Chris Webb:
She’s a beauty Lemonmouth,and I’m old enough to remember that Leyland model as well! Like the bullbar.
That’s an air conditioned model,no bitumen supplied. and the Ghia had two wipers.
The old Otto. Just look at all the bling on the front, and I see she’s loaded, roped and sheeted and all ready to go.
BTW, that is the Ghia, Chris - someone’s knicked the other wiper.
Do you recall what a God send those great big quarterlights were on a hot summer’s day? They could be turned right back on themselves to give a nice cool airflow, but you had to keep your gob shut because of the bees and stuff that were scooped in too.
The quarter lights didn’t open on the Octopus…but the front windows used to open.
Now then Chris.You must be knocking on a bit. When I was on the BRS I had an eight wheel Bristol wirh sliding doors,and I’m 70 so what I want to know is,how old are you?
charlie one:
Now then Chris.You must be knocking on a bit. When I was on the BRS I had an eight wheel Bristol wirh sliding doors,and I’m 70 so what I want to know is,how old are you?
I’m 66 next Charlie,but if you remember A.E.Evans tankers of Barking and Sheffield fame you’ll know they always bought second hand,ex Shell mostly.I started for 'em in 1970 and if you had a MK5 AEC you were a senior driver.Luckily I was one of the few with a class one so in 1971 I got an AEC Ergo tractor ex LPG at Morley - JWW 896D.I jumped the queue by accident.
Just a lad Chris.Good ain’t it? Ive got a photo of my AEC Mammoth Major tanker in Harp Lager livery.That was a 59 reg 264 HOT. One day when I get the knowledge I will get it up on screen.However its not easy when you don’t have the skills.
Aye Charlie,it’s funny how you remember old reg. nos.
It used to amuse me when I pulled on a weighbridge and when asked for reg. I’d say “TGJ 530” and the weighman would be waiting for the letter at the end. Then he’d look again and say “Righto pal,didn’t realise it was A.E.Evans”.
Money was good though mate.
Look forward to seeing 264 HOT in Harp Lager livery.
OT was Southampton reg. in t’olden days IIRC.
mrken:
Wm Bealdle were taken over by HTS as along with houstons Wm Joys and J&H Jess Woodcocks were taken over by cellwoods on the container side and Sucklings on the genrall
I worked for H.T.S. & woodcocks /Ralph Hilton swallowed up loads of haulage companies in the late 60’s / early 70’s he eventualy was thrown off the board and started up again as William Beadle Subsiduries ( W.B.S. ) in the surrey docks H.T.S. was renamed J&H but only lasted about a year/ Woodcock moved to West thurrock in 1987 doing containers also running trucks owned by Harris holdings (frank Harris) badged Freezlink & Sucklings he also went into a joint venture with Carters in Felixstowe creating Cellwoods they eventualy had a big falling out a woodcock pulled out we ran containers until about 1999 when woodcocks was wound up we continued to run Suckling as a tanker firm now owned by Harris Holdings .
lemonmouth:
I knew I’d got a colour picture of a Tower Hill lorry in my collection, this is a Peter Davies photo, but just look at the roof I wonder if the boss man supplied the driver with a tin of Bitumen
Cracking picture, out of intrest what sort of bhp would that lorry of had ■■?
and what gross weight would it have run at ■■?
