A.F. Bealt Ltd
North Wales Carrier
10, Tividale Street, Tipton, Staffs
My late father, Allan Francis Bealt was born on August 6th 1906 in the village of Aymestry, Herefordshire. Like many others of his time, living in a rural area with few jobs, he moved to the West Midlands for work. His elder brother Bill and younger brother Don followed a similar path; all three had a fascination for motor vehicles and they followed this interest in their careers. Allan’s life spanned a period of huge change in modes of transport, and the development of the motor vehicle was to affect him most. Encouraged by Bill, four years his senior, he developed an absorbing interest in machinery of all kinds, ranging from the mechanism of a watch to that of an electric motor to that of the internal combustion engine.
His first regular job was in the Black Country at Wilfred Robbins Ltd., Steel Stockholders of Great Bridge, Tipton as a driver/mechanic. All who drove needed some knowledge of the working parts of their vehicle, so fragile was its reliability. Allan’s wide knowledge was gained by experiencing all types of motorised vehicle from the humble motorbike to steam wagons, petrol and diesel engine lorries and occasionally charabancs. He was largely self-taught, but much of his basic knowledge was gained from watching and working alongside brother Bill. Allan’s skills soon came to the notice of Mr. Rich, a Director of Wilfred Robbins Ltd and by the mid-30’s he was the senior mechanic responsible for the company’s lorries and importantly the directors’ cars. A perk of the job was that occasionally he was able to borrow a car for a weekend trip out, usually to visit relatives in Herefordshire. Here, he was happy to be put to work doing minor repairs and maintenance to his brother-in-law’s tractor and cattle lorry.
During World War II Wilfred Robbins Ltd. concentrated on war work, particularly the construction of Bailey Bridges. Formerly Allan, although senior mechanic, still did a great deal of driving, his skill manoeuvring large trucks carrying long steel girders for the building of offices, department stores and cinemas was in demand. His work was now focussed on keeping all of the vehicles in good working order, especially as compulsory orders could be issued for the trucks to be used in the clearance of debris in the heavily bombed cities of Birmingham and Coventry.
After the war in common with many others sharing a hopeful vision of the future, Allan decided to leave the security of Wilfred Robbins Ltd. and to set out on his own. For a year he worked from his home at 11, Lower Church Lane, Tipton as a freelance mechanic. He undoubtedly had an exceptional understanding of the working of any motor vehicle, developed over a life that had given him the opportunity to pursue his passion. The only reading matter that I recall seeing him with was The Commercial Motor magazine and various motor vehicle maintenance manuals. In this way he kept himself up to date with the latest developments. When necessary he would visit local motor component firms for information; contacts he had made during his time with Wilfred Robbins Ltd proving very useful.
The demand for capable mechanics was constant. In the years immediately after World War II there were very few new vehicles on the road. The vehicle manufacturers had to switch from military production to the needs of post-war Britain. Here a major factor was the huge national debt built up during the war and the need to reduce it by exporting much of the country’s manufacturing output. Pre-war cars and surplus military trucks made up the majority of the vehicles on the roads.
In 1947 Allan’s brother Bill, who for many years had worked as an independent haulier, first as a partner in Gibbs and Bealt and then after a falling-out – Bill declining marriage to Jim Gibbs’ sister Doris following a lengthy courtship, driving his own 3ton tipper truck, carrying principally lime, died. At this time wartime licensing restrictions were still in force and these continued when road transport was nationalised in 1948. Although British Road Services(BRS) dominated road haulage until it was broken up and privatised in the early 1980’s some independent hauliers were able to continue trading. The three licence categories were A, which allowed a vehicle to be used to carry any company’s goods to any part of the country; B, which allowed the same freedom of area but for the goods of a single company only; and C, which allowed the carriage of any company’s goods over a distance of 25miles. Bill was the holder of an A licence. Allan, dipping deep into his and wife Evelyn’s savings, bought the tipper truck and accompanying A licence from Bill’s widow Sarah. A.F.Bealt Ltd. was born.
Allan wanted to make the most of the A licence he had acquired and he soon sold the tipper truck and replaced it with an ex-army 5ton Commer van. Under nationalisation the ABC system of licensing continued, but a fresh application had to be made to the licensing authority when a major change of use took place. Approval from carrying mineral products to general haulage was given, but only if the trade was continued in an area outside the BRS monopoly. In practice this meant operating on routes where BRS did not offer a full service, namely those parts of the country outside the main conurbations and ports. Allan’s vision was for a parcels and small goods service that could be loaded and unloaded by hand. The business would be operated from the house and drive at 11 Lower Church Lane, Tipton.
