Thinking about the last post if i had been approached by a gun whilst doing the bank run and i had anded over the van and it was the J2 NPT they certainly wuldn’t have made a very quick gettaway, and wen I had walked back down to Marmaduke Street, I would have been a great hero for getting rid of the J2.
‘There’s nowt as queer as folk’
I better translate in case I get accused of making accusations of people’s ■■■■■■■■■. There is nothing as strange as people.
My son Paul has a friend whose grandfather worked for us for many years and most probably has some photos, and also views this site.
I asked Paul to ask if he could ask if I could borrow them to post them. ‘I don’t like your dad, but I did like your granddad’ was the reply.
From that I can assume that some thirty years ago I probably dismissed him.
What he obviously does not understand that this would not have happened had not my dad and I been in full agreement?
Also he should remember that several years earlier when he was breathalysed and lost his licence we created a job for him to keep him in employment. Also when we wrote letters and helped him get his HGV licence back again and paid higher insurance premiums to get him back on the road, although he probably gave credit to dad it was a joint decision with me.
Surely after all these years it’s time to keep a grudge.
I would imagine both Peter and Eddie and perhaps a few others will be able to work out to who I am referring.
hiya,
In a sentence Carl, all human life is there, you are getting some great feedback from ex-employees and your friends, look forward to my daily fix of “William’s” keep it up and keep well, regards Harry.
thanks harry long retired.
harry_gill:
hiya,
In a sentence Carl, all human life is there, you are getting some great feedback from ex-employees and your friends, look forward to my daily fix of “William’s” keep it up and keep well, regards Harry.
thanks harry long retired.
Thanks, Harry
The encouragement helps me remember and I have several ideas going through my head at te moment that might jog memories
Regards
Carl
Eddie and Peter have recently mentioned James Clements, both my and Peter’s mutual great uncle. He started working for my grandfather in about 1926 and did most mechanical work until the early sixties.
To say he was slow was and under statement and I think unconsciously he did his best to drive both my grandfather and dad mad. He seemed to get pleasure in making you wait. Here is the first of a few tales.
In the early fifties one morning he took our Bedford OB Luton Van JUP over to Tin Boxes at their factory at Hartlepool (They had one at Aycliffe and one in Hartlepool) to load a load of tins for Sellatape Borhamwood. After Loading he travelled down to his sisters (My great aunt) at St Albans and stayed overnight, next day travelling to Borehamwood, unloading and back to St Albans, to return to Spennymoor day 3.
On day 2 at 4-00Pm late afternoon dad went to Ramar Dresses Crook and loaded a load of hanging dresses onto NUP 1952 reg Bedford SB Petrol (limited to 20MPH) came home and went to bed leaving for London 2-00AM in morning of day 3. He had 5 drops London West End to fashion houses in and around Oxford and Wigmore Streets.
Dad’s first delivery was Ramar’s London office Kent House Wigmore street, where a member of staff greeted him and went with him round his delivery points. About 11 -00 in the morning he was empty and left on his way home up the A1. About at Stamford he pulled in to fill up with petrol and the petrol attendant asked him if he had forgotten something, until he realised it was another van. ‘Oh that will be my mate’. Dad replied and soon after he pulled out and carried on his journey he saw on the horizon ahead of him JUP, which was allowed to travel at 30mph.
Not long after as he overtook his uncle he waved him to tell him to pull in so they could have a cup of tea together. Anyone who knew Uncle Jim would know drinking a cup of tea was a longish job and so halfway through dad said bye and left on his way, so he could get home and catch up with his sleep. I understand uncle Jim pulled into Marmaduke Street about two hours after dad.
So it is easy to understand why my uncle tended to do only local work when he was not doing maintenance work in the garage.
