I’m sure I read on here you were connected to Smiles for Miles is that correct?
A few names from the '60’s you may recognise.
Fitters
Jeff Smiles - whom I’m sure you will know
Wilf Hepple
Jimmy Fell
Joe Brown
Drivers -
Joss Rutter
Jimmy Trotter
Tot Hepple
Dickie Peaker
Ronnie Peaker
Jack Peaker - worked for Fred I think?
Jack Keen
Ken Ord
Walter Rowell
Jimmy Hannant
Jack ? Leathard
Ray Blackburn
Norman Clydesdale?
Bobby Maggs
Eddie Harding
Mick Rooney?
Bob Smiles - (Cannonball) - another you will know
Aye, Old Isaac Smiles the founder of Smiles for Miles was my grandads younger brother, I worked for Fred 1963 driving RJR 349, then I went back to Baxters until 1968 then back to Smiles to work Tommy [The Bull] as he was called, this was just a fit in for nine weeks then I was away again. The names Hears a few more more, Fitter Bob Cairns, Harry Pearson the foreman. drivers Tommy Leathard, Wilfy Clydesdale, Geo Skinner, Goe Armstrong, Alan Talbot,Dennis Cook, Tommy Green, Geo Calvert, Buck Richardson, Walter Boyd, Jimmy Blackburn,Billy Watson, Bobby Jamieson. Ken Repper. Phil Sheperd. , & more but I cant remember them.Regards Larry.
fatbloke76:
kev wish you all the best for the future ,hope you get sorted with some work
all the best
paul.
Paul, thanks for the good wishes nice to here from you again. What are you doing now? regards Kev.
Hi Kev Sorry ot hear of your early retirment , all the best for the future l am certain Stuart will keep you gainfully employed
Regards Ralph [crowbar]
Thanks Ralph, I will speak to you soon. regards Kev.
hello kev hope everythings going ok get yourself to malta for the winter months very nostalgic i hear and cheap you might even see something you drove over there ha ha anyway if i get stuck for a second man ill give you a shout or if you just fancy a rideout let me know your more than welcome best wishes for the future allen
fatbloke76:
kev wish you all the best for the future ,hope you get sorted with some work
all the best
paul.
Paul, thanks for the good wishes nice to here from you again. What are you doing now? regards Kev.
Hi Kev Sorry ot hear of your early retirment , all the best for the future l am certain Stuart will keep you gainfully employed
Regards Ralph [crowbar]
Thanks Ralph, I will speak to you soon. regards Kev.
hello kev hope everythings going ok get yourself to malta for the winter months very nostalgic i hear and cheap you might even see something you drove over there ha ha anyway if i get stuck for a second man ill give you a shout or if you just fancy a rideout let me know your more than welcome best wishes for the future allen
Thanks Allen,thats the best offer I’ve had for the moment. I’ll keep it in mind. Its early days yet, and I won’t be able to get much work until my digi card comes thru.
Due to the bombshell from my customer nothing had been planned until later in the year. regards Kev. ps I will send you a pm later.
Solly, some more names come to mind, Bob Raine, Bob Mather, Charlie Chisolm, Vince Millane, Ronnie Bright, ? Twizzel, Bobby Marsh, Maxey Robson. Barry Pettifer, Eddie Smith. Tim ? based at Catterick, also there was another fitter called Geof a tall gray headed bloke, It was a sad day when the Smiles,s finished, if you look back on this thread you will see the first two wagons started with when he came back from Canada, he went on to have a fine fleet, sadley he passed away 1939/40, but the company went on to become one of the largest north east hauliers. Regards Larry.
Gerry Musgrove, thats a blast from the past, I remember him when we were on a lime spreading job for L&Y Spreaders [Wally Lyne & John Young] he had an F86 6wheeler we were at at farm belonging to Willy Grix at Walton, we had to reverse up sleepers so as to tip into the spreader, he had a serious problem getting traction, but we all mucked in & eventually he got there & the job got underway, but I was the last one to tip, 10 pm at night. Regards Larry.
Larry- I seem to recollect that one of the Smiles family (correct me If I’m mistaken) had one leg- I think he was in the garage, and some of the Smiles family lived on Hexham Road, Throckley-(well, nearer to Heddon). Maybe I’m wrong- Perhaps the old memory is playing tricks!!
Regards, Eric.
The one legged lad was Joe Brown he was a fitter, Old Isaac Smiles & Tommy Smiles [The Bull], lived next door to each other on Hexham Rd, just allong from the Frenchmans Arms, Lawrence Smiles [British Plant Hire] Bells Close lived a bit further allong plus Jimmy Fell another fitter lived a couple of doors away. Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
The one legged lad was Joe Brown he was a fitter, Old Isaac Smiles & Tommy Smiles [The Bull], lived next door to each other on Hexham Rd, just allong from the Frenchmans Arms, Lawrence Smiles [British Plant Hire] Bells Close lived a bit further allong plus Jimmy Fell another fitter lived a couple of doors away. Regards Larry.
I trember Joe Brown nice bloke he lived on Ambleside Throckley
another you will know
This was Bobby Meggs motor. Regards Larry.
