Picture(s) of the day....

[CitroJim]

Some absolutely cracking pictures here of London's East End dating from the 1960s...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-43141667

Some great cars to be seen in almost all of them... Enjoy

[NewcastleFalcon]

Excellent Jim, you are as of this moment on 999 likes!

I have really enjoyed my new "Roadscapes II" book with Alan Spilletts lorry paintings in, and its led on to me discovering Mike Jeffries whose breath and scope of work is just stunning.

This one here has special interest for both Somersetians and Cornwallians. I dont have to tell you what hill the lorry is ascending surely.

But the lorry is one of a hundred or so of that marque put together in Cornwall. It is appropriately a Rowe Hillmaster.

https://pixels.com/featured/rowe-hillma ... fries.html

Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

But the lorry is one of a hundred or so of that marque put together in Cornwall. It is appropriately a Rowe Hillmaster.

https://pixels.com/featured/rowe-hillma ... fries.html

What a gorgeous picture of the Hillmaster I have so enjoyed all the ones you've posted recently Neil and in doing so I've discovered a love of old lorries I never knew I had

Here's to some cracking POTDs in 2019

[CitroJim]

But the lorry is one of a hundred or so of that marque put together in Cornwall. It is appropriately a Rowe Hillmaster.

https://pixels.com/featured/rowe-hillma ... fries.html

And I've just noticed the lorry is wearing a Somerset registration - 414 HYD That really has made my day!!!

Makes me wonder now where that lorry was - it looks to me very much like the A39 between Porlock and Lynmouth - has it just climbed Porlock Hill?

I briefly looked into Arthur R Duckett - the company the lorry belonged to - and discover they are based in Highbridge, Somerset and the eponymous Arthur R Ducket passed away in 2019...

Maybe the scene is nearer to Weston-Super-Mare or Burnham On Sea? Loving the pre-Worboys signage in the picture too

Furthermore, Corgi did a model of one of Duckett's lorries

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Corgi-1-50-G ... 2196082648

Loving this thread even more now

[NewcastleFalcon]

There's only one fearsome hill in Somerset Jim.............Porlock

That site Pixels has 325 Paintings from Mike Jefferies of mostly Lorries but also Buses/Locomotives/Cars/Ships and Planes. Each one has an interesting short description with it if you click on the word more next to the description on the right.

So for the Porlock Hill one you get

The Rowe Hillmaster manufactured in Cornwall was a rare beast indeed only about 120 being made but a fine lorry for all that.

Aurthur Ducket bought two of them for his haulage business in the late 1950's and Alstone Princess was his second, fitted with the Perkins 6,354 engine, six speed gearbox and carried a 16ft wooden body capable of 10-11 ton loads.

Seen here on the fearsome Porlock Hill in Somerset it is about to be overtaken by an Austin Cambridge pick-up on a summer's day in 1960.

Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

Excellent! My eyes did not deceive me on the view from the top of Porlock Hill

That poor lorry must have had a heck of a struggle up there fully loaded!

[bobins]

Another one from Mike Jeffries - possibly one for the electric vehicle spotting thread
A lovely old battery powered dustcart from Brum Corporation




https://pixels.com/featured/morrison-du ... fries.html

[NewcastleFalcon]

The full text of the description when you click more” is worth a read. Nice bit of observational sarcasm

Regards Neil

[van ordinaire]

Excellent! My eyes did not deceive me on the view from the top of Porlock Hill

That poor lorry must have had a heck of a struggle up there fully loaded!

& that A55 (they were never Cambridge) pick-up's ambitious manoevre almost re-defines supreme optimism - how long do you reckon the exercise took?

[NewcastleFalcon]

Anyone been to Fort William?

I have many times.....never noticed this though, and never knew the story. You wouldn't think it was possible. I have posted up a video of a Austin 8 being put through its paces on some incredible tracks in the Lake District, but can you really drive a car to the top of Ben Nevis?

The Bronze Ford, Fort William

© Copyright Jim Barton and
licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

Excellent! My eyes did not deceive me on the view from the top of Porlock Hill

That poor lorry must have had a heck of a struggle up there fully loaded!

& that A55 (they were never Cambridge) pick-up's ambitious manoevre almost re-defines supreme optimism - how long do you reckon the exercise took?

Traffic was light in those days Neil and the sight-lines for overtaking along that stretch are quite good as I remember... And if that A55 (nope, definitely never a Cambridge!) was empty it would have been fairly nippy!

[Peter.N.]

The A40 Cambridge (shape) was the rare one, similar shape to the A55 but with a smaller rear window and 1200 cc engine. They only made them for about a year, don't see many now, I learnt to drive in its predecessor and A40 Somerset (van) and it was nearly new then.

Peter

[white exec]

Just watched the Austin 8 video! Loved the clipped 1939 commentary (shades of Brief Encounter), but was also mildly horrified at the speed with which the little car took rugged, narrow and village lanes . . . until it became rapidly obvious that most of the footage had been speeded up! 18fps projected at 24? Surely not.

Bearing in mind the quality of tyres and springs of the day, no way did such a car complete the route unscathed - but a lovely film for all that.

[Gibbo2286]

Today's latest addition to my neighbours garden.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Today's latest addition to my neighbours garden.

Seems you have a problem with sheep down your way
Baaaaaan sheep-running! Calls for. crackdown on 'ridiculous' Forest of Dean tradition costing taxpayers thousands each year

Regards Neil