f7sidd:
WARD BROS.
another one whos called it a day a lot of his plant is in our yard ready for the auction in a fourtnight
Has Wards wrapped up? I the Scammell all finished up Weardale.
I’m surprised nobody’s mentioned Crows from Meadowfield on here, tidyish motors but the trailers all looked well past their sell-by date. They used to do a lot of work pulling steel off Seaham docks in the 70’s and leading into Monkhouse & Brown at Blaydon and Clark’s at Stillington. I remember one of their motors coming back to Seaham docks with the trailer snapped in half, only the steel plates on the load keeping it together. Another one dropped a coil off on the Hall Bend straight into the dene, Crows had to hire a crane to get it back. When Crows drivers dropped their trailers off anywhere they used to take their lights out, when I worked at Clarks we spent one Saturday morning running trailers through to Seaham Harbour ready to load off a steel boat on the Monday. When we went through Monday morn there wasn’t a light or lens left on any of our trailers. Happy Days?
night shift bri:
I’m surprised nobody’s mentioned Crows from Meadowfield on here, tidyish motors but the trailers all looked well past their sell-by date. They used to do a lot of work pulling steel off Seaham docks in the 70’s and leading into Monkhouse & Brown at Blaydon and Clark’s at Stillington. I remember one of their motors coming back to Seaham docks with the trailer snapped in half, only the steel plates on the load keeping it together. Another one dropped a coil off on the Hall Bend straight into the dene, Crows had to hire a crane to get it back. When Crows drivers dropped their trailers off anywhere they used to take their lights out, when I worked at Clarks we spent one Saturday morning running trailers through to Seaham Harbour ready to load off a steel boat on the Monday. When we went through Monday morn there wasn’t a light or lens left on any of our trailers. Happy Days?
Hi Bri,I remember Crows from Gateshead,is it the same company? This is a photo from a Peter Davies book - an AEC Mammoth Major with a three axled drag and a dolly converter,quite impressive at that time 
Not sure if that’s the same Crow’s Chris. Ralph Crow used to own Deighton Bros. recovery on the Felling bypass in Gateshead, could be he’s connected to Crows of Gateshead. Maybe Bumper Russel knows, that’s his stamping ground.
HERES SOME OLD PHOTOS OF THOMPSONS OF PRUDHOE FROM WHEN MY DAD DROVE FOR THEM
AND SOME OLD R & R HANDS PHOTOS
AND HERES ONE OF THE WAGON I DROVE WHEN I WORKED AT R & R HANDS
TWO RYTON SAND & GRAVEL BRAND NEW F7S
hi lads, crows gateshead and crows meadowfield were the same company, john crow sold out to some group about 1970, then started up again as crows 71, he moved to meadowfield sometime in the 80Ty’s, when john died his son ran the company, till it closed, i new a lot of lads that work for john and they all seemed to be a happy group, i remember one time a drive went to pick his trailer up at seaham docks it was parked on the top park, it had been drop a bit low so he gave it a bit jip to get it onto the skids, unfortunately the air had drained off the trailer, it shot back and the 2 coils drop into the dock, the remark from his mate was hope them coil are well sheeted or they will get rusty, 
happy days bumper
Chris Webb:
night shift bri:
I’m surprised nobody’s mentioned Crows from Meadowfield on here, tidyish motors but the trailers all looked well past their sell-by date. They used to do a lot of work pulling steel off Seaham docks in the 70’s and leading into Monkhouse & Brown at Blaydon and Clark’s at Stillington. I remember one of their motors coming back to Seaham docks with the trailer snapped in half, only the steel plates on the load keeping it together. Another one dropped a coil off on the Hall Bend straight into the dene, Crows had to hire a crane to get it back. When Crows drivers dropped their trailers off anywhere they used to take their lights out, when I worked at Clarks we spent one Saturday morning running trailers through to Seaham Harbour ready to load off a steel boat on the Monday. When we went through Monday morn there wasn’t a light or lens left on any of our trailers. Happy Days?Hi Bri,I remember Crows from Gateshead,is it the same company? This is a photo from a Peter Davies book - an AEC Mammoth Major with a three axled drag and a dolly converter,quite impressive at that time
Hi The photo of CrowsTransport [1971] Ltd was taken in London if my memory is correct the driver is Angus Parker this eight legger some times had a fourty foot trailer, much to the disgust of PC49. 
crowbar
bumper:
hi lads, crows gateshead and crows meadowfield were the same company, john crow sold out to some group about 1970, then started up again as crows 71, he moved to meadowfield sometime in the 80Ty’s, when john died his son ran the company, till it closed, i new a lot of lads that work for john and they all seemed to be a happy group, i remember one time a drive went to pick his trailer up at seaham docks it was parked on the top park, it had been drop a bit low so he gave it a bit jip to get it onto the skids, unfortunately the air had drained off the trailer, it shot back and the 2 coils drop into the dock, the remark from his mate was hope them coil are well sheeted or they will get rusty,
Hi Bumper Hope you keeping well .Crows Gateshead started in 1952, sold out to Burnholme & Forder in 1968,after which I left in1969 .Taken over Deighton Bros Ltd.
