Eddie .
Bit of a poor shot this one I’m afraid John , as it’s a copy of a copy of a copy , but this would have probably been the view through the windscreen of your Comet as the acrid fumes from your smoking clutch were filling the cab . I’m not sure of the exact year when this photo would have been taken , but I’m guessing mid to late 60s wouldn’t be that far wide of the mark.
Hi John, Yes, you are right, this is the exact location that you mentioned, Standishgate, on the A49. In the picture, the W.Roby Atkinson
has passed through the pedestrian traffic lights on the day of Wigan Carnival, year unknown. Woolworths store is on the right, today it is
W.H.Smith. Ribble Leyland Leopard 211 is approaching the pedestrian traffic lights that you mentioned, on route 326 to Crawford, and the
chap in the white shirt on the left of the 2nd picture is near to where the pedestrian crossing was.
In 1979, about a year after I started my own small transport business, I became an accredited carrier for Rank Hovis at their then new site
at Wingates, Westhoughton, on the A6. On the opening day there were several carriers, including Davies of Stockport, Carmans of Stoke,
Geoff Christie of Blackburn, myself, and Walter Cochrane from Lindale. At that time, Walters lorry was a red ERF 4 wheeler flat.
It was all sheeting and roping for the first couple of years, but we all very soon developed into curtainsided lorries, Did you ever know
Walter ? In the later years, his son Linden carried the business on.
Best Regards, Ray.
Hello Eddie and Ray,
Thanks for your trips down memory lane, Wigan! I have a good memory for my youth, but sadly it’s in chunks. I can remember being on that hill and choosing second over crawler and getting away in kangaroo jumps before the engine smoothed out- but can’t remember the other side or going into Riding and Anderton’s yard.
I also remember getting a cheque for £30 for a job I did in Scotland, and going into the NatWest in Wigan and asking if I could cash it. I was taken into the manager’s office and told that I could pay it into my account and take out the cash, but that they wouldn’t convert it straight into cash. Since I had already said I wanted the thirty pounds, I did that, although my idea had been to not put it ‘through the books.’ Another world. They accepted the cheque and gave me the money, even though my account was in Barrow, without any communication with Barrow.
John.
John West:
Hello Eddie and Ray,Thanks for your trips down memory lane, Wigan! I have a good memory for my youth, but sadly it’s in chunks. I can remember being on that hill and choosing second over crawler and getting away in kangaroo jumps before the engine smoothed out- but can’t remember the other side or going into Riding and Anderton’s yard.
I also remember getting a cheque for £30 for a job I did in Scotland, and going into the NatWest in Wigan and asking if I could cash it. I was taken into the manager’s office and told that I could pay it into my account and take out the cash, but that they wouldn’t convert it straight into cash. Since I had already said I wanted the thirty pounds, I did that, although my idea had been to not put it ‘through the books.’ Another world. They accepted the cheque and gave me the money, even though my account was in Barrow, without any communication with Barrow.
John.
Hi John, Thank you for your post, what a shame that your “Arse Pocket” £30.00 from Scotland had to go “Through the books”.
From your traffic light crawler gear location on Standishgate, it was straight on, pass under the railway bridges at North Western
station, the London to Glasgow (And Barrow) line 
, then further down Wallgate, pass under the Liverpool to Wigan line and
Riding & Anderton was on the right, down Frith Street. This area is now occupied by B & Q and a very big Asda.
Cheers, Ray.
A Pagefield electric lorry made by Walkers Brothers at Pagefield Ironworks, Wigan.
I expect the fridge was electric to keep the ice cream cool. 
Ray Smyth.
N. Booth & Sons were my diesel and oil supplier for many years. Booths were a local company,
based at Appley Bridge, about 4 miles from Wigan, and were a pleasure to deal with.
Toward the end of each month, I would phone Booth`s to order next months diesel, and David
Booth would usually ask if we had enough to last until the end of the month, and if we were
running low, he would send 1000 gallons the following day, but only put it on next months account.
Pictures: Edward Booth.
Ray Smyth.
One from your neck of the woods Ray. I don’t know the paint company and that’s a very unusual cab.
Usual click to enlarge.
