I finished driving in the seventies after a bad accident, but still go in and out of the Gore, as I am a cpc holder for some of the owner drivers, also was cpc holder for Kens tipper hire for a few years,they run yellow trucks fetching material for their own customers out of the Gore and other quarries.
Norman retired about four years ago, he worked for the quarry from leaving school until he was 66, went on an extra year, fifty years mostly in the weighbridge apart from a short stint in the main office at Kington when Old Radnor Trading Company ran Gore and Dolyhir Quarries before being taken over by Mann Abell and then Tilcon.
Thank’s for that info Dave, didn’t know that Gore had been one of Mann-Abell’s quarries. Pleased that Norman is ok and yes. I remember Ken’s Tipper Hire, Goughs and one or two of the others. To be honest we didn’t chat much with the other drivers as (a) we didn’t speak Welsh and (b) we were doing cut rated work which they wouldn’t entertain and of course with us doing it the rate didn’t get raised. As I said before, we had no option as we were company vehicles.
Still caravan at Pembridge occasionaly and always have a drive around the area reliving the “good old days” 
.
Pete.
Welcome to the site Dave - good to have another local on the board.
Careful what you say, mind. Tipper drivers take a lot of flack from the “professional” drivers !! 
There isn,t any welsh spoken around here Pete, I know what you mean about the cut rate, but they would do the same if they were employed by someone who sent them into a quarry to backload.
When your at Pembridge sometime, you want to have a drive over to Letton where there is a snack van on the A438. A lot of drivers get there and sit round the table in the summer and have a good chat.
Dave the Renegade:
There isn,t any welsh spoken around here Pete, I know what you mean about the cut rate, but they would do the same if they were employed by someone who sent them into a quarry to backload.
When your at Pembridge sometime, you want to have a drive over to Letton where there is a snack van on the A438. A lot of drivers get there and sit round the table in the summer and have a good chat.
Dave, I can assure you that Welsh was spoken as soon as we opened our mouths in the weighbridge and they heard our accents! Can’t blame them as they were sat in the 'bridge while we were chasing about doing jobs that they didn’t want to do, ha ha!
Pete.
Probably local Radnor-border dialect, no one can speak Welsh from this area, they do try and teach the kids in school nowadays. But not in my day back in the fifties. Probably talking a load of Bull, you always got some of that in the weighbridge at the Gore. A lot of the drivers have either retired or moved on. I expect its the same up your way Pete.
Just had a couple more, reminded on another post, Skyrmes of three gates garage near Bromyard.
J W Delahay of Bromyard ( taken over by Kens Tipper Hire )
j w delehay all rigid tippers except one artic tipper
didnt he have a new vehicle every year
on top end of bromyard ind est grey and red in colour?
graham schroeder:
j w delehay all rigid tippers except one artic tipper
didnt he have a new vehicle every year
on top end of bromyard ind est grey and red in colour?
Yes ran Seddons years ago, mainly ERF when KTH took them over, some of Skyrmes old drivers drove for Delahays then KTH , also some ex Wells Drinks drivers from Tenbury Wells.
wells drinks F7 245s volvos loverly looking fleet
graham schroeder:
wells drinks F7 245s volvos loverly looking fleet
Not good if you caught one of there wagons up on Stockton Hill, you had to follow them for miles.
would of been better off with f10s
remember a driver of theirs ian powell he also drove for pandora
I know Ken and Doug Wilson and a chap called Gordon who sadly passed away a couple of years ago, he lived Burley Gate,
yep know them all sometime or other they all worked for frome valley trans of bishops frome
gordon used to live just past the shop on the way to bromyard
Bloke called Roly Pullen drove for Tilcon out of Gore Quarry then Skyrmes, drove for Frome Valley transport years ago.
dave
think he worked in the workshop or was it his brother
1982 first job after leaving school
a margisrate name of bowler used to own the company
I think he had a brother in the workshop Graham, he said he drove for from valley.
Dave
That’s funny I was only thinking about Norman a few days ago, and wondering if he was still about, I thought he must have retired by now, It’s good to know he’s still going I got well with him, liked to have his little joke didn’t he. How about Ken I never knew his second name who was on the bridge at Gore, is he still about ?
John.
Hi John,
Norman was at the Gore, now retired as you know. Ken Davies was at Dolyhir/ Strinds quarries nearby, now retired, due to a problem, although I think he is doing ok.
Both good at their jobs, Ken was a driver for many years latterly at Roberts of Knighton, hauling out of the quarry on a Daf artic, went in the quarry to drive a dumper when Roberts finished and wound up on the weighbridge.
Hi Dave
That’s great mate too know there both doing ok, Ken used to smoke like hell I thought that may have seen him off, seems not then, so that’s only good news I smoke but not like Ken did. It’s good to talk to you because I have lot’s of happy memorys of Kington and the people down there. It’s a lovely part of the world and I spent a lot of good nights out down there. Anyway mate thanks for the info I will let you get on and talk to other forum members, I will get back to you as you must know a lot of people there that I would love to know how they are.
cheers
John.