W.H.WILLIAMS (spennymoor)

edworth · 23 February 2012 11:51

Carl Williams:

pbsummers:
Hi.
I can remember a removal that Eddie and I went on. It was down at Tudhoe (Front Street) at a house at the end of the row. We pulled up in the Luton Transit AUP 241F and went to the front door where we were greeted by an irate gentleman (I am loosely using that word because he was anything but). He was shouting, swearing and waving his arms about like someone possessed. He wasn’t happy with the size of the van saying that he wanted a big one. Eddie calmly explained to him that small vans were used for local removals and it didn’t matter how many trips we did that the cost was still the same but if he had asked for a big van when he had booked the removal one would have been supplied (this was a midweek local removal so all big vans would be out on distance work anyway). We decided to look at the furniture to see where to start. Everything was big, solid, old fashioned and very heavy. Not a problem for us as it was a job and had to be done and it would also go into the van no problem. Mr …gentleman■■? was having none of this. He was still shouting and screaming and said he could do better with a horse and cart. Eddie calmly walked back to the van, lifted the tailboard, pulled down the shutter and said “then do better with a horse and cart” and we both jumped in the cab and drove off. We returned to marmaduke street and told Harry what had happened. He told us to forget about it and that he would have done the same thing and gave us another job to do. Later in the afternoon, I think it was Taffy Davis came into the garage, and said he had just come through Tudhoe and seen someone doing a removal with a horse and cart. Eddie, I know you know who it is and I still see him walking down the street and smile to myself at him using a horse and cart, but that furniture did look very heavy. I will sort photos of Bedford and Foden as soon as possible.

Best wishes Peter

Ps, Kevin: We will see you on the TTRUN. It’s the Bedford’s 30th run with me at the wheel,

Hi Peter,
Never heard that one before. Thought , at first you were going to say he didn’t want the neighbours think all his furniture would go on a small van, although for a 3.5 ton gvw Transit AUP did have a large luton body
He had nothing to complain about because for a local Spennymoor removal when AUP was new would only cost about a fiver.
People in Spennymoor, Bishop Auckland, Aycliffe and Darlington areas in the sixties hadn’t got much money, and in Durham City where things were a bit better, people were so bloody greedy. They would not a fair price. Both Hoults and Pickfords charged less than half the price they did in Newcastle.
We got a shock when we opened our office in Newcastle. It was such a wealthier area, and we soon found we were loosing work because we were too cheap. There it was more a case of work out a charge, double it and then add a bit more for luck, and Darras Hall, in particular even that wasn’t enough. It seemed it was snob appeal to pay to a lot for your removal, but Sunderland area was as bad as our area.
Carl

Hi Carl…You could get a lot of furniture on AUP and on a local in the same town, you could do a tailboard, when I first started on my own, I had a little Commer luton and did a full removal from Aycliffe to South Wales with a tailboard load, mind you, I traveled down through the night, but got away with it.
Eddie

goggietara · 23 February 2012 12:27

Ken Armstrong i heard worked as a fitter on Neil Corners racing cars touring the world before working for us, is that correct Carl? Frankie Morgan was a great lad & nothing was a trouble to him.

Gordon

Carl Williams:
Myself, Ken Armstrong, and Frank Morgan standing behind the old 2 tonner

Ken Armstrong worked for us about 25 years as a mechanic

Frank Morgan orriginally as a driver
Left to work in a wood yard because his wife was sick of him on long distance work
Within a week he lost his arm with a faulty sawbench
came back to work the Wilcomatic Van wash and did a multitude of other jobs making himself totally unreplacebale and indespencible

goggietara · 23 February 2012 12:49

Carl you forgot to mention our xmas prezzies, i started working for you in 1973 & on my first xmas with the firm all drivers & other staff had to go into your dad’s office one @ a time for our xmas present when i walked in i got one hell of a shock the biggest pile of chickens fully plucked & wrapped we picked one from the pile & your dad ticked us off on his clock card number sheet to make sure we only got one ha ha, how times change.

