Arnold, "Dined out" for ages on this story. I was one of the drivers, on the Snowdon-Birmingham leg, and I appeared in the TV news programme on the Monday evening. I have never before seen the newspaper cutting. If I remember correctly the only motorway at that time was M6 from Gailey, did we call it the Preston by-pass?
Hi Jim I couldn't remember if you were on this trip or not. I seem to remember that the M6 motorway went from north of Stafford to the Scotland border but I may be wrong.
It was 1970 before the M6 was built over Shap. Stan Whitehead, who you will remember, went out of retirement to work as a civil engineer on this stretch.
The longest I have driven non-stop is from Kidderminster to Redruth. My friends and I had gone to visit the Severn Valley Railway for the day. From where we joined the M5 just north of Worcester to where the A30 becomes single carriageway just north of Truro I did not change gear. I'm not saying how fast I drove!
I remember that Arnold; I was one of the drivers. I was going on holiday to Scotland that week and volunteered for the leg from Sterling, (I think), to Ben Nevis and back. I drove there in my A40, parked in a lay-by and slept the night on a camp bed in the back. Next morning I cooked bacon and egg, the smell of which almost caused the postman to ride his bike into the ditch.
Development model in this case means developing your muscles in your left leg! The thing I remember about the vehicle was an electrically heated windscreen which was probably a recent innovation then. Were you the one who made the phone call from Onich?
One of a series of adverts that appeared in late 1950's. I can't find who "AF" was nor who wrote the copy.
I might have made the call but I think there were three of us in the box at the time and it could have been any one of us.
Is that Don Kettle in the background? I know the name John Hack. Keen footballer?
Probably was Don but I can’t remember Jim.
Do you know them personally Jim or is your memory far better than mine? Did you know apprentices Pete Doyle, Graham Woodward or Wilf Rogers?
Welcome, can you remember what he did and at which branch of WB that he worked.
I think he was a sprayer …his parents my Nan and grandad lived on deakins road number 32
Can't say I remember him, long time ago. He would have been able to fall out of bed straight into work. I lived just round the corner in Stockfield Rd. Also I had an aunt and uncle whose surname was Leek, they lived in Shirley.
Blimey small world With the name leek …he used to work at the tannery with his grandad in ammington road also
Cheers . Seems that we are around that area what did Wilmott Breedon and Churchill make.
I think wilmot breedon made parts for cars, it was on amington road, huge factory
Thanks for the information so much has changed over the years nice to put places on the map when you were growing up.
Wilmcote Breedon made the bulk of the door handles and other chromed items for the bulk of the British motor car industry, a major competitor during the 60s came in the shape of Fry from Wolverhampton, who I think andk as it is 60 years ago, took Ford away from them on both price and quality (Please correct me if I am wrong). W.Canning had a massive investment in plating eqpt etc in both.
My brother worked for Willmot and Breeden during the early 1960s making ignition keys.
