Western Transport was a very large concern that was eventually swallowed up by the Transport Development Group. Its roots were in 2 very old Bristol companies - Bristol Haulage Co. Ltd. and Wyld & White. These 2 companies were sizeable but mainly worked locally on dock work and Wills Tobacco. Their depot was in Feeder Rd. Bristol in the late ‘40s when, I think, they were nationalised. After de-nationalisation they became Bristol Industries Ltd. and then Western Transport Ltd. They moved to Bath Road, Brislington and then Avonmouth. I think that W.T. came into being in about 1953/4. They were certainly about by 1957/8 as they were fined rather heavily for hours offences at that time. The story goes, and it was well substantiated at the time, that a Ministry Inspector lived in a house on the A38 at Patchway roundabout. He was notorious, would set his eye on a company, leave his house in his car and follow one of the vehicles all day. One day he followed a truck from Patchway to Liverpool docks and sat outside until he emerged and then followed him back to Gloucester where he parked in Brook’s transport cafe and came home on a ‘dodgy’ - (as we all did at that time). The rest is history and the company was fined about £8,000 as far as I remember’ The same inspector caught both Febry’s and Showerings (Babycham) in the same manner and they also were each fined very heavily… And there but for the grace of God went a lot more of.us.
Theres a name from the past wessexman Showerings Had a regular back load out of Wallington Western Frome & used to park the unit near the digs & there was always one of Showerings ERF rigids parked in the same spot every night left on its own with a full load of drink. Wouldnt happen these days 
greek:
Theres a name from the past wessexman Showerings Had a regular back load out of Wallington Western Frome & used to park the unit near the digs & there was always one of Showerings ERF rigids parked in the same spot every night left on its own with a full load of drink. Wouldnt happen these days
You’re right, just like me on Ilkeston Haulage. 20 ton of whisky roped and
sheeted on a flat and parked up at home while I snatched a quick break. 
And thanks, Jazzman, Frankley, that’s the place. Apart from a couple of other
Stirland drivers there were other regulars in there but the only one I remember
at the moment is Lex-Wilkinsons .
Western Transport was already part of TDG then (early 70s) which was why
Stirlands (also TDG) hooked up with them I suppose.
The ERFs came later, Lemonmouth, when I was there it was almost totally
Borderers with the infamous Albion and 2 terrible Scania 80s to add a bit of
colour 
. After I left Stirlands to work on my own I did a bit casual for them
with a Seddon (pre SedAk) they bought to fetch in new trailers with.
I do remember my mates George Milner and Johnny Lambert with ERFs
though in the 80s. They were on Stainmore trunk in those days changing
trailers with Smiths of Maddiston.
Hello Jazzman, did you know one of Westerns new Scania 80s was used by Truck magazine in 1975 for one of their test matches!? Ive still got it somewhere, i,ll have to dig it out, i think it was an M reg.
Spardo:
greek:
Theres a name from the past wessexman Showerings Had a regular back load out of Wallington Western Frome & used to park the unit near the digs & there was always one of Showerings ERF rigids parked in the same spot every night left on its own with a full load of drink. Wouldnt happen these daysYou’re right, just like me on Ilkeston Haulage. 20 ton of whisky roped and
sheeted on a flat and parked up at home while I snatched a quick break.And thanks, Jazzman, Frankley, that’s the place. Apart from a couple of other
Stirland drivers there were other regulars in there but the only one I remember
at the moment is Lex-WilkinsonsWestern Transport was already part of TDG then (early 70s) which was why
Stirlands (also TDG) hooked up with them I suppose.The ERFs came later, Lemonmouth, when I was there it was almost totally
Borderers with the infamous Albion and 2 terrible Scania 80s to add a bit of
colour
with a Seddon (pre SedAk) they bought to fetch in new trailers with.
I do remember my mates George Milner and Johnny Lambert with ERFs
though in the 80s. They were on Stainmore trunk in those days changing
trailers with Smiths of Maddiston.
Hi David.
I got a lift one night from Penrith to Stainmore with Smith of M,an ERF with a ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ out of that and into one of Stirlands,an ERF “B” series with a Gardner so it could have been one of the drivers you mentioned.He dropped me at JI on the M18 about 0300 and I walked down to Maltby for my car.It would be summertime 1980 and had been working a relief Penrith trunk from Maltby when our Penrith lads were on holiday,nighting out at the Station Hotel in Penrith.
