I worked for Renwicks in the 60ts. I was shunting for them. My man from Exeter used to change over outside my house in Farnham,where I lived in a previous life.Try doing that now! I had a Guy Invincible with a 180 ■■■■■■■ and a Jake brake operated by a switch on the dash.Turn the switch on and nothing happened until you lifted your foot then it come on. First time I tried it the engine cut out. The night man was called Monty.Lovely man.Strange that in the seventies The change over was Stonehedge, But ten years earlier The night man went from Exeter to Farnham and back.Better conditions eh.
Hi Charlie One
Yes, it was on the 303 at Stonehenge, where was the London Depot in those days? it might have been in West London, so not as far to go.
I remember the Exeter man had a real thick accent and was bit on the large size, aint we all!! and one night my trailer legs wouldn’ go down so we left the trailers hitched, and he had to take my DAF through with him, and I got the Atki, you should have seen him smile then.
Little Al.
Hi Little Al. In my time on Renwicks we had no London depot. There were four trunk motors coming up from Exeter. One to Farnham and three to Camberley.At that time they had a contract with Cornish Egg Farmers. My run was up to Sun Farm Eggs at Bermondsey for 0600. All our backloads were from Silver Roadways or Western Freights.So it was either Tate And Lyle at Silvertown or Heinz at Park Royal.Of course everything was rope and sheet plus flysheet. Wonderful job on a wet day.
Hi Charlie one
Rope and bloody sheet work, I remember it well, my arms ache just thinking about it, remember those “Dolly Knots” and how your hands used to cut open trying to tie your load down, we also had 6 lengths of hemp ropes to do it with, polypropelene came in later, and we thought that was magic, as it stayed dry all the time, bet all those youngters haven’t a clue, all they now is that webbing stuff, we had two huge sheets both about 25ft each, fly sheet, and they weighed about half a hundred weight each, and you had to climb on the back of the unit, up onto the cab roof, and manhandle them, onto the load, unroll them, and hope the wind never took them, I remember being in Liverpool Docks, while a bunch of lazy dockers just stood there laughing as the wind took it off like a sail, in the ■■■■■■■ of rain, but I always had the neatest rope and sheet work of anybody, all done up like a hospital bed. Happy bloody days!!!
I do recall the Eggs as a major part of the load, and enjoyed them for my breakfast, I never got involved in loading during the day, as Night Trunk, it was all done for me. It was a cushy job, it only used to take me about 6 hours round trip, most of the night I was in Fleet services on the M3.
The yard was in Horn Lane Greenwhich, it was new, it is under the flyover as you approach the Blackwall Tunnel, on the new Motorway bit.
Little Al
Dead right Little Al. It was a way of life then. Didn’t think anything of it then,but now I cast me mind back bloody hell. No wonder iv’e still got a bad back. A good trunk job for you. Easy enough for me.Early mornings no problem. Usually home and in the pub by 1 o’clock.
charlie one:
Dead right Little Al. It was a way of life then. Didn’t think anything of it then,but now I cast me mind back bloody hell. No wonder iv’e still got a bad back. .
Bad backs were usually caused when the rope snapped and sent you flying. I never could get on with the ‘proper’ way of tightening with the end of the rope over the shoulder and a great big loop hanging down for the foot/leg to do all the work. Anyone else do that?
Sometimes I used to wrap the rope around my hand take a step back and pull down.That was ok with hemp rope.No you young uns.Nothing to do with a curious substance. However with the introduction of polypropolene rope it could cut your hands (We didn’t wear gloves in those days) We were hairy chested truckers! The best way was to do two dollys.Still was no good for the back eh David. Old truck drivers suffer from three complaints Bad backs,piles and divorce.I’ve had all three…
charlie one:
Sometimes I used to wrap the rope around my hand take a step back and pull down.That was ok with hemp rope.No you young uns.Nothing to do with a curious substance. However with the introduction of polypropolene rope it could cut your hands (We didn’t wear gloves in those days) We were hairy chested truckers! The best way was to do two dollys.Still was no good for the back eh David. Old truck drivers suffer from three complaints Bad backs,piles and divorce.I’ve had all three…
Me too 
, though I did always wear gloves, always been a thing with me (if only to stop mucky hands on the steering wheel and gear lever) but it didn’t stop my hands being cut to ribbons, especially in the wet. I preferred the old ropes though because the polys used to stretch a bit and made it that much harder to get tight.
I only used to double the dollies if I was carrying timber or mesh, but I know a lot did it as a matter of course.
I’ll bet the young 'uns are saying " What are those two old gentlemen talking about?"And quick as a flash the answer pops up "Gawd knows"What have they missed? Pass.
i think these are the vehicles that were based at bentley mill lane just off
junction 10 walsall
I must be thinking of another firm but wasnt there a “Renwicks” from Devon - sure they had a Beaver(no , not that kind) as a logo ?
curnock:
i think these are the vehicles that were based at bentley mill lane just off
junction 10 walsall
I hink these trucks were based at vineys of bruton worcs.[could be wrong]but i used to load milk powder out of vineys in the 70s when i worked for william nuttalls of swinton m/c[part of the same group at the time].
Suedehead:
I must be thinking of another firm but wasnt there a “Renwicks” from Devon - sure they had a Beaver(no , not that kind) as a logo ?
The very same outfit
curnock:
can anyone tell me if this transport company had a depot in bently mill lane walsall.just off junction 10 m6 in the early 70’s
[/quoteYes they did, I worked for Galloway at Harthill which was part of the Nuttalls Group at that time.
When we were tipping Midlands Area we always loaded back from them.
Dave.]
davemackie:
curnock:
can anyone tell me if this transport company had a depot in bently mill lane walsall.just off junction 10 m6 in the early 70’s
[/quoteYes they did, I worked for Galloway at Harthill which was part of the Nuttalls Group at that time.
When we were tipping Midlands Area we always loaded back from them.
Dave.]
Hi davey.
I used to come in galloways in the 70s when i worked for nutts out of clifton m/c and either change trls or tranship,usually cast iron gutters,or load out of coatbridge with re bar.We always stayed at the harthill cafe when dave had it.Not the ritz but a good warm dig in winter[days before sleeper cabs]Im ret. now but the cafes now shut i believe,happy days.
I used to work for Morley Ball in Bradford in the 70’s who were part of the Renwick group. Gordon Morley was from Bradford & as far as I can remember Mr Ball ( can’t remember his first name ) was based somewhere in London. All of the tilt trailers had the beaver & I had a company tie with a beaver on it.
Also with David halls Hartlepool