Hi Carl…Need my memory jogging about this guy who lost his licence etc, the only one I can remember was Bill Bailey (Whoops) 
your uncle Jim was not slow, he never started, God it was like extracting teeth sat in with him, he would all of a sudden put his foot down (you would think Great) then when he got to about 28mph he would ease off and slow down, then put is foot down again, Myself and Dale Harrison (think it was Dale this time and not Peter) did a removal with your uncle jim, he only drove and we had to do the removal, it was over the lakes near Coniston around the time Donald Cambell got killed, and by the time we got back it was about 3.30am in the morning, whenever I talk about Cambell , I always think of your Uncle Jim, there is no way he would have been killed speeding
Eddie
Carl & Eddie.
You have taken the words out of my fingers about uncle Jim, boy was he slow but methodical if he repaired anything it stayed repaired. I never knew him load or offload anything and everyone was called Billy, but you couldn’t help liking him. I don’t know how aunt Doris (his long suffering wife) put up with him, but she did. When she became terminally ill he used to go to the RVI in Newcastle to see her and would get a lift of anybody in the family who would take him. Three weeks after I got my provisional licence my dad asked if I could take him because there was no one else. I took him but he went to sleep about 5miles into the journey and how I got through Newcastle and to the hospital I’ll never now but, saying all this about him, he was still a wonderful man.
BB was also the name of the ex employee who came to my mind regarding a previous post.
Harry sent one of the drivers to Bryan Street to do a job and was out about 1 1/2hrs before returning to the garage and went to tell Harry that he couldn’t find it. Harry marched him to the garage doors and pointed to the back of a house in the next street and said “That’s the house I wanted you to go to”! (In more colourful language). Not saying who the driver was but he now sports a pony tail (can you guess who it is yet). Even though he may have been with Williams for many years at this time, the only excuse I can give is that he came from down South.
One thing working for Williams was that the job was varied. I was once with John Willetts on a job in Sunderland delivering cardboard packaging cases for a factory whose transport had broken down and we were doing their local deliveries. Just before lunch on this particular day one of the managers approached us asking if we could call on the mother of one of the employees as we would be in that area and tell her that her son had broken his leg. Ready to oblige we undertook that task and to our surprise when we gave her the news she acted unperturbed and told us she “would get his other one”. It was then we realised it was a false leg. You did get them, Carl!
Carl, you asked which one of your grandfather’s cars I’d used for my driving lessons & test: it was his last car which was the Rover 2000 WPT 968F. This was also used for mine & Brenda’s wedding car in Sept 1972 which you kindly drove (we believe it was also your birthday that day).
That’s all for now.
Will post another tale soon.
Take care, Peter.
Carl Williams:
harry_gill:
hiya,
In a sentence Carl, all human life is there, you are getting some great feedback from ex-employees and your friends, look forward to my daily fix of “William’s” keep it up and keep well, regards Harry.
thanks harry long retired.Thanks, Harry
The encouragement helps me remember and I have several ideas going through my head at te moment that might jog memories
Regards
Carl
With some of the other people that worked with you ( will there ) this is starting to open up a lot more many thanks love reading some of the tales ( you couldnt do most of that nowadays 
)
Gordon Ball says he is still having difficuty getting onto the site and has sent me tis message that I am adding
Gordon BallCarl Williams
I remember around 1974 while driving BUP312F on the M1 @ jun 13 when there was a 200 vehicle pileup utter madness but i was @ the tail end of it luckily.
The next day i drove over that junction from Bletchley to Bedford ahead of me a stationary London Brick wagon as i was overtaking him which was just before a X roads he pulled out crashing into my vehicle ripping the side of the cab out.
I was told by the office to wait the night for Mr Williams to see me & the damage the next day then booked into a pub in a village a mile away they showed me to my room upstairs & said we will see you in the eating area as soon as i was ready so i went downstairs awhile later only to be confronted by a huge alsation dog in the bar he stood on his hind legs both paws either side of my head & put his teeth gently into my shoulder letting me know he was boss my sounds of panic alerted the landlord he quickley said the restaurant is upstairs, now he tells me.Let me say a day to test the old nerves.
