When I was a lot younger (about 19-20) - I was driving a 7.5 tonner d series delivering to Woolworths as a subbie for Leggetts in Bredbury.
Anyway i ended up being on a night out in Birmingham at the Masshouse lorry park ( I think thats what it was called) right in the centre of brum, anyway one of Barrys volvos was parked oppisite me - I thooght it was Barry and knocked on the door, anyway it was another driver who’s name I can’t remenber (sorry) answered.
I asked him about Barry and we started chatting, he asked me if I fancied a pint - well one thing leads to another and I end up back in the wagon about 1am, straight accross the seats (no sleeper then) and wake up about 9am - the lorry park was a car park by day and took me about 30 shunts to get out (lesson learned).
hi again guys,i think the volvo parked near john street was barrys but the driver was either pete turton or tommy wall rip an ex hoyles driver ,tommy worked for barry for a long time ,i did a bit for barry before i got my own ,when i first met barry he lived in a avanue near the blue pig and he knew the old lady in the big house now fairfields ,he pleaded with her to sell him the house and ended up getting it for £50000,she did have a nephew but didnt want him to have it because he said he would sell it and make flats or something so barry took her with her belongings to Ireland on the condition he lived in it ,he ended up letting some film producer make the last empire in it ,it was a fairly big film something like music hall stuff,i think laurence olivier was in it ,then he turned it into a pub in the cellar ,eventually he lost it and ended up moving to usa,all his work was for kitchens direct ,going back to Reyners it was kenny grimshaw who got breatherlised he had an accident on the bend driving home from the Bush pub and the fella died his brother ronnie grimshaw lived at the side of the haddon hall,i worked for Reyners from 1970 up to 1976/77 when i went to work for mick ward.and harry,regarding my 141 i folded up in the recession of 1990/92 i kept going as long as i could but with rate cuts and interest rates going through the roof i went down so i ended up going back working for firms ,i worked for Bergans doing Rumania Malc Broadhurst which was originally MWB then changed to A&D then Adjustlink based in dukinfield Dukes from Portadown Norbert Dentrassangle from Chanas France but we had an office in Heywood then i left there to go with the boss to another French outfit from near Orleans,eventually i came back driving for Bowker from preston and when i finished with them about 2002 ish i came off european and ended up working out of the brewery in Moss Side ,now i’m a man of leisure playing golf most of the time ,lol,take care and keep in touch ,great chatting and reminissing,i think its spelt like that,lol.i’ve attached some pics ,the kids are my son and daughter who used to spend their school hols with me .
Does anyone on here remember a driver named Harry Savage ? lived on St Mary’s Rd,Moston,did ME and euro I think,had a white Fiat,was/is a friend of John Roberts,Bruce Bates and Corrie,I drove with him at Humber McVeigh’s,he was a neighbour too,I lived in Newton Heath at the time,later left McVeigh’s and got a start at Smith of Maddiston,Cheetham Hill.
Hi tony, some great info again and some great pics too!
When the recession hit in 92 was it? I’d just left littlemoss high, bad times and I didn’t know you’d stopped at this time.
That must’ve been hard for you, where did your 141 end up mate?
Jumping back a few posts: I remember the Toyota dealers on greenside lane kesterlian was it? I’d never have guessed they were in the haulage business!
Sorry you ended up having to stop, I myself got caught up in the last recession and it was just sh&t.
I think I can probably remember every truck from droylsden from when i was a kid! Yours stood out as I loved 141’s and didn’t expect to see one locally! (I’ve read about neil jarmanns Dutch spec 141 Astran replica which he keeps at walkers in woodley, but haven’t seen it yet!).
Really good info on barrys old house too! Amazing that! I still think it’s a great building now, perfect for an owner driver with that huge garage and all that space!
I ddnt realise you’d worked for bergens tony, and I didn’t know they did continental work! I just thought they did containers in the north west! How wrong I am!
Top marks to you for carrying on and grafting away for all those years mate, I presume you enjoyed it !
I bet your kids had a great time travelling around with you too, a lad at our school did a few trips to Europe with his uncle in a scania 142 and I was dead jealous of him!
What was your favourite truck tony? I’d take your 141 over the others but what do I know?!!
My dad took me to work with him when I was young, he was doing a job at sadlers in Trafford park, all the tankers were parked up with the keys in the ignition incase’ of an emergency I presume, and my dads boss said it was ok for me to jump in the dafs and start them up! That was the nearest I got to being behind the wheel!
I’d love to do my hgv licence and buy a classic truck and take my eldest lad out for a trip! I’ve always been into my cars but I’d love a 141 or an f12.
