Bewick:
Ah! 40 years ago! '71/'72/'73 well it sure was an interesting/exciting time for me and Bewick Transport. Episode 1) I was in my mid 20’s and by '71 was running a couple of Mastiff artics,4 assorted trailers and 4 x 4 wheelers,carriers licencing had just been abolished in favour of O/licencing and over the previous 3 years I had established our credability as a reliable small haulier with our then two main customers,Henry Cooke the papermaker at Beetham and Libby Mcneill and Libby the food manufacturer,both customers based in the vicinity of our small depot in Milnthorpe which I had purchased in 1970 adjacent to the A6 trunk road.I had focussed our operation on running to and from the South east,London and Kent.At this time our main return traffic from Kent was from Robinson Sacks,Rochester, back to Lancs and Yorks.But in later 71 and early 72 I bought the first quality motors namely a couple of Atkinson Borderers together with another 4 trailers ( all 40ft York SL’s) this was as a result of our growing traffic flows from Henry Cooke as well as “getting in” with Wilf Robinson the buyer at the Mill.Paper mill work is made up of 50/50 in and out tonnage so if 40,000 tpy goes into a Mill, 40,000 tpy approx comes out! At that time the main of Cookes pulp started to come in through 44 berth (Scandanavian) and 46 berth (American) Tilbury.So Wilf started by giving us 100 to 200 lots of pulp ex Tilbury and the most economic way to shift it was with the 20 tonners which the Mastiffs definitely were not,well the 28 tonner nearly was!! But you needed to shift the pulp in 20 ton loads.I added a couple more Atkis plus an ERF “A” series during '73 but by this time it was a struggle to cope with all the traffic that we were generating so something had to be done to ease the pressure!!! I was determined to have my eggs in more than one basket so while Cookes were piling on the work I still kept my hand in at Libby’s by doing at least one load a day during this time and then in early '73 Bowater Scott had a disasterous fire at their Barrow warehouse and needed to load their production straight onto “wheels” I was asked to help so I said fine but we would only be able to run to their West Thurrock RDC,Jim Lamb their distribution manager said no probs I’ll put you down for 2 a day,Gulp!,but as long as we could manage to keep to two a day we had plenty of pulp ex Tilbury to re-load the motors for home each day.The only problem was we were going to have one almighty struggle to keep all our other traffic flows going and I couldnd’t afford to just keep buying motors so the SOLUTION—put some double shift trunks on which resulted in us establishing a two vehicle operation at Daventry in '73,our first driver employed there was a lad called Lloyd Jennings who had worked for S.T.Challis.What a grand lad Lloyd proved to be,but he eventually had to give up driving because of back trouble.The Daventry trunk did take the pressure off for a while but the growth of Bewick Transport at this time was relentless so my next move was to start a base at the Southern end of our operation which I did in early '73 when I started the Great Len Valsler and we sent an Akti and a couple of trailers to Gravesend.All the tonnage we hauled at this time was for rates as good as anywhere in the industry at the time and I could negotiate fair increases as and when they were needed,our service and reliability were first and fourmost price was secondary.I couldn’t have grown the operation at the rate I did in those early years without good rates and ,of course,prompt payment.All my customers at that time were “blue chip” so my bankers Nat West and Bowmaker Finance Ltd were happy to support me 100%,I never looked back!!!Here endeth episode 1 I think and if my “speil” proves of interest I will do my best to continue with episode 2 from '73/'74.The '70’s up to say '77 were probably the most enjoyable(not to say hectic!!)in my memory as I was still in and out of my “boiler suit” and still very much “hands on the wheel” literally.More motors,more trailers,move to a bigger depot,never a dull moment believe me!!! Cheers Bewick.
Hi Dennis,
Still waiting for episode 2 !!!.
Cheers Malc.
There wasn’t much interest Malc,and all that bloody typing !! at least I wasn’t giving ■■■■ and David any hassle like you and “buttons” were doing at around that time I think we started subbing Pulp to Howarth Bros in around '76 then we started helping them at this end when they were busy,they never trusted any of them Green or Grey firms from the Lune valley,or anyone else for that matter ,but they knew we would never try to muscle in on their customers so we did OK working with them as you proably know.Cheers Dennis.