1971 saw John buy Whites of Towlaw whos depot was at Meadowfield, changing the name to Crows [1971] Ltd although they did use my depot at Albany Road Gateshead,
Simon did run the firm until he closed it down. Does any one have photos of Crows, Deightons, Whites, or Storefrieght 
Regards crowbar
Crowbar, when did Crows buy out Alfie Ellis, must have been just before they were sold out in 68, I remember the new Big J’s going to Crow and we hadn’t had them very long, I went to Hodgson’s AEC distributors to finish my Apprenticeship when Ellis was in the buy out stage, my two mates and fellow Apprentices moved also, one to Rutherford Bros (another old name) and one to a Plant hire firm, he now has his own company, Websters’, next to Murray Hoggs’ yard, he started with an old Ford D Series early Eighties. Franky.
hi crowbar, welcome to the site, sorry to hear about you accident, hope you are recovering OK. hopefully someone will have photos of crows also the other companies you mentioned, bumper 
Frankydobo:
Crowbar, when did Crows buy out Alfie Ellis, must have been just before they were sold out in 68, I remember the new Big J’s going to Crow and we hadn’t had them very long, I went to Hodgson’s AEC distributors to finish my Apprenticeship when Ellis was in the buy out stage, my two mates and fellow Apprentices moved also, one to Rutherford Bros (another old name) and one to a Plant hire firm, he now has his own company, Websters’, next to Murray Hoggs’ yard, he started with an old Ford D Series early Eighties. Franky.
Hi Franky Yes Crows did take over Ellis in 1968. I was fleet engineer at Crows and was given a foolscap sheet of reg numbers[ which Ithink Istill have] so I could inspect the fleet at their depot .
On going Ifound some of the vehicles were just old wrecks in the scrap yard. The rest did come to Crows as well as the Big J’s we also got an AEC chinese 6 tractor unit better known as THE SLEDGE. Also some of the staff came including Major________ . Do you have any photos of Ellis vehicles Regards crowbar
hi lads, Alfie Ellis started up a company, think they called it norwood transport, about 1970, ran a half a dozen of volvo f88, colour scheme was red,he sold that outfit to geoffrey cook who change the name to elddis transport, and as they say the rest is history, 
bumper
What about that other outfit from Meadowfield way, Armstrongs Ithink, ran maroon and red Volvos are they still going? There was a kid at Van Hees looked like Woody Allen went to work for them in the late 80’s.Johnson Hire the container and site cabin people were from that way aswell.
Cheers for that info Bumper, I didn’t know what had happened to Alfie Ellis after I left, interesting histories some of these haulage companies had. Great info from you too Crowbar, I would love to see those Reg No’s if you can dig them out and I haven’t any pics unfortunately (kick myself everytime I think of the lost opportunities) but I’ve posted a pic of a model I made of the ‘Sledge’ great name and explains a lot, I know we had a hell of a job just getting it up the small ramp into the workshop, back end bounced around and it went nowhere if you didn’t take a run at it. Did Crows get the Merc units too, bonneted and forward control types, I always remember a little driver called ‘Yorky’ (obvious reason) showing me how to change the two speed lever with his knee, neat movement and a great character. Hope the pic of the model brings back memories, I had to guess at the Reg No though so if you have it I’ll change it. Cheers Franky.
Hello crowbar,good to see you on the site,you forgot to mention Angus Parkers
mad second driver on that monstrosity of a drawbar,the one and only John Hook!!
the last time I saw him was in the Old Hundred in North Shields but that was years ago.
Hows Isobel coping with having you hopping around under her feet? regards KMc.
Frankydobo:
Cheers for that info Bumper, I didn’t know what had happened to Alfie Ellis afte
Hi Frankydobo Great photos and what an excellent model. where do you get the materials to build it. When l can get moving again l will sort the reg numbers. Regards crowbar
kevmac47:
Hello crowbar,good to see you on the site,you forgot to mention Angus Parkers
mad second driver on that monstrosity of a drawbar,the one and only John Hook!!
the last time I saw him was in the Old Hundred in North Shields but that was years ago.
Hows Isobel coping with having you hopping around under her feet? regards KMc.
Hi kevmac47 Yes l had forgotten about John. Isabelle l am a great patient ha ha ha Regards crowbar
night shift bri:
What about that other outfit from Meadowfield way, Armstrongs Ithink, ran maroon and red Volvos are they still going? There was a kid at Van Hees looked like Woody Allen went to work for them in the late 80’s.Johnson Hire the container and site cabin people were from that way aswell.
HERE ARE SOME OF ARMSTRONGS THAT I HAVE FOUND, I HOPE THAT THEY ARE OK FOR YOU