The next step was to find work and to this end Allan visited company after company in the Black Country and Birmingham area. He had contacts from his days with Wilfred Robbins Ltd and slowly he was given his chance. Among the first companies to give Allan work were W.H.Canning Ltd, Gabriel &Co., I.C.I. ,James Booth Ltd., W.Lawley Ltd.,, Thomas Lench Ltd. and Samuel Smith Ltd. Evelyn too contributed, by cold calling prospective customers from the public call box on Horseley Road near Dudley Port railway station. She would leave home laden with coins to work through the list of prospective customers she had compiled with Allan the previous evening. The prolonged time she spent in the call box regularly brought sharp comments from people in the queue that often formed outside. In the late 40’s it was a rarity for a house to have a telephone and applications to the GPO for one to be installed meant being put on a very lengthy waiting list, unless you had a convincing argument that your need was in some way exceptional. Allan and Evelyn realised that the Commer van was carrying goods of ‘national importance’, namely components for the assembly of inshore motor boats for the Royal Navy at the Saunders Roe Ltd. factory at Beaumaris, Anglesey. A letter from Saunders Roe supporting Allan’s latest application finally brought approval and a telephone was installed in 1950. It was an invaluable resource for the fledgling company and one that had its lighter side. The number Tipton 2330 was very similar to the number 2230 of local midwife, Hazel Malpas and occasional errors occurred regarding what was to be delivered when, where and to whom! Evelyn and Hazel had known each other from childhood and this unusual tie strengthened their friendship further.
Although the cold calling of Allan and Evelyn was successful and the subsequent word of mouth recommendations built up a growing number of companies wanting to use the service, an overall strategy for the business was needed. At this stage the role of Tom Blake, a family friend and former colleague at Wilfred Robbins Ltd. was pivotal. Tom was an engineer and draughtsman and like Allan had decided upon a change of job. He had obtained a post at Dowmac Engineering Ltd. of Port Dinorwic near Caernarvon, where small cargo ships were built. At Dowmac Tom was aware of the inadequacies of the road transport service in North Wales and he suggested to Allan that there was sufficient demand for his embryo haulage business to concentrate solely upon offering a service between the Midlands and North Wales. On the surface North Wales did not seem a very fruitful area for a haulage company, but during the war and in the following years a considerable number of firms had located factories there and the narrow farming-quarrying economy was something of the past. Saunders-Roe Ltd of Beaumaris and Denis Ferranti Meters Ltd of Bangor were examples of a wartime policy to disperse manufacturing plant to rural areas outside the main target zones for enemy bombing raids. After the war it was government policy to continue support for these companies and to further diversify the area’s economy by encouraging others to locate there. Bernard Wardle Ltd at Caernarvon, Hotpoint Ltd at Llandudno Junction and Quinton Hazell Ltd at Colwyn Bay all expanded away from their bases in Manchester, Rugby and Birmingham respectively. Just as the purchase of the A licence in 1947 was a key moment, equally important was the decision to take Tom’s advice and begin a Midlands- North Wales Carrier Service.
To this end another vehicle was purchased, a second-hand 8ton Bedford truck, and to drive it the first employee was engaged. Once again Wilfred Robbins Ltd was the source, namely Jack Stevens a friend and driver, who had worked there with Allan since the early ‘30’s. The drive at 11, Lower Church Lane could not accommodate two trucks, so a garage was rented in the yard behind Percy Guest’s Filling Station at Dudley Port. The period from 1950 into the early ‘60’s was one of steady growth for the haulage service from the Midlands to North Wales. In 1951 the first new vehicle was purchased, an 8 ton Dodge. The choice of vehicle was Allan’s and like most people without unlimited funds the decision was a compromise. He would have preferred Leyland, which was too expensive, but could not contemplate a Ford, which was the cheapest in the field. The Dodge filled the company’s requirements perfectly and it became the first choice as the fleet expanded.
The garage and yard at Dudley Port where the lorries were kept was also the site for the storage and trans-shipment of goods. From around 4pm every weekday evening goods would be moved between the vehicles, one loaded for delivery and collection in the local area and the other bound for North Wales. Repairs and maintenance were done during the weekend. Soon a third vehicle and another employee was needed, a 10 ton Dodge was purchased and Con Nind engaged. Con had no link with Wilfred Robbins Ltd, but proved an excellent recruit. He had received his heavy goods vehicle driving experience while in the Army and had been wounded while serving with the 8th Army in North Africa during World War II. Part of his right foot had had to be amputated after the vehicle he was driving detonated a land mine. Despite his disability and slight limp he did his full share of work. He was proud to be a member of the team and although not a mechanic he kept his vehicle immaculate, even the engine was cleaned and polished. The journeys to North Wales were either to the Bangor/Anglesey /Llandudno/ Caernarvon area which required the driver to stay overnight or to the Wrexham/Chester area from where the driver could return within the day. Allan divided his time between driving and vehicle maintenance; he enjoyed staying overnight at Caernarvon, where he could meet up with Tom and engage in line fishing off the quay. Rarely did he catch any fish, but the crabs were plentiful.