Your sons name sounds familiar tony, we could be roughly the same age? I know a few lads who went to audenshaw high too.
They are making a bit of a mess of things up there at the moment aren’t they with the metrolink!, no room to move!
I’m glad you are enjoying being a man of leisure now tony, do you play golf locally much? Some decent courses up there, I like woodhouses the best, pubs nice too!
There used to be an old Old merc ng in turqoise based up there s reg from the fist time round. I saw it most days on the m60 up until about 2 years ago and also spotted it at Trafford container base too! Oldest truck by a mile! Don’t reckon it’s still going now though.
Thanks for all your info and pics tony, any more pics of your scanny would be priceless!
Take it easy tony, and all the v best to you!
Cheers stew (harryvr6).
Hi stew,you might know my sons ,stephen is 35 and Mark is 30 they lived on Granville road ,i play golf now at Stamford golf club at Carrbrook top of stalybridge,i miss the european side of the driving job but i hate driving over here nowadays,evryones got to be in front its like wacky races,there isnt the same comraddery (think i spelt it right ) now on the road big brother and all that you used to break down and there would be two or three trucks stopped within a few minutes to help now they look the other way,take care stew ,catch you soon,tony
Hiya tony, how’s it going mate? Good to hear from you again. Your sons names sound very familiar, I’m 36 myself so roughly the same age! (we used to knock about in Market st droylsden and up near aldwyn school in audy years ago)…
You are right about driving standards these days, if you stick to the speed limits you get the bloke behind you wanting to kick your head in! The m60 is the wacky races I’m convinced of it!
You must be glad you are out of it now?!.
I saw two foreign subbies last week in Trafford pulling davies turner tilts and thought of your 141, I didn’t know you pulled for them , I never saw your truck with a trailer I dont think when it was parked up at home. I’ve almost finished my helmark merc model: I’m off work next week for half term hops so I’m hoping to get it done, I get my stuff from the model shop up at the moss, I’d like to do a certain 141 next!
Hope you manage to get plenty of golf in before the weather gets bad tony, the only golf I play is the 4 wheeled variety (vw’s), keeps me busy!
Keep it real tony, all the best mate, stew.
Hi Harry
My name is Mark of Helmark, it was interesting reading all the comments, i have attached a few pictures for you mate, any question you have fire away, although quite a bit has been answered by the above posters tbh
Thanks for posting all these! The Fairfield arms is my local pub! I’m a Droylsden lad born and bred, although I missed the days of helmark and so on I can vaguely remember the mill where tescos is now and I remember a scania that used to park up on the new road just after the canal bridge. Like was said, it’s nice to read of stories about company’s from your little hometown! I live in Audenshaw now (moved up in the world ) if you see a red and white premium parked up on kershaw lane, it’s mine!!
Aye Droylsden I used to deliver sugar to the Robertson Jam Factory in the 50/60s, & I once loaded steel from a factory next door for Vickers on Scotswood Rd Newcastle on Tyne but I cant remember the name, I got the load off Claribell Motors in Fairfield St, Manchester, They were the days when there was plenty of work about & drivers could pick & choose, Regards Larry.
Aye Droylsden I used to deliver sugar to the Robertson Jam Factory in the 50/60s, & I once loaded steel from a factory next door for Vickers on Scotswood Rd Newcastle on Tyne but I cant remember the name, I got the load off Claribell Motors in Fairfield St, Manchester, They were the days when there was plenty of work about & drivers could pick & choose, Regards Larry.
Hi Lawrence, yes the jam works, sadly gone now but only just in the last few years. A very famous place in droylsden and it is sad that it is no longer there. We used to be quite proud to see the address on the jars as being droylsden when we were at school.
Most things have gone to be honest, it’s the same all over the country I take it?
Jeeees I’m getting old!
Hi Lawrence, I remember when it was ok to collect the tokens and collect the golliwog toys too. At the time we didn’t understand the politics behind it all, just that we were proud to have the famous jam works in our hometown.shame how things have nosedived over the years.
The land of the jam works site is as far as I know just flattened and unused nowadays, no doubt they will build houses on it at some point.
I bought an MG.Magnette 4 door that was owned from new by Robertsons The reg was 9124 ND, I intended to retain the reg as It is my sons initials, But some thieving so & so pinched it & wrote it off & as I hadn’t got the paperwork done I couldn’t get the number, Regards Larry.
Hi All, i have just been reading these posts about my dad Mick Ward and he is alive and well, He lives in Spain and was 70 last year, he retired 15 years ago, thanks for the pictures will show him when he comes home this month,
) if you see a red and white premium parked up on kershaw lane, it’s mine!!
