I though this might be a bit topical, while trying to uncover older Pickfords tank haulage and Tankfreight photo’s a gentleman called Fred Harrison contacted me to say he had some photos of his early drives and a bit of history with them, Fred eyesight is a bit Iffy, so he’s asked me to post for him, but hopefully some more photos and history to follow
"I started at Manchester Tankers in 1970 at the woolston depot in Newcut Lane Warrington. The depot was owned by Waste Clearence who’s livery was orange and white, they had merged with Manchester Tankers sometime in the late 60’s so repainted their the fleet same. My boss was Harry Taylor and fleet engineer was Brian Allen. I was taken on as a spare driver to cover the holiday period; it turned out to be the best job I had in all my working life.
My first day was to ride shotgun working in Shell Stanlow Cheshire with Joe Abbot on a Scammel Highwayman artic Tanker
After a few weeks training I was promoted on to a Leyland semi automatic Beaver with a 4,000 gal tri-axel tank, boy did that screw the tyres when fully loaded.
As the years went by I drove an Atkinsom Borderer, then a Ford D 1000, then a Seddon Atkinson, in a period of nine years
I think it was about 1978 that we were bought out by NFC and we moved depot to BRS Sherdly Rd St Helens Lancs. This only lasted a few years before the depot got too small for everyone. We then moved to Tankfreight Depot, Ditton Rd, Widnes, we were then bought out by a guy called Frank Taylor who renamed the Man Tank section ‘Waste-tec.’ At that point I was finished up due to disagreements with some of the the other drivers and moved to Collier tankers which is another story in itself !"
I remember Manchester Tankers very well Fred, Gilbraith Tankers also had a depot at Woolston at the junction of the A57 and the south bound slip road for the M6.
I can’t remember the Scammell Highwayman you drove but I also drove one for Gilbraith and would always get a wave from other Highwayman drivers.
Thanks for posting the photos, they brought back memories and I can remember seeing the tankers around Shell when I was contracted to Chemicals from 1970 to about 1977.
what was the chemical co in droylesden what did they do and where did they go think they had a white leyland artic if i remember right im sure it had something like berk in black writing on it
lee mat:
what was the chemical co in droylesden what did they do and where did they go think they had a white leyland artic if i remember right im sure it had something like berk in black writing on it
Stanfield will put me right but there was a sulpur company called Berk, white tank and black writing IIRC
lee mat:
what was the chemical co in droylesden what did they do and where did they go think they had a white leyland artic if i remember right im sure it had something like berk in black writing on it
I remember a company in Droylsden called East Lancashire Chemicals,just off Ashton New Road. Berk Spencer Acids had a place in Stratford London,later known as Steetley Chemicals IIRC. Their motors were white with black signwriting.
I think I used to deliver acid to a place on Ashton old road called Clayton Analine.
Gilbraith had a contract with Berk Chemicals to carry molten sulpher out of Immingham Storage where we had a depot.
Later on the sulpher job was based at our Woolston depot.
The Scammell Handyman in the photo was on the sulphur job and must have been taken in 1970 as the fleet number is 156 and I got a 154 in May 1970.
The Leyland in the second photo carried chemicals out of one of Berk’s places which was somewhere near the Ashton road, East Manchester but the address on the door is Basinstoke.
I delivered caustic once to the one near Ashton but can’t remember exactly where it was apart from having to weigh off nearby at Robertsons jam factory.
The photo below is of the same Roadtrain fleet number 167 either before or after it was on the Berk contract.
Clayton Aniline was a regular drop with toluene from Staveley Chemicals when I worked for A E Evans,good drop too,10 minutes for the lab to sample and then “Lerrit go pal”. Not like that dump further out at Stalybridge - Manro. Sterling Mouldings at Stalybridge was another good drop with styrene. I think Manro is still going,not sure about the other two.
You are upgrading Manro Chris by calling it a dump. I was sure it was far worse than that. Did you go before they had their own weighbridge and they sent you across the road to a scrap yard, I used to examine the bridge very carefully after the first time when I got a big lump of scrap in my tyre.
I once went into Manro for some soapy liquid and they started to load it at 10AM and finished at 4PM, It was piling up in the tank rather than flowing it was that thick. They still expected it to be in Cheltenham that day. I did the usual and parked on Birch, got a lift home and tipped the following day about 11AM. I never got sent into Manro again much to my great joy.
Hi Chris,all,I used to deliver to that dump Manro with Oleum in the 80s if its still going i hope they have modernised the place,it was a dangerous place.Also used to deliver to Clayton Aniline with Oleum,always a good drop,Cheers Ted.
Did they have a big fire at Manro some time Ted, I seem to remember reading in the paper or seeing it on Granada TV. I have not been near the place for at least 25 years, I retired in 1998 never to drive a lorry again, from what I read on the forum I am glad to be out of it.
