Evening all,
Just a few personal memories, rather than a list of Dealerships that I have known, or dealt with over, (too many years)!!!
So the family had lost its main, (well paid), work back in the late 60s. As the sole, and only member of my Uncles “International Division”, I was faced with somewhat of a dilemma…to stay driving a lorry, either for the family, (and at this juncture my International work seemed to be leading me up and down the road to the far North of Scotland…and the digs I slept in were not either as warm, or clean as the French Hotel Commercial, that I had become used to)! or seek better prospects with another employer, or go in another direction…
I was not short of job offers, but somehow the prospects, (however alluring the machinery…remember I was driving day cab Fodens to Southern Italy), did not appeal…and I was seriously “romantically” engaged… and life would need to change!
Then one Thursday night I was reading the Job Section of Wolverhamptons Express and Star, and there was an advertisement for, “A junior Commercial Vehicle Salesman”, at Old Hill Motors in the Black Country…So consulting my Oxford English Dictionary, (to check my spellings, for even then, and still today, I cannot spell…in any language), I wrote a letter of application…and received a date for interview.
Old Hill Motors was situated along the road from sunny Dudley, to dank Halesowen, below the spa centre of Netherton, and in the lee of the hill upon which the citadel of Blackheath was built
So toward the sunlit concrete forcourt of his establishment I walked in the evening sunlight, (feeling a tad uncomfortable in my only blue suit, collar and tie), and a little concerned that my AEC Marshall, with its, (perhaps it is best to say, “substantial” load of Brymbo wire), would be ok , parked on the gradient next to that spectacular “Rock and Roll” venue, Ma Regans Old Hill Plaza…( John, Paul, George , and Ringo played there in 64),.but the wheels were tight against the kerb!
I was interviewed by the General Manager, a Ray Roberts, whose (quite well executed), cut down Mk 6 Bentley basked in the evening sunshine below his office window, the rays of that same sun reflected upon the bust of Churchill on his sideboard!
Well either I was the only candidate, or I was cheap to employ…but I got the job!
Old Hill had been bought out by Bill Whales Ryland Group from Birmingham, and as such “we” were agents for Atkinson, (how my heart throbbed)!, Albion, and Thompson Trailers…and SEDDON…
In effect we got the dogs that Ryland could not sell…and what superb dogs they were! Atkinsons on 40x8s, with LWs to power them, Ford Traders, worn out from years of abuse on the Birmingham construction sites, Seddons, (if new), of such peculiar specification, that only an inebriated person could dream up, the odd Bedford, and odd would be the word…But new Atkinsons…no, no, no,…non available old boy!
Now I was the Junior Salesman, and I worked for the Senior Salesman…a certain Stan Stennett…a man of such pedigree, and background who tought me a terrific amount about business, and people in general.
Stan had ridden the TT for HRD, he had ridden Speedway for Douglas, and been a Guy Factory Test Driver. And he could turn a deal from nothing to success without any effort. My goodness he was like a Fox in a Chickencoop…and we got on like a house on fire…which was beneficial, as our General Manager was a really quite unpleasant character, to put it kindly!
Of course Ryland Street was Group Headquarters, where we went with bowed heads, as the under dogs! And Ryland was a seething hub of business, Fleet Hire at Colshill, run from Ryland St, by the amiable Gentleman Dennis Barter, contract Hire and rental to the Petro chemical industry, the Bedford Furniture Van business, Atkinson main agents, (and my pal Chris Kelly as yet another “junior salesman”). Then there was the Dobson operation up in Edinburgh, and Whale Tankers at Solihull, and of course those bloomin Seddons!
But I discovered that Ryland kept their chassis stored at the old water works in Ryland St,…and in their compound were all sorts of delights…Mk 1 Atkinsons, with 180 ■■■■■■■■ and 150 Gardners, 8x4 tipper chassis, Seddon V8 28 ton tractors, even , oh, so desirable Mk 2 Atkinson Silver Knight 9ft 6in wb ex Bass Contract Hire, 180 Gardner tractors…but in the wilds of Old Hill we were never told about these gems!
Now I had become friendly with a young lady who just happened to operate the Group stock control…and having explained my predicament as a young man who needed to earn money to become bethrothed, she would telephone me to alert me to the fact that a desirable piece of kit was coming into stock…say anything Gardner powered…
Once alerted, Stan and I would ring our prospective clients, (funny how most seemed to be in Shropshire…around Oswestry area) Then the day after the choice lorries arrival, we would be at the Waterworks…Stans HA Viva weighed down with two new heavy duty 12 volt batteries, and 20ft long jump leads, plus our tools, (do you remember how easy it was to gain entry to a locked Atkinson cab)…at a very early hour!
And we were away into the pre rush hour traffic…into dear Shropshire, a deal done, a cheque received…back to Old Hill before business hours, the cheque given to the accounts ladies…(what fragrant perfume filled the accounts office)…then we made ourselves scarce for the rest of that day…for when Rylands men were having their morning coffee…we were spiriting away yet another chassis from under their noses!!
What a crazy way to work…and when it came to pay out time…without exception our commission would be reduced for some fabricated reason…but that was how it was…
But every day was exciting, and every lorry a challenge, and did we handle some lorries, and did we have some fun!
But the Craic was great, and we became known as the “Sorcerer and his Apprentice”, and I am still proud of that today!
Cheerio for now.
Cheers Bewick.
Anyway,so I had another think and decided that this unit they had sent me maybe wasn’t too bad a spec after all so I agreed to keep it and after I had got ERF’s to fit a higher ratio crown wheel which lifted it’s top speed from around 55 MPH to about 63 MPH it turned out to be a cracking little motor and my favourite ERF of all time,the Fuller gearbox really made it and was far better than a DB 6:600 lump!!! Cheers Bewick.