Stanfield:
Do you remember these two companys.1
JOHN
I remember Safeways well, I did quite a bit of work for them out of Aylesford.
They eventually laid everyone off and closed the place down, there were hopes of Morrisons re-opening it but that never happened.
It’s now run by Waitrose.
Morrisons from Wakefield:
Although pretty ancient these motors were running only a few years ago - and were very well maintained by Morrisons own fitters.
ERF at the top of Sutton Bank on its way to the pickering and malton
safeway stores then into westlers to pick up the return load.
8LXBV8BRIAN:
ERF at the top of Sutton Bank on its way to the pickering and malton
safeway stores then into westlers to pick up the return load.
After a few years delivering to Sainsbury’s stores, which were pretty civilised with either scissor lifts or dock levellers, it came as quite a culture shock to deliver to Safeway and Tesco stores, where you might be delivering loads loosely stacked on pallets and wrapped with clingfilm (spillages inevitable) weighing a ton and off a tail lift.
I also found it a bit wierd the way they would sometimes ask you to leave the trailer and return to the depot solo.
Tesco was also odd in the way that you’d arrive at (for example) Strood depot, get sent to Snodland or Weybridge depot solo to work for them for the day, and even one day when I was sent from Snodland to Thurrock with a trailer full of empties, dropped it and did two loads for them, and then brought the same trailer - still full of empties - back to Snodland at the end of the day. It’s almost as though they didn’t have a clue what they were doing…
Numbum:
Two slight variations of the Gateway livery taken in the 1980,s
After a bit of help please chaps, does anybody know what units were Gateway running circa 1977, I am sure I saw a number of Daf 2800’s and possibly some MAN’s, although the Ford Cargo’s above are from 1980, I never recall seeing any D series. Its for a model railway layout that is set in 1977 hence the interest?
Ta.
Tony you tart !
I drove for Tesco out of Kiln Farm, then Brackmills from 94 to 97 and had a nice new Scania from the day I started ‘M28TBH’ they did have a few old Leyland Roadtrains that sent shivers down my spime when I would go in to work and some night driver was still out in my unit, the thought of driving a Roadtrain was terrifying 
having read this post i see there has been no mention of w sims that did work for sainsburys in the seventies.
jeffreyk:
having read this post i see there has been no mention of w sims that did work for sainsburys in the seventies.
Hoddesdon depot!
They used to run some old Dafs in their distinctive dark blue livery, I think they had Sainsbury’s colours later, but I’m not sure what became of them, I’m guessing either a management buyout or the depot was closed down. It was a bit tight in places…
Pat Hasler:
Tony you tart !I drove for Tesco out of Kiln Farm, then Brackmills from 94 to 97 and had a nice new Scania from the day I started ‘M28TBH’ they did have a few old Leyland Roadtrains that sent shivers down my spime when I would go in to work and some night driver was still out in my unit, the thought of driving a Roadtrain was terrifying
I drove both for Tescos (T&B) at Strood.
While it was a much nicer truck to drive, there was much less room in those little day cab Scanias than in the Roadtrains.
I’m not sure why you were terrified of them, they weren’t that bad were they?
Maybe you should have tried some old Bedfords, ERFs and Ford D series if you thought the Roadtrains were bad…
Bender:
I drove both for Tescos (T&B) at Strood.While it was a much nicer truck to drive, there was much less room in those little day cab Scanias than in the Roadtrains.
I’m not sure why you were terrified of them, they weren’t that bad were they?
Maybe you should have tried some old Bedfords, ERFs and Ford D series if you thought the Roadtrains were bad…
I couldn’t stand the Eaton twin splitters and the fact that they were usually old and neglected. I loved the Scania and kept it imaculate, one morning I arrived at Kiln Farm and some ■■■■■■■ had triggered a fire extinguisher in the cab just to mess it up, I didn’t mind because Dave in the office gave me all day to clean it out and wash it … 8 hours + 2 at x2 
Pat Hasler:
Bender:
I drove both for Tescos (T&B) at Strood.While it was a much nicer truck to drive, there was much less room in those little day cab Scanias than in the Roadtrains.
I’m not sure why you were terrified of them, they weren’t that bad were they?