Regards John.
old 67:
One from your neck of the woods Ray. I don’t know the paint company and that’s a very unusual cab.
Usual click to enlarge.0
Regards John.
Thanks for this picture John, I have never seen that type of cab on a Morris FG series lorry.
Also, I am trying to establish the location, at first assuming it was in the Wigan area,
but it could be anywhere. I cant make out the name of the paint company, but I will
do a bit of ferreting about, and see what I can find. Meanwhile, Keep safe and take care.
Best regards, Ray.
The only time I have seen those type of cabs on FGK’s was as part of integral bodied luton’s. John Lewis had a few, I rebuilt some of their engines, and Modern Display had some on continental work.
The paint company.
flickr.com/photos/36844288@ … 995104772/
google.co.uk/search?q=robbi … 66&bih=654
Pete.
old 67:
One from your neck of the woods Ray. I don’t know the paint company and that’s a very unusual cab.
Usual click to enlarge.0
Regards John.
A case of a ‘thruppenny-bit’ cab being smoothed into a ‘florin’ one! Ro
old 67:
One from your neck of the woods Ray. I don’t know the paint company and that’s a very unusual cab.
Usual click to enlarge.0
Regards John.
Hi John, I have done a bit of ferreting about, and there was a paint factory on Atherton Road, Hindley (A577).
I understand that it became " Keystone Paints " and later, " Berger Paints ". I am still wondering who built the
cab on the Morris FG lorry, and also, where is the location. Keep safe and take care in this difficult time.
Cheers, Ray.
Thanks for the reply Ray. I was surprised I had’t heard of the paint co., seeing as Ripponden & District carried for almost every paint ( and most other ) manufacturer in the North of England.
Look after yourself too Ray.
Regards John.
McMullan Transport from Ballymoney in County Antrim had a depot at Worthington Way in Wigan.
A regular arrival at Wigan, 5 nights a week was fresh mushrooms from Mourne Mushrooms for the
supermarket trade. NMP.
Yesterday, I was saddened to hear that HGV driver Ernie Barton passed away toward the end of April.
I remember Ernie from the 1960s when he was a bus driver with Wigan Corporation. In the mid 1970s,
Ernie drove a brand new Seddon Atkinson for TI Markland, formerly England Tubes. I also knew that he
drove for G.L.Baker who I think had a depot at Warrington. His funeral is a " Graveside Ceremony " at
St Matthews Church at Highfield, Pemberton, Wigan, on Monday May 11th. Ernie, Rest In Peace.
Ray Smyth
Volvo FH12 of McMullan Transport from Ballymoney in Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland.
This Volvo, reg number J80 MMT, was based at their Wigan depot for a while. NMP.
McMullan Transport Volvo and fridge trailer. They had a depot at Worthington Way in
the Marus Bridge area of Wigan from 2004. Click picture for better image. NMP
Fayle Transport from Appley Bridge near Wigan has been carrying forklift trucks for many years.
Click picture for larger image. NMP>
I bought this ex Bass Charrington Brewery Bedford TL when it was 5 years old.
It had Boalloy " Linkliner " bodywork, which I soon had converted to curtain
sided spec. From memory, I think it was about 12500 kg Gross vehicle weight,
and it could carry just a whisker under 8000 kg. It was ideal for the multidrop
work that we did for many years at Rank Hovis, delivering to bakers shops
food wholesalers, hospitals, bakery colleges, and prisons, and during the
summer, weekly deliveries to Pontins at Blackpool.
Ray Smyth.
I am saddened to announce that Dominic Fagan passed away recently, he was in his late 70s.
Dominic was a chap that I first met about 50 years ago, and he was an HGV driver for most of
his working life. He was born in Avoca in Co.Wicklow, Ireland, where the TV series “Ballykissangel”
was filmed. One of Dominic`s jobs was running to Italy and Spain for Steve Morris Int. Transport.
In his later days, he did an occasional trip for me, usually to Clydebank and Dundee. Rest in peace Dom.
Ray Smyth.
The Plant Hire company of J.J.Bullen were formerly based at Appley Bridge,
not far from Wigan. They are now at Carr Lane near Ormskirk. I found this
picture on one of my daily visits to Trucknet.
Ray Smyth.
