PMB:
Hello everyone, I know the answer to the Wigan depot post…My late father worked for S of M over two periods in the 60s and 70s. In 1975 his normal night job was the Stockton to Wigan (Newton le Willows) night trunk drop his trailer then pick up another trailer to bring back to Stockton depot. I know the depot very well having visited it many times with Dad.
Paul
PMB… Hi, what was your Dads name ? I use to shunt at Southampton depot where there were 2 trucks from Stockton depot, this would be the early 70’s. I also did a few weeks on night trunk to cover the Southampton drivers
One of the Stockton lads was Walter Pugh, nice guy, he’d always fuel up and clean the windscreen ready for me in the morning and I did the same for him at night.
One morning he was late in, we got a call he’d collapsed over the wheel and died having managed to get the wagon on to the hard shoulder near Basingstoke on the M3. I had to go up and collect the motor, an upsetting and sad time… I’d guess your Dad may have known him.
We use to stay in pub close to the Stockton depot, but I can’t rember the name of it, it all so long ago… during it’s day SoM was one of the best companies to work for.
H L Walker, Thats a blast from the past, IIRC They were from Workington, Clay Flats area,? Thier depot onTeeside was a very large complex on Portrack Lane, Someone else has it now of course, Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
H L Walker, Thats a blast from the past, IIRC They were from Workington, Clay Flats area,? Thier depot onTeeside was a very large complex on Portrack Lane, Someone else has it now of course, Larry.
Your thinking of H & L Larry from Workington and they were nothing to do with H L Walker IIRC H & L were formed by buying out Johnston Bros of Gilcrux in the mid 60’s the “L” was a bloke called Lavery who had been the Whitehaven BRS manager previously. I believe that H & L had some tie up with CLS from Scunthorpe or maybe it was “North Lincs” ■■? But the H L Walker 8 wheeler looks like it has a ■■■■■■■■■■ reg OAO ! Cheers Dennis.
Lawrence Dunbar:
H L Walker, Thats a blast from the past, IIRC They were from Workington, Clay Flats area,? Thier depot onTeeside was a very large complex on Portrack Lane, Someone else has it now of course, Larry.
Your thinking of H & L Larry from Workington and they were nothing to do with H L Walker IIRC H & L were formed by buying out Johnston Bros of Gilcrux in the mid 60’s the “L” was a bloke called Lavery who had been the Whitehaven BRS manager previously. I believe that H & L had some tie up with CLS from Scunthorpe or maybe it was “North Lincs” ■■? But the H L Walker 8 wheeler looks like it has a ■■■■■■■■■■ reg OAO ! Cheers Dennis.
I stand corrected Dennis, Considalated Land Services from Scunthorpe another blast from the past, Hope you and yours are keeping well, Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
H L Walker, Thats a blast from the past, IIRC They were from Workington, Clay Flats area,? Thier depot onTeeside was a very large complex on Portrack Lane, Someone else has it now of course, Larry.
Your thinking of H & L Larry from Workington and they were nothing to do with H L Walker IIRC H & L were formed by buying out Johnston Bros of Gilcrux in the mid 60’s the “L” was a bloke called Lavery who had been the Whitehaven BRS manager previously. I believe that H & L had some tie up with CLS from Scunthorpe or maybe it was “North Lincs” ■■? But the H L Walker 8 wheeler looks like it has a ■■■■■■■■■■ reg OAO ! Cheers Dennis.
I stand corrected Dennis, Considalated Land Services from Scunthorpe another blast from the past, Hope you and yours are keeping well, Larry.
It was a long time ago Larry eh ! I just can’t remember what the “H” stood for but I think it was the initial of a chap from the Lincs end of the job !
Anyway mate I wish you and yours kind regards and have you had your 5th Covid jab ? we had ours yesterday bit of a stiff arm today though ! Cheers Dennis.
Hello everyone,
I can confirm that Smith of Maddiston remembered volume 2 is complete and is at the printers. If anyone is interested in purchasing a copy, please contact me via a pm and I will advise the next stage.
Many thanks to everyone who contributed and purchased volume one, the feedback from this has inspired me to write the second edition. It has a lot of photos, drivers memories, my memories, subsidiaries of the Smith family and a cracking story of getting two Southampton drivers back in touch with each other after 45 years.
I have spent many hours on this second project and hope readers will be find it both interesting and informative.