Bloody hell that’s 28 years ago! 
Chris Webb:
[.Bailed out of that and into one of Stirlands,an ERF “B”
series with a Gardner so it could have been one of the drivers you
mentioned.He dropped me at JI on the M18 about 0300 and I walked down to
Maltby for my car.It would be summertime 1980 and had been working a relief
Penrith trunk from Maltby when our Penrith lads were on holiday,nighting out at
the Station Hotel in Penrith.
:
Possible Chris, though I don’t know when George and Johnny began on
Stainmore. George started with me in the 70s and stayed 'till his retirement
but I first became aware of them after several years apart in 1985 when I
started as TM for Courtaulds and would see them setting out as I came home
from work in my car. A few brief words on the CB and that was it.
From www.imcdb.org :
Classic 240, in fact 2 classics, is that a Dommy doing the overtaking?
Wessexman, excellent bit of history, thanks. When I started with them at Brislington, I was a mere lad and didn’t take much notice of what went before. I did hear many years later from an older driver that they used to be on the feeder, you have just substantiated that for me. When I was at Brislington, there were a few drivers down at Holesmouth that did the dock work, lot of bag work and zinc for the smelter so when we moved down Avonmouth, it was all combined.
I had heard the story about the ministry man but didn’t know all the details. Febrys were renowned for the 2 log book “system”. I go past Showerings old place quite a bit and there is still a bad jarring dip at the bottom of the hill.
Greek & Spardo, too right about the drink, I used to get backloads from Popeyes in Scotland and loads in and out of Harveys in Bristol, all just roped and sheeted and parked up as near as possible to digs. I remember a particular windy day at Harveys, me and another driver almost taking off, trying to fold the fly sheets.
Hello, Mark R, I didn’t know that, think I moved on in '74, would be very interested if you could scan and post the picture~~.~~
240 Gardner, great picture, and also the link to the site, out of a '67 film called “The Sorcerers” I found from the site. Can’t remember any Guys at Brislington, so it must have been from the time they were on the feeder. The other interesting thing is, in the other pictures from the film, there is my first car, a MK 1 consul + other cars I had including a '66 mini, an 1100, a hillman imp, a MK1 viva & a MK 2 viva. Couple of good pics of the '63 dominator also.
Regards
Nig
Hi jazzman.
A further bit of my memory has now come forward. When they moved from Brislington, and before they went to Avonmouth, they had a spell at Vale lane, Bedminster in the premises now occupied by Commercial Motors, the Mercedes distributor. At that time I was selling to the transport industry and remember that the fleet engineer was Eddie Beazer who had a sideline in making caravan stabilizers (I bought one from him). At one time Tony Maggs was the T.M. This may ring a few bells with you.
Hi Jazzman. Here as promised, a photo of Western Transports Scania 80, as featured in Truck magazine January 1975.
Wessexman, thanks for that, I don’t remember the vale lane bit. I started with them about 6 months before we moved out of Brislington and I went straight down to Avonmouth, I was roaming at the time so maybe I didn’t take too much notice, I never used Vale lane though. I don’t remember Eddie Beazer by name, although I used to get on well with all the maintenance crew, particularly Bill Brown as he used to take the mickey saying I treated the first tractor they gave me like a baby. I still remember that great day, an AEC mandator UAE 8G, first load was 20 tons of duckhams oil in gallon tins, roped and sheeted, down to Plymouth. I well remember Tony Maggs, before becoming T.M. he was a driver and also the shop steward, and quite militant !! I’ve read some of your other posts, I started driving about 13 years after you, I’ve also knocked it out of cog down over Marlborough Hill in the past, used to run with some of Guests of Bath at times. Ran back empty from London earlier this week , came off the M4 at Newbury and ran down the A4 to Beckhampton and on to Devizes, the Golden Arrow looks in a sorry state now, looks derelict .
Mark R, many thanks for the photo, I’m getting quite a collection now. The reg doesn’t ring a bell, so like I thought, that was after I moved on.
Regards
Nig
Hi Jazzman. Re the Vale Lane premises. I have just remembered that these were occupied by Contract Hire Ltd. which, I believe, was a division of Western Transport in the 1970s and 80s. Eddie Beazer was employed there. W.T. must have moved directly to Avonmouth as you say.
