Yes Geoff
There was another Nigel ,he worked for TFE ,Vannes and lived near Exeter ,always shipped Sunday 4 pm boat ,never spoke to us as he seemed to think he was French with an Exeter accent and ate with the TFE drivers.
Letter about Atkins from 1976 about opening a office in Cherbourg. Apart from Swains and Axminster did anyone else have
offices in Cherbourg ? Any pics ?
Click on page to read.
Hi Dean Cadwalader also had an office in Cherbourg . I think P.B.C. or Cabmont not sure which name came first .were probably the first English company to open a office in Cherbourg, I’m sure Buzzer will put me right.
Cabmont had an office in Le Havre. A couple of doors down from the Ferry Boat .
Not sure about Cherbourg, don’t think so but they did use Truckline for a while…
Over to you Buzzer.
Baldrick1953:
Cabmont had an office in Le Havre. A couple of doors down from the Ferry Boat .Not sure about Cherbourg, don’t think so but they did use Truckline for a while…
Over to you Buzzer.
PBC definitely had an office in Cherbourg in '73 run by George Osmond RIP, his son I hear ran the truck wash in the town also. Frank Allen had money in and was one of the founders of Truckline and is living still near to me, he set up the office to aid getting more permits and ran French registered trucks to this end and he was one of the first to do this, jeeze that is 42 years ago am I that old ?
Later PBC was sold to Cables Montague and Cabmont was born, unfortunately for them it was purchased on a cooked set of accounts and then it went on to be British International, same trucks and permits etc etc but that’s how things were back then, go bust owing thousands and take a load of people out and start the next day with a different name as if nothing had happened, Buzzer.
Buzzer, i used to pull for Tim Allen trading as British International, they had an office in Leca de Palmeria on the other side of the river by Matosinhos in Porto, Peter Taplin was his side kick known as the poisoned dwarf, the goods in transit insurance was a con, the boss in Porto was called Manneulla de Caldeviero, and Isobella and Anna Claudia Ferriera in the office.
Maneullas husband ran a shoe warehouse.
kerbut:
Yes Geoff
There was another Nigel ,he worked for TFE ,Vannes and lived near Exeter ,always shipped Sunday 4 pm boat ,never spoke to us as he seemed to think he was French with an Exeter accent and ate with the TFE drivers.
I to remember him Nigel the only time he would speak to you was if no Kermits on the boat.
toby1234abc:
Buzzer, i used to pull for Tim Allen trading as British International, they had an office in Leca de Palmeria on the other side of the river by Matosinhos in Porto, Peter Taplin was his side kick known as the poisoned dwarf, the goods in transit insurance was a con, the boss in Porto was called Manneulla de Caldeviero, and Isobella and Anna Claudia Ferriera in the office.
Maneullas husband ran a shoe warehouse.
Toby I here Tim Allen is now staying with Frank in my village as he got caught playing away and his Mrs has kicked him out, heard this second hand so treat with caution, Buzzer.
Buzzer:
Baldrick1953:
Cabmont had an office in Le Havre. A couple of doors down from the Ferry Boat .Not sure about Cherbourg, don’t think so but they did use Truckline for a while…
Over to you Buzzer.PBC definitely had an office in Cherbourg in '73 run by George Osmond RIP, his son I hear ran the truck wash in the town also. Frank Allen had money in and was one of the founders of Truckline and is living still near to me, he set up the office to aid getting more permits and ran French registered trucks to this end and he was one of the first to do this, jeeze that is 42 years ago am I that old ?
Later PBC was sold to Cables Montague and Cabmont was born, unfortunately for them it was purchased on a cooked set of accounts and then it went on to be British International, same trucks and permits etc etc but that’s how things were back then, go bust owing thousands and take a load of people out and start the next day with a different name as if nothing had happened, Buzzer.
You bring back many memories Buzzer and quite right you are.
