Approaching my 6th birthday ,unhappy days i hated school
in the third year of apprenticeship at local bedford dealer in poole, just bought an old bedford tk 10 tonner, under the 3 ton unladen weight limit so ok on car licence, 7 ton pay load ran it on marley tile with my mother driving it, and yes she handballed the tiles on and off again, three times a day if local or as far as southampton. local was £9 and southampton was about £12 per load. happy days.
Coincidentally I find this site today and yesterday I was in the longton area and had a ride into whitfires yard at farington 1st time id been in for over 35 years i used to cart baled shavings out of there to farms in north lancs n south ■■■■■■■ in my seddon mk 5L started in 1969 as a 17 year old she was just under 3 ton so off i started on a journey thats still goin in those days there was a lot of young lads driving wagons under 3 tons difficult nowadays to get a youngster interested in motors,i met joe grisedale last year who had the causeway garage at rufford in the 60s n70s we used to get jobs done thereand he said to me as i was stood by my seddon wheres the lad i had to laugh as i said im the lad that was 40 years ago,happy days ps, i can still pour a cup of coffee out on the engine cover on the m6
BIBS:
Coincidentally I find this site today and yesterday I was in the longton area and had a ride into whitfires yard at farington 1st time id been in for over 35 years i used to cart baled shavings out of there to farms in north lancs n south ■■■■■■■ in my seddon mk 5L started in 1969 as a 17 year old she was just under 3 ton so off i started on a journey thats still goin in those days there was a lot of young lads driving wagons under 3 tons difficult nowadays to get a youngster interested in motors,i met joe grisedale last year who had the causeway garage at rufford in the 60s n70s we used to get jobs done thereand he said to me as i was stood by my seddon wheres the lad i had to laugh as i said im the lad that was 40 years ago,happy days ps, i can still pour a cup of coffee out on the engine cover on the m6
I well remember your smart little Seddon Bibbs,up and down the top end of the then M6.But I bet you used to ■■■■ your coffee from a straw !!! “I can still pour a cup of coffee out ALL OVER the engine cover” !!! Cheers Dennis.
being potty trained…
wouldnt mind but i was 19 at the time 
I was tramping in the UK for Vic Wild with an Atki mk 2.
sammyopisite:
Bewick:
What I should have done ,on reflection,is “claused” the title of the thread with “for all those of us over 60,what were you doing 40 years ago” !! We are been over-run by cab happy school kids !!! Only joking ! Bewick.Dennis I would assume that your comment would apply to all of us on here just at different times in the last century
other wise we would have all took the advice and never entered the industry and become accountants,bankers or solicitors or some such dishonest rip off professional boring people who would have no exciting close to the wind tales to write for the enjoyment of the other members. The transport industry will be the same in a few decades time as every one is being watched and kept tabs on these days. I would be out of place in the transport industry today and the same can be said for a few more of our generation on here we did not ring in unless we required loading instructions and such like and the job was done our way without interference from office staff who know nothing of what happens on the road.
cheers Johnnie
the best ever years , living a life of trust .from hear to hell and back, no sat nav ,no tracker , trusted to go and return ,and no bloody mobil phone,
Bewick:
BIBS:
Coincidentally I find this site today and yesterday I was in the longton area and had a ride into whitfires yard at farington 1st time id been in for over 35 years i used to cart baled shavings out of there to farms in north lancs n south ■■■■■■■ in my seddon mk 5L started in 1969 as a 17 year old she was just under 3 ton so off i started on a journey thats still goin in those days there was a lot of young lads driving wagons under 3 tons difficult nowadays to get a youngster interested in motors,i met joe grisedale last year who had the causeway garage at rufford in the 60s n70s we used to get jobs done thereand he said to me as i was stood by my seddon wheres the lad i had to laugh as i said im the lad that was 40 years ago,happy days ps, i can still pour a cup of coffee out on the engine cover on the m6I well remember your smart little Seddon Bibbs,up and down the top end of the then M6.But I bet you used to ■■■■ your coffee from a straw !!! “I can still pour a cup of coffee out ALL OVER the engine cover” !!! Cheers Dennis.
Hi Folks,
Bibs with a load of bags of wood offcuts ex Burscough nr Ormskirk taken a long time ago.
Cheers Malc.
Probably loading a 40ft box of handball out of Proctor & Gamble on Trafford Park in the morning,
into Freightliners offload container, load m/t box back on, back to P/G load again.