being a charlton boy…i had to work for ralph hilton…i started off in a depot in eltham high st…and when i went for the job he slid open the window and said can i help you…so i said im looking for a job..so he gives me a form to fill in, including a union card form..and i gave it to him..so he closes the window..thenn opens it again..how old are ya he says..19 says i..so he closes the window with the words .if you were 21 you got a job…i was just about to call him a miserable C***…when the window opens again…can i help you he says..so im stood there like hes some kind of idiot…and i was just gonna say to him that hes already said that …when the penny dropped…er im looking for a job…says i…how old are ya…says he…21 says i…when can you start…tomorrow i says…and that was it…i started on a thames trader…light blue livery…and started in Rainham (ferry lane) on ship to shore…moving timber…
so followed another driver out of the yard, over to rainham…and joined the queue…eventually i got loaded…and roped down…and set off…thing is …i had never roped before…and i thought you just pulled the rope around the hook, and then through it over the load again…wrong…i started going down this bumpy lane…and next to the lane was a canal…only a lorry wide…but the load ended up in the canal…so i just turned around…and went back for another load. The checker was a bit surprised…and asked me how i was so quick…when i told him …he laughed…didnt you do a dolly he asked...do a what ?..how was i to know a dolly was a knot…well he showed me…when it was a bit quiet…and i was set for life…
After a few weeks there the boss asked me if i wanted some overtime at the weekend…as we were moving out of the eltham depot…so my first trip to the new depot went without a hitch ( dya get it…i can rope now ) sorry…i knew where the united glass works were…i was a charlton boy after all…so i pulled into this huge depot…which the previous owners had mkoved out of…and i met an old boy called Ernie…( no he wasnt the fastest milkman ) here mate, which part of this depot is Hiltons i said…All of it…he answered…and i became part of transport…Johnny hilton was the owner, and he was buying all the small local firm up, and incorporating them into his group…called HTS…WBS came later…especially after his son Ralph did a runner with the wages…i got onto artics by sheer luck whilst working for HTS…i went out one day with driver called Joe Jiggins…he was driving a Magirus at the time on Catrali wine tanks…a good job in its day…and we were all standing around chatting one day when the question started…can you drive artics…and each driver answered in turn…some no…some yes…and it came to me…i didnt want to feel isolated so i answered yes…and thought no more of it…one morning however one of the office staff called me as i walked in to get my work…Hey Chalky…you can drive artics cant ya ?..i couldnt deny it, cos he was ther when i answered the question…well take 567…or whatever…the fleet numbers were always the numbers of the vehicle concerned…and go over to croydon to load 2 car wash machines…one for Cannock…one for Birkenhead…wherever that was …i`d never been up north or watford before…but anyway …the problem was going to be reversing…when i got to croydon…i eventually found the firm i was lookingfor, and swung my artic onto the other side of the road…and waited for the traffic to clear…i at least had an idea how to prepare myself…but i pulled into the middle of the road, and started reversing…but the trailer wouldnt go straight…i tried again…and again…and again…until a man got out of his morris minor, and told me to wait where i was…as he would park his car, and show me how to do it…he knew that i had no experience…obviously…as he had been waiting for a clear road for 20 minutes…and it was only a 27ft trailer…he told me to watch his every move…which i did…looking at his hands on the wheel…looking through the back window…he certainly was an old hand…and did the manoeuvre in one hit…he wished me luck and went on his way, and i eventually got loaded and went on my way , but not in the order my boss wanted…still thats another story for another time…
montydog:
Anyone remember Houston’s around Black Prince Road/Lambeth Walk Gordans Gin to Scotland Whisky back. Leyland marathons, buffalo’s. I had a Guy Big J 6, they got bought out by hiltons, I left shortly after that cos they put me in a van cos I was only 22 and too young to drive HGV!!!
Yeah, I drove for Houstons, under the arches at Lambeth. I was turning my old bmc rigid with a luton body and hit one of the arches with the luton good job I was going about walking pace, as it was I nearly went through the screen . They sent me out for a couple of weeks with a morris 15 cwt van on the fish. Billinsgate at at 4.oo am every day and home to stink the neighbourhood out. I wondered what had happened to them, didn’t know HTS had bought them. I worked for them too, but that’s another story. I’m talking about the sixties, by the way.
My dad used to drive for HTS & WBS , was they once called J & H , My dads name is dave haigh he used to work on the ford warrenty contract , did yuo used to be known as chalkey white
You mentioned Joe Jiggins, he went on to work for Falcon Roadways out of Rotherhithe after Hiltons & stayed with them until it was bought out by MJD, Falcons was started by Hedley Jaune, who I believe was something to do with HTS. There were a few old HTS boys on Falcons, they were always reminiscing about it, one was Tony Furnieux, the others I can’t remember at the moment.
That was J&H Transport which become part of Ralphs empire we had there old Diamond T wrecker at HTS I had a ex falcon 111 RHO600T got it of a bloke Gary at sidcup
Most of these are a bit before my time, growing up in Greenwich in the 80’s I remember R.H.T, Wimpey Asphalt, Nelsons, B.F.I, Gayfreight, BJ Myers, Gunns, Gordino, James Bradford, Convoys Wharf, Tankfreight at Tunnel Refineries… I’ll do some digging and come up with some more
HI DO YOU REMEMBER GRANGEWOOD FROM NORMAN ROAD , MY STEP DAD USED TO WORK FOR JAMES BRADFORD WHEN THEY WERE IN SILWOOD STREET & THEN LOVELLS WHARF
Cockney Pete3:
Most of these are a bit before my time, growing up in Greenwich in the 80’s I remember R.H.T, Wimpey Asphalt, Nelsons, B.F.I, Gayfreight, BJ Myers, Gunns, Gordino, James Bradford, Convoys Wharf, Tankfreight at Tunnel Refineries… I’ll do some digging and come up with some more
this is a Peter Davies photo, but just look at the roof 
good job I was going about walking pace, as it was I nearly went through the screen