Wigan Album

Cracking picture Oz would that be the quarry that was on both sides of Appley Lane & is that a Mickey Mouse cabbed Foden in the back ground?

pretty sure that his dave golding he came from scholes did he go driving in aus believe he wenbt to the faulklands to

You have the location right Tony , but the wagon on the left , which appears to be liveried in Finch’s old colours is an S39 . The Mickey Mouse was the S21 , but they’re both quite similar in appearance , as were the S36 and the S34 .

You’re right Tom , he did go to Australia . I don’t know for how long , then when he came back , he went driving for this outfit .

I’m glad you recognised him as I wasn’t 100% certain , as I only knew him from when I was a lad in the 60s , when he worked for Fred Rose up on the A6 at Blackrod .

He wasn’t much more than a lad himself at that time and he was employed as a driver’s mate .

I remember him being a gradely chap though .

I wonder if he’s still around … I’d like to think that he is .

Hope you don’t mind me asking this Tony , but I get the impression that you’re from Upholland way … well there used to be a firm with a few tippers that parked their motors down the side of the end property opposite the catholic college heading towards Roby Mill and I think they were Ashcrofts … any connection there mate ?

btw … I think their motors were Dodges …
Could be wrong .

Often am .

ozy
i believe dave passed away when he was quite young

I’m genuinely sorry to hear that Tom … I really am … My brother was better acquainted with Dave than I was , but he also passed away 21 years ago .

I’m really sorry to hear that news … Dave was a grand lad .

dave was a happy go lucky lad the last time I saw him in wigan he was buying some longjohns said he was going to the falklands and heard it was cold , was told he came back to wigan ,

Good to hear from you oz .
I never knew that Dave had been to the Falklands but I have heard that it can get a bit nippy down there .

Thanks for your post mate .

If you come up with any more reminiscences about the lad , I’d be more than happy to hear them .

Cheers pal .

Hi Ozy yes im from around there, that’s correct Ashcroft brothers Francis & Bernard no relation unfortunately 2 crackin blokes sadly no longer with us, they both used to come to the garage where i work, I know them through my dad who drove lorries all his life, think they were Dodges they had 3 if remember not sure if they were all 4 wheelers

They also had a six wheeler Tony .
They worked with us out of Gaskell’s quarry at Winwick in 1979 carting sand fill to various sites .

I remember getting stuck on a job in Oldham one time as one of the air valves on the 2nd N/S steering axle had seized and locked the brakes on .
I asked one of them , I’m not sure which one , but he was an elderly chap , to drag me off the site .
He obliged , but reversed back into my wagon , a mk ll Atki and in the process stove the radiator in .

I got sacked for that when I got back to the yard in Bryn road two hours later . But in retrospect , the lad did me a favour .

Btw , I gave you some duff info earlier . The quarry in question wasn’t on Appley lane north , it was on Skullhouse lane .

There’s quarries all over the place around there as you know .

Who did your old fella drive for Tony ?

Hi Ozy didn’t know there was a quarry on skull house lane, remember Parbold Hill, Round O, the 2 either side of the in Appley Lane & I think it was Howitt Hill you could see the loading bins from the top of Parbold Hill
My dad drove for Wm Gaskell from Crawford then later on H Bradley & Son from Appley Bridge
I remember Gaskell brothers wagons did they have a sand pit at winwick just of the motorway junction think they used to run out of Rainfords at Ince Moss as well

I presume that is the Ray Smyth who always posted interesting photos and information about transport and buses.

That’s the man Pw .
I only found out a few weeks ago that Ray had died as he posted a lot of stuff on a truck related site that I sometimes go on and one of his mates from Inverness way broke the sad news .
He knew Cheyenne from when they both drove for Baillies in Wigan long ago I believe .

Ozy.Forgot to put your name about my post on Ray Smyth.

I remember Gaskell’s from Crawford village Tony , I seem to recall they had a couple of rigids working out of Ravenhead brickworks when I was there , but their main work was out of Heinz I believe .
Didn’t they get bought out by Montgomery ?
And the sand quarry near junction 22 of the M6 owned by Colin Gaskell was known as borrowpit . All the pit waste from Parkside colliery is buried down there .
I think one of Bradley’s drivers had one arm shorter than the other or summat similar . Could be mistaken .