Carl Williams:
I read with interest the views of members from ■■■■■■■ have towards Eddie Stobart.

I can identify with them and in the majority of cases I’m sure I share their views. Over here in the North East in 1973 John Davison left Direct transport at Shildon and formed John Dee. John is a person I have every respect for and when we have met I have enjoyed our conversations. In fact in 1984 I bought his then house from him, Denehurst in Ferryhill, and my young family (at that time) adopted his Samoyed dog, Saber, and two cats, who we felt would miss the house and grounds. However in business John was and still is, I have no doubt a shroud businessman and very astute and rate cutting was part of his business ethos. I have no doubt, but without a bit of bad luck, John Dee would have been every bit as big as Eddie Stobart are today. We all thrive on fair competition but sometimes you wonder at the fairness, and rate cutting was one of the many factors that put us out of business.

Road haulage is and always will be one of the hardest jobs you ever can come across and everyone who survives over a number of years has to work very hard. To say that others have not succeeded where Eddie Stobard has because of not working hard enough is a ridiculous statement.

However here are one or two facts about our company that will perhaps correct the views of some over the Stobart spotters and enthusiasts.

In the photograph attached you will see a photo of a line up of vehicles from about 1970 which was arranged from who was present that day and the vehicles that were in the yard at that time. There was no warning and drivers did not have time to clean up, change into clean clothes. As you will see all the drivers appear relatively smart in two piece suits badged on the breast pocket, and provided by the company.

We offered our employees good working conditions and fair wages, meal allowances, parking allowances and overnight subsistence. In fact every ex employee I’ve spoken to have said they never again got a better job and they had with us the best jobs in their lives. In every case they have, without being prompted, said my father was a gentleman.

We used to organise an annual Christmas Dinner dance for our staff and spouses when we provided free transport in the form of busses to and from the events.

We offered our staff a company pension scheme that was comparable with other industries at that time.

In our depot at Green Lane Spennymoor we provided drivers centrally heated rest room which was adequately sized to accommodate any drivers who were from time to time on site and had canteen facilities. We had a nominated doctor and dentist available for any urgent needs. We had a Wilcomatic commercial vehicle wash which was manned by Frank Morgan to ensure our vehicles were always clean and tidy on the road.

Our maintenance facilities were excellent with every vehicle being given a full MOT style inspection and service every three weeks or 5,000 miles. If a defect was found that vehicle was not allowed on the road till it was fully repaired.

So for those Stobart fans who might take an interest these things were not thought up by Stobart., but we like so many more haulage contactors throughout the country were offering them before the start of Stobarts.

Finally we had people who spotted and took an interest in our vehicles. In actual fact I had received a letter from an author of children’s books asking for permission to use one of our vans as a ‘goodie’ in a book he was writing. The proof of this is my ability to show on this thread a list of most vehicles from 1961-86. I can assure you that for the majority of time of the 20 years I worked for W.H.Williams I enjoyed my work but saw enough vans during my working hours that I never needed to take their registration numbers for pleasure. It is true that today I wished I had taken more photos to look back on and share today but at that time I saw them every day and suffered their problems and you can have too much of a good thing.

edworth · 23 February 2012 16:19

goggietara:
Carl you forgot to mention our xmas prezzies, i started working for you in 1973 & on my first xmas with the firm all drivers & other staff had to go into your dad’s office one @ a time for our xmas present when i walked in i got one hell of a shock the biggest pile of chickens fully plucked & wrapped we picked one from the pile & your dad ticked us off on his clock card number sheet to make sure we only got one ha ha, how times change.

Carl Williams:
I read with interest the views of members from ■■■■■■■ have towards Eddie Stobart.