A retrospective look at the first ten years of the business shows the importance of teamwork and the goal to provide a 48hour delivery service. The roles of Allan, Jack and Con were clearly defined, but in the background was Evelyn and in many ways she was the key to the smooth-running and success of the business. She kept in touch with customers, finding work, recording and pricing consignments, arranging daily work schedules and making up the weekly wages. In addition to these day to day jobs, the accounts, insurance, PAYE, licence applications, fuel coupon applications and many other jobs fell within her remit – and she ran the home! Allan Junior, although at school, had been brought up with the business and was part and parcel of the operation. Loading lorries in the evenings, acting as a mate, helping with maintenance – if only passing tools or holding a torch, and recording and pricing consignments. During school holidays he worked more regularly, particularly as a mate. The travelling was enjoyable and the time spent inside foundries and factories where all kinds of processes and products could be seen, but the highlight was usually a visit to a works canteen and invariably wonderful bacon sandwiches. Allan’s nephew Mike Bealt, niece Pat Morgan and Alan Nind, Con’s son also enjoyed working as occasional mates. There is little doubt that from time to time the mates’ youthful strength and nimbleness was exploited where moving heavy and awkward items was concerned. Allan Junior remembers toiling with cast-iron enamel grates, packed within a cushion of dusty straw, at Samuel Smith’s works in Smethwick; moving carboys of hydrochloric and sulphuric acid in the acrid, eye-watering atmosphere of R.W.Cruikshank’s works in Birmingham; and carrying/dragging heavy armoured car doors at the Alvis works in Coventry. His father meanwhile was taking an interminable time in the office with the paperwork – or so it seemed.
For a small family business to succeed much depends upon the principals getting on well together and staying in good health. Allan and Jack had known each other for many years and enjoyed each other’s company after work and at weekends. At around 8pm on a weekday a visit to a local pub was the norm, The Royal Oak at Dudley Port and The King Arthur at Coseley were among their favourites. It was an opportunity to have a couple of pints and to discuss the ups and downs of the day and what was to be done tomorrow. “The best jobs are always those done in the pub” was a frequent quote of Allan’s. Returning home at 9am or later and then eating his main meal of the day was an unhealthy routine and Allan gradually began to put on weight, ballooning from 13stones in the early ‘50’s to 18stones by the mid ‘60’s. Other than the weight factor Allan had no major ailments and lost little work time, but it was different for Evelyn. Born with one kidney, renal problems increased as she got older. Toxins gathered in her body causing swelling, particularly to her legs and feet. Her worsening condition meant that she spent several weeks at a time in Wordsley Hospital, dying there in October 1966 at the age of 55. Right to the end she did what she could for the business, Allan taking ledgers for her to work with on her hospital bed.
However, before that tragedy the preceding ten years was a period of impressive growth. Professional help was necessary and membership of the Road Haulage Association was a first step, there followed the appointment of solicitor, Peter Fallows, accountant Derek Stuttard and insurance broker Hugh Gregan. Derek, a friend of Tom Blake and working for Thorntons of Liverpool was particularly supportive. His annual 3 day visit to audit the company’s accounts was busy, but enjoyed by both parties. He stayed at Allan and Evelyn’s home where the hospitality was of a higher order than he could expect to receive in any local hotel. Good food, good company and Evelyn’s piano playing made his visits a highlight in the year. In 1961 Derek advised that the business became a limited company and 10,000 shares were issued at a value of 10/- (50p) each. The distribution of shares was almost equal between Allan and Evelyn with a small number allocated to Allan Junior.
The steadily increasing growth in demand for the transport of goods between the Midlands and North Wales meant that more work was available than could be handled by three lorries. To meet this agreeable problem, the initial approach was a cautious one, a lorry and driver would be hired on a daily basis. Tom Wilson of Horseley Heath and the brothers Roy and Len Wilks of Astwood Bank, Redditch were regularly called upon. It was becoming increasingly apparent that the premises at Percy Guest’s were inadequate, and Allan and Evelyn began to look for something larger. In 1956 the premises belonging to an established haulage company in Tividale Street, Tipton became available. The company had began life in the early 19th century moving bulky goods by horse and cart from local canal wharves to Black Country businesses. The established commercial use of the Tividale Street premises provided a strong argument against the local planning authority’s long-term goal of designating the land for residential use.
