Henry Matthews and sons

any memories on Henry Matthews and sons Cricket Inn Rd.

i used to have a mate called barry ramsden used to drive for them around 1965.i used to drive for rileys at intake used to see mathews all over the uk

My memories of Henry Mathews were the immaculate state of their Bedford Lorries Probably 7.5 tonnes They always appeared to be carrying Tarmac. I can hear them and smell them now Dark Blue and black

Hi milted

I started my apprentieship there in 1957 a great firm to work for,we were mainly on demolition a bit of trunking and some plant,the tarmac you saw was when we wrer on contract to Hadfields on Worthing Rd at the side of the Nunnery pit.All Matthews lorries were hand painted bya man called Ron Garritya brilliant coach painter.

Hi milted

I started my apprentieship there in 1957 a great firm to work for,we were mainly on demolition a bit of trunking and some plant,the tarmac you saw was when we wrer on contract to Hadfields on Worthing Rd at the side of the Nunnery pit.All Matthews lorries were hand painted bya man called Ron Garritya brilliant coach painter.

....sure Rons (73-4?) still around ,living on Manor Park. (spelt Garratty) I must admit i never knew him as a coach painter - i always thought he was a mechanic - anyway he went from there down to the bin lorry depot on Bernard Rd till retirement?

hi bracken

he definatly did more coachpainting than fixing while I was there,agood bloke to say hes a wednesdayite.If you see tell him Fred Matthews is still alive and living at Bury,Lancs.Ask him he remembers riding on the back of a young lads Francis-Barnett and he will know who I am and that Cammy is alive and well,Isee him every month at his home in Donny.

my mothers brother Ogdan Askham worked for Matthews as a mechanic for many years

Is Barry Ramsden the one who lived on Brompton Road and went to Maltby St School

I remember Henry Matthews.They moved from Cricket Inn Road early 70s just before A.E.Evans Regent Transport moved in from Queens Road - I was with Evans for 10 years and can still smell Sheffield Butchers Hide and Skin across the road.

I remember Henry Matthews.They moved from Cricket Inn Road early 70s just before A.E.Evans Regent Transport moved in from Queens Road - I was with Evans for 10 years and can still smell Sheffield Butchers Hide and Skin across the road.

Hi,i wonder if I know you ?.I was Tyre Fitter for Evans,for a couple of years.If you remember,everyone there had a Nickname,mine was H.T.

Hi Kieth,I'm sorry pal it was a long time ago(1970-79).I remember a Keith who worked in the office with Ivor(Little Sport)Tyson when Len Shardlow was in charge(matey).When they moved to Cricket Inn Road in 1971/1 a driver called Bill Bullock went tyre fitting full time there.Names I remember were Bob(dogs) Snagg,Shekky Les,Big Ken Snell,Derek Rodgers who eventually became shop steward,the pixies from Cornwall/Chesterfield - Johnny King,Arthur Pimm and Johnny Sowden,Albert(what tha lookin' at") Roper,Willis ----,Don Morton,John Clare who went to drive for A and E Ecclesfield,Albert (Grimm) Noble who commited suicide,Tony(hobbing foot)Lawless,and a stack of others whose names will come to me.Fitters I remember were Malcolm Foster foreman,Ronnie Saynor,Les Padley:hihi: and his brother Ronnie,Stan ---,Geoff ---bodyman,Dave Maris whose brother was a Chesterfield based driver.Ronnie (Pancho) Beckett,Gordon (mother) Howarth who I still keep in touch with,and Jack Robinson,who like a lot of the others have sadly passed on.Oh,I nearly forgot Billy Walker ex BRS who eventually ended up as a commissionaire at Telegraph and Star-he was nice chuff.

What years were you there?

Chris.

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.

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.