Introducing myself

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Hello all,
What a great forum, ive been reading lots and its stirred up many memories both good and bad !!(and to my surprise, i know lots of the names mentioned in members posts)

I found CMN whilst researching the construction of the M40, where my real working life began as a boy for Tarmac Roadstone (Running out of Corby) where i was trained to be a machine operator.

My career path changed over the years from plant operator to plant fitter. Working for various companies, ranging from the quarry and plant hire industries through to dealerships mainly as a mobile fitter until one day i decided that i had enough of the traveling and the long unsocial hours.

So a few years ago i ventured into the Industrial electric vehicle industry where i am still currently employed, Manufacturing vehicles for one of the UK's largest Industrial electric vehicle manufacturers. ( Which once had a plant hire company where i am led to believe had the largest fleet of Akerman machines in the UK. i will venture to find out more and post anything i discover)

My interests lie with anything mechanical, and i love to know how it works!

So that's a very quick run down about me, I hope i haven't waffled too much and our paths will at some point cross.

All the best

Richard

[Neversweat]

Welcome on board

Steve

[martyn williams]

Welcome Richard
Martyn

[Jeremy Rowland]

Hi Richard welcome to CMN.

Jeremy

[Ian Fletcher1970]

Hi Richard,
Welcome to CMN

[Nick Drew]

Welcome Richard,

All sounds very interesting

Nick

[bigkit]

Hi, chip in anytime

[LDK]

Welcome Richard,

That would be Bradshaw's, Akerman excavators, Moxy trucks and Komatsu D65P Dozers in the late 70's early 80's?
Are their any guys that were operators back then working for the company now?

Russ

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Welcome Richard,

That would be Bradshaw's, Akerman excavators, Moxy trucks and Komatsu D65P Dozers in the late 70's early 80's?
Are their any guys that were operators back then working for the company now?

Russ

Hi Russ,
Thanks for the welcome....I didn't quote the company name, wasn't sure if its would be seen as advertising.(some forums get a bit touchy about things like that and being new to the site i played it safe). But of course your right.
The only guy that i believe would have been an operator who is still with Braddy's is Glyn Jones, who incidentally is due to retire this year and has been with the company 40ish years.
Don Taylor still makes appearances doing the odd small task!
There are a few fitters who i work with in the factory who have been there for 20 years+, (and would have been sent to work on the plant at some point im sure).
Terry O'Sullivan is the purchasing manager who came from Akermans when Volvo took them over.
My eldest brother Johnny started with them back in 1964, left in the mid 70's, returned back to them in the 80's until they closed the plant hire side down.

Ironically i think my destiny was mapped out, that is me on Johns van. Would be about 1971.
Regards
Richard

[LDK]

Richard,

A couple of names I remember are Cyril who was on a dump truck, he was a laugh a minute and Ray who was on a dozer for them. I worked with others too but I have forgotten their names now. I never worked for the company but was on a few jobs where they were on hire.