I traded with Cables Montague from Erith, Kent - a good well established company, then the son, a Robin Montague got his big expansion ideas ! I remember he said PBC was originally " Public Benefit Coal Co " and then became Cabmont when Cables Montague took it over. I remember several companies going spectacularly " bust " and then starting up next day with similar name, same address and even same phone number, leaving others to pick up the pieces.
What about Browns Transport of Ash, Kent - they shipped out through Dover but and had a French office, was that Cherbourg ?
The BI drivers were the best blokes I have ever met, there were some real characters on there, Stuart Smith the animal, killed in Spain.
Ken Hughes, Barry and Mark Aldridge, the old man was called Popeye.
Trevor Sweet who went out with Rosa.
Peter Stainbridge or Jelly legs, always drove in Simon Cowell style pull up black trousers and a long collared white shirt.
On the Cabmont / BI subject…
They were a good bunch on there , driver wise, some good characters.
( I always found Tim Allen to be reasonable bloke to work for too. It was dear old Pete Wolstencroft who was the difficult one! )
Many of the old drivers such as Jelly legs, Reckless Rat and Jim Bailey have left us. Pat Scorey still with us
Approaching 80 I believe… There was a great camaraderie amongst all the drivers on just a few companies in those early days of the run down to Lisbon. Aquilla, R and G , Partricks among them ( forgive me for any omissions ) … It was a very tough trip in those pre EEC money days and to cross the border from Villar Formoso , Badajos or Tuy was to step back in time to a land of ox carts , dreadful roads and even more dreadful drivers.
If you had a puncture or any roadside problem , you’d be sure that someone would stop to help. Not just Uk drivers but others too.
I was on there at various times in the 70’s to early 80’s. Their traffic was mostly France and Italy in the early days but when Cabmont began , we started doing more Spain and then Portugal. I think with the demise of Cabmont and British International rising like a Pheonix from the ashes they concentrated on Portugal with outgoing groupage and a contract with Tibbet and Britten amongst others . They were , I think , the biggest outfit on that run at the time…
Also. One more thing… It is often said that BI drivers were adept at syphoning diesel from other trucks…
I personally never knew of anyone in my time there involved in that. Doing ten day trips in convoy with sometimes 6 or 7 drivers , I never saw any evidence of it.
However there’s always a bad apple in a barrel so will stand to be corrected…
Reference Cabmont in Erith , I seem to recall they had a big contract with a paper mill in Sittingbourne area… Huge reels of paper to France and Italy . A nasty load and always a strip out. Used to dread it!
Cheers all. Balders.
Came across this on FB … thanks to Nick Garlick…
Baldrick1953:
On the Cabmont / BI subject…
They were a good bunch on there , driver wise, some good characters.
( I always found Tim Allen to be reasonable bloke to work for too. It was dear old Pete Wolstencroft who was the difficult one! )
Many of the old drivers such as Jelly legs, Reckless Rat and Jim Bailey have left us. Pat Scorey still with us
Approaching 80 I believe… There was a great camaraderie amongst all the drivers on just a few companies in those early days of the run down to Lisbon. Aquilla, R and G , Partricks among them ( forgive me for any omissions ) … It was a very tough trip in those pre EEC money days and to cross the border from Villar Formoso , Badajos or Tuy was to step back in time to a land of ox carts , dreadful roads and even more dreadful drivers.If you had a puncture or any roadside problem , you’d be sure that someone would stop to help. Not just Uk drivers but others too.
I was on there at various times in the 70’s to early 80’s. Their traffic was mostly France and Italy in the early days but when Cabmont began , we started doing more Spain and then Portugal. I think with the demise of Cabmont and British International rising like a Pheonix from the ashes they concentrated on Portugal with outgoing groupage and a contract with Tibbet and Britten amongst others . They were , I think , the biggest outfit on that run at the time…
Also. One more thing… It is often said that BI drivers were adept at syphoning diesel from other trucks…
I personally never knew of anyone in my time there involved in that. Doing ten day trips in convoy with sometimes 6 or 7 drivers , I never saw any evidence of it.