I was 15 and in my last year at school
BIGRIG:
I was 15 and in my last year at school
You should be on the “juveniles” thread then “BIGRIG” !! Bewick.
In 1969 I was shunting at BRS Hampstead, when I left driving, the last wagon I drove being a F reg Mandator. I left to go to work in a film laboratory and then later worked at Thames Television for 27 years becoming a junior manager, after Thames lost its franchise I went freelance until I retired to Spain. Do I regret leaving the road, no! it was the best thing for me. Being on the road as a single lad was fine, but once I had got married I knew I could do better for a wife and children off the road, and I was right, I would not have enjoyed the way the Industry went as I now have not enjoyed the way the TV Industry has gone, but there you go, I am enjoying being retired…Tony
Suttons Tony:
In 1969 I was shunting at BRS Hampstead, when I left driving, the last wagon I drove being a F reg Mandator. I left to go to work in a film laboratory and then later worked at Thames Television for 27 years becoming a junior manager, after Thames lost its franchise I went freelance until I retired to Spain. Do I regret leaving the road, no! it was the best thing for me. Being on the road as a single lad was fine, but once I had got married I knew I could do better for a wife and children off the road, and I was right, I would not have enjoyed the way the Industry went as I now have not enjoyed the way the TV Industry has gone, but there you go, I am enjoying being retired…Tony
I was 15, this is exactly what I was doing 43 years ago to the day, I kept a log of trips with my Dad from 67-70 , I looked upon it as my apprenticeship, here’s a page form it , including the reg no, car types, date etc.
40 years ago I was 24 years old and full of vim and vigour and driving a B series ERF on Low Loader work for Coronation Plant Hire in Walkden Manchester. I carried our own plant and also was on contract to McAlpines It had no power steering and brakes that had my ar*e biting lumps out of the seat. The trailer was a 4 in line Dyson (twin bogeys) that at times had to be pulled out if the plant would not go over the side like tarmac spreaders or dump trucks. There was no hydraulic jacks just those barrat jacks and a long metal tube to racket them up and down with. It was very hard work and to top it all I used to sleep in the cab with the back seat off a car for a bed. Some times you can look back and think that they were the good old days but not all of them were. I remeber going over the heads of the valleys road going to South Wales with Caterpillar D8 on the back knowing that should something have gone wrong I could not stop.
Cliff
I was approaching 7 years old and always looking out the car window watching all the lorries go by and knowing from that day I would be driving one in the future. And I did! Best 19 years of my working life. I loved it. Still miss it now.
Regards,
Mark.
running up and down to milan for SCA Freight
Bewick:
BIGRIG:
I was 15 and in my last year at schoolYou should be on the “juveniles” thread then “BIGRIG” !! Bewick.
Thanks Bewick i look about 25 but i feel about 65 
Driving a Ford 13/6 digger for Pioneer Plant Hire, Blaydon. Can’t be FORTY years ago, surely…
malc step:
Bewick:
BIBS:
Coincidentally I find this site today and yesterday I was in the longton area and had a ride into whitfires yard at farington 1st time id been in for over 35 years i used to cart baled shavings out of there to farms in north lancs n south ■■■■■■■ in my seddon mk 5L started in 1969 as a 17 year old she was just under 3 ton so off i started on a journey thats still goin in those days there was a lot of young lads driving wagons under 3 tons difficult nowadays to get a youngster interested in motors,i met joe grisedale last year who had the causeway garage at rufford in the 60s n70s we used to get jobs done thereand he said to me as i was stood by my seddon wheres the lad i had to laugh as i said im the lad that was 40 years ago,happy days ps, i can still pour a cup of coffee out on the engine cover on the m6I well remember your smart little Seddon Bibbs,up and down the top end of the then M6.But I bet you used to ■■■■ your coffee from a straw !!! “I can still pour a cup of coffee out ALL OVER the engine cover” !!! Cheers Dennis.
Hi Folks,
Bibs with a load of bags of wood offcuts ex Burscough nr Ormskirk taken a long time ago.
0
Cheers Malc.
Would that load of offcuts be from Shepherds in Junction Lane by any chance?
My dad worked there before starting at Tommy Guy’s - I too remember Joe Grisedale & his garage from when I was very small. In fact, it’s still referred to as ‘Joe Grisedales’, despite having had god-knows how many owners since he sold it. Went past this afternoon and they were washing cars on the forecourt - sad end to a place that had plenty of character back in the day.