I can identify with them and in the majority of cases I’m sure I share their views. Over here in the North East in 1973 John Davison left Direct transport at Shildon and formed John Dee. John is a person I have every respect for and when we have met I have enjoyed our conversations. In fact in 1984 I bought his then house from him, Denehurst in Ferryhill, and my young family (at that time) adopted his Samoyed dog, Saber, and two cats, who we felt would miss the house and grounds. However in business John was and still is, I have no doubt a shroud businessman and very astute and rate cutting was part of his business ethos. I have no doubt, but without a bit of bad luck, John Dee would have been every bit as big as Eddie Stobart are today. We all thrive on fair competition but sometimes you wonder at the fairness, and rate cutting was one of the many factors that put us out of business.

Road haulage is and always will be one of the hardest jobs you ever can come across and everyone who survives over a number of years has to work very hard. To say that others have not succeeded where Eddie Stobard has because of not working hard enough is a ridiculous statement.

However here are one or two facts about our company that will perhaps correct the views of some over the Stobart spotters and enthusiasts.

In the photograph attached you will see a photo of a line up of vehicles from about 1970 which was arranged from who was present that day and the vehicles that were in the yard at that time. There was no warning and drivers did not have time to clean up, change into clean clothes. As you will see all the drivers appear relatively smart in two piece suits badged on the breast pocket, and provided by the company.

We offered our employees good working conditions and fair wages, meal allowances, parking allowances and overnight subsistence. In fact every ex employee I’ve spoken to have said they never again got a better job and they had with us the best jobs in their lives. In every case they have, without being prompted, said my father was a gentleman.

We used to organise an annual Christmas Dinner dance for our staff and spouses when we provided free transport in the form of busses to and from the events.

We offered our staff a company pension scheme that was comparable with other industries at that time.

In our depot at Green Lane Spennymoor we provided drivers centrally heated rest room which was adequately sized to accommodate any drivers who were from time to time on site and had canteen facilities. We had a nominated doctor and dentist available for any urgent needs. We had a Wilcomatic commercial vehicle wash which was manned by Frank Morgan to ensure our vehicles were always clean and tidy on the road.

Our maintenance facilities were excellent with every vehicle being given a full MOT style inspection and service every three weeks or 5,000 miles. If a defect was found that vehicle was not allowed on the road till it was fully repaired.

So for those Stobart fans who might take an interest these things were not thought up by Stobart., but we like so many more haulage contactors throughout the country were offering them before the start of Stobarts.

Finally we had people who spotted and took an interest in our vehicles. In actual fact I had received a letter from an author of children’s books asking for permission to use one of our vans as a ‘goodie’ in a book he was writing. The proof of this is my ability to show on this thread a list of most vehicles from 1961-86. I can assure you that for the majority of time of the 20 years I worked for W.H.Williams I enjoyed my work but saw enough vans during my working hours that I never needed to take their registration numbers for pleasure. It is true that today I wished I had taken more photos to look back on and share today but at that time I saw them every day and suffered their problems and you can have too much of a good thing.

Hi…I only had the first xmas at Green lane before I left and Harry was dishing out Chickens then(not pidgeons like Tesco) these were like small turkeys, he was not checking off any lists, perhaps he learnt a lesson for the following xmas …for what I hear about Stobart’s from ■■■■■■■■■ where my caravan is parked (10 mile from Carisle) the company is not very well liked locally, I heard a few year back they were in trouble but a bloke called Tinkler moved in and sorted them out, John Davidson had a whizz kid in at Mainsforth, and had is fingers in allsorts and using outside hauliers to meet is commitments and we all know what happened there.
Eddie

edworth · 23 February 2012 16:34

Very Very Rare■■?

For Carl_.jpg

carl_williams · 24 February 2012 09:55

edworth:

