Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2024 i Heritage Commercials

A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR If you have enjoyed this issue of Heritage Commercials and have a passion for the world of classic lorries, trucks and vans, then why not subscribe? You will save money on the shop price and receive every issue delivered directly to your door! SUBSCRIPTION BENEFITS ➔ ENJOY ONE WHOLE YEAR OF HERITAGE COMMERCIALS ➔ GET EACH ISSUE DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO YOUR DOOR IN 100% PLASTIC-FREE PACKAGING ➔ SAVE UP TO £45* ➔ NEVER MISS AN ISSUE OF YOUR MUST-HAVE MAGAZINE SAVE UP TO £45* Scan me EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE 1. GO TO SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/HCMAD 2. CALL US 01959 543747 QUOTE HCMAD 3. USE THIS QR CODE TO GO DIRECTLYTO OUR WEBSITE 4. COMPLETE THE FREEPOST POSTAL COUPON Lines open Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:30pm. Calls charged at your…

Now in its eleventh year, The Rural Past Times Vintage Working Weekend held at Horns Cross in East Sussex, once again attracted large crowds to the countryside event. The show’s principal aim is to provide an insight into the working world of farming throughout the ages including country pursuits. For the commercial vehicle enthusiast there was plenty to see at the show that throughout its two days raised a considerable amount of money for local and regional charities. The oldest vehicle at the show was a 1929 Leyland SQ2 owned by Robin Andrews. One of the vehicles with an interesting back story is the Austin FFK that was originally constructed for use as an airport gritter lorry. It was later found in Dorset by Martin Knapp and Martin Lawrence with…

SEPTEMBER 2024 COVER: E. W. LIST OF DEBENHAM INSIDE: Dudley’s Dennis Elites, Merryweather ET – Part 2, ERF ECT AUGUST 2024 COVER: MERRYWEATHER EMERGENCY TENDER INSIDE: Ford D Series, Kelsall Show JULY 2024 COVER: BEDFORD KM INSIDE: Transport Museum, Volvo F7, The Lorry Battle of Britain JUNE 2024 COVER: A SHROPSHIRE SOJOURN INSIDE: Aussie Tippers, Peugeot 304 and a holiday horsebox MAY 2024 COVER: FABULOUS FORDSON INSIDE: Morris Commercial LC5, and a Fruehauf trailer rebuild APRIL 2024 COVER: DODGE 300 INSIDE: Scammell Crusader, Austin A35 van and Highland trucks MARCH 2024 COVER: SCAMMELL CRUSADER INSIDE: Austin Twinshaft Commercial, Recovery Lorries and Iveco FEBRUARY 2024 COVER: TWO AUSTIN SEVEN VANS INSIDE: Dennis Eagle Elite chassis, the Bedford Story and a DAF collection JANUARY 2024 COVER: IVOR OWEN & SONS INSIDE: Shropshire…

In the 1920s, bananas were a luxury fruit and very expensive, they had to be imported from far away; mostly India and South America. When I started work as an apprentice engineer in the 1950s, bananas were also being grown in the Canary Isles. I got just two weeks’ annual leave; the factory manager took his on a banana boat with his wife, they sailed to the Canaries as passengers on this cargo boat paying for their fare and board! They always returned with a strong tan – so, although I didn’t know where the Canaries were, I realized they must be pretty hot, and far away. So, this example was new in 1928 to S. Sinnett & Son of Macclesfield, in Cheshire, banana importers and fresh fruit wholesalers, and…

520 trucks assembled over the weekend. Amid the modern, south west fleet lorries, were the Best of British ERF entries from the Jeans and Champion families. These included a significant 1964 ERF LV 4x2 tractor unit with a Gardner 120 engine owned by Brian Jeans. It has a cab built for ERF by Jennings which is a long door. This is the only known long door tractor unit left to exist with this model cab. This has been confirmed by REVS ERF Owners Club. This LV was supplied new to Fine Fare then sold to Congdon Bros for hauling Cotswold stone. Brian acquired it from a farm sale and has carried out a restoration over the last 20 years. After being laid up, May 2020 was the first time the…

Brooklands in Surrey is the home of British aviation and transport and at their Working Vehicles Day in July, some of the area’s best examples of commercial vehicles were put on display. Among the historic aircraft including a Wellington bomber and Harrier jump jet the working vehicles were put on display on part of the old racing circuit for the thousands of visitors drawn to the Surrey museum. One of the standout exhibits at this year’s event was a 1948 Diamond T flatbed truck in its original colours, which had been shipped into the United Kingdom from the United States. It had been bought in Oregon and driven to Los Angeles in 2009 winning multiple prizes enroute. In 2018, it was converted into its current flatbed configuration. The museum’s collection…

