Hi Ray,
Thanks for the picture and the info.
I remember some of the Northwest Remploy factories producing those chemical warfare suits back in the day.
Leyland Freighter T45 240 Reg No E327 VNB, new in 1987, is pictured coupled up to a draw-bar trailer while parked up in Hadfields old transport yard in Ashton-under-Lyne.Hi Paul, With regard to the Military and Police work that we did for Remploy Frontline,
In 2003, Remploy at Clydebank got some work which would take 6 months to complete.
A company called Highmark in Dromara, Co.Down had a job to produce 24000 anti-stab
vests for Strathclyde Police, in 7 sizes for male and female officers. Highmark were at
that time very busy, so they subbed it out to Remploy at Clydebank. It involved taking
the “Pre-cut fabric parts” from Remploy CCU (Central Cutting Unit) at West Float in
Birkenhead, up to Clydebank, and within about a week, the first batch of vests were
ready for delivery. For the next 6 months, whichever driver set off to Clydebank on
Monday morning would deliver the “Cut Parts”, and then spend the rest of the week
delivering complete anti-stab vests to every main Police Station of Strathclyde Police.
On Friday morning, the driver would load Anti-Gas suits for the Military, usually for M.O.D.
at Bicester, or Royal Navy at Portsmouth, and back home to Wigan Friday afternoon.
Kind Regards, Ray.
Can I please borrow the D.Sharp and Platt Bridge pictures ■■.
I bought a 7.5T Ford cargo curtainsider in those orange colours from a dealer in Audenshaw in 89/90, A458JEH I think. Ran it for about 3 years, good little workhorse, I had to do a fair bit of welding on the cab eventually though.
Thanks for the comments Ray no probs regarding the Atki pictures.
matamoros:
I bought a 7.5T Ford cargo curtainsider in those orange colours from a dealer in Audenshaw in 89/90, A458JEH I think. Ran it for about 3 years, good little workhorse, I had to do a fair bit of welding on the cab eventually though.
They ran loads of those Ford Cargo’s of all shapes and sizes across the country.
I personally thought that orange and red livery was hideous.
At 18 when i started at Remploy back in 1975 i drove one like this based at Oldham delivering supplies and collecting finished goods between local Remploy factories in Lancashire and Cheshire.
The day i was 21 came off that job and i was on the road with L plates on a Remploy Ford D Series artic training for my HGV test the following July all paid for by Remploy.
Happy Days 
I still think the Cruisers look good in this livery , the front under dam topped it off well .
Remploy Textiles factories produced various clothing products for the Military and the Police.
This is my Mercedes Benz Sprinter van doing a delivery of Counter Terrorism garments to
British Transport Police in Tavistock Place, London, in June, 2005. A few weeks later, and just to
the left of this picture is Tavistock Square, where the London Transport double deck bus was
blown up by a suicide bomber. The Police Constable in the picture is Neville Lazonby.
At the time of the explosion, Neville was just arriving for work. He and several other officers
remained on duty for the next 36 hours, working in shifts to help the injured people
Neville and his colleagues recieved a commendation for their efforts.
Ray Smyth.
After the Thames ET6 4D came the Thames Traders of which Remploy ran quite a number of throughout the 1960’s.
Based in Oldham, Greater Manchester, and driven by Joe Farrell, it was used mainly for transporting Lundia shelving across the country and was equipped with a tail lift which made life a lot easier for the driver while delivering heavy boxes of shelving.
It is pictured here in 1980 opposite Victoria Station on Wilton Road London.
A Remploy Ford '‘D’ Series draw-bar sneaks into this picture taken at the end of the M50 at Ross on Wye.
Heading to South Wales it would have been going either to Remploy’s Merthyr Tydfil or Neath factories to collect tubular furniture.
An old one Paul from 1959.
Thanks for that Dean don’t know how you find them.
Here’s the original picture they used of Reg No RXX 852 seen parked in Russell Square London during a company publicity photo shoot.
From 1995 until 2012, my main source of work was from the specialist textile section of Remploy Ltd, later to become Remploy Frontline,
producing anti-gas suits and equipment for the Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Police, Fire Service, & Ambulance Service in the UK.