During '74 at Bewick Transport I bought out another smaller haulier from Flookburgh,McGuffie Transport,who’s main customer was an Aintree based drum manufacturer Brabys,this was mainly loads of new 45gal drums up to Albright & Wilson at Whitehaven,the traffic south to Lancs/Cheshire/Wirral/Prestatyn was Steel/Pig iron ex Workington(subbed off J W Graham Bass Lake),Soap Powder ex A&W and loads out of Libbys,Milnthorpe to mainly Tesco,Winsford and to Quick Save,Prestatyn.The McGuffie operation gave us ready access to an entirely new source of traffic that didn’t overlap that of the Bewick operation which was more-or-less exclusively long distance work to and from the South East.We set about developing the McGuffie side and applying our own methods which enhanced and improved things almost immeadiately,we gained more traffic from Brabys with loads to the N East,Ardrossan,Fawley and Shell Haven,we were also able to add paper traffic out of Milnthorpe to Lancs and Cheshire.We also added in pulp shipments ex Ellesmere which we had been handling within Bewick Transport but we hadn’t had the benefit of a lot of motors tipping in the area so the McGuffie operation helped a great deal.This short/medium distance traffic was very lucrative and we enjoyed about 9 years of excellent returns until the demise of the drum traffic from Liverpool and we eventually absorbed the McGuffie fleet into the main Bewick operation.Not long after we aquired the McGuffie operation we had got the point where we had outgrown our second depot which was right in the middle of the village,there was a cracking workshop but only limited yard space which was only suitable for parking tractor units so our trailers were spread far and wide across customer premises and at a couple of places around the village,however,by early '76 I had my eye on another local firm,well it was an amalgamation of 3 firms,K.Fell &Co,J.L. Ion Ltd. and J.B.Hudson Ltd.all three were owned by Davy & Co(Grange) Ltd.and they had been in steady decline for a number of years,and in fact Bewick Transport had become their main source of back traffic to Milnthorpe over the previous couple of years!But it was their depot that I had my eye on to-gether with the 2:5 acre,disused,BR goods yard over the fence,and all this property was slap bang behind the Libby food factory where Bewick/McGuffie had circa 15% of the traffic and Fells etal had around 25% as the main haulier.In the event Libbys would only allow Davy to sell to a haulier that was already runnining out of the plant so guess who the favourite was? So I bought Davys out 7 motors 7 trailers and the depot,phew!Now that financial excercise took some putting to-gether,I can tell you! Enough for to-night Cheers Bewick.
These are the only two shots I can find of this fine Atki which I suppose was the “flagship” of the small McGuffie fleet we ran,it certainly was the most powerful as the other motors had,variousy,180LXB’s and ■■■■■■■ 205 and 220’s.The 8LXB Atki was about 3 years old when I bought it and it was ex Vic Wild,Stoke.It had the Fuller 9509 box and the Kirkstall HR D85 axle,unfortunately it didn’t have power steering as can be seen from the rear cab shot.Cheers Bewick.
Absolutely fascinating, Dennis. Those were the days in the sixties and seventies when there were enormous opportunities for those, like yourself, with the foresight and no fear of hard work.
All those years building up your multi-million pound pension fund!
40 years ago I would have been driving a Commer 2 stroke artic for Thomas Ingles in Wolverhampton. Had a lot of fun in those days, I’m still driving, the lorries are light years ahead but it’s not much fun out on the roads of today.
I was a passenger in this only 15yrs old during summer hols,i remember 6 of them coming brand new looked a lot better then all had a hard life,plenty of motorway contracts then over 10,000 ton a week leaving quarry at its peak.
40 years ago.I was a mobile plant fitters apprentise for Hoveringham Gravel.At that time i used to drive all the plant waggons on site.No
need for silly licences then.Manager said can you drive that and if not its time you learned.I had the privalage of learning to drive in
Foden two strokes and Leyland comets.When i was 21 i used to drive all the excavators and loading -shovels on site.Heres a picture of
the dumpers i worked on at that time.
oreet dennis ive had computer troubles back on noo readin thee life story but it,s come to a stop hasta forgot next bit maybe mek in to film like convoy @ git thee marra frae waverton in it you done ok must have been wid eaten o them turnips when you were a lad 40year ago i was drivin a 4 wheelerdodge all the best tom
milkmantom:
oreet dennis ive had computer troubles back on noo readin thee life story but it,s come to a stop hasta forgot next bit maybe mek in to film like convoy @ git thee marra frae waverton in it you done ok must have been wid eaten o them turnips when you were a lad 40year ago i was drivin a 4 wheelerdodge all the best tom
I’ve jumped the gun a bit Tom,40 year ago is still 1973 so as I had got up till 1976 the Mods have ruled me “out of order” so it will be 3 years time when I can continue eh! Cheers Dennis.PS who’s was the Dodge you were driving in '73?
oreet bewick lall dodge was da harrison EAO226K started 72 left jan 82 went mmb still theer mybee pack in next april see wat old pension,s like first eh
just finished serving my aprenticeship with chaseside engineering, worked weekends at dutton transport ,whalley.did 6 months fitting at jack bradleys,accrington.then got a start at ciceley commercials,blackburn who at that time were seddon dealers.fell out with frank jolly,workshop manager and went to spillers(wonderloaf),blackburn.got peed off,me and another fitter,pete gould god rest him started our own repair garage.found out i could make more money running trucks than repairing them so went for it.had a few tippers and diggers but construction industry went dead and sold 6 trucks and a fiat fl4 digger to an irishman for £800.and glad of it.the trucks were all ford d800s.best 8 tonner ever made for muck work in my opinion.went driving tippers for a year or so then got into demolition with w.sears &sons ltd of blackburn with a ford d800 and an old albion clydesdale for a few years.then got out of job for many years.happy days. jack preston.
