One thing about Coutance and Purbeck if you were outside you could sleep in your own bed
DEANB:
Geoff,Nigel,Cliff , Mick looks a bit younger here from 1987 !0
Dean I to looked as young as Mike at that time but alas that was a long time ago.The article to the left of that was it about Roger Bloomfield or just about the ferry going over in Zeebrugge ? Cheers mate
As you say Geoff ,and to think Micky is retired now !
Edit to add : I remember when Micky had that DAF,Bernie Godden had one ,Paul Rooney had another , Dave Ford had one and the other driver that married a Thai girl (cant remember his name )had another.
kerbut:
As you say Geoff ,and to think Micky is retired now !
I should be aswell Nigel but as long as I feel I can do the job I will keep going.And of coarse as long as my health lets me. Cheers Mate
Another Hughie Hill there then Geoff ,he is now (last week 73 ) but reckons he will do another 2 years (or is he trying to do another Tony Bradfield ? )
kerbut:
Another Hughie Hill there then Geoff ,he is now (last week 73 ) but reckons he will do another 2 years (or is he trying to do another Tony Bradfield ? )
Nigel I am only a nipper compared to Hughie and Mike I am only 66.Cheers Geoff
kerbut:
As you say Geoff ,and to think Micky is retired now !Edit to add : I remember when Micky had that DAF,Bernie Godden had one ,Paul Rooney had another , Dave Ford had one and the other driver that married a Thai girl (cant remember his name )had another.
Nigel ,Paul Rooney was the chap married to the Thai girl all 6 foot 6 or what ever he was and she was about 5 foot,always brings a smile to my face just thinking about it !
Yes I know Dean, (I told you it was Paul married to a Thai ■■■■■■■ the last page ) there was another one on Framptons who had one also.
kerbut:
Yes I know Dean, (I told you it was Paul married to a Thai ■■■■■■■ the last page ) there was another one on Framptons who had one also.
Right must have mis-read your last message,what was it some sort of offer buy one get
one free !! 
Ref F.B. ATKINS.
Saviem, back in my late teens driving T.K. Bedford’s and D series Ford’s or Transit drop-sides depending on the load I would run on Saturdays up to Heanor Haulage’s yard. I would deliver HY-Mac parts there for delivery into Europe.
Not sure who ran the groupage service out of there!
This was back in the late 70s and would always try to stop on the way home to look at the trucks in Atkin’s yard.
Am I mistaken to think the village was Alrewas or Arewas spelling is probably way off. There was also a cafe there with digs for drivers overnighting. Iirc there was a London Brick depot around there also.
Didn’t Atkins have the Pirelli tyre contract?
On my recent visit to the U.K. at Xmas we passed that way heading from Manchester airport to Morely - Ilkeston in Derbyshire.
It brought back loads of memories traveling that section of the A38, times we won’t see again.
Regards Paul.
DEANB:
Intresting couple of bits i found about french farmers causing havoc !
You will know these 2 companies and drivers,both regulars through Poole.Borrowed this pic from another thread.
3
2
1Ray White a regular through Poole.
0
Hi Dean, thanks for posting this story and the Long Distance Diaries.
If its ok I’ll add a little side note to the Gulliver’s article.
Gulliver’s Transport Services was a sister company to Gulliver’s Travels Self Drive or Gulliver’s Truck Hire for short.
GTH was head quartered in Bristol with a depot in Cardiff at that time, GTS being run just off Penarth Rd in Cardiff.
I worked for both GTS and GTH. I must say that Gaberial Harding the owner of both companies was the best boss I ever worked for and how I wish I had met him before I set into place plans to emigrate to the States.
GTH 1 as in the picture was Mark’s truck, he and Ray ran together often.
Unfortunately GTS didn’t last very long, probably less than two years, the events of that week in Sept 1991 being one of the final nails in the coffin.
I had finished work that Thursday as Truck Rental Manager in Cardiff, as I was flying out to Florida on Monday Sept 23rd. I stopped at the office on the Sunday morning and watched on tv the protests in France, the infamous Paul Marsh chain smoking and explaining Ray’s ordeal, and holding off sending any more trucks out that Sunday night, especially those from North Devon Meats.
