I think I was the only one that wasn’t afraid of spiders. If you look on my Facebook profile you’ll see some pics of my Chilean Rose tarantula called Charlotte. Chris
I have just had Eric Nelson on the phone. Like so many he is not computer literate, but has seen some of this site via his daughter. He is coming to the reunion in Oct and I have said I’ll email Colin and tell him as he had tried to ring and couldn’t get through.
Eddie says there is quite a few he has met , who say they are going and tells me that Fred Winter died a couple of weeks ago. He also promises to dig a load of photos out.
Eric was telling me that he took CUP404L , when it was new over to Paris to the British Embassy with a load of NESS furniture. Eric was just a teenager and had never been out of the country before, so it was quite an achievement , for him.
Eric, like me has stopped driving after two bad accidents, but says he is going to get a lift over to see me here at School Aycliffe. Also Eddie, I told him that you went on the site regularly and he says its years since you met and asked me to say hello for him. Also to the ‘youthful’ Peter’ he says he remembers you well down at Marmaduke street
Carl Williams:
I have just had Eric Nelson on the phone. Like so many he is not computer literate, but has seen some of this site via his daughter. He is coming to the reunion in Oct and I have said I’ll email Colin and tell him as he had tried to ring and couldn’t get through.Eddie says there is quite a few he has met , who say they are going and tells me that Fred Winter died a couple of weeks ago. He also promises to dig a load of photos out.
Eric was telling me that he took CUP404L , when it was new over to Paris to the British Embassy with a load of NESS furniture. Eric was just a teenager and had never been out of the country before, so it was quite an achievement , for him.
Eric, like me has stopped driving after two bad accidents, but says he is going to get a lift over to see me here at School Aycliffe. Also Eddie, I told him that you went on the site regularly and he says its years since you met and asked me to say hello for him. Also to the ‘youthful’ Peter’ he says he remembers you well down at Marmaduke street
I made a mistake the Leyland FG was CPT404L, the same van that myself and Phil Reilly took to Naples and back.
Those three Leyland 350FG,s we had with luton bodies by Marsden of Warrington gave us a big advantage for overseas work. They were only 3.5 ton GVW and quite small in length, with very big bodies of 800 cu ft. Which ever way the ferry operators charged, be it by length or gross weight the savings in ferry costs meant that we were cheaper than all our competitors for smallish household removals, but what an awful vehicle to drive. The cab, often described as the threepeny piece cab with the windows on the corners just above the front wing, designed to let the driver see any small children on or near the curbe were very small and uncomfortable, on a long journey. The only advantage they had was the cab doors, tucked round the corner would open against the front of the body and stay open whilst you drove to let in air if it was a hot day. In fairness when they were designed they were planned for local work, with most bread vans using the five tonner versions. We used them mostly on long distance work, and the drivers needed medals.Eric in particular deserved praise for his determination in going , so young and inexperienced right into the centre of Paris. In fact we had to send him down to Liverpool the day before he left to get a passport.
Christine Heale as we know her, but now Henderson found out three photos which I am posting on here, Hopefully here is the first of her standing outside the enterance of the man office at Green Lane about 1980.
I still have not got my computer back from being repaired and am using a ten year old one that is very slow and crashesnall the time so here goes. Got all the candles that power it lit
![552013_4594384774537_44606592_n[2].jpg](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/uploads/trucknetuk/original/3X/d/8/d8c058966ca682745b9cc79f6b8ced818bfb41cb.jpeg)
This was photo was taken in 1974 Carl, not 1980. Chris
825christineh:
This was photo was taken in 1974 Carl, not 1980. Chris
sorry Christine
I tend to get confused with time.
Carl
I only know this because it was before I had Steph which was in 1975. Chris
Hi Carl…Very pleased Eric Nelson as been in touch and is coming to the reunion, we had some good nights out and days working together looking forward to seeing him, Hi Christine hope your keeping well, I left green lane before you satrted but we know each other from the football club and your Dad, how is he keeping.