Carl, remember this one: I had come home from school one day and, as usual in those days (like a bad smell), called round to your garage. Your dad, Harry, asked if I could travel with you to help with a very urgent job. This was to go to NESS, Croxdale, and collect a consignment of chairs which had to be taken on to Hartlepool. We arrived at NESS only to find that they were still manufacturing them! We had to wait a considerable time while they were being stove enamelled and assembled then loaded them on to DPT 100B whilst they were still hot. By this time it was about 9.00 pm but you had to make the delivery that night as per order as you didn’t want to let your customer down. When we arrived at the location at Hartlepool we found that the address given was for a nightclub which had just opened that night. We lowered the tailboard to offload and as soon as we started I think everybody from the nightclub must have come out to take a chair so we didn’t have much to do that end (pity uncle Jim wasn’t there). We think the nightclub had opened a couple of days earlier than planned and, with no seats inside, the clubbers were claiming a seat for themselves.
Best wishes, Peter.
pbsummers:
Carl, remember this one: I had come home from school one day and, as usual in those days (like a bad smell), called round to your garage. Your dad, Harry, asked if I could travel with you to help with a very urgent job. This was to go to NESS, Croxdale, and collect a consignment of chairs which had to be taken on to Hartlepool. We arrived at NESS only to find that they were still manufacturing them! We had to wait a considerable time while they were being stove enamelled and assembled then loaded them on to DPT 100B whilst they were still hot. By this time it was about 9.00 pm but you had to make the delivery that night as per order as you didn’t want to let your customer down. When we arrived at the location at Hartlepool we found that the address given was for a nightclub which had just opened that night. We lowered the tailboard to offload and as soon as we started I think everybody from the nightclub must have come out to take a chair so we didn’t have much to do that end (pity uncle Jim wasn’t there). We think the nightclub had opened a couple of days earlier than planned and, with no seats inside, the clubbers were claiming a seat for themselves.
Best wishes, Peter.
Hi Peter,
I know you went with me a lot but I did not remember that occasion, thanks for reminding me.
New Equipment were always either late or to early with orders those days as they were so busy. I remember one occasion , wen I woud be about 15 going with dad to deliver a load of tables and chairs to a pub in the enterance to Guisborough. Again it was a delivery on an evening that was urgent and as often was the case, they were assembling the furniture as we were loading it. In Guisborough, no one knew where the pub was and eventually we were directed to a building site where the night watchman was keeping an eye on the building materials. They had just laid the foundations, but fortunatly the cellar had been completed and he let us take the furniture dow into the newly completed cellar.
I am so pleased you are sharing your memories, Peter.
Best wishes
Carl
Godon Ball has sent me another post
While doing deliveries from Thorn EMI we covered all ministry places all Prisons, hospitals, military camps & even Buckingham Palace on multidrops in London, I remember parking my truck next to the Gold Coach in the Royal Mews & a lady sitting on what looked a large Hoover. She was sweeping horse ■■■ into it better than a brush, I suppose… I had a substandard fridge freezer for an ex miliatry man, who I suppose was a body guard. After I got the Fridge freezer out of the van he pulled out of his pocket a bundle of notes and gave me a ten bob note. A bit of a disappointment.
pbsummers:
Carl & Eddie.
You have taken the words out of my fingers about uncle Jim, boy was he slow but methodical if he repaired anything it stayed repaired. I never knew him load or offload anything and everyone was called Billy, but you couldn’t help liking him. I don’t know how aunt Doris (his long suffering wife) put up with him, but she did. When she became terminally ill he used to go to the RVI in Newcastle to see her and would get a lift of anybody in the family who would take him. Three weeks after I got my provisional licence my dad asked if I could take him because there was no one else. I took him but he went to sleep about 5miles into the journey and how I got through Newcastle and to the hospital I’ll never now but, saying all this about him, he was still a wonderful man.BB was also the name of the ex employee who came to my mind regarding a previous post.