Tankerman:
Did they have a big fire at Manro some time Ted, I seem to remember reading in the paper or seeing it on Granada TV. I have not been near the place for at least 25 years, I retired in 1998 never to drive a lorry again, from what I read on the forum I am glad to be out of it.
Is water still chucking it down on’thiland Chris.
Does tha know Russell it’s been a grand day over here,not a cloud in t’sky,nice and mild.
I seem to recall hearing about a fire at Manro a few years ago. My son used to go there on business and he wasn’t keen on the place either.
Well hopefully it will reach me by the time I wake up in the morning Chris.
I bet tha can’t see much of Pendle hill today though.
I just looked up Manro on t’internet and then Google Street view, the place is still there but it looks half decent now, still I am glad I won’t be venturing back again.
It’s called Manro Performance Chemicals now and the product with the longest name is Stearyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride which as we all know is harmless as long as it stays in Manro and I stay here with mi beer.
Tankerman:
Well hopefully it will reach me by the time I wake up in the morning Chris.
I bet tha can’t see much of Pendle hill today though.
I just looked up Manro on t’internet and then Google Street view, the place is still there but it looks half decent now, still I am glad I won’t be venturing back again.
It’s called Manro Performance Chemicals now and the product with the longest name is Stearyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride which as we all know is harmless as long as it stays in Manro and I stay here with mi beer.
I thought they changed it’s name to STEPAN CHEMICALS that’s what it was called about 3 years ago when I used to go into the dump for hours on end.
thats the one i am sure its fairfield rd in droylesden the site is still there some kind of tanker co think its waste not sure .whats with the slating of manro i no / remember the co pretty well my dad worked there for years as a driver 70s / 80s marathons daf 2300 daf 2500s in blue livery erfs in white when they ran there own trucks before lewis took over when the place set on fire it was was an explosion and my dad was caught up in it he ended up on long term sick not long after i no the drivers names from back then and a couple of the plant lads who are still there now not that much has changed as reguards the site layout as i go in with my truck now the weighbridge across the way has gone i remember the train next to the weighbridge there for a long time waiting for the chop
Tankerman:
I remember Manchester Tankers very well Fred, Gilbraith Tankers also had a depot at Woolston at the junction of the A57 and the south bound slip road for the M6.
I can’t remember the Scammell Highwayman you drove but I also drove one for Gilbraith and would always get a wave from other Highwayman drivers.
Thanks for posting the photos, they brought back memories and I can remember seeing the tankers around Shell when I was contracted to Chemicals from 1970 to about 1977.
Gilbraith Tankers old yard at Woolston is now a Pub, also there was a guy live across from them, lived in a Mobile home big guy well into his CB club in Warrington he i,m sure drove a tanker out of Widnes i can,t remember his name. I also remember my dad driving tanks for Tyburns out of Ashton-in -Makerfield never went short of Chocolate when i was at school sure he took it up to Scotland for M & S, then he did a spell delivery petrol for Mobil still with Tyburns had a 6 wheel AEC unit remember going up to Tebay with him when the M6 was being built (how long ago is that). He also worked for Horrocks ? out of Irlam for a while. He drove for a lot of firms ended his days back on tanks at BET don,t think he,d would of had it any other way
lee mat:
what was the chemical co in droylesden what did they do and where did they go think they had a white leyland artic if i remember right im sure it had something like berk in black writing on it
I remember a company in Droylsden called East Lancashire Chemicals,just off Ashton New Road. Berk Spencer Acids had a place in Stratford London,later known as Steetley Chemicals IIRC. Their motors were white with black signwriting.
That is the one I was thinking of Chris, not a tanker operator though, caustic and degreasers iirc.
I spent a lot of time in Manro and it was never so bad, normally the load was ready to go and it was for Europe at the time. I gather it went downhill as it grew.
My worst memories of a dosshole was Lankro in Eccles
I did many a load into Lancro from Shell Stanlow and the only good things about the place was the canteen and the quid they gave you at Christmas.
I think they were bought out by Diamond Shamrock of Belverdere, now that was the very worst place, bar none, that I ever went to.
lee mat:
what was the chemical co in droylesden what did they do and where did they go think they had a white leyland artic if i remember right im sure it had something like berk in black writing on it
I remember a company in Droylsden called East Lancashire Chemicals,just off Ashton New Road. Berk Spencer Acids had a place in Stratford London,later known as Steetley Chemicals IIRC. Their motors were white with black signwriting.
That is the one I was thinking of Chris, not a tanker operator though, caustic and degreasers iirc.
I spent a lot of time in Manro and it was never so bad, normally the load was ready to go and it was for Europe at the time. I gather it went downhill as it grew.
My worst memories of a dosshole was Lankro in Eccles
No the worst dosshole had to be uniqema at bro brombrough it was nothing to go in there at 8am and come out late afternoon. No wonder it closed down a load of lazy gets.
Not like that dump further out at Stalybridge - Manro. 
Sterling Mouldings at Stalybridge was another good drop with styrene. I think Manro is still going,not sure about the other two.