Eddie
Hi Eddie, I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again at the reunion. My dad is ok. Hasn’t changed. Still the same old Roy. He’ll be 89 in December and he’s fitter than me. Chris
It’s a small world.
I was telling my son, Paul about going to Naples with Phil Reilly on Saturday afternoon, and somehow he was out Saturday night and got talking to Phil Reilly’s son.
He was going to try and persuade Phil to attend the reunion.
I hope Phil comes along
I think it’s weird that I accidentally came across this forum and found out about the reunion. Chris
825christineh:
I think it’s weird that I accidentally came across this forum and found out about the reunion. Chris
Hi Christine,
Life is indeed strange at times. There is a lot of things, unexplained that we don’t understand. I beleive there is something somewhere controling us. I am sure you were one of us in the general office at Green Lane playing with a Wheagy board, and picked up someone who had died there. We later found out that someone died building Black & Decker. Do you remember?
Here is another of yor photos of your daughter at the side of the warehouse, on our site at Green Lane Ind Est.
![644096_4589657216351_1939515129_n[1].jpg](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/uploads/trucknetuk/original/3X/2/2/22db8c7cfa006eb59ad9c93872eeaac530b92bdb.jpeg)
I can remember doing the ouija board because we closed the blinds to make it more spooky.The area around Black and Deckers and Thinford was where the old gibbet was located where many people were hanged. If there’s such a thing as ghosts I think there must be quite a few as well as the bloke who died on the building site. Chris
Denise Welch, the actress was on Piers morgan’s TV show and it reminded me of when I was about ten years old, going with my dad to their sweet factory in Sunderland delivering empty tins for Tin Boxes Ltd of Aycliffe Trading estate and being given a great big bag of sweets. I can often remember drivers coming back with similar bags, to take home for their family.
Hi Carl, I’ve remembered someone who isn’t on your employees list. Her name was Davina and she worked on reception and the switchboard. It must have been 1973 because I was still doing the removals, before I went on to wages. I can’t remember her surname cos she wasn’t there very long. Can you remember her? Chris
Another Photo from Christine.
This time next to one of Barry Hindmarch’s (Oughton Carriers) vans.
Apparently (I can’t remember) Christine left us and went to work for Barry for a while. I hope if you read this you will refresh my memory, Christine.
I am pleased that she has shared this photo of one of Barry’ vans as I have written before about them , but was unable to find a photo at that time.
Barry mostly delivered cigarettes round the North East, and was based at the bottom of Marmaduke Street. Our garage was in the middle and at the top was Eddie Howe, who ran the OK bus service.
825christineh:
Hi Carl, I’ve remembered someone who isn’t on your employees list. Her name was Davina and she worked on reception and the switchboard. It must have been 1973 because I was still doing the removals, before I went on to wages. I can’t remember her surname cos she wasn’t there very long. Can you remember her? Chris
Hi Christine
I remember Davina, if my memory serves me right she used to work on the switchboard.
Some years after she left I called at Scots Corner Hotel for a meal and she worked there. She greated me with a huge smile, she was a nice girl and can only think she left as she lived in Darlington area and travelling became a bit too much, perhaps.
Thank you Christine for reminding me and I am adding her to the list
Carl
Hi Christine…Great to see one of Barry’s vans he was a very good friend to me, tell your dad i am asking after him 89 it is fantastic, he is nearly as old as Carl 
Hi Carl, I left your place to have our Steph and went to work for Barry part-time after she was born. I’d been there a few months when you phoned and asked me to come back. I initially worked Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays but you then wanted me to work full-time on the wages which I did. My dad used to work for Oughtons and did the baker’s run in ■■■■■■■■ I sometimes used to go with him and we used to get free pies from the shops. Chris
Don’t say that Eddie about Carl’s age cos I’m only 3 days younger than him. That’s bad enough. 
I’ll tell my dad you’re asking after him. He pops over sometimes (especially when he needs some sewing done). Chris