Retired Old ■■■■:
In the last 18 months or so the depot has been turned into a housing estate.
Ian says during his time and later it became a very contaminated site. Hope they dug it all out before building houses.
Good lads on the Hull ferry on a Sunday night.
sandway:
Retired Old ■■■■:
In the last 18 months or so the depot has been turned into a housing estate.Ian says during his time and later it became a very contaminated site. Hope they dug it all out before building houses.
No comment, sandyway!!! Two developers were interested in the site and both dug trial bore holes. Sufficient to say that both pulled out and it was some time before the present building company dug more holes (in different locations) and went ahead with the project.
And many thanks for flicking the photos around.
Had another session of reminiscences with Ian last night. What an incredible person he is. His stories of times gone by could fill a book. Characters in the haulage business, of companies he worked for and men he has worked with. He remembered it all like yesterday. Eighty years old now and still on the road. I only wish I had a tape recorder so those stories arnt lost. His very strong Mancunian accent only emphasised those events even more but unfortunately my own brain is the weak link here. Much of what he told me has been forgotten already.
When he attained the legal age to drive he was told by the farmer he worked for to take his driving test as he needed him to drive a small lorry and deliver milk to a local dairy. A few years later he moved on to larger vehicles and proper transport companies. He worked for many companies, mainly south of Manchester in that part of Cheshire. Most of his work was in the UK but he did some Swiss for R H Stevens and some Italian but I’m not sure who that was for. I know he also did a few trips to Greece and on one occasion driving a Scania 143. “What a motor” he said “only problem was I couldn’t find any real mountains to put it through its paces”.
His time at Stevens was short. About two years. He thought he got on well with Reg Stevens and his son Mark (hope I got the names right) but it all came to an inglorious end. Now its hard to believe to look at him but then he weighed just under eighteen stone, I reckon not much more than ten now. Anyway he was in the pub one evening having done a days work. Mark and a few other drivers were there and by mid evening the bosses son was well oiled. For some reason Mark had a go at Ian who tried to play it down. Mark would have none of it and said “right outside, now”. Ian couldn’t get out of it and followed Mark outside. As Mark turned round Ian settled the argument by bopping him on the chin and Mark was left spreadeagled on the tarmac. Next day Ian was called in to see Reg who gave him a dressing down. Ian was a bit miffed as it wasn’t his fault but accepted it. However, he was then sent out to load down at Berresfords in Stoke. On the way back he called into Gordon Plants yard to sound them out for a job. “Theres always a job for you here” he was told. “Ok, I have to give Stevo’s a weeks notice so see you in ten days time”. And that was Ian set up to work for ‘Plants for Service’. When he got back to the yard he was told he was taking two Manchester Lines containers down south. OK he said but its a bit late to go now so I’ll go early in the morning. With that he went home in the unit. That evening there was a knock on the door and one of the lads from the yard was there with Mark. Both were looking embarrassed and asked for the keys to the lorry. Ian handed them over and asked what was going on. They both apologised and Mark said it was nothing to do with him but Reg didn’t want to see him again. Next morning Ian started on with Plants an association that would last many years.
Ian mentioned the names of many drivers from Stevens and Plants. I managed to jot down a few. Spelling may not be correct.
John Seabridge
Jack Schofield aka Blackjack
D Jackson
Albert Oldfield
Bill Sutcliffe
Terry Minshall
Tom Worthington
Mick Whittiker
Ian Gilbert
A Hughes
Peter Owen
Brian Cambell
Kris Keilson
Tom Dorman
Bob Ikin
I hope some of you recognise names shown above. If any of you have any reminiscences I can pass on to Ian please post them soon as I have a feeling he’s had his time off and will be back on the road again soon.
I notice someone’s tipping my tank for me again!
Ian Morgan commented on a couple of photos. The ERF/Peterbuilt was, he thought, Ian Gilberts idea. Ian called him Cornish pasty cos he was Cornish.
The ERF with the sleeper pod on the back was not the best sleeper cab conversion around. In fact Ian said it was blood-y awful. He was lucky he said that he didn’t have to drive it very often.
NOW I know who Ian is!!! The “Cornish” reference suddenly jogged my memory. You should show him the photos of my Daf which he will probably recognise. I knew him when he had a Volvo and was subbing for Stevo. I had rather a nasty accident which resulted in the A1 being closed for five hours. Cornish was sent to load the consignment that I was supposed to load and to give me a lift back to God’s Own County where I was to rest up for a week or two. In a move more akin to getting back on a horse which had thrown me, Cornish insisted that I get back behind the wheel a.s.a.p. which meant driving his lorry south while he had a kip!