Maybe you should have tried some old Bedfords, ERFs and Ford D series if you thought the Roadtrains were bad…
I couldn’t stand the Eaton twin splitters and the fact that they were usually old and neglected. I loved the Scania and kept it imaculate, one morning I arrived at Kiln Farm and some [zb] had triggered a fire extinguisher in the cab just to mess it up, I didn’t mind because Dave in the office gave me all day to clean it out and wash it … 8 hours + 2 at x2
I did quite a bit of work for Tesco at Snodland when I was last driving (about 5 years ago), it’s all Mercs now, very basic spec, and not an endearing motor.
It was a shame that most of the drivers were agency (including me) and that nobody kept their ‘own’ unit. Unsurprisingly they were filthy inside, you felt like you needed gloves and overalls on just to drive them.
Hi 37114, A couple of Gateway MAN,s for you.
Cheers Phil
Cheers Phil, will get my hands on an MAN tractor, I even recogise the location of the bottom photo, near the park in Avonmouth.
Hi 37114.
Spot on with the photo location the road is now closed to heavy traffic. The other photo is on Airport Road heading towards Bishopsworth where they had a warehouse in Cater Road.
Phil.
Numbum:
Hi 37114.
Spot on with the photo location the road is now closed to heavy traffic. The other photo is on Airport Road heading towards Bishopsworth where they had a warehouse in Cater Road.Phil.
I was going to say I thought the top one was near Bishopsworth, I remember going past the Cater road depot many times, before they sold it to Cowlins (builders) I think.
gcr2erf
we had 320y at east kilbride tennant avenue , and also still have a yearly reunion but as you say the numbers are dwindling every year , but fine fare was not just a job it was a pleasure to have worked there and i would say that given the choice ALL the drivers that were in ek would still be there if it was still the same
gcr 2erf
what nostalgia, we also had a fleet of buffalos , down the a9 with a sleeping bag on in the winter , plank of wood to sleep on , engine running all night UNTIL the mighty erf arrived ( day cab of course) same bit of wood engine running in winter all night UNTIL you got a hired sleeper cab scania 110 ,(FROM TRANSFLEET) then we had a PARTY in it all 8 drivers, aye those were the days no mistaken, still manage 30 to 40 ex drivers to a night out and still talk about the good old days ( which they were) fine fare was the best company i have ever worked for and would probably be the same for all the drivers there at the time ,but , times change (unfortuanately) otherwise we would all still be there enjoying the party , no pressure to deliver unless it was worth your while , it was a pleasure to have been employed there and was also respected by fine fare because they treated us like you would expect to be treated , no ■■■■ , trips to hucknall or welleyn used to take 3 days no pressure to get back when you can was the order of the day, unless you knew there was a couple of drivers in blackpool for the night , then you made a point of heading there for a night out and probably starting about mid-day, only , if you had sobered up , that is, yeah , if only companies were still the same as then. HOW DID THEY COMPETE ? there was no competition , it was for pleasure, no doubt about it …it is no doubt about it …why we have such good memories at every reunion, and long may we continue to have them.
LONG LIVE FINE FARE…SADLY DEPARTED…R.I.P.
Bender:
I did quite a bit of work for Tesco at Snodland when I was last driving (about 5 years ago), it’s all Mercs now, very basic spec, and not an endearing motor.
It was a shame that most of the drivers were agency (including me) and that nobody kept their ‘own’ unit. Unsurprisingly they were filthy inside, you felt like you needed gloves and overalls on just to drive them.
I started out as agency on Tesco but got that new Scania the very first week, about 50% of drivers at Kiln Farm were agancy, I was taken on by Tesco as a company driver within a year and transfered to Brackimills for 1996/97 where I was assigned shunting duties, not to brag or anything but I was always extremely good at reversing which is why they asked me to do that job, trouble is I was too damm good ! On my shift they had just me and on the other shift they had 2 because I could clear all 18 bays and replace the trailers every hour. I started shunting early in life for Swifts before I even held a licence so it came as natural to me but after about 9 months I got fed up and changed to doing a trunk and that got boring so I quit to do european show work.
Tesco for a company driver was very boring and thats what I told the HR woman when she asked why on earth I wanted to leave such a secure job ?
