Can’t believe it’s four years since I posted this.
Anyway, good excuse for a “bump”.
Managed to find a few interesting bits and pieces here. Great site!
I can remember J&R Wright Ltd They had a yard in Lloyd Street Rutherglen next door to British Ropes Factory, I worked for Baxters Road Services in those days who had a warehouse on the adjacent land that was leased to Proctor & Gamble Ltd. Joe had one of the first F 86 Volvo tractor units that I saw, It was an E Reg. I met him casually a couple of times, He came across as a very hard man, But having said that so were his drivers at that time, I think he was taken over by the TDG, Regards Larry.
Yup. Bit of a theme there eh?
Does anyone have any photos, memories, recollections of any of these Glasgow firms?
Richard Wright was started by my grandfather before my father took over the business.
He had a garage/depot in Peel Street, Partick and an office in the Candleriggs at the Old Fruit Market before moving up to Blochairn.
From memory they had about 30 trucks, all Fords - 50’s and 60’s Traders and D Series. Flat beds mainly plus one box van. Latterly he bought a couple of Volvo F86’s and an F88. Did a lot of local work based around the docks, fruit market, whisky bonds etc. He also had an office at Leith.
J & R Wright was started by my grandfather’s brother, Joe. It was a much bigger operation based in Rutherglen initially but ending up at Dawsholm, Maryhill. I think he may have had 90 plus trucks but not sure. He was associated with a few other firms too. Clark’s (?) and a firm based in Lesmahagow which I can’t remember. They had a Liverpool connection too at one point.
Wright’s appeared in the seventies and was based at Maryhill and was ( amongst other things ) a combination of both firms - red, white and blue livery.
I only have very few photographs of any of the trucks and would be grateful if any more appeared. I’ll post what ones I do have once photobucket stops playing silly buggers and lets me log on!!
Anyone remember them?
This maybe going back a bit too far for most of you.
The old fruit market
These were taken when the wagons were being used for some parade or other
And if I’m not mistaken that’ll be a full load of carrots at Peel Street
Another one at Candleriggs
Somebody was kind enough to send me this J & R picture
And trawling round the internet I found these.
This might be a J & R ? Could be taken at the old bus garage in Bearsden.
And I suppose this could be anything behind that tram, but it’s a fully loaded Trader so there’s a possibility?
Next question would be where could I get my hands on a Trader?
GLASGOW FRUIT MARKET
I remember well, from the mid 50s, the busy summer mornings in the Old Fruit Market.
Apart from the lorries delivering imported fruit and veg., Growers and Hauliers would also be trying to unload local produce, that was grown in abundance at that time, and buyers would be trying to collect their purchases.
The roads would be completely blocked, with the 2 Policemen that were based in the market, trying to keep traffic flowing. Horses were still being used by some companies, like your Fathers and the Railways.
To see a Horse drag a fully laden cart of Oranges, out of the TUNNEL(an underground storage facility, beneath High St. Goods Stn., where Brokers rented space from B.R.) onto the High St., was quite a sight. Particularly on a wet day when the cobbles were wet.
The image of the decorated horse and cart is taken outside McCaig and Webbs stand on the corner of Candleriggs, with Bell St. in the background. That’s a Co-op Bedford standing outside Radcliffe & Shearers stand, with WB. Andersons and our Carriers Quarters farther along to the left.
The image of R. Wright`s Ford 4D is taken slightly forward from the above, with a loaded Horse and Cart and a J & R. Ford D series .
The image of J & R.`s Guy Invincible, is taken in Albion St. looking towards Ingram St. These 2 streets, with Candleriggs and Bell St. formed what was then the Old Fruit Market. Although Wrights operated from a depot at Farme Cross, Rutherglen, I think they had a small office, off shot, to the left in Ingram St.
Initially, along with other companies like Richard Wright, Andrew Marshall and John F. Dunn ( although Dunn usually worked out of the Fish Market) they specialized in local work associated with the market, with a fleet of small 4 wheel Bedford’s, Fords etc… Additional work was also being undertaken, to and from the docks, for companies that included Grocery chains, Whisky Blenders,and Oil Refiners, all within Central Scotland.