Carl Williams:

pbsummers:
Hi.
I can remember a removal that Eddie and I went on. It was down at Tudhoe (Front Street) at a house at the end of the row. We pulled up in the Luton Transit AUP 241F and went to the front door where we were greeted by an irate gentleman (I am loosely using that word because he was anything but). He was shouting, swearing and waving his arms about like someone possessed. He wasn’t happy with the size of the van saying that he wanted a big one. Eddie calmly explained to him that small vans were used for local removals and it didn’t matter how many trips we did that the cost was still the same but if he had asked for a big van when he had booked the removal one would have been supplied (this was a midweek local removal so all big vans would be out on distance work anyway). We decided to look at the furniture to see where to start. Everything was big, solid, old fashioned and very heavy. Not a problem for us as it was a job and had to be done and it would also go into the van no problem. Mr …gentleman■■? was having none of this. He was still shouting and screaming and said he could do better with a horse and cart. Eddie calmly walked back to the van, lifted the tailboard, pulled down the shutter and said “then do better with a horse and cart” and we both jumped in the cab and drove off. We returned to marmaduke street and told Harry what had happened. He told us to forget about it and that he would have done the same thing and gave us another job to do. Later in the afternoon, I think it was Taffy Davis came into the garage, and said he had just come through Tudhoe and seen someone doing a removal with a horse and cart. Eddie, I know you know who it is and I still see him walking down the street and smile to myself at him using a horse and cart, but that furniture did look very heavy. I will sort photos of Bedford and Foden as soon as possible.

Best wishes Peter

Ps, Kevin: We will see you on the TTRUN. It’s the Bedford’s 30th run with me at the wheel,

Hi Peter,
Never heard that one before. Thought , at first you were going to say he didn’t want the neighbours think all his furniture would go on a small van, although for a 3.5 ton gvw Transit AUP did have a large luton body
He had nothing to complain about because for a local Spennymoor removal when AUP was new would only cost about a fiver.
People in Spennymoor, Bishop Auckland, Aycliffe and Darlington areas in the sixties hadn’t got much money, and in Durham City where things were a bit better, people were so bloody greedy. They would not a fair price. Both Hoults and Pickfords charged less than half the price they did in Newcastle.
We got a shock when we opened our office in Newcastle. It was such a wealthier area, and we soon found we were loosing work because we were too cheap. There it was more a case of work out a charge, double it and then add a bit more for luck, and Darras Hall, in particular even that wasn’t enough. It seemed it was snob appeal to pay to a lot for your removal, but Sunderland area was as bad as our area.
Carl

Hi Carl…You could get a lot of furniture on AUP and on a local in the same town, you could do a tailboard, when I first started on my own, I had a little Commer luton and did a full removal from Aycliffe to South Wales with a tailboard load, mind you, I traveled down through the night, but got away with it.
Eddie

Hi Eddie,
Can you remember when we got the first new Landrover, about 1970. It was supplied new by Fred Dinsdale the Stockton Rover distributors, and was a truck cab model, petrol.
On many occasions dad would load it up with loads of Freemans for me to deliver. Tailboard load and about 10 foot high, roped and sheeted. It was a terrible job unloading at every drop, and he never loaded in any drop order, just how the load fitted to get as much on as possible. (He had experience in packing furniture and roping and sheeting from the thirties).
The first day we got it about 3-00Pm one afternoon he sent me off to Carlisle to the Dodge agents, to collect a large part for one of the Dodges. Reminding me it was running in and not to give it too much revs, he reminded me that they closed at 5.00PM. It did take me exactly 2 hours, and I just got there in time.
If you remember we used that Land rover to destruction, towing vans, before we got the RL. I will always remember pulling Colin Watson up Crawleyside bank and back to Spennymoor. You had to let it go to get a little speed up until it took up the rope and then a jerk which was severe enough to cause whiplash (By todays insurance standards) it pulled away. Everything was fine until I decided it was revving and I should change to second then a sharp thud and I had broken a half shaft. I would never have dared ring in , so decided to put it in four wheel drive and pull away again. It worked and the Landrover pulled five ton up the bank and back home on front wheel drive.
It is strange that before we got the Landrover we had very few breakdowns. In fact until about 1964 dad could never remember one of our vehicles needing to tow a vehicle. We certainly made up for it afterwards with the TK breakdown doing over 300,000 miles alone. The Landrover worked for many years, being painted cream (looking awful) after Ray Russell managed to turn it over at Merrington Lane.
I read on this thread people saying Landrovers are unreliable. I don’t think anyone would say that if they had misused one like we did. The last words have got to go to my dad. While standing on the Landrover stand at the Motor Show he heard someone ask, ‘How much will they pull’ Well they are alright at 2 ton’ came the reply from the Rover technician present. ‘Well we have one that regularly pulls 9 to 10 ton’, came dad’s reply, and that was the truth. They truly were a marvellous machine.