I worked for Western Transport from 1978 until 1988 when I went owner driver.
Just for the record, the Scania with “Gunner” on the front was driver by Art Gregory, god bless him, one of lifes real gentlemen. The picture of the two scannies has to be Frankley Services in what is now the coach park.
Hi Ghosttrain
Art Gregory rings a bell with me, but I can’t place the face [memory not so good now]. I reckon he was there when I was on for them, I moved on in 1974.
Yes, I took the photo at Frankley coach park bit, my motor was 767L, my mate Gerry Fitton [ or Phitton] had the sister 768L, we had them from new, just straight boxes no splitter or rangechange.
Do you recall any other drivers from the past. I remember Jim Palfrey “father”, & ■■■■ Bell, both pipe smokers, Jim lived at Weston SM.
There was also Clive Haskins, also in the TA.
Mike Hale, now on for a timber company hauling logs.
Regards
Nig
Blimey theres some names to conjour with. Art Gregory would have been there at the same time as you, his son Steve would have been an apprentice mechanic there at that time. Dinger Bell another lovely old gent. Gerry Fitton went delivering furniture as I recall. The last time I saw Mike Hale he was driving a tanker. I can’t remember what happened to CliveHaskins…
Other characters were Roy White, Roy Baylis, Bob Hodges. God I could go on, a great bunch of blokes and some happy memories of drunken nights away.
I for my sins went full time continental in 1990 but am now grounded by wife No.3.
Thanks for jogging my memory.
Geoff
Thanks for the reply Geoff
I don’t recall Steve Gregory but I am hoping to bump into Bill Brown, one of the fitters, at Truckfest on Saturday, he will probably remember, was Bill still there when you were there?
I used to run night trunk to Warrington [Appleton airfield] with Gerry, mostly and then when the french cauliflowers started up we used to double shift the motors a fortnight about, early shift 4.00 am from A/mouth down to Plymouth, late shift up to the markets with the cauliflowers.
I also used to do a 3 shift job with 4 other drivers, 2 up to Brentford on 6-2, 1 up to Boots, aldershot 2-10 & 2 up to Brentford on 10-6. One of the drivers was Clive Haskins, another, I think was Alan …, but I can’t remember the other 2 at all. The motors we used were CHT 35J and BHT …J. Usually triple shifting 35J and just using BHT for 6-2 & 10-6.
That would have been CRW Mike was on for, around here the other drivers know him as McNasty, I think that is his CB handle.
The 2 Roys and Bob don’t ring a bell with me.
Yeah, good nights away, one of my favourites was Plymouth, stayed with Mrs Hext on West Hoe, she was originally from Bedminster and loved having the Bristol lads to stay, good nights out down Union Street !!!
I should have gone continental but went on for P & O [Pandoro] got in “trouble” up the road [if you know what I mean] and wife number 1, grounded me !!
Regards
Nig
Nig
We used to drink in the pub by the church a mile down the road from warrington depot.
I don’t remember a Bill Brown but it doesn’t mean he wasn’t there at the same time as me.
McNasty was mikes handle.
I think the Alan you mentioned could have been Alan Tabrett (not sure of spelling)
I’m going to see if I can find some old photos to put on here.
Geoff
Hi Geoff
Yes, that is the Alan, Alan Tabrett, I should have remembered his surname because he was the one I did the Brentford trunk with mostly, bloomin’ memory.
Talk about coincidence, I was coming up out of Shepton on the A37 this morning and right at the top at the crossroads before the Stratton turning, who should be behind 2 cars waiting to pull out from the Waterlip road … but Mike Hale, driving a B T Lovell, red topline with “McNasty” number plate in the windscreen.
It was CRW he was on for when you saw him, based at Gurney Slade.
Photos would be good, I only wish digital cameras had been around then, I can’t even find any photos of a couple of firms “dos” we had at the “Hen & Chicken” at Bedminster.
Regards
Nig
Geoff, I’d forgotten the driver I probably knew the best, Rog Skinner.
He was probably still there when you were there.
I think I had forgotten because, after I had “trouble up the road”, I went local driving those 20’ trailers out of the Unigate City Road depot.
I started there about 1978 and Rog came there just after, we were both there for quite a long time so I always associate Rog with Unigate.
Regards
Nig