Yes Ozy think Montgomerys bought them out my uncle was still driving for Gaskells at the time, dunno about the rigids would need to ask my dad, your rite there main stuff was Heinz if i remember correctly at Kitt Green and possibly Standish there were a lot of nights away for my dad
Yes Herberts son John had no hands didn’t hold him back from driving an 8 legger though or much else for that matter
Would you remember any these Ronnie Gaskells garage, Albert Regan brick wagons, Wilf Rigbye brick wagons, Johnny Peet brick wagon, Wm Kirby’s tippers, think there’s was also a woman named Rose i think who drove for finches, the list goes on and on

Yes Ozy think Montgomerys bought them out my uncle was still driving for Gaskells at the time, dunno about the rigids would need to ask my dad, your rite there main stuff was Heinz if i remember correctly at Kitt Green and possibly Standish there were a lot of nights away for my dad
Yes Herberts son John had no hands didn’t hold him back from driving an 8 legger though or much else for that matter
Would you remember any these Ronnie Gaskells garage, Albert Regan brick wagons, Wilf Rigbye brick wagons, Johnny Peet brick wagon, Wm Kirby’s tippers, think there’s was also a woman named Rose i think who drove for finches, the list goes on and on

Thanks for that Ozy.

Ozy

Ray Smyth

Passed away on the 21st May 2025 aged 81 years. The funeral service shall take place on Tuesday 10th June 2025 at Wigan Crematorium at 12pm. All enquiries to Walker’s Funeral Service, 217 Ormskirk Road, Wigan WN5 9DN. 01942 231426 www.walkersfuneralservice.co.uk

Apart from Rose , I knew them all Tony .
Albert Regan had three trucks in Ravenhead and Jeff Rigby had half a dozen or so in there as well .
Johnny Peet’s middle name was Francis , so we called him JF . I think he still lives up at Hall Green .

There was another Johnny Peet , an elderly chap that drove a brick wagon for Gaskell’s and another one of Gaskell’s lads that we called Billy Brick , who lived in Beech Hill .

I knew all the Kirbys as well … Jeff , David , Brian and Mick .
Only Brian and Mick still survive , but they’re both retired now .

Oh aye ! … and Ronnie Gaskell’s garage on the Tontine … I think JF served his time on the spanners there didn’t he Tony ?

Cheers Keith .
I would more than likely have attended the lad’s funeral had I been aware at the time .

Very sad to hear the news of Ray’s death.
His posts were always interesting. I remember when I went on the train to UpHolland and he said the best way was to go by bus. He was right as usual! He knew his buses and wagons.
RIP Ray xx

Hi Ozy remember the old John Peet didn’t he park his wagon in Crawford nr Gaskells yard? Younger one is still living in upholland he comes to the garage we’re i work he did work for Ronnie Gaskell told me a few tales about working there all good, Billy Brick delivered the bricks for my garage i had built at home about 20 years ago the brick trailer still had a seat on the hiab must have been a museum piece, I’m sad to say Mick Kirby passed away in early 2024, did you work at Gaskells in Crawford if so you will probably know my dad and his brother

Sorry to hear of Mick’s passing Tony .
I have a photo of Mick and Birchy taken at the Pioneer plant in Queen st. on Mick’s final day .

Like myself , and thousands of other drivers nationwide , he’d decided he wasn’t prepared to tolerate any of this DCPC nonsense and quite sensibly binned the job , leaving the country with a shortage of time served competent hgv drivers .

I’ll put his photo on here under Pioneer concrete soon .

Poor lad , he didn’t enjoy much of a retirement though did he ? … and that just leaves Brian now .

And no , I never worked for Gaskell’s in Crawford, but good old John Peet eh ? … well , he was a helluva fella .

Next time you see JF Tony , ask him about the time that he won that Volvo in yon raffle ... Spawny git .

That’ll get him scratchin’ his yed .

His c.b. handle was Blue Prince too … tee hee !
He’ll be wondering how you knew that one .

Just tell him you’ve been talking to Maltloaf … he’ll know who you mean .

Yeah … I know … blimmin’ Maltloaf eh ?
Well there’s a story behind that one an’ all .

I’ve worked on said Volvo about 20 years ago John still has it parked in the garage!
No sadly Mick didn’t get much retirement at all, will tell John next time he calls in for a chat
Good old CB days my dads handle was limestone mine was black arrow I used to have a book with all the handles of people I’d spoke to but unfortunately no idea where it went