Harry sent one of the drivers to Bryan Street to do a job and was out about 1 1/2hrs before returning to the garage and went to tell Harry that he couldn’t find it. Harry marched him to the garage doors and pointed to the back of a house in the next street and said “That’s the house I wanted you to go to”! (In more colourful language). Not saying who the driver was but he now sports a pony tail (can you guess who it is yet). Even though he may have been with Williams for many years at this time, the only excuse I can give is that he came from down South.
One thing working for Williams was that the job was varied. I was once with John Willetts on a job in Sunderland delivering cardboard packaging cases for a factory whose transport had broken down and we were doing their local deliveries. Just before lunch on this particular day one of the managers approached us asking if we could call on the mother of one of the employees as we would be in that area and tell her that her son had broken his leg. Ready to oblige we undertook that task and to our surprise when we gave her the news she acted unperturbed and told us she “would get his other one”. It was then we realised it was a false leg. You did get them, Carl!
Carl, you asked which one of your grandfather’s cars I’d used for my driving lessons & test: it was his last car which was the Rover 2000 WPT 968F. This was also used for mine & Brenda’s wedding car in Sept 1972 which you kindly drove (we believe it was also your birthday that day).
That’s all for now.
Will post another tale soon.
Take care, Peter.
Hi peter,
Both you and Eddie summed Uncle Jim up so well. Like you said, Peter you couldn’t help but like him.
In reality he must have wasted years of Dad’s life, always waiting of him, and dad would not lock up and go home till he saw him back parked up in the garage at Marmaduke street, and even then having to wait an hour on average for him to get out of the cab and get ready so dad could give him a lift home. Dad called him every name he could think of over the years but still thought the world of him. I couldn’t count the number of times we dropped him off at Stratton Street with dad saying ‘You’re finished, don’t come in tomorrow’ but always the next day he was there, late as ever but as though nothing had happened.
For my part apart from Mam and dad and my Grandfather and grandmother, he was the closest anyone ever was to me. During school holidays and my first working years I saw him every day and he went all over with after he retired and Granddad died…
I used to take Alexis and a very young Paul to see him at least once a week in Dickens Street and went down to see him at the nursing home at Middleton St George several times. After he was gone it was an end of an era in my life.
Also although I don’t believe I had my fortune told a few years ago and I was told I have Jim here. Something else was said that left me in no doubt who it was. They said he was looking after me. So Uncle Jim keep up the good work and don’t forget if ever I have an accident don’t be late.
Best wishes
Carl
Carl
I remember my daily job when visiting the garage was to go out and buy your dad his usual supply of 40 Benson and Hedges. Although Harry liked to smoke he inevitably gave most of them away to his drivers or any one else at the garage.
I also remember him buying a coffee machine for the drivers use but actually paid for coffee himself from his own money. The machine might have made some money but this was at your dad’s expense. Such was the generosity of the man.
Your dad was always at the hub of the activities of the garage and, as you said, never liked to be in the office. He was very much a hands on man. He always worked long hours, being first in to open up and last out to lock up, often having to return to see that uncle Jim had made it back. Even before you employed George Hardy, your dad & uncle Jack (Kempsey) carried out the essential wagon maintenance every Saturday. Definitely not a man afraid to get his hands dirty was he?
Regards Peter.
pbsummers:
Carl
I remember my daily job when visiting the garage was to go out and buy your dad his usual supply of 40 Benson and Hedges. Although Harry liked to smoke he inevitably gave most of them away to his drivers or any one else at the garage.
I also remember him buying a coffee machine for the drivers use but actually paid for coffee himself from his own money. The machine might have made some money but this was at your dad’s expense. Such was the generosity of the man.
Your dad was always at the hub of the activities of the garage and, as you said, never liked to be in the office. He was very much a hands on man. He always worked long hours, being first in to open up and last out to lock up, often having to return to see that uncle Jim had made it back. Even before you employed George Hardy, your dad & uncle Jack (Kempsey) carried out the essential wagon maintenance every Saturday. Definitely not a man afraid to get his hands dirty was he?
