 metre Ford D800 Turbo caravan transporter (North Eastern Caravan Haulage Company). It was a lot of fun to drive, but I had to give it up after only a few years, as I was sick of getting pinched for it being overlength.
Another driver who hasn’t been mentioned yet, was John Devlin, God’s gift to women, with his sparkling eyes, gleaming teeth and wicked moustache and whiskers! John was a son of little Tommy Devlin who used to be mechanic for Phillips Transport, also of Oakwellgate. One of the Phillips partners was Basil Mao, whom I last saw in about 1975 serving petrol on nightshift at the Three Mile Garage, because he was skint after paying the redundancy to his drivers, poor old bugger! John Devlin is still hanging on, clarting about with vintage cars and Rolls Royces at one of his two premises, at either Newburn or Crawcrook. I last saw him about two years ago.
Other drivers who come to mind are Geordie Iveson and little Jimmy Pringle, although I think they were mostly local men, running in and out of the Close Works, and into Jenningsies scrap yard with nicked pig iron, covered with turnings. Then there was Billy Lakey, married to my dad’s sister. I’m not sure whether he was ever a driver, or whether he just worked on the tip at Windy ■■■■ sorting out the scarry scrap from the Close Works? He latterly kept about 100 pigs next to our garage at Pelaw. Anyone remember him?
I see old Jimmy Adams got a mention. That also brought a vivid memory back. Of course. you’ll know that Jimmy Adams bought what was left of John Jennings Haulage after the old man died. Well, a friend of mine bought a Seddon platform wagon off him, in the 70’s I think. He asked me if I would go with him to pick it up from the yard at Walker. I was to drive the wagon back to my place in Pelaw. What came as a great surprise to me was that when I climbed into the cab to get it out of the garage, I noticed that the Operators Licence disc was still in the window, and the name on it was…John Jennings Haulage Ltd! Honestly, you could have knocked me down with a feather! Another thing about that was that as I climbed into the cab, I was smacked with the pungent smell of hot diesel which I had always associated with the little old 50’s Seddons with the coachbuilt cabs which my grandad had run, too.
Happy days? I remember my mother complaining that she couldn’t get stuff in the car boot when we were going anywhere, because there were always 2 Albion halfshafts and a diff in there, along with the ever present tool box!
Old NE Haulage Companies? I remember PG Walton, who was in the place where Albany Motors is now, Capstaff, L.P. Nelson and Son, of South Shields. (I well remember old Jimmy Nelson knocking a bloke out in the weigh cabin at Marsden Quarry when he was about 72!) and McPhees, where there was a sign beside the phone saying (words to the effect of) “This phone must NOT be answered as McPees Transport!”
Lastly…have any of you old buggers got any pictures of my grandad’s wagons, please? My brother and I have hunted high and low, but haven’t come up with anything more than one of a few wagons standing outside the yard in Oakwellgate.
Is there anyone left? I wonder.
TTFN,
Edward
Welcome aboard Eddy, great first post. Keep them coming. Lot’s of history there .
Kev, I well remember Noel Gandy! He and John M had another Musketeer who used to play the piano accordion along with Noel, he had been in the Long Range Desert Group during the war, and although I’ve been trying for three days to remember his name, I just cannot! He was a real nice bloke, someone will remember him, I’m sure.
As for poor John, the last time I saw him was at his and Mary’s house on the Leam, he was in a pretty bad way by then. My wife and I had been for a run (probably for something she’d bought on eBay!) to Hartlepool, and remembering John’s love for Morrells pork pies, I’d brought one back for him. Even though it was still warm, the ungrateful old bugger just had to tell me that they weren’t as good as when old man Morrell was at the shop, bloody typical!
Lawrence, “the likes of” me■■? That’s a nice welcome, I must say! (Thanks anyway, just pulling your leg!) I never heard my dad and uncle Tommy speak to each other! Of course, I heard dad’s side of the story, but never uncle Tommy’s, so can never be sure what the real cause of the bust-up was. When we used to go to Adam’s and Gibbon stores on Dunn Street, sometimes we’d get our number at the top of the stairs and then turn to see that Uncle Tommy was the last person in the queue. Very embarrassing to stand there, for an hour or more, between the two of them (almost like two peas in a pod!) trying to make idle conversation, with the storemen (Ernie Tiffen and the rest) looking on, all knowing that they were brothers, as dad had served his time there. Very sad. One consolation in going to A&G’s was that we always called at Pat’s cafe under the High Level bridge for a slavery bacon sandwich from Stella (1/6d) on the way!
Tommy came to the house at Nursery Lane the night dad died, much to the confusion of my mother. I was out, dashing about collecting my fiance from the station (Nottingham train) and taking her to our friends, where she was staying. Tommy had stayed until gone midnight being very kind and supportive, which made mam suspicious! The last I heard from him was a phone call when he was looking for some old car exhaust pipe to make king pin bushes for his eight legger! It was a shame that the two of them were never reconciled.
