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5. SD Enthusiasts' Club Newsletter - Spring 20201.
WE’RE OFF TO SAINT LUCIA.
By Mick
Waldock.
By
my calculations there are ten Shelvoke ‘P’ types lined up in the above
photo. The one nearest to the camera has a sign which reads:- “Please
Help Keep St. Lucia Clean & Beautiful.” But more strangely both the
door and the cab front bear the name:- “ Marshall SPV”. When Mick
Waldock sent in the photo he explained:- “This photo is of the fleet of
vehicles sent to St Lucia at the end of 1991 for hand over on 31st
January 1992.They are all lined up ready to be presented to the St.
Lucia Minister of Community Development and Social Affairs. The
Presentation was also attended by Mr Michael Marshall, Managing
Director of Marshall’s Cambridge, and his wife.” As Shelvoke was nearing its sad end
Marshalls had gained an order to supply a fleet of refurbished vehicles
which included ten Shelvoke vehicles. The Eastern Caribbean island of
St. Lucia had a population of 181,889 in 2018 and this 1991 order was
to update their refuse collection facility. For several Shevoke
employees this Marshall order came at a very useful time as the
vehicles were re-furbished from September to December 1991 just as they
were made redundant. Les Spencer sent in this photo in July 2007.
I believe that the photo shows:- L to R Peter Whyatt, Bill Nesbitt, John Roden and Les Spencer.
Les Spencer had been the manager of SD’s Manchester Service Depot and in 1989 had completed 21 years with the company.
Mick sent two further photos from December 1992. He wrote:- “Some of
the vehicles did not fair to well in service due to the fact that, from
memory, only four had manual Gear Boxes whilst the rest were Automatics
which did not suit the climate and terrain. The ones with automatic
gear boxes were scrapped and used as spares.”
Mick also remembers that the sweeper sent did not like the sea journey
and the donkey engine failed to start and a new engine had to be sent
over and fitted, but it worked perfectly afterwards, as did the Skip
lorries and Tipper truck also supplied to them at the same time.
Mick Waldock August 2020
A fascinating story of an unusual part of the SD story. Ed.