As Ray’s story said he brought back to the U.K. turkey and chicken from Brittany, GTS main customer in France being Burgoynes from Scaer just a couple of hours south of Roscoff. (spelling)
Their outbound loads were mostly North Devon Meats to France and Spain, supplying the U.S. Force’s bases in Spain along with groupage to Madrid and Barcelona.
GTS started just as A. D Forsey packed it in, using TIPs fridge trailers and rental units from GTH.
Six 2435s Powerliner 2s arrived on G plates, followed by Six more on a H plate as Ray drove. Twelve new 13.6m Gray and Adams tri axle fridges joined from all liveried up and looked impressive.
Quite a few of Forsey’s drivers came over Ron Chapman being one with a wealth of experience.
They had a major account with Burgoynes supplying Bookers, Co-op, Asda’s, Ready Roasted chickens in Aberdare and numerous wholesale and retail butchers through out the U.K. supplyig fresh and frozen Brittany fare.
Truckline was the main ferry used, Poole- Cherbourg the route and occasionally Roscoff to Plymouth.
It was all good clean work, hanging meat as well as palletized and trays.
Its downfall was partly to a one serious accident and a few roll overs previous to experienced drivers coming on board, the manager of GTS being let go shortly before this episode in France and Gabe looking at the cost of doing business.
It was decided to return the trailers to Central Trailer and put the units into the GTH rental fleet.
Unfortunately, that meant a loss of jobs, that was sad to hear of even 3000 miles away.
It looks as if Ray’s own company have been doing the North Devon Meat work for a while and he has succeeded in a hard business.
Gabe’s two sons rejoined the family business and have succeeded in building GTH into a major player in truck rental.
Goes with out saying, you should stick to what you know!
Regards Paul
If I remember rightly another downfall of Gullivers was having duel registered vans (2 with the same registration number ) at different depots ,until someone did a one way rental and parked a van next to another that had the same registration number .
Evening all,
Paul Atkins were based at Findern, Alrewas was a bit further sout down the A38.
Big set up back in the 70s, around 300 units, and 700 trailers, and as you say they had the Pirelli Contract. That earned good money, they ran two Scania 111s 24hr, 7 day day cabs up and down to Carlisle, yet Ken was never really a Scania man. But the job was a good payer.
Mom and Dad built up the business, but when the three brothers, Ken, Arthur, and Ian were in charge things were not always in accord! Each had his strengths, but there were some big disputes. The engineering side was excellent, with a lot of really good people. But they went for Containers, and the terminal spiral of revenue…but the Café was superb…had many a Breakfast, or late tea in there with my pal Pat Kennett, for he strted all his road tests from there.
Kerbutt, I find it hard o believe that Gabe had two vehicles with the same number plate, for he was a"stickler" for correct procedures. It really is an urban mith regarding this dodge, I have heard it regarding my pal Raffo Bacchi at Salford Van Hire, and even for my own Rental Company…and that certainly was not true!!! The only really “true” example I can think of was a haulage contractor in sunny Stoke on Trent!
What is true, is that Gabe, (along with a lot of other rental company`s fell victim to some of the bums that did the Middle East…but he overcame that loss and prospered!
Did not know that you worked for him Paul, I liked the guy, and could only smile when he got worked up over something…and that Tenor voice rose, and rose…should have been in a choir!!
Cheerio for now.
Saviem
You could well be right about the urban myth about the registration numbers as I heard the same tale about Forrest van hire when they were trading . I once ran several VW LT vans and after having one for 6 months being supplied new from the local VW dealer they arrived and changed the rear plate ,the van had been running around for 6 months with a different number on the back than the front !
Sad news I’m afraid. To all of us old Truckline travellers.
A well respected member of the above fraternity. Mr. Gordon Knowlton died today, (23/6/15) at 6:45.
He will be greatly missed.
Sad news indeed,Gordy was the eldest of The Old ■■■■■ you all know who you are , he will be greatly missed by us all ,not least at all the reunions also coming to an odd do or two in West Bay.My sincere condolences to all family and friends. R.I.P. Gordy.
Cliff Luxton.
So sorry to hear about Gordy, i didn,t know him as well as you lads but such a tragedy that
yet another good old boy has left us…Condolences to his friends and family.
I aslo did not know him very well ,but was always in Poole RIP Gordon.
Sorry to hear the sad news about Gordy .Travelled on truckline with him a few times . Another decent guy gone to the truckstop in the sky .
condolences to family and friends RIP Gordy . dennis