Carl Williams:
W.H.Williams Spennymoor. The First family to move into the Newly Created Newton Aycliffe.The Photo was taken by and published in 'Picture Post@ the Helloe magazine of its day. The van was a 1948 Bedford OB. For some strange reason my dad had a standard Bedford Cab fitted to the passanger Chassis by Sherwood & Wynn of Hurworth near Darlington, the bodybuilding side of Sherwoods who had supplied the chassis. It was then driven to Youngs of Sunderland who were useless bodybuilders to build the body. (They were half the price of Sherwood and Wynns). Sherwoods would have built, if asked a much smarter pantechnicon with an integral cab. When it was about three years old it virtually fell to pieces and Sherwoods repaired and strengthened the body and repainted it. It looked really smart and was a big van for its day. My dad then shortly afterwards sold it. Several times I asked him and he nevr could remember why. The stange thing is that in 1959 he then bould a 1949 OB with a Sherwoods Integral body from Sawrey Gill of Durham. That van ran for almost two years and was never painted except for plain cream undercoat.It was then replaced in 1961 by our first Bedford Diesel Marsden SB
Carl, i live in the road were this photo was taken(Gilpin road) i have this photo in a book on the town history ,i have lived in this area for 55 years and remember the street like it was then,if i can work out how to transfer the pic i will ,because there is a interesting write up on your company at the time.vic.
W.H.Williams Spennymoor. One of our AEC Mercury Tractor Units attached to one of our trailers painted in NESS Furniture Livery who were for many years one our customers
hi lads, mark is this the same minto has you posted, also a couple of north east haulage outfits, think this TTmotor used to be long to a guy from broomhill, bumper
Well men thats another holiday nearly over i,ve been up here on the Isle of Bute since saturday leaving tomorrow to take a slow drive back to Seaham stopping off at Gretna for a night out then home in time for the pub on friday and Shields on sunday where no doubt I,ll see some of you TaRa 4 now
Hi JEFF have you been dragging that mobile love nest around on the back of your motor?? causing hell and havoc to all road users well take care on the return leg and may see you at South-Shields on Sunday.
night shift bri:
Just been on the Great North Road Book thread and mentioned a telly programme in the 80s that followed one of Glendinning’s car transporters northbound. They stopped off at Norman’s and carried on north. Does anybody remember it or what it was called?
Yes I can remember got a copy on tape somewhere will have to try and find it will fill you in with the details later when I have my lap top on.
That’s excellent cheers. I taped it myself when it was on the telly and also the one featuring Morris Potts from Van Hee’s when he had his trailer curtains slashed at Whitwood Truck Stop. Unfortunately I’ve lost both of them over the years, a pity because you can get them transferred onto dvd now.
can,t remember the program but the driver was tony usher he works at vehicle movements now will ask him tomorrow
Here’s a pic I found in a book of one of Clark’s Haulage tipping a load of steel plate in Doxfords Shipyard around the early 70’s. Haven’t a clue what the tractor unit is.
The programme was called A1 About North, with Tony Usher the Glenny’s driver being the in cab host, they called in at Normans, which looked quite good on the telly and later they stopped at the Quernhow. The prog was mainly about the A1 from the M62 to around Berwick but some good period film from the time. The Van Hee programme with Potts’y was called Up North and this was a little darker the main topic being that drivers were getting pressured more with the way deliveries were booked and how some of the less law abiding firms turned a blind eye to drivers spending longer than legal hours behind the wheel or even encouraged it.
It also showed Norman Bell giving his motor its final wash before putting a For Sale sign in the window as he’d had enough and was jacking in, does anybody know what happened to Norman? I suppose from a drivers point of view at that time these programmes were slightly depressing but both Morris and Tony came across well and compared to the latest we’ve seen from the Stobarts progs, a lot more professional and level headed. I also copied another film from then called Truckers about Continental work in the Ninties and a programme on the M25, a First Tuesday (BBC 2) programme called The Magic Roundabout with lots of different incidents being dealt with by the M25 Police ending with a death of a French driver who was hit by traffic when he got out of his cab after it Jacknifed.
Compared to the early 50’s BRS and similar transport films where the drivers lot was seen to be a good and happy one, the later Seventies film by World in Action about the McKelvies and Andersons drivers doing dodgy’s to make a decent wage and the BRS driver who couldn’t complete similar trips doing it legal up to the films I just mentioned then it becomes clear that HGV’s, drivers and companies had begun on a slippery slope that didn’t do the industry any justice or favours. So I suppose despite the Stobart and Ice Trucker type programmes getting stick from the likes of us, they are trying to portray the industry in a more favourable light to those not in the know. Cheers Franky.
Just seen the Charlie Pearce pics, Ronnie Hodgen an old Steenburgs driver and Pigeon racing pal with my Dad used to do some subby work out of Fergie’s Sunderland yard and I think the Seddon in the second pic may be the motor Ronnie used although its a bit blured to see properly, the wagon was in good nick despite its age, anybody know how Ronnie is!
Cheers Franky.
hi mark new Eric when he was at freeway, but never seen him since, think Johnny roddam got the sleeper cab scania when eric left, have a few photos of e minto and rth-lubbers if you want i will post some on this site or pm me with your e/mail and i will send them on, franky if you fancy a bit natter i will be at the long wall at lampton park on the clime up from motorway on sunday morning to get some photos on the tyne tees run should be there between 9-30 till they have past through, bumper
