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Just by way of a change from railways; whilst driving my lorry to a West Wales farm the other day, I came across an old "Marshalls" trailer, still in original livery but looking decidedly tired. The farmer was using it for storage; it brought back a few memories.

There used to be a lot of hauliers around Nottingham, sadly I don't have any photos but perhaps some of you guys do.

Ones I remember;

Geo. Dominic ( STR they were on Glaisdale Drive?)

Stirlands (still going but now TDG I think)

Marshalls (was their yard near Balloon Woods?)

Clearway (Triumph Road, still see them about)

Watts of Notts (a very early user of Scanias , based on Porchester Road)

All of the above, apart from Watts, were mainly contracted to Boots along with William West's of Ilkeston.

When I came out of the Army in the early 80's, I ended up driving for an agency called "Mayday" on Bridlesmith Gate. Some of my regular clients were Randall's plumbers merchants, on George Street (run by a little bald-headed and toothless bloke called Joe who was the most prolific swearer I've ever met in my life!) and also Fords whose warehouse was also in Hockley. I also used to do quite a bit for Clearway, mentioned above; their fleet was mostly Leylands and boy did they have some old wrecks!

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HI CATZ / Nice of you to answer, I am now living in Swinton , Manchester, but still miss Nottingham, I will be 75 in March and I look back on my life , and were iv,e been , but I

They were still doing a little bit of that in 1987 when I started working there. There were no depots at the resorts by then but we still took a few cases; growing car ownership and package holidays k

My godfather, Derek Foster worked for Harris for many years; he ended up driving a road sweeper for Gedling council, said it was the best job you could wish for. He always told me to avoid road haulag

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Just up the road from 'Watties' was William ORANGE. My old dad used to drive for them - all over the Country. As an ex HGV / PSV misen, I don't think i'd would have fancied driving all over the place in those tiny 4 wheel lorries (tho' I chose to go with his whenever I was off school,,,,,)

I can only recall the very short wheelbase trucks that Watties used,,,, can't recall if they were Dodge or Bedford. A lot of 'em had the bar across the rad' grill.

Baz

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...Marshalls (was their yard near Balloon Woods?)...

Marshall's had their huge yard on the site of the present day Morrison's supermarket at Bulwell, extending up to the railway viaduct. They were a large organisation who, at one time, had upwards of 100 vehicles - with dozens of office staff.

Cheers

Robt P.

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Think Marshalls at one time at Bulwell where the old viaduct was near the lido, and Watts was in an old quarry on Wells Road, another bit out of town was Rennie (if spelt right) Hogg at Awsworth (where Hogs Head pub is now) slept in one of their cabs after the band did an outdoor night gig there (till coppers came) think later firm became R H Frieght? 2 others I remember were Hodgekinson? I think part owned by Blackburn and Starling on London Road and even earlier Joe Chamber on Haydn Road New Basford

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I can only recall the very short wheelbase trucks that Watties used,,,, can't recall if they were Dodge or Bedford. A lot of 'em had the bar across the rad' grill.

Think that'd be the demolition side, Baz. I knew Dave Watts slightly, he and his pal Roger Radford (who owned Thomas Long) used to drink in the Red Lion at Thurgarton, opposite my house. Nice bloke, no side to him at all.

The artics were mainly used for abnormal loads ISTR, usually big steel RSJ's.

Ashley, you are quite right; Rennie Hogg are now RH Freight, big depot on Lenton Lane and apparently doing well. Most of their work is European groupage.

Katyjay, I think Newtons are still going too, and yes they did do mostly bulk milk.

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Down Netherfield were Hensons , Steads and Radford transport; all on Great Northern Way. I worked for the latter for a total of 5 years. i still see Hensons old drags used as storage facilities. There is one near the track side between Long Eaton and Nott'm (maybe in the Attenborough area. ) I have also seen one in Birmingham.!!

A local haulage firm round here is S, Coopers, I was watching are run episode of "Coast" recently (In the Hebrides) and , blow me, if one of Coopers trucks didn't go past!! True honest.

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My late Dad drove for Gurney's during the 60's and then on to Bartons out of Chilwell. He drove for numerous companies in the 50's too.

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Yes...was reminded yesterday that Barton had a haulage section by seeing a Corgi model of one of their lorries - same red livery as the buses...didn't Skill's also run a haulage business, alongside the coaches?

What was that large parcels transit haulier that operated off Duke Street in Basford?

Cheers

Robt P.