A historic ceremony took place in London in July, with a wide range of vintage vehicles entering in to Guildhall Yard. These excellent photographs were sent in by Peter Quinn. Hosted by the City of London and the Worshipful Company of Carmen, the Cart Marking Ceremony, started around 500 years ago, as a form of vehicle licensing. After the owner had paid for a licence, a mark would be burnt onto their wooden cart, signalling it was officially certified. Even today, all vehicles passing through Guildhall Arch still pay (25p) to the City of London, in honour of the tradition. A red hot iron brand is used, although today, it’s pressed onto a block of wood attached to the vehicle, rather than the chassis itself. More than 50 vehicles took part,…

I thought readers would be interested to see these pictures that add to the story of this enterprising early pioneer of using motorised transport. So, let us have a brief update and recap: Eldridge Pope was an early user of the motor lorry purchasing a Leyland fourton R.A.F type lorry; registered FX 4851 in September 1919. It carried, what was to become, the firm’s distinctive green livery and was fitted with a canvas roof to the cab; a high-sided body and was shod on solid rubber tyres being limited to 12mph. The heavy vehicles in the Eldridge Pope fleet were all Leylands and in 1933, the company was once again a pioneer in the local road haulage scene, when they purchased a Leyland Buffalo chassis fitted with a six-cylinder oil engine,…

Having missed Truckfest at its inaugural Lincoln show, I was somewhat pleased to see I just happened to be north of the border on the weekend that Truckfest Scotland was due to be staged at Ingliston, near Edinburgh. So it made more than good sense to call in, on what was essentially my way heading home anyway! I like Truckfest Scotland as I love those artistic and stunning liveries that many Scottish hauliers still, thankfully, choose over ‘boring’ plain white. Plus there’s a lot of classic trucks that often don’t get to the shows in England, for good reason. It was a chance to catch up with many friends as well, and the weather played ball, in fact it was much brighter and sunnier than had been forecast. I’d stayed…

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Steward, Terry Moore, started us off with his ex-RAF 1986 Seddon Atkinson 411. One of the show highlights was the father and son, ERF Team, Ray and Steve Comer from Barnstaple, North Devon. Ray exhibited the 1997 ERF EC11 six-wheeler flatbed. This was originally owned by Entwistles Bricks & Block, Manchester. The current owner used this EC11 in the agricultural industry. New for this show season is a 1989 ERF E8 six-wheel tipper. This E8 was bought brand new from Frank Tucker of Exeter, Devon, for hauling lime for use in the agricultural industry and was on the road until 2015. This tipper features a Cummins eight-litre engine, Fuller nine-speed transmission, 16 tonne capacity and 25 tonne GVW. The recent renovation included a new cab floor, relining the brakes, new…

The rolling Kent countryside around the village of Woodchurch near Ashford once again played host to one of the regions largest gatherings of steam, commercial, tractors and military vehicles over the weekend of 3-4 of August. The venue used is a private aviation landing strip so among the hundreds of vehicles on display were also gliders and a North American OV-10 Bronco light ground attack aircraft flown into the event from Germany. As visitors entered the showground they witnessed over a dozen fire engines of all eras, with an Austin KB 2 Heavy Unit that saw active wartime service. At the other end of the age spectrum was Water Tender Escape AH253 HPE that was built in 1984 on a SS135RA chassis at the cost of £42,850. It was displayed…

Christened by one owner as ‘Julie’ from its registration JLE. It was tasked with inspection and control of radio amateurs, location and prosecution of pirate radio stations. Additionally, tracing and preventing interference with the GPO telephone service, and BBC radio broadcasts (only two to choose from – the original Home Service containing the news and serious debate), and the newly introduced Light Programme consisting of entertainment and popular music; to compete with Radio Luxemburg that was outside the jurisdiction of the government; as would be Radio Caroline’s off-shore pop music – and well in to the future. Also, the BBC had introduced the third programme in September 1946 to provide more classical music and more serious discussions. Some disruption might be unintentional from the early attempts of taxi firms to…

So often these days, I see a classic truck, but I’m not in a position to snap it or find out anything about it. Sometimes it’s a working truck that comes at you from the other direction and simply flashes past you. Other times it’s dumped on private property and too far away to get even a half decent ‘spy shot’ even with a telephoto lens; and trespassing isn’t really my thing as I can’t run fast any more. Well… not always! Occasionally, I see something interesting parked at the roadside and while getting a decent or two picture might be possible, I’m simply on a deadline to be somewhere else or simply unable to stop. In late July into early August I had a week doing jobs for our…