Remember me to him- he will remember me as, “Casey”.
P.S. The only photos I have of the Daf are “post accident”. When Ian last saw the lorry it was in the livery of it’s previous owner- and my previous employer- and was in a very smart orange and white.
Retired Old ■■■■:
P.S. The only photos I have of the Daf are “post accident”. When Ian last saw the lorry it was in the livery of it’s previous owner- and my previous employer- and was in a very smart orange and white.
You’ll be having another accident if you don’t get off to bed . A man of your advanced years should be tucked up in bed long before 2am . Anon
He’s gone. Had his time off. Ian is back on the road. He and his wife Brenda, both sporting very strong Mancunian accents said their goodbyes and headed off into the rising sun. “Don’t start as early as I used to” he said “nor drive as far” Brenda said. When asked if they were heading home Brenda gave me an incredulous look and said “you must be joking, its too blo-dy cold back there”, anyway we’ve only been away since October. Although I’ve bumped into them for many years I’m sure we all wonder if we will ever meet up again. As I said before, Ian is eighty and I would never reveal a ladies age suffice to say she is older than Ian. What an incredible couple.
Life has not been easy for Ian. When he was thirty nine he was diagnosed with cancer which has shaped his life up to now. He had operations and treatment and with his strong willpower pulled through. However, life was not the same. One thing he had to do was get his weight down from eighteen stone to an acceptable level. Two Ryvita and a tomato for lunch did the trick. He returned to driving but finally took to the road in a motorhome. Something he has been doing for the past twenty odd years tramping mainly round France, Spain and Portugal. For quite a few years they did house sitting in the south of Spain during the winter months. Ian said he called in to see Reg Stevens a couple of times after his former boss moved to the south of France. The last time Reg told him he also had cancer. Ian asked him if he was going back to the UK for treatment but Reg had decided to have it treated in France. He heard later that Reg had died on the operating table.
After he left R H Stevens he joined Plants where he worked for a number of years. He then bought his own lorry and trailer operating under the name IPM Haulage. He at one time ran an ERF but don’t know what other lorries he used. He had some work of his own but also worked for Plants and Stevens. He didn’t make much money out of it and finally sold up. I think he said he was an OD for almost ten years.
Now, if you are out on the road and you see this Fiat left ■■■■■■ motorhome approaching you fast from behind beware!!! It may be Ian and Brenda. He still bombs around so keep your elbows in and give him room. He don’t take no prisoners.
I sincerely hope to see him again next year.
Old bu**er looks younger than me!
If you have chance to get in touch with him, say “hello” from me. And the Volvo he had was, I believe, an F12.
I have to say that the firm went completely to pot after Reg departed. Despite the efforts of some really good employees and managers, It was a bit like the royal family- too many hangers-on waiting for their share!
dave docwra:
revman:
0B series disguised as a peterbilt ( not my photo)Crash barrier looks well used, it that a SOM going the opposite way…
Don’t think so Dave,the top half of the cabs were painted an off white or cream,my take on the colour in the picture is definitely white.
David
Retired Old ■■■■:
Old bu**er looks younger than me!
If you have chance to get in touch with him, say “hello” from me. And the Volvo he had was, I believe, an F12.
I have to say that the firm went completely to pot after Reg departed. Despite the efforts of some really good employees and managers, It was a bit like the royal family- too many hangers-on waiting for their share!
Will certainly remember you to him ROF if I see him again. Unfortunately neither Ian nor Brenda are computer literate so they can’t log in to TNUK. I know Ian would be chuffed that somebody remembered him. Many thanks for your reply.
5thwheel:
Don’t think so Dave,the top half of the cabs were painted an off white or cream,my take on the colour in the picture is definitely white.
Hi, The cab is the same cream colour as the back of the trailer, the white at the top of the cab may be something on a building further forward of the lorry.
Dave…
dave docwra:
5thwheel:
Don’t think so Dave,the top half of the cabs were painted an off white or cream,my take on the colour in the picture is definitely white.Hi, The cab is the same cream colour as the back of the trailer, the white at the top of the cab may be something on a building further forward of the lorry.
Dave…
I must admit Dave that the rear of the CF trailer does look like a SoM trailer,we had a large fleet of those trailers,the type with the large white fibreglass/plastic pattern to the back end,the green sheets and dark blue fly sheet are also synonymous with SoM,so you could be right.
David
Good shots there, John. I had completely forgotten about the cab-topped Daf!
Haven’t seen this photo before.
Looks like Dover, sandyway?
R H Stevens Transport.