Carl

carl_williams · 24 February 2012 16:12

goggietara:
Ken Armstrong i heard worked as a fitter on Neil Corners racing cars touring the world before working for us, is that correct Carl? Frankie Morgan was a great lad & nothing was a trouble to him.

Gordon

Carl Williams:
Myself, Ken Armstrong, and Frank Morgan standing behind the old 2 tonner

Ken Armstrong worked for us about 25 years as a mechanic

Frank Morgan orriginally as a driver
Left to work in a wood yard because his wife was sick of him on long distance work
Within a week he lost his arm with a faulty sawbench
came back to work the Wilcomatic Van wash and did a multitude of other jobs making himself totally unreplacebale and indespencible

Hi Gordon,
Yes, Kenny Armstrong worked on the racing cars, and lived in one of the semidetached houses at Croxdale Service Station, which were demolished to make way for the new Fast fix workshops to be built.
Ken came to work for us under a key workers scheme that gave him priority to get a new home in Spennymoor and was allocated the house where, I believe he still lives. Although I understood he had to take early retirement several years ago because of ill health.
Phil Reilly used every year to send a Christmas card; however we have not received one for several years that made me fear the worst.
He went, just before we finished living with his wife and two daughters to live in Wales, but unfortunately both his wife and one of his daughters were killed in a car accident. I believe the second daughter had survived the crash with severe injuries.
The saddest part was at the time they were preparing for the daughters forthcoming wedding and had been out buying a wedding dress. Years ago Phill used to call to see dad when he returned up to the North East, and I still have hoped that one day he might call again, in good health. But the lack of news from him is not a good sign.

Carl

edworth · 24 February 2012 17:07

Carl Williams:

edworth:

Carl Williams:

pbsummers:
Hi.
I can remember a removal that Eddie and I went on. It was down at Tudhoe (Front Street) at a house at the end of the row. We pulled up in the Luton Transit AUP 241F and went to the front door where we were greeted by an irate gentleman (I am loosely using that word because he was anything but). He was shouting, swearing and waving his arms about like someone possessed. He wasn’t happy with the size of the van saying that he wanted a big one. Eddie calmly explained to him that small vans were used for local removals and it didn’t matter how many trips we did that the cost was still the same but if he had asked for a big van when he had booked the removal one would have been supplied (this was a midweek local removal so all big vans would be out on distance work anyway). We decided to look at the furniture to see where to start. Everything was big, solid, old fashioned and very heavy. Not a problem for us as it was a job and had to be done and it would also go into the van no problem. Mr …gentleman■■? was having none of this. He was still shouting and screaming and said he could do better with a horse and cart. Eddie calmly walked back to the van, lifted the tailboard, pulled down the shutter and said “then do better with a horse and cart” and we both jumped in the cab and drove off. We returned to marmaduke street and told Harry what had happened. He told us to forget about it and that he would have done the same thing and gave us another job to do. Later in the afternoon, I think it was Taffy Davis came into the garage, and said he had just come through Tudhoe and seen someone doing a removal with a horse and cart. Eddie, I know you know who it is and I still see him walking down the street and smile to myself at him using a horse and cart, but that furniture did look very heavy. I will sort photos of Bedford and Foden as soon as possible.

