Larry Webb

[modelman093]

Thank you to all those who contributed to the thread on Dick Hampton. Another name from that era was Larry Webb - does anyone have any recollections of the firm or the man himself believe that he perished in a light aircraft accident.
The only reference that I can find is a copyright article on The Motorway Archive referring to the Gerrards Cross by-pass section of the M40.
Angus

[Nick Drew]

Thank you to all those who contributed to the thread on Dick Hampton. Another name from that era was Larry Webb - does anyone have any recollections of the firm or the man himself believe that he perished in a light aircraft accident.
The only reference that I can find is a copyright article on The Motorway Archive referring to the Gerrards Cross by-pass section of the M40.
Angus

Not heard of Larry Webb before Angus

I am looking forward to seeing how this thread pans out

Nick

[tim]

Hi Angus The only reference i have found are some pics of a D8 and scraper which had slid down a bank while working on the A449 near Newport. These pics are in a book titled LC Lewis Heavy Haulage and the subject of the book Lewyn Lewis drove machines for major earthmovers on projects in Wales before setting up in Heavy Haulage.He also drove for Dick Hampton.Tim

[tctractors]

Larry Webb, had the first gas neck scrapers sold in the U.K. they were 631B units set loose on the Northleach By-pass, I know 2 mechanics that worked for him plus a good few jockeys, he had a good name in the Bulk Muckshift game, always using good drivers and getting good jobs, the 631Bs' were sold by Bowmaker Plant with stiff or gas necks (option at big extra cost) there is plenty of photos about of this Co'
tctractors

[Rolyd8k]

Larry Webb was one of the first to use 627 push-pull motor scrapers in the uk


URL of the original image: http://i481.photobucket.com/albums/rr179/rolyd8k/62735.jpg

URL of the original image: http://i481.photobucket.com/albums/rr179/rolyd8k/62745.jpg

[nick lamb]

They had some Terex TS14's on the M56 Preston Brook to Frodsham section in about 1972/3 I think.

[Gordon 2]

I started as an apprentice fitter for Saville Tractors in 1979 !! I was told that when Larry Webb Was working the sunbury bye-pass (M3) He had 4 IH 180 Payhaulers shipped over from the states. They tipped one over and when it was dismantled in the workshop at staines there wernt much room for anything else !!

[Fubbs]

I remember that Larry Webb had 2 IH 175 tracked loaders on excavation duties on the Reading (Berks) IDR contract for Cementation in the late 60's, they were based in St Albans.

[canaldrifter]

I drove for Larry Webb in the early 70s out of Snorbans. At the time we were blasting out the M5 through the cliffs at Avonmouth and building the A449, Newport to Ross-on-Wye in Wales. He also had some open cast mining sites on the go. He would fly around in his helicopter checking on progress. He once caught me with an illigit caravan load on the old A4. I had a sideline moving the paddies' caravans about for them, when I was running empty. I was summonsed to LR's office to explain. When I did he didn't mind much, as long as it didn't interfere with his own work.

It is true that Larry Webb lost his life in a helicopter accident. He had flown over to France with his family for a meal, and flew the chopper into the channel in thick fog on the way back. His daughter didn't go. She was unwell. She inherited his money. The company had been bought out by Bovis.

Larry Webb was originally a Fleet Air Arm helicopter pilot. I was originally an Aircraft Artificer servicing the aircraft before I worked for him as a low loader driver.

Not many images have survived from those days, but some are here:

https://plus.google.com/photos/113901120439554830047/albums/5551648097909501457?banner=pwa

He bought himself a cruiser and took it over to Cherbourg but holed it entering the harbour. It was craned out. We brought it back by road to Southampton for repair, via Boulogne because the load was too high to fit on the Cherbourg ferry.

At one point we had to divert along a haul-road and over a new fly-over the French were building, because we couldn't get under it, but that old ERF was well used to haul-roads!

We lived in the boat on the back of the trailer for a week in France, drinking LW's booze, because we thought we couldn't take it back to UK (!). We couldn't drink it all, so we hid some in the boat's WC, but customs found it. We thought we were in big trouble. The customs official said, "You've been very silly boys, haven't you?" We admitted we had. He continued, "Because all this stuff was bought in UK. There is nothing due on it!"

Tone



Tone

[XS650]

Never heard of him but what great stories and pic Tony.