Paul Bruce
Lawrence Dunbar:
H L Walker, Thats a blast from the past, IIRC They were from Workington, Clay Flats area,? Thier depot onTeeside was a very large complex on Portrack Lane, Someone else has it now of course, Larry.
Your thinking of H & L Larry from Workington and they were nothing to do with H L Walker IIRC H & L were formed by buying out Johnston Bros of Gilcrux in the mid 60’s the “L” was a bloke called Lavery who had been the Whitehaven BRS manager previously. I believe that H & L had some tie up with CLS from Scunthorpe or maybe it was “North Lincs” ■■? But the H L Walker 8 wheeler looks like it has a ■■■■■■■■■■ reg OAO ! Cheers Dennis.
I stand corrected Dennis, Considalated Land Services from Scunthorpe another blast from the past, Hope you and yours are keeping well, Larry.
There ended up being a significant group in H&L which later stopped running trucks and became the Mercedes CV dealers for Lincolnshire, the largest fleet and a substantial storage and stevedores business in Immingham and Grimsby was Humberside Sea & Land Services, then there was Consolidated Land Services and Protheroe from South Wales, there were more businesses in the group I’m sure but they come to mind all identified by Mercedes units and very little washing. Eventually all came under the P D Ports banner.
Lawrence Dunbar:
H L Walker, Thats a blast from the past, IIRC They were from Workington, Clay Flats area,? Thier depot onTeeside was a very large complex on Portrack Lane, Someone else has it now of course, Larry.
Your thinking of H & L Larry from Workington and they were nothing to do with H L Walker IIRC H & L were formed by buying out Johnston Bros of Gilcrux in the mid 60’s the “L” was a bloke called Lavery who had been the Whitehaven BRS manager previously. I believe that H & L had some tie up with CLS from Scunthorpe or maybe it was “North Lincs” ■■? But the H L Walker 8 wheeler looks like it has a ■■■■■■■■■■ reg OAO ! Cheers Dennis.
I stand corrected Dennis, Considalated Land Services from Scunthorpe another blast from the past, Hope you and yours are keeping well, Larry.
There ended up being a significant group in H&L which later stopped running trucks and became the Mercedes CV dealers for Lincolnshire, the largest fleet and a substantial storage and stevedores business in Immingham and Grimsby was Humberside Sea & Land Services, then there was Consolidated Land Services and Protheroe from South Wales, there were more businesses in the group I’m sure but they come to mind all identified by Mercedes units and very little washing. Eventually all came under the P D Ports banner.
Tanker Hire from Scunthorpe was part of CLS.I emember H and L Workington and North Lincs Haulage years ago.
Bewick:
There is a shot of a Bowker flat trailer on the site that has an extremely wide PVC covered fly sheet on a load of reels so maybe it could be of similar classification to the SOM sheet !
In the meantime I will defer to my learned colleague where Sheets are concerned ! By the by did you enjoy the Coronation ? Cheers Dennis.
Now then, Dennis, Bowker used to use large PVC sheets for their International flats (U.K. and International had separate drivers, vehicles, trailers and traffic staff, even for the U.K.-only elements such as unaccompanied trailers to and from the ports), and they were something like 28’ x 24’, an pretty damned heavy. I remember one U.K. driver telling me that they should have been marked with black lines, and the logo, “Sling Here”.
Bewick:
There is a shot of a Bowker flat trailer on the site that has an extremely wide PVC covered fly sheet on a load of reels so maybe it could be of similar classification to the SOM sheet !
In the meantime I will defer to my learned colleague where Sheets are concerned ! By the by did you enjoy the Coronation ? Cheers Dennis.
Now then, Dennis, Bowker used to use large PVC sheets for their International flats (U.K. and International had separate drivers, vehicles, trailers and traffic staff, even for the U.K.-only elements such as unaccompanied trailers to and from the ports), and they were something like 28’ x 24’, an pretty damned heavy. I remember one U.K. driver telling me that they should have been marked with black lines, and the logo, “Sling Here”.
Hiya Chris,
Not heard from you in a while so have been on an engagement playing on a round the world cruise liner ?
Those sheets you mention must have been 15 or 16 oz material and by the size you quote two would have been required to cover a 40 ft load.
Regards
Dennis.
By the by did you enjoy the Coronation ? Cheers Dennis.