However there’s always a bad apple in a barrel so will stand to be corrected…Reference Cabmont in Erith , I seem to recall they had a big contract with a paper mill in Sittingbourne area… Huge reels of paper to France and Italy . A nasty load and always a strip out. Used to dread it!
Cheers all. Balders.
Hi Stu you are dead right about the carmararderie on the Portugese run as you say there were not that many firms doing it in the early days.I was leaving Lisbon one Saturday morning and before I got to Badajoz I had a puncture and no spare.I met up with the Swedes at the Border and we had a whip round for spare tyres and ran back to Bayonne with them,we parked in the Shell garage sunday night.They called the Michelin man to come and take the tyres away to be repaired and while that happened they made a smorges board in the garage kitchen to have breakfast while we waited for the tyres to come back.I ran with them to Bordeaux then they went up N10 and I the N137. Happy days cheers mate.
mappo:
Came across this on FB … thanks to Nick Garlick…
Hi Mappo great Picture They used to ship through Poole a lot. There were some good characters on for them aswell. I remember Soapy,wrecker and big Pete with the moustache.I am sure someone else will add to the list.cheers mate
Poole
badboybumpkin:
Poole
Hi “badboybumpkin” thanks for your pics in Poole.Trucks haven’t been allowed to stop in the docks for quite a while now,not like the old days.Cheers Geoff
Great story about the punctures Geoff.
I’m not surprised at the Swedes hospitality. They were always top blokes… And used to go mad for the alcohol a lot of them owing to the high price in their own country.
There was a Swede outfit, blue and white trucks as I recall , can’t think of the name though… Often loaded at Garlands depot and had many a night out with some of them. The names now are lost to me but I always remember what good company they all were.
There was a French outfit running down there too. White units as I recall ( colour not make! ) mostly Berliets. I think they did a bit of North Africa as well? One bloke on there stopped when I had a blown clutch . It was snowing like a ■■■■■■■■ He took my trailer into Coimbra and came back for me and the unit.
I tried to buy him dinner but he wasn’t having any of it, and he called into the garage on his way out two days later to see if I was sorted and ok…
Baldrick1953:
Great story about the punctures Geoff.
I’m not surprised at the Swedes hospitality. They were always top blokes… And used to go mad for the alcohol a lot of them owing to the high price in their own country.
There was a Swede outfit, blue and white trucks as I recall , can’t think of the name though… Often loaded at Garlands depot and had many a night out with some of them. The names now are lost to me but I always remember what good company they all were.There was a French outfit running down there too. White units as I recall ( colour not make! ) mostly Berliets. I think they did a bit of North Africa as well? One bloke on there stopped when I had a blown clutch . It was snowing like a [zb]… He took my trailer into Coimbra and came back for me and the unit.
I tried to buy him dinner but he wasn’t having any of it, and he called into the garage on his way out two days later to see if I was sorted and ok…
Hi Stu yes they were great guys to run with.The very first trip I did to Portugal I was open TIR with a Small fork lift at the front and a big one at the back on blocks with the TIR cord wrapped round it and sealed at the back. I was running with Chris Wheeler on ECT and Ove a Swede with a truck with a smaller trailer doing furniture,but going from Badajoz towards Lisbon with the terrible roads the big one came off the blocks and was to one side of the trailer as it was starting to get dark.I found an entance to a posh resturaunt with a light in the drive way. I managed to start it up and inch it back central and chained it down again but the other two had carried on.They did come back to look for me and met up in the town that had a garrison base there,and I followed them to the Matinha.The Swedish driver Ove was the same driver that helped me when I had the Puncture and invited me to run with them back to France.That was in the good old days.Cheers Mate
Strange, but the name of one of the guys came to me this morning. Ove! I wonder if it’s the same one, or maybe it’s a really common Swedish name!
Any ideas on the company? As I said , the ones I recall had blue / white Scanias. Top kit obviously.
Cheers,
Stu.