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Re skills, heard interview on Radio Nottm years back, grandson of founder? he said the original Mr Skill had a "Fish round" one man business in Derby and every day collected his fish from Nottingham off the fish train, on way to Derby he gave people who were walking to work at spondon (miles away!) a ride for a tip, in finish was making more money doing that than on fish round so converted lorry to bus!

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Barton had a haulage section - same red livery as the buses...

Indeed they did, Rob; they had several trucks on the Middle East run, couple of AEC's and a Fiat.

In the June 2008 issue of Classic and Vintage Commercial magazine, there is a feature on a Scammell Handyman tractor unit which has been restored to Bartons' colours.

08_06_CVC_med.jpg

One interesting fact I gleaned from comments on another site about this; apparently Bartons were, for many years, the biggest private bus operator in the UK. I still clearly remember the distinctive bark of the exhaust on their buses.

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Theres a photo to be found on internet (forget where) of a Skills bus going down a road in Germany about 1937 looks really strange surrounded by swastika flags and other nazi things. It was going to a boxing tournament with Nottingham City Police Boxing Team on board

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Didn't Marshalls take over the old Rolls Royce testing site at Balloon Woods in the 60's after it had been derelict for a few years. I don't know who's there now, but at least the place is preserved pretty much intact and still in use.

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Very interesting topic and a lot of memories coming back to me, the only ones I can think of at the moment is Thomson and Jewitt from Pasture lane Ruddington, Used to run out to Scandinavia a lot I think, and didn't British Road Services (BRS) have a depot in Nottingham? (Some where near the bottom of Ilkeston road, can't remember the name of the yard) I think they used a lot of AEC lorries

Rog

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Wasn't BRS on Triumph Road next to the Players Bonded Warehouse, I may be imagining this but I'm sure a loading bay was still in situ when I cut down there a few months ago, probably student accomodation now.

I liked the pics of the Barton gas buses and cars, I bet the drivers still smoked then, a Park Drive flicked out the window could have had interesting results on a windy day.

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BRS, when I worked there, was on Carrington Street opposite the Midland Station. they later moved to Castle Meadow Road. Used to pick up a unit from there, go to Langley Mill, collect a trailer with 300 barrels of Guinness, and deliver to Shippo's in Basford; reload with empties, back to Langley Mill, have dinner, then do the same to Home Brewery in the afternoon.

Just remembered, they also had a big depot on Wells Road though I never went there.

Now that was a proper day's work! :Shock:

Thompson Jewitts ended up on Fulwood Industrial Estate at Sutton-in-Ashfield, just off Junction 28.

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Re: Marshalls in Bulwell.

My step brother Mick used to work there as his father in law was some sort of gaffer - Sid was his name - Don't recal the last name.

My other step brother (Malc) was also employed there in the office and my brother used to work there as well.

Small world.

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Placketts were also a very large firm of Parcels carriers - believe they had depot at Staplefored, but not sure if they're still around.

They worked a 24 hour operation for sorting and distribution from modern premises and with modern automated systems (for the time).

But (working for their Insurers at the time) I sometimes had to discuss security ideas with them.

Although they had the latest in alarm systems, and vehicle alarms, I also found that they had gone back to an idea from the time of Roman Britain for a back up alarm system.

They kept a small flock geese in the yard. The noisiest and most effective alarm system - should they be disturbed by any intruder in the night!

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Firbeck

I worked on Triumph Rd for 5 yrs, walking past the Bonded Warehouse to get to Raleigh. In between the 2 was Cripps. It was the service dept for heavy vehicles, like dump trucks, tractors etc.

Kath

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Placketts were also a very large firm of Parcels carriers - believe they had depot at Staplefored, but not sure if they're still around.

They kept a small flock geese in the yard.

They're not, I'm afraid. Finished quite a few years ago; ISTR under rather unusual circumstances but can't remember the exact details, could anyone please enlighten us? Didn't know about the geese, but it's not an unusual set-up down here in Wales; one alarm system you can't bypass!

There were a lot of smaller carriers around years ago; I worked for Rainbows of Southwell, still going as a founder member of the Nightfreight group. Crowfoots were another, and there was also Ben Copes of Ilkeston, who did a lot in the hanging garment trade.

K & M (Keetch and Marshall according to my old man) are still about, but under different management I think and they are (or were) based on Hucknall Aerodrome. Back in the 1970's they had a lot of Fodens, always immaculate in a dark green and white livery; most of their business was bulk coal but you did see some on flatbed work. You could hear them before you saw them where I lived at Thurgarton, as the empty trailers rattled like buggery coming down the hill!

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Ayup all,

Was there an haulier based in Chettles yard going by the same name? and what about all those gravel pit lorries from Hoveringham

Rog

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