Best wishes Peter

Ps, Kevin: We will see you on the TTRUN. It’s the Bedford’s 30th run with me at the wheel,

Hi Peter,
Never heard that one before. Thought , at first you were going to say he didn’t want the neighbours think all his furniture would go on a small van, although for a 3.5 ton gvw Transit AUP did have a large luton body
He had nothing to complain about because for a local Spennymoor removal when AUP was new would only cost about a fiver.
People in Spennymoor, Bishop Auckland, Aycliffe and Darlington areas in the sixties hadn’t got much money, and in Durham City where things were a bit better, people were so bloody greedy. They would not a fair price. Both Hoults and Pickfords charged less than half the price they did in Newcastle.
We got a shock when we opened our office in Newcastle. It was such a wealthier area, and we soon found we were loosing work because we were too cheap. There it was more a case of work out a charge, double it and then add a bit more for luck, and Darras Hall, in particular even that wasn’t enough. It seemed it was snob appeal to pay to a lot for your removal, but Sunderland area was as bad as our area.
Carl

Hi Carl…You could get a lot of furniture on AUP and on a local in the same town, you could do a tailboard, when I first started on my own, I had a little Commer luton and did a full removal from Aycliffe to South Wales with a tailboard load, mind you, I traveled down through the night, but got away with it.
Eddie

Hi Eddie,
Can you remember when we got the first new Landrover, about 1970. It was supplied new by Fred Dinsdale the Stockton Rover distributors, and was a truck cab model, petrol.
On many occasions dad would load it up with loads of Freemans for me to deliver. Tailboard load and about 10 foot high, roped and sheeted. It was a terrible job unloading at every drop, and he never loaded in any drop order, just how the load fitted to get as much on as possible. (He had experience in packing furniture and roping and sheeting from the thirties).
The first day we got it about 3-00Pm one afternoon he sent me off to Carlisle to the Dodge agents, to collect a large part for one of the Dodges. Reminding me it was running in and not to give it too much revs, he reminded me that they closed at 5.00PM. It did take me exactly 2 hours, and I just got there in time.
If you remember we used that Land rover to destruction, towing vans, before we got the RL. I will always remember pulling Colin Watson up Crawleyside bank and back to Spennymoor. You had to let it go to get a little speed up until it took up the rope and then a jerk which was severe enough to cause whiplash (By todays insurance standards) it pulled away. Everything was fine until I decided it was revving and I should change to second then a sharp thud and I had broken a half shaft. I would never have dared ring in , so decided to put it in four wheel drive and pull away again. It worked and the Landrover pulled five ton up the bank and back home on front wheel drive.
It is strange that before we got the Landrover we had very few breakdowns. In fact until about 1964 dad could never remember one of our vehicles needing to tow a vehicle. We certainly made up for it afterwards with the TK breakdown doing over 300,000 miles alone. The Landrover worked for many years, being painted cream (looking awful) after Ray Russell managed to turn it over at Merrington Lane.
I read on this thread people saying Landrovers are unreliable. I don’t think anyone would say that if they had misused one like we did. The last words have got to go to my dad. While standing on the Landrover stand at the Motor Show he heard someone ask, ‘How much will they pull’ Well they are alright at 2 ton’ came the reply from the Rover technician present. ‘Well we have one that regularly pulls 9 to 10 ton’, came dad’s reply, and that was the truth. They truly were a marvellous machine.

Carl

Hi Carl…I Remember the Landrover everyone that drove it flogged the arse out of it, not me of course it even took a lod of yarn to Northern Ireland, it was fast but it used some petrol…what about that photo■■?
Eddie

goggietara · 24 February 2012 17:40

Eddie this is a great photo the best yet squeeky clean too.
Gordon.

edworth:
Very Very Rare■■?

goggietara · 24 February 2012 17:45

Eddie i think this is van i did a special delivery to the south coast between Xmas & the New Year many years ago & coming into London on the A23 the gear stick came out in my hand on New Years Eve of all things but managed to get home for the festivites just!

edworth:
Very Very Rare■■?

carl_williams · 25 February 2012 09:56

goggietara:
Eddie i think this is van i did a special delivery to the south coast between Xmas & the New Year many years ago & coming into London on the A23 the gear stick came out in my hand on New Years Eve of all things but managed to get home for the festivites just!

edworth:
Very Very Rare■■?

Hi eddie

Excellent photo you are a genious.

