SD 100 – 2020
Plans are advancing for two events in 2022 to celebrate the Centenary of the foundation of Shelvoke & Drewry Ltd. in Letchworth Garden City in 1922.
Peter
Johnston is intending to take six vehicles to the
British Motor Museum’s Annual Classic & Vintage Commercial
Gathering at Gaydon, Warwickshire on 11th
& 12th
June 2022. He invites other
owners of vehicles to take their vehicles to the event, and would appreciate you contacting him.
The Garden City Collection has confirmed that they will be organising an Exhibition at Letchworth to run for a period in the Autumn of 2022. An Official Opening will take place but admission will be by invitation only as numbers will necessarily be limited. Your Editor is grateful to the three people who have volunteered to assist him in organising this event.
Further details of these events will be notified in future Newsletters.
A PT Revopak demonstrates in North Devon.
Mike Mullarkey sent in a quantity of photos. The one above shows a PT Revopak on demonstration in North Devon. Mike believes that in the photo there is a back view of the late Colin Humble. More photos will appear in future Newsletters as space allows.
NEWSLETTER EXTRA No. 6 Published on 6th April 2021.
In
April I published my sixth Newsletter Extra which features Paul
Basson’s memories from working at SD from 1976 until 1982. If you
missed seeing it
 |
We have seen a large increase in the membership of the SD
Enthusiasts’ Club Facebook Group. Currently our membership stands at 507
members. Facebook reports that of these 286 are “Active Members”.
Since starting the Group in January 2016 Facebook has become the primary source of information for this Newsletter, although many interesting emails are still received along with a number of phone calls. I try to give a personal welcome to each new member. If you haven’t seen the Facebook Group please do so on https://www.facebook.com/groups/sdenthusiasts YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A MEMBER TO SEE THE CONTENT.
PHOTOGRAPHS OF FORMER SD EMPLOYEES.
It’s a bit of a “bee in my bonnet” that I get frustrated when I see photos without any captions. When I see photos of former SD employees I have an urge to put names to all the people shown, but sadly as the years pass names are forgotten – and nobody thought to put these details on the back of the photo.
The following names have been suggested from the photo in the Spring Newsletter of the 1963 Inter Works Football Cup Winners.
Front Row L to R :- ?, ?, Colvin Cooper (holding cup – no relation to Freddy Cooper) Robin Flowers, Les Tiplady.
Back Row L to R :- Barrie Crossley (Goalkeeper), Freddy Cooper or Pete Cherry?
Other names suggested are :- Brian Fletcher, Neil Hodgkins, Keith Mullan and George Moulton.
Names suggested by:- Roger Morrisroe & Phil Dent. Thank You.
LONDON FIRE BRIGADE SPV WX Pump Ladder Reg. No. GWY 611 W
When Gordon Wilson posted the above photo someone asked why there wasn’t the little porthole window in the front passenger door. Terry Prince replied:- The kerb window in the door was a special requirement of the London Fire Brigade but was sometimes removed for either (a) the appliance had been involved in an accident or (b) the door being replaced due to corrosion.
In the case of the particular appliance GYW 611 W, it was running to a fire call whilst on the run at Southall following GYW 609W which stopped and this appliance didn’t, hence the absent kerb window and all the badges were lost when the front panels were replaced.
The window in the door was a special order for London, hence when a new door was fitted the window was lost.
CHILDHOOD MEMORIES OF STRATHCLYDE FIRE BRIGADE, GLASGOW.
Eck Smith recalled:- “My Dad drove two Shelvoke & Drewry high reach appliances in Strathclyde Fire Brigade, Glasgow, and many more other makes of fire appliances, the turntable ladder PGB 355 V was based at my Dad’s station, the West Marine/ West / now Yorkhill fire station Glasgow. As a young child, before health and safety came in to the fire services, my dad gave me a shot at the controls for the ladder. Great memories as a 6 year old child in 1981 a week before Christmas, as my Dad put the ladder up the tower to get Santa down for the kids’ Fire Station Christmas party. That’s when he shouted to me to come up to show me how to work the controls of the appliance. My Dad also drove the hydraulic platform B 870 AGD while at the Northwest fire station in Glasgow. I have two wall plaques of the Turntable Ladder I bought in 1981 at the West Marine/Yorkhill fire station open day.
Thanks.
The publication of this Newsletter is only possible because of the interest shown by you, the readers. Sometimes it is simply that a photo gives me the opportunity to recall some of the history of Shelvoke & Drewry whilst others provide a complete article for publication. For this issue I am indebted to Derek Coulson and Barrie Woods for full articles. Other fascinating material has been provided by Malcolm Easton, Malcolm Bates, Eck Smith, Terry Prince, Aled Rees and Mike Mullarkey. For sending in photos I also wish to thank Gordon Wilson, Ron Waghorne, John Howard and Nick Davis.
Please keep in contact so that the Newsletter can continue.
Brian Carpenter. Editor.
The Shelvoke
& Drewry Enthusiasts’ Club Newsletter is published four times a year on 1st
March, 1st June, 1st September and 1st
December. Items for inclusion may be e-mailed to me at:
pinnerboy[at]btinternet.com
Next Issue :- 1st September 2021 Autumn Issue.