A peculiar coincidence was that I learned a few years after we married that my father-in-law was once a barman in the Crystal Palace, and also that dad’s youngest brother, Eddie, but known as Nick, was best friends with my wife’s teddyboy older cousin! Small world?
paulycats, thanks for the welcome.
As well as looking for pictures of any John Jennings Haulage Ltd wagons, I wonder if anyone might have any pictures of my caravan transporter. I cannot even remember the reg number now, but it was a '73 Ford D800 Turbo, red cab with an Olympic Blue stripe around at door handle height with the lettering on. The 51 ft single axle trailer had a beaver tail and two 25 ft aluminium ramps chained to the platform all the time. I only have one photo of it, but it’s just of me standing at the cab passenger door.
More transport outfits come to mind:
Mac Haulage of Newcastle (the son was ex SAS, as I recall)
Valentine Reay of Jarrow
John MacNichol (Dunston?) he ran an old Guy with the “walk around” cab? It was painted a pale grey and had a long aluminium sideboarded body. He reckoned that he too had been SAS, but I wasn’t too sure about it! He had a few run-ins with little Mr (Doc) Halliday the Traffic Commissioner, actually in my garage! Where was old Bill Sykes when you needed him?
Huddersfield Parcels, I cannot remember where their local base was, it might even have been very near me in Pelaw, as I did all their repairs and servicing.
I remember (old) Davey Patterson when they were on Albion Street at Windy ■■■■, and in competition (or so it seemed) with the brother(?) Arthur. I once saw a clay covered wagon wheel shoved on the back seat of Arthur’s Rolls Royce! The beast! That was in the days of slum clearance demolition everywhere, when they and the likes of Andy Charlton were still working out of the little yard next to the Plough on Sheriff Hill.
William (Sugar) Kelly, the coal man and general haulier from Heworth.
Robert Kelly, his brother, another coal man and haulier, but from Carr Hill, next to the Gardener’s Arms. The yard is still there (unlike the pub) but looks about abandoned. Another two brothers who wouldn’t speak! In fact, when one was dining at Jimmy Dummler’s Cafe and the other walked in, he’d leave his meal and walk out!
Wearmouth, of Windy ■■■■? I can just about remember these two little old blokes from when I first started work in 66 or 7.
Owner drivers Steve Wharton and little John O’Sullivan, both Gateshead based and running static caravans around the country, as did Jimmy Gill from Felling and Whickham.
Robbie Peacock, another coalman come haulier, from Eighton Banks.
Here, have you seen the time? It’s turned 2 o’clock, so I’m off to bed before I sit here all night reminiscing!
Edward, the other “Musketeer” would be Danny Stewart, a gently spoken character, he was a lovely man but tough as nails! It only took one look from Danny to calm a situation. Regards Kev.
Spot on Kev. Thanks.
Brown Wharrier? I went to school with Alan Wharrier, and the last time I saw him was about 45 years ago, when he gave me and some friends a tow from the flyover on the A1 over Chester-le-Street roundabout.
Edward Jennings:
Spot on Kev. Thanks.Brown Wharrier? I went to school with Alan Wharrier, and the last time I saw him was about 45 years ago, when he gave me and some friends a tow from the flyover on the A1 over Chester-le-Street roundabout.
More names on your list, Val Rea from Jarrow was my dad’s cousin, Val’s mother and my grandmother were sisters. I remember Val ran into the back of my trailer at Dishforth island on the A1 when his brakes failed. Not much damage to him and none at all to my trailer, but I got a lot of mileage telling the tale!! 
Now the Kelly’s from Carr Hill, "young"Robbie and his brother Tony were regular subbies when I worked for Waughs in the seventies, the last time I saw Tony he was driving for Simpson’s, and he was telling me Robbie had a pub, but that was years ago.Regards Kev.
Hi Edward Sorry for,the late reply to your initial post.
Perhaps you can remember the Atkinson’s from Gateshead, all coal men. There was Four brothers, Albert whose son (or grandsons) now has some skip wagons, Harry who worked for his brother Billy and Bobby. They all used the rail depot at Park Lane off the Felling by pass.
Other coal men were Ernie Wren who lived at Bensham and Tommy Adamson from Carr Hill.
John O’Sullivan lived next to St Oswalds Catholic Church at Wrekenton and used to park his unit (Ford) next to the house.
Tony Kelly used to subbie for Waugh’s the same time as us and had a Mercedes unit which he used to park on the Coop car park at Wrekenton. Robbie did have the Coach & Horses at Wrekenton but not sure if that is still the case.