As a consequence Allan and Evelyn pressed ahead with the sale of 11, Lower Church Lane and the purchase of 10,Tividale Street. The new property comprised a 2 bedroom house with outbuildings, an underground petrol tank and part-covered yard extending to approximately ½ acre. The fleet of vehicles was increased and the two oldest replaced – the original Commer van seeing out its days at Allan’s brother -in-law’s farm at Almeley, Herefordshire. Additional drivers were taken on and Alan Nind became yard foreman with the responsibility of organising loads. Personal recommendation was still a major factor in recruiting drivers. Bill Smith, known to Evelyn from childhood and a member of a family building business, joined the company in 1958 and proved invaluable as the driver of a 2 ton truck for local work and as a builder. The premises needed alteration, a loading deck was built across the rear of the covered section of yard, a manually operated overhead crane was installed, a bedroom and bathroom were extensions to the house and an office was built. The latter was almost entirely Bill’s work with the help of his brothers Tom and Noel for the plumbing and electrical fittings. Further expansion to the premises occurred in 1962 with the purchase of 11 Tividale Street. The property was of a similar layout to No.10 and had been used by a small steel-stockholding firm that had relocated to larger premises on the Oldbury Road, it included a two-up two-down terraced house, and a partly covered yard extending over about half the area of No.10. The boundary wall between the two properties was demolished and a separate entry and exit system on to Tividale Street was introduced. No.10 became the company’s maintenance area and was equipped with a pit and a workshop. The reconstruction of the Tividale premises was done while the haulage business continued, much of the work being done at weekends largely by staff and former workmates at Wilfred Robbins Ltd. A few years later a small area of open ground, that included a derelict, crumbling cottage, numbered 9, Tividale Street, was purchased. Adjacent to the main property it provided a useful additional parking area. In total the site now extended over approximately an acre.
The company experienced its most rapid growth during the 1960’s, with a fleet of 8 and 10 ton rigid lorries for long-haul and two small 30cwt vehicles for use in the West Midlands. Allan was loyal to Dodge and the long-haul fleet increased to ten at the company’s peak, gradually the rigid lorries were replaced by articulated ones, each with an increased load capacity of at least 50%. The next stage in the company’s expansion was to establish a base in North Wales. In 1965 a secure covered yard at Mochdre, Colwyn Bay was leased from Quinton Hazell Ltd. The plan was for goods to be carried directly to Mochdre from Tipton for onward delivery by vehicles based there, and for return loads to be assembled prior to being transported to the Midlands . On paper the two depot idea seemed a good one, with the North Wales branch generating new business. From the outset the scheme struggled, very little new business was forthcoming, experienced and reliable drivers were difficult to recruit and the 48 hour delivery promise was regularly missed. If a single reason could be offered to explain the failure of the scheme, it was the turmoil caused by Evelyn’s protracted illness and eventual death. Strong and imaginative management was needed, instead the paternalistic, trusting attitude continued.
Despite the Mochdre depot contributing little to the company’s trading, the period into the early 70’s saw steady, if unspectacular growth; but the growth profile was flattening out. Alan Nind was promoted to transport manager and an office clerk appointed. Alan found it difficult to shed his former role as yard foreman and in 1969 he resigned. In his place came Bob Wells, a man experienced in transport management with a national haulage company. Additional part-time clerical support came from Joan Blake, Tom’s widow and now Allan’s housekeeper. The changes in personnel coincided with a major national confrontation between government and trade unions. The company’s expansion meant that the workforce had grown to over twenty employees and this drew the attention of the local TGWU officials and most of the staff chose to join the union. It was a time of aggressive union activity and sadly much of the previous harmony among the staff was lost. In 1973 a strike by the NUM was widely supported by other trade unions and the government declared a 3 day working week. Almost at a stroke the lack of power brought a collapse in factory output and the quantity of goods to be transported declined at an alarming rate. Companies who operated a modest transport fleet and hired hauliers for a significant proportion of their needs, now fell back to using exclusively their own vehicles. The weakness in management apparent in the running of the Mochdre depot became, with the benefit of hindsight, a much more serious matter. The company was faced with an issue beyond their experience. Instead of laying-off staff, small unprofitable loads were dispatched and yard maintenance work was done by people inexperienced in the tasks they were set. Over this period normal basic wages continued to be paid in the expectation that the calamitous situation would end anytime now. The money paid depleted capital and when the country and company returned to relative normality, the effects were quickly felt. An example was the programme of vehicle replacement; new vehicles could no longer be afforded and maintenance took longer and was costlier. A.F.Bealt Ltd. was no longer the reliable haulage company it had once been and an accelerating decline began. As industry returned to full production competition between haulage firms was fierce. Some manufacturing firms had closed and some continued with the transport arrangements they had made during the 3 day week.