It involved delivering to, and collecting from over 30 of their textile factories as far apart as Aberdeen and Dundee in Scotland, and
Penzance and Redruth in Cornwall and delivering the finished products to the above authorities. I delivered to almost all of the factories
involved, but I cant recall where this location was. The 2 pictures were taken by Joe Rutter, a driver who was with me for 25 years,
and he cant remember this location. He thinks it may be one of the Scottish factories.
Ray Smyth.
In 1999, Remploy Ltd produced a book showing the history of the company which was formed
in 1945 to care for and provide suitable employment for mainly military personnel who had
returned from World War 2 with injuries and disabilities. Factories were established throughout
the United Kingdom from Aberdeen in the North to Penzance in the South, the first factory was
at Bridgend in South Wales. In the picture is one of the DAF drawbar lorries in the latest livery
in the 1990s. Remploy Ltd was my main source of work from 1995 until 2012, carrying components
and finished goods between their factories and also to Military and Police locations the length
and breadth of the UK. Two of my lorries are seen in the third picture. Click pictures to enlarge.
Ray Smyth.
moomooland:
Thanks for the comments Ray no probs regarding the Atki pictures.matamoros:
I bought a 7.5T Ford cargo curtainsider in those orange colours from a dealer in Audenshaw in 89/90, A458JEH I think. Ran it for about 3 years, good little workhorse, I had to do a fair bit of welding on the cab eventually though.They ran loads of those Ford Cargo’s of all shapes and sizes across the country.
I personally thought that orange and red livery was hideous.0A yard shot taken in Ashton showing the fleet of Ford Cargo demountable four wheelers introduced into the fleet around 1981/2. All these vehicles would later be fitted with wind deflectors to improve their fuel economy.
Remember the Remploy trucks parked at the bottom of Oldham Road, Ashton-under-Lyne, the land is now bingo/retail park opposite IKEA. The metal framework collapsed while the retail units were under construction and this delayed opening and during the delay Kwik Save pulled out and some of the retail units were empty for years.
Thanks Dean that a cracking find.
Great archive stuff.
Hi Dean, Three very interesting pictures of Remploy from 1959. From 1995 through to 2012, my main source of
work was from Remploy, Textiles Frontline Division, delivering component garment parts to many of their factories
as far North as Aberdeen, and as far South as Penzance and Redruth in Cornwall on a weekly basis.
We also delivered the finished garments to many military sites, e.g. Aldeshot, Bicester, Faslane, Portsmouth, etc.
From approx 1995, because of the threat of terrorism, we delivered " Anti-Gas garments " and equipment to most
Police Forces throughout the U.K., also to NHS Ambulance and Fire Service locations. Other types of Remploy products
were Buoyancy Aids and Life Jackets, made by Remploy Marine at Leven in Fife, and also at Alder Hills Road at Poole.
This 17 tons G.V.W. Mercedes-Benz, N173 DWX, did just over 500 thousand miles from 2000 until 2010 on this work, driven
for all that time by Joe Rutter, who worked for me for 25 years until he retired aged 66.
Ray.
Sent the article over to Tommy Burns who was transport manager at Remploy Oldham for many years and he was well impressed.
Thanks again matey.
Ray Smyth:
Hi Dean, Three very interesting pictures of Remploy from 1959. From 1995 through to 2012, my main source of
work was from Remploy, Textiles Frontline Division, delivering component garment parts to many of their factories
as far North as Aberdeen, and as far South as Penzance and Redruth in Cornwall on a weekly basis.
We also delivered the finished garments to many military sites, e.g. Aldeshot, Bicester, Faslane, Portsmouth, etc.
From approx 1995, because of the threat of terrorism, we delivered " Anti-Gas garments " and equipment to most
Police Forces throughout the U.K., also to NHS Ambulance and Fire Service locations. Other types of Remploy products
were Buoyancy Aids and Life Jackets, made by Remploy Marine at Leven in Fife, and also at Alder Hills Road at Poole.
This 17 tons G.V.W. Mercedes-Benz, N173 DWX, did just over 500 thousand miles from 2000 until 2010 on this work, driven
for all that time by Joe Rutter, who worked for me for 25 years until he retired aged 66.Ray.
Happy days Ray,sounds like that brought back some memories. 
moomooland:
Hi Dean,Sent the article over to Tommy Burns who was transport manager at Remploy Oldham for many years and he was well impressed.
Thanks again matey.
I thought you might like that one Paul,will drop you a email later !