Hi Gordon,

Havent got time to explain now as my son, paul is waiting to take me out, but it certainly was not the van in Eddies photo.

We had three that looked remarkably similar,one of which me and Phil Reiily went to Naples and back in, and as said I will explain later

best wishes to both of you

Carl

edworth · 25 February 2012 10:26

Hi Carl & Gordon…Carl wins the van never ever exsisted, took me about 4 hours to biuld it , at least faster than Peter .
Eddie

pbsummers · 25 February 2012 17:21

Hi Eddie, I recognised the van in your photo - Bray’s Removals - you did an excellent job in changing the livery and 4hrs is definitely a lot faster than me but our van is a real one. Well done, clever artwork manipulation. I have to admit it has taken us 30 years to rebuild the Foden. I keep promising to post photos but will do it soon.

Hi Carl, Going back to the earlier thread about our great grandfather J F Clemments, I Googled him, ie asked my mother about him. Apparently he was a property owner as well as an auctioneer. I was told he was collecting rent from his tennants when he was attacked and very badly beaten by three men and, unfoturnatly, died from his injuries. He was only 52years old at the time. The three men were never charged with anything and got away free.

Hope you both are well Peter

edworth · 25 February 2012 18:34

pbsummers:
Hi Eddie, I recognised the van in your photo - Bray’s Removals - you did an excellent job in changing the livery and 4hrs is definitely a lot faster than me but our van is a real one. Well done, clever artwork manipulation. I have to admit it has taken us 30 years to rebuild the Foden. I keep promising to post photos but will do it soon.

Hi Carl, Going back to the earlier thread about our great grandfather J F Clemments, I Googled him, ie asked my mother about him. Apparently he was a property owner as well as an auctioneer. I was told he was collecting rent from his tennants when he was attacked and very badly beaten by three men and, unfoturnatly, died from his injuries. He was only 52years old at the time. The three men were never charged with anything and got away free.

Hope you both are well Peter

Hi Peter…Spot on, if anybody was going to spot anything it would be you, you even got the vans company right, always said,you should be a brain surgeon

goggietara · 25 February 2012 21:33

Hi Eddie what a trickster you are & a good one @ that you had me foxed.Brill job.

Gordon

edworth:

pbsummers:
Hi Eddie, I recognised the van in your photo - Bray’s Removals - you did an excellent job in changing the livery and 4hrs is definitely a lot faster than me but our van is a real one. Well done, clever artwork manipulation. I have to admit it has taken us 30 years to rebuild the Foden. I keep promising to post photos but will do it soon.

Hi Carl, Going back to the earlier thread about our great grandfather J F Clemments, I Googled him, ie asked my mother about him. Apparently he was a property owner as well as an auctioneer. I was told he was collecting rent from his tennants when he was attacked and very badly beaten by three men and, unfoturnatly, died from his injuries. He was only 52years old at the time. The three men were never charged with anything and got away free.

Hope you both are well Peter

Hi Peter…Spot on, if anybody was going to spot anything it would be you, you even got the vans company right, always said,you should be a brain surgeon

goggietara · 25 February 2012 21:45

Carl - Dennis Spooner was a character & met him many times i remember he would leave on a journey & travel dark hours not to be caught by the police with things that was wrong with his vehicle.I believe he drove a flatbed.
Gordon.

Carl Williams:

v7victor:
Dennis Spooner,your not wrong there,i known him maybe 40 years and did work with him for a good few years at Stiller transport

hi Vic
Have you ever noticed Dennis Skinner the labour MP on the television. He always reminds me of Dennis Spooner.

But one thing I will always say of Dennis Spooner he can be a true good friend.