Bewick:
During '74 at Bewick Transport I bought out another smaller haulier from Flookburgh,McGuffie Transport,who’s main customer was an Aintree based drum manufacturer Brabys,this was mainly loads of new 45gal drums up to Albright & Wilson at Whitehaven,the traffic south to Lancs/Cheshire/Wirral/Prestatyn was Steel/Pig iron ex Workington(subbed off J W Graham Bass Lake),Soap Powder ex A&W and loads out of Libbys,Milnthorpe to mainly Tesco,Winsford and to Quick Save,Prestatyn.The McGuffie operation gave us ready access to an entirely new source of traffic that didn’t overlap that of the Bewick operation which was more-or-less exclusively long distance work to and from the South East.We set about developing the McGuffie side and applying our own methods which enhanced and improved things almost immeadiately,we gained more traffic from Brabys with loads to the N East,Ardrossan,Fawley and Shell Haven,we were also able to add paper traffic out of Milnthorpe to Lancs and Cheshire.We also added in pulp shipments ex Ellesmere which we had been handling within Bewick Transport but we hadn’t had the benefit of a lot of motors tipping in the area so the McGuffie operation helped a great deal.This short/medium distance traffic was very lucrative and we enjoyed about 9 years of excellent returns until the demise of the drum traffic from Liverpool and we eventually absorbed the McGuffie fleet into the main Bewick operation.Not long after we aquired the McGuffie operation we had got the point where we had outgrown our second depot which was right in the middle of the village,there was a cracking workshop but only limited yard space which was only suitable for parking tractor units so our trailers were spread far and wide across customer premises and at a couple of places around the village,however,by early '76 I had my eye on another local firm,well it was an amalgamation of 3 firms,K.Fell &Co,J.L. Ion Ltd. and J.B.Hudson Ltd.all three were owned by Davy & Co(Grange) Ltd.and they had been in steady decline for a number of years,and in fact Bewick Transport had become their main source of back traffic to Milnthorpe over the previous couple of years!But it was their depot that I had my eye on to-gether with the 2:5 acre,disused,BR goods yard over the fence,and all this property was slap bang behind the Libby food factory where Bewick/McGuffie had circa 15% of the traffic and Fells etal had around 25% as the main haulier.In the event Libbys would only allow Davy to sell to a haulier that was already runnining out of the plant so guess who the favourite was? So I bought Davys out 7 motors 7 trailers and the depot,phew!Now that financial excercise took some putting to-gether,I can tell you! Enough for to-night Cheers Bewick.
Very interesting reading Sir There isnt many people around with your knowledge and experiance my own working life on the road pales into insignificance but i enjoyed being a lorry driver ps still working my way thru TNUK keep it up Dennis very good reading you should have had a KNIGHTHOOD years ago .Regards RAY
Updated to 40 years ago this week I was driving a Ford Transit delivering to show repair shops and factories like Hawkins (Dr Martens) within a 70 mile radius of Northampton.
at least I wasn’t giving ■■■■ and David any hassle like you and “buttons” were doing at around that time 
I think we started subbing Pulp to Howarth Bros in around '76 then we started helping them at this end when they were busy,they never trusted any of them Green or Grey firms from the Lune valley,or anyone else for that matter 
,but they knew we would never try to muscle in on their customers so we did OK working with them as you proably know.Cheers Dennis.
So I bought Davys out 7 motors 7 trailers and the depot,phew!Now that financial excercise took some putting to-gether,I can tell you! Enough for to-night Cheers Bewick.
These are the only two shots I can find of this fine Atki which I suppose was the “flagship” of the small McGuffie fleet we ran,it certainly was the most powerful as the other motors had,variousy,180LXB’s and ■■■■■■■ 205 and 220’s.The 8LXB Atki was about 3 years old when I bought it and it was ex Vic Wild,Stoke.It had the Fuller 9509 box and the Kirkstall HR D85 axle,unfortunately it didn’t have power steering as can be seen from the rear cab shot.Cheers Bewick.
my own working life on the road pales into insignificance but i enjoyed being a lorry driver