Henry Matthews and sons

[keithwbb]

Hi,Chris.I worked there around 75.It was Ron the Driver who got me the job.Do you remember Bonehead (Driver)?,young Gary (Golly),Pete (Dobbin)?.Dave Marris (Diddy) was into Rallying in his Mini.Did you ever see Ron's Lady Friend,she was known as Leather Lips.There were 2 Fitters there,i forget thier names,who moved in with each others Wives.I remember Len Shardlow bringing his car into the Garage to have something done to it,& he drove it straight down one of the pits.There was a Body Repairer/Painter there at my time who could repair & paint a Wagon,without taking one hand out of his pocket.Such Characters.

Keith.

[Manxdeedah]

I know you now Keith,been thinking about it all morning.Yes, I remember that wife swap thing between Dave and ----------can't remember t'other one.Dave used to work with a fitter called Len-"Doctor Death" who lived at Beighton and finished up working for himself with a Volvo F88."Bonehead" was on the Avenue tar job,Gordon was his name and bloody bonehead was rayt,what a thick sod he was."Golly" was an apprentice,a big tall lad and I remember Shardlow going into the pit!When you say Ron,do you mean Ronnie Beckett - Pancho? I used to knock around with him and he used to cab it in his Mandator,curtains the lot.Never saw his girl friend though.The painter was called Geoff and there was more action in a tramp's vest.I could write a book about my time at Evans.A lot of the drivers and fitters have passed away.I went to Les Padley's and Tony Lawless's funerals,also Jack Robinson's.In 1979 I had gone to work for MFS/Glass Glover on nights at Maltby and lost touch with a lot of the lads.I was made redundant in 1994 and went back on tankers for a few months driving for George Bloomer at Barlborough and Tony,Gordon Howarth,Les Padley,Dave Widdowson and Geoff were there,also another Geoff we called "Eek".after a few months I went back to Maltby when Wincanton took over.I still keep in touch with Gordon Howarth who is now 80,the old bugger.I'll tell him about our conversation.

 

PS.Do you remember Harry "pockets" Pierce and Burt Lancaster(true).

 

Chris.

[bullerboY]

Hi joe snr

Ogden askham (nunks) has passed away about four years ago,acording to nunks Matthews clocking in machine was always fast in the morning and slow at night him and fred Matthews had many battles over this,he worked with Roy Thompson and they made all the tipper bodies.

[choogling]

legend has it years ago the firm inspired cat stevens to write his top twenty song

[frankjnr]

Sorry for time lapse in adding item but ive only just been introduced to site.I am a grandson of the founder Henry Matthews.My dad was one of the sons.I worked for the company from leaving school to the early 70s.I remember most of the workforce from the early fifties to the early 70s.In answer to the James Childs subject.we wern't in direct competition,but actually had lorries with Childs names signwritten on the bodies as we were hired by them to move their demolition materials.We were the largest haulage contractors in Sheffield in the fifties and sixties,also we did excavation & demolition in and around sheffield since the second world war.I have photographs showing lorries & excavators clearing up the aftermath of the bombings in Sheffield City Centre in the late forties and early fifties.We also owned Sandygate Haulage with a fleet of around 12 lorries,most of which were on contract to RDB Freight Lines ltd Birley Vale and were painted in their livery.We moved from Cricket Inn Road where my Grandfather started the bussiness to Parkway Avenue in 1971.

[bullerboY]

Hi frankjnr, I knew your grandfather,also Fred ,Harry Len,Stan and frank I think Frank lived on Retford rd at the time.Fred is still alive and living nr Bury I think.Im still in touch with Fred Camm,one of the top mechanics there,he went to see Fred a while ago.I also remember George Guy and his secretary Miss Smith in fact i remember a lot of the people who worked there in the late fifties.When I was there your grandfather had a phase one vanguard a black one,another one of the brothers was Harold,almost forgot him.

[Manxdeedah]

I remember Henry Matthews very well,they ran a lot of TK Bedford tippers at one time,and when they moved out of Cricket Inn road A.E.Evans,the tanker firm I worked for,moved in.

[frankjnr]

Yes you were right Frank (my dad)lived on old retford road.Harold still lives at Aston.We ran mostly Bedfords but in later years moved on to Leylands Albions & Scammels.Been in touch with Fred Matthews (only Fred & Harold still living)he is keeping well.Glad to hear Fred Camm is still well(dont know if he will remember me I remember him) Sorry to hear Ron Garratty passed away,he was a great bloke an excellent painter & joiner & mechanic(and darts player.taught me to play darts in the paint shop!!)

[bullerboY]

Hi frankjnr,I remember matthews like yesterday,they were my formative years in the motor tradeand I learned hell of a lot and that knowledge stood me well in later years and was the benchmark I set for my own bussiness.I remember Fred always walking about picking washers of the floor,Yedow was his knickname.The lorries then were O&A model Bedfords and a few S type.Ron taught me how to coach paint,Roy taught me how to weld ,electric and gas also how to burn neatly.Cammy taught me mechanics and i listened.In those days we repaired everything,the lads today dont believe just what we did repair!

[bullerboY]

Hi frankjnr,just been talking to cammy and he does remember you,hes 83 now and still working his recovery business with his son in Doncaster.Some names i remember are,Cyril Oxley,Steve Gurr,Arnold Middleton,TommyMunks,Bob Mellers,Jim Slack, Ray Bates,Frank Morton,George Smith,Ray Jenkinson,Ron Frost Ernest Hepinstall,Ray Rotherham,Bernerd and Percy the tyre men.Matthews only once employed two lads I was one of them the other was Jack Worrall,we both started on the same day at easter 1957 and we had the same birthday.Fred sent Cammy a birthday card a few months ago.