Best wishes Carl

edworth · 26 February 2012 10:26

Hi carl,Peter & Gordon…Just go’s to show what you can do with plenty of time on your hands, just put my caravan up for sale as it is to much to do setting up and taking down, I have made some wonderful friends in ■■■■■■■ were I stay, hazel & Geoff who own the farm and land have just informed me that they have bought a static caravan (secondhand) with verander and all the mod cons for me and liz to go there and stay for the summer, what great people they are, my love for caravans must come from sleeping in " The Marsden Hotel" for so long.
By the way my caravan is on Ebay, Bailey Senator Oklahoma 2004 (great van) also lots of pictures at www.senator.moonfruit.com

Eddie

carl_williams · 26 February 2012 15:00

edworth:
Hi carl,Peter & Gordon…Just go’s to show what you can do with plenty of time on your hands, just put my caravan up for sale as it is to much to do setting up and taking down, I have made some wonderful friends in ■■■■■■■ were I stay, hazel & Geoff who own the farm and land have just informed me that they have bought a static caravan (secondhand) with verander and all the mod cons for me and liz to go there and stay for the summer, what great people they are, my love for caravans must come from sleeping in " The Marsden Hotel" for so long.
By the way my caravan is on Ebay, Bailey Senator Oklahoma 2004 (great van) also lots of pictures at senator.moonfruit.com

Eddie

Hi Eddie,

I have shared your enjoyment of caravaning. You will remember dad’s two Safaris,that Summered each year in Blackpool. In those days we liked them so much as they were well away from 'The telephone, and I had two wen my children were young and spent many happy Weekends in Windermere, Morcambe, Blackpool, scarborough etc. I even went down to Torquay for a week one year. Many times I wish I could go back to those years, but age…

Good luck and I hope it soon sells.
Best wishes

Carl

firingonsix · 26 February 2012 16:39

Hello Carl

The 1964 Rover 2000, DUP 243B, was it by any chance finished in Wedgwood Blue? Also, what colour was the interior trim, was it Ebony? Do you have any documentation for your family Rovers such as purchase invoices?

Regards, Digby

Carl Williams:
The last of the photos I took in late 1964 or very early 1965 of the Rover cars we owned at that time. Unfortunatly they illustrate my photographic talents and explain why I took so few photos of the vans.

In this case it was my first car, given to me new, by my Grandparents about two months ahead of my 17th birthday, and the car I leant to drive on and took my two tests in.

It was the first of six Rover P6’s we have, not counting a one I bought a few years ago.

During the seven or so years of this photo, between my grandfather, father and me, we had 12 Rovers, mostly supplied new by Fred Dinsdale and sons Stockton On Tees.

They were main Rover distributors for County Durham (Stockton was part of County Durham in the sixties). The business was run by two brothers who didn’t speak with one another. One was car sales and the other ran the garage and bodyshop. Unfortunatly the business was a casualty of the British Leyland Fiasco, and closed when Rover were taken over. Geoff Pye, one of our drivers who specialised on removals moved the one brother down south, when the garage closed, and he told Geoff that after we had been such good customers to them, he couldn’t choose another company to move him.

One day, long before my Grandfather died we sat down with my dad and worked out that he had owned 18 Rovers prior to buying SUP, the Rover 60, in 1955 from Dinsdales.

After a two car interval I bought a new Rover SD1 in 1978, but it was then made by British Leyland and was a disaster, so I quickly sold it and my remaining cars whilst at W.H.Williams (Haulage) Ltd were Mercedes Benz. Apart from the mess BL made of commercial vehicles, they have a lot to answer by destroying Rover cars.

edworth · 26 February 2012 18:56

Hi Carl…As a young lad i was always told that Rover was a working mans rolls royce, and like you I was lucky enough to drive your Grandads and Dads rovers, On a couple of occasions I had to move yours when your Mam left it in the way of something outside of Marmaduke st, think she had gone to school to drop you off and returned to marmaduke st, but it was very busy then, after I started for myself I opened a shop on durham road, after a few year I sold it when my son was born and I moved to Bryan st spennymoor, after sorting my fiances out after the sale, I was left with a surplus of money, so I thought “ROVER” and proceeded to buy one, a Rover SD1 I had nothing but trouble and was so dissapointed in the workmanship and quality,like you say BL have a lot to answer to, for what they did to Rover.
Eddie