Wrights fleet expanded in 1963 with the acquisition of the old established companies, John Jackson of Lesmahagow followed shortly by Robert Mitchell of Biggar. Mitchells vehicles were moved and operated initially from Lesmahagow, and many of Jacksons older, some petrol engine smaller vehicles were replaced. One replacement I remember was a new Dodge 300 series artic, with a Boden single axle semi trailer. By then Wrights had became involved in long distance haulage, a line of work Mitchell`s fleet had always specialized in.
Eventually all the vehicles were moved to Rutherglen. The garage in Bankhouse Road, and the old Railway Goods Shed that had been bought to house the additional larger vehicles, were disposed of. In the late`60s, Wrights became part of the Transport Development Group.
I have tried to clean up the 2 badly damaged images, taken about 1953,of the only photos of Jackson`s that I have ever seen.The one of the garage in Bankhouse Rd., shows 2 of the 3 Leyland Comets and a petrol engine Lynx. In the corner is a Commer Superpoise tipper, an Austin K series and a Ford 7V.
The other photo, is the local Girl Guides Float in the 1953 Coronation Parade in Lesmahagow.
This information is compiled from my Dad’s memories who drove for Jackson of Lesmahagow & Joe Wright , A LONG TIME AGO.
I hope the information is of some use to you.
.
wheeltapper:
This information is compiled from my Dad’s memories who drove for Jackson of Lesmahagow & Joe Wright , A LONG TIME AGO.I hope the information is of some use to you.
Hi wheeltapper.
Thanks for your reply. You’ve filled in a few blanks already.
Since your dad knew Joe Wright, I’d better make it clear that my father was “Young Joe” whereas it was “The Barrel” that had J&R’s. I assume it was J&R’s your dad drove with? He’ll know why I’m pointing out the difference 
I didn’t know much about the Lesmahagow firm. That’s all interesting stuff.
My father had a wee office on the corner at the Candleriggs, just where the horse and cart are sitting. I can remember the horses were stabled at a multi-storey stables shared with the Police horses in Bell Street?
I had one shot at driving for J&R’s at Maryhill.
I was 17 and was offered a holiday job to earn a bit of pocket money - only for a week or so. Never driven a truck in my life.
I turned up and was given the keys to a 10-tonner ( spot the problem with that right away?) and was told to go to a whisky bond pick up some empty barrels. Clueless, and without the right licence, off I went. I had to have the traffic in James Watt Street stopped whilst I tried to reverse into a tight pend. The guys at the bond had a right laugh as I eventually backed it in, taking both door mirrors off in the process.
The barrels were stacked two high vertically with a row on their sides on top.Nobody told me how you’re meant to secure that so I spent the next hour or so trying to get ropes to stay in place on the top barrels. Every time I tightened the ropes they slipped off. ( At that stage nobody had pointed out the hap sitting happily on the roof of the cab and I was too busy bricking myself to notice).
Eventually the ropes stayed put and I jumped in and set off.
100 yards later, at a t-junction, I looked right and pulled out to turn left at the exact same time some daft wee wifie decided to step off the kerb right in front of me. I just spotted the top of her head below the windscreen.
Slammed on the anchors. Whole load shifted and hit the back of the cab, and one barrel rolled off and landed beside shocked wee wifie.
Some guys who were digging the road then sang a chorus of “Roll Out the Barrel” as they helped me put it back and also told me what that was sitting on the roof. Sorted!
stravaiger:
Cracking photos and piece of history there lads. More of the same please and stories of the old worthies.
Here’s the only little bit I can offer from the Observers book of Commercial Vehicles which sadly doesn’t scan too well…jim
Hi Jim.
Thanks for posting that. Never seen it before. There was a book published that gave a history of J&R’s and I think it had a photograph of a line-up of about a dozen or so Argyle’s in it.
truckspark:
J & r wright from glasgow - OLD TIME LORRIES, COMPANIES AND DRIVERS (INTERACT - Trucknet UK
Hi truckspark. I remember J&R’s had a Liverpool connection right enough, or was that after they became Wright’s Transport?
.