Regards Peter.
Hi Peter,
That is a wonderful tribute to my dad.
The only thing I think might be a little inaccurate, is I suspect, that the forty cigarettes he got you to get might have been only part of his daily usage, as he might have got other extra supplies on the mornings. As you say he only smoked part himself, giving them away, and when you consider he lived till he was 86, they didn’t do him much halm. I wouldn’t like to count the number of times from about 6 years old he sent me down to Bella Dents to get him cigarettes. Poor Bella would have been locked up to day for supplying a chid, but he owed her his custom, because she had kept him in good supply during the war when there was a shortage.
Like you say, he liked working in the garage and wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, but that was the life he totally enjoyed. As you know he took very few days off ad no real holidays as such, claiming that the only holiday he got was when he was in the army for 9 months during the war, but he didn’t need to because he was fortunate that he realy enjoyed his life. The business was his total life, hobby and work.
Once again thank you ,Peter for your kind comments
Carl
hi carl i look forward to your thread after work glad your back hope your well regards rowland
rward:
hi carl i look forward to your thread after work glad your back hope your well regards rowland
Hi Rowand
Thanks for your well wishes
Best wishes
Carl
Gordon Ball is still having difficulty posting and he has sent me another by facebook.
Hi Gordon I hope you can read this after I post it. I appologise I haven’t yet given my thoughts and observations on what you have posted to date yet, but I will do.
Here is another sent by facebook
On a trip to the south coast via Oxford I pulled into a layby @ Weston On The Green airfield for a tea & bacon buttie as I stood enjoying my food others were looking into the bright sky & we could hear these parachutists with the square chutes (free Fall) taking to each other They landed just over the fence in the airfield and then in their red uniform (You guest Red Devils) ad they came over for a bacon sarnie. What a advert for a bacon sarnie.
Carl…My earlier thread about your dad was not meant to be a tribute: he deserves more than that. Personally, from the age of about 10, he always had time for me, never fobbed me off and treat me with respect like an adult. We talked quite a lot when I went out with him in the vans and it was he that gave me the inspiration to start my own business when I became older. In a word he was my HERO. He was always firm but very fair with everybody and would never expect anyone to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself. He had a brilliant sense of humour and that never changed despite the challenges and adversities that fell on him. (I think uncle Jim comes into that category). To me I thought he was a wonderful man and I am proud to say that I knew him and was related to him. Now Carl getting on to you…not everyone knows what kind of a person you are but I will tell them what you did for me. When I was made redundant from my job as development engineer you contacted me within hours of finding out with the offer of work. I took you up on your generous offer and although it was only for three months, kept me going until I got my own business up and running. Brenda and I will never forget what you did for us and we were so grateful to you for this opportunity.
Like father, like son are the words which spring to mind.
Best wishes, Peter.
pbsummers:
Carl…My earlier thread about your dad was not meant to be a tribute: he deserves more than that. Personally, from the age of about 10, he always had time for me, never fobbed me off and treat me with respect like an adult. We talked quite a lot when I went out with him in the vans and it was he that gave me the inspiration to start my own business when I became older. In a word he was my HERO. He was always firm but very fair with everybody and would never expect anyone to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself. He had a brilliant sense of humour and that never changed despite the challenges and adversities that fell on him. (I think uncle Jim comes into that category). To me I thought he was a wonderful man and I am proud to say that I knew him and was related to him. Now Carl getting on to you…not everyone knows what kind of a person you are but I will tell them what you did for me. When I was made redundant from my job as development engineer you contacted me within hours of finding out with the offer of work. I took you up on your generous offer and although it was only for three months, kept me going until I got my own business up and running. Brenda and I will never forget what you did for us and we were so grateful to you for this opportunity.
Like father, like son are the words which spring to mind.
Best wishes, Peter.
Hi, Peter,
You are so kind with your comments
Thanks
Carl