You mention Alan Wharrier. He used to frequent the Lambton Arms at Eighton Banks along with Peter Brown. I am sure one of them started their career at Cawthorn & Sinclair at Birtley.
Their is a Patterson running Volvo eight leg tippersfrom the Portobello Ind est at Birtley, think that is one of the Patterson’s from Windy ■■■■ who were demolition contractors.
Cheers Tyneside.
Thanks for that, Tyneside. Who could forget the Atkinsons? Old Albert was a regular at our place for a long time, I cannot remember how he came to take his work elsewhere, but it was disappointing. Harry came and went as it suited him, but a nice bloke. Was daft long-haired John, who knocked about with Mickey Devlin, his son? I can’t quite remember. He was doing light haulage with a Transit luton the last time I came across him. Then there was young Freddie, I’m sure he was fitting for one of the bigger operators when I was last talking to him, but all this was years ago! The younger brother of Albert and Harry (?) was “young” Billy, who lived down opposite the graveyard on Old Durham Road. There was also JImmy Aki, and Gardner, who had the breakers yard next to the railway off Hawks Road, more of the same generation.Jimmy lived in the big house at the bottom of Beacon Lough, now a dentist’s and swore so much that he often had to split a long word in two so that he could get f****** in the middle of it! They both had very hard lives in that yard. Young Albert, who has the waste disposal depot and skip wagons at Pelaw is the son of old Albert He still calls me Gilbert, even though my dad’s been dead for over 40 years!
I knew most of the local coalmen, and did work on their wagons from time to time. John Graham, “Boy” Nelson, Eric Graham, Ernie Wilson etc. I really cannot now recall them all, now.
How about King Brothers of Middlesbrough (down by the transporter bridge)? The last time I was at Ken King’s (about 15/18 years ago) he was showing me his old F88, still standing in the garage he’d had a few offers for it, but none which came near his own valuation of it. He was a really good bloke to deal with, straight as a die!
Billy Portsmouth from Eighton Banks always had some sort of transport operation on the go, to compliment his pig empire. I always knew him as Billy the Pig, poor bugger! Last seen riding shotgun in a pantechnicon.
John O’Sullivan? I well remember John from the beginnings of his wanderings into transport, when he was partners with “Porky” (Billy, also from Eighton Banks, but whose surname will NOT come to mind, bugger!) Of course, Billy was a follower and helper rather than a partner, and was well upset when John worked him out, so much so that he gave John the hiding of his life down on the Quayside at Newcastle. I saw Billy about 15 years or so ago, and all seems to be now forgiven, I’m pleased to say. John went on, as an OD, to run for a bloke on the Quayside whom he referred to as “The Beard”, but I’ve no idea who he actually was, I’m sure there are those on here who’ll know? He then had a partnership with Paul Johnson (another from the same school year as me and Alan Wharrier) with a 6 wheeled tipper, mostly subbying to the infamous William Kelly on Gateshead Council work. (£3 an hour come to mind.) Eventually, he got back into caravan transport, which he’d first encountered with “Black Bart” Stevie Wharton at Caravan Deliveries and Services, and former partner of Jimmy Gill of Sunderland Road. His business grew and he was joined by his brother Kieth, moving the operation to the ends of the earth at Woodhorn. He now splits his time between hereabouts somewhere, and Thailand, where he has (at least one) son!
Then there was Foster’s the fruit men from the Felling. They had a yard and garage on Split Crow Road Felling, iirc they had about three wagons and the garage was built with the floor sloping towards the door, just in case the wagons had to be bump started!
Jackie Bamling was another fruit and veg man, who also wholesaled around the area with a J model Bedford and an ex Smith’s Crisps D 300 Ford. The Ford had a huge (for crisps, obviously) body which John Kelly the driver decided to reduce the height of when he went under the railway bridge at Hepburn Gardens! I got the remains and mounted a 24ft transporter body on it for breakdowns, it could stand for months, but always fired up on the very first compression, wonderful motor!
I’d better go now, duty calls.
I remember John O’Sullivan from around 1965/66, when he was working as a painter for a builder in Byker, Harry Waller. Perhaps this was before he got into caravan transport. IIRC as Northumbrian Caravan Services (or Transport?) with a Ford ‘D’ Series. Some years later, I came across him at a yard at West Sleekburn (perhaps his operating center?) He was working on a canal boat which he owned.
Regards, Eric.
forster:
I remember John O’Sullivan from around 1965/66, when he was working as a painter for a builder in Byker, Harry Waller. Perhaps this was before he got into caravan transport. IIRC as Northumbrian Caravan Services (or Transport?) with a Ford ‘D’ Series. Some years later, I came across him at a yard at West Sleekburn (perhaps his operating center?) He was working on a canal boat which he owned.
Regards, Eric.
Hi Eric I remember John, Is his still about ?I havent seen him for years, Regards Larry.