The one positive outcome was the closure of the Mochdre depot in 1974. This was as much in recognition of the failure of the two depot operation as it was a sign of the demise of the company as a specialist haulier providing a service between the West Midlands and North Wales. The service continued to the end, but to survive the company took any haulage work that was available to any part of the country; usually carriage was at the less profitable bulk cargo rates. The lucrative parcels and small goods traffic carried by the 5ton Commer van twenty-five years earlier was a distant memory.
Following his mother’s death, the changed circumstances led Allan junior to take a more active role in the running of the company’s affairs, albeit on a part-time basis fitted alongside his job as a schoolteacher. His wife Jane, became Company Secretary after Evelyn’s death and was also responsible for the weekly wages, both roles were carried out voluntarily and unpaid. Allan junior’s usual contribution over this period was roughly equivalent to two half days work per week. One session was after he had finished school on Friday afternoons, when he distributed wage packets, made decisions on problems that had arisen over the week and discussed with his father broader company issues. It proved to be an impossible task, many of the day to day problems were ones which should have been dealt with by the transport manager, Bob Wells. In hindsight, Bob’s appointment was unwise; shortly before the company’s closure and sale in 1978 he was dismissed for stealing company funds. Parts of Allan junior’s involvement were very enjoyable, the occasional delivery of parcels by car, visits to major customers in North Wales, such as Bernard Wardle Ltd and Hotpoint, and the private time he and Allan spent together after the staff had left.
Allan’s sole personal indulgence, which he retained through thick and thin, was the ownership of a good car. From the 1934 Hillman Minx, he graduated to a Ford van, to an Austin A40, to an Austin Cambridge, to a Daimler, to a Jaguar. His favourite was the Daimler and his final car, purchased from Charles Clark & Co. of Wolverhampton in the relatively good times of 1972, was a Jaguar XJ6. Allan had a mischievous sense of humour and he delighted in telling how differently he was received by gatemen at companies he was visiting, depending upon which vehicle he was driving – a Dodge or a Daimler! Allan junior, whose cars were more modest, was told by his father “when I die I shall leave you a decent car”. He duly inherited the XJ6, but was never happy with the car and it was sold privately to a jag-lover for £1200. Allan and Evelyn rarely took holidays other than to the relatives in Herefordshire, but they both enjoyed staying in caravans. In the late 1940’s a week in a rented caravan at Barmouth was a feature of the family’s year; in 1960 they bought a residential caravan at the Bliss Gate site near Bewdley, where they spent many happy weekends until Evelyn’s death. The large caravan was sold and a small tourer was bought. It spent most of its time at the Mochdre depot for Allan to use, before it was taken to his niece’s farm at Bronllys, near Brecon and sold. Allan and Evelyn never ventured abroad, except for a single day excursion from Liverpool to Dublin.
Allan’s interest in A.F.Bealt Ltd had begun to wane and he frequently spoke of selling the business. His own failing health – for some years he had suffered from a ulcer on his leg, originally caused by a piece of angle iron that he was welding, falling and making a small but deep cut, the decline of the company and his unstable domestic life with Joan, all contributed to his disaffection. However, it had been a way of life for many years and he still enjoyed working with Jack on vehicle maintenance.
In 1976 Joan left, this time for good. Allan’s sister-in-law Ada had kept contact with a childhood sweetheart of Allan’s, similarly widowed and she re-introduced the couple. After talking matters over with Allan junior and writing a letter to Ida proposing marriage, in the Spring of 1977 Allan and Ida were married. Allan moved to Woking in Surrey where the coupled settled contentedly into married life, living in Ida’s small maisonette. Now the business could be sold.
A.F.Bealt Ltd was offered for sale as a going concern, but most prospective buyers expressed more interest in the premises than they did the declining business. However, in August 1977 a sale was agreed with Leonard Crane Ltd, a local haulage company that operated a parcels and small goods service in 15cwt vans. Len was one of Allan’s many acquaintances made through their common interest in commercial vehicles; Allan was very happy that Len was the buyer of A.F.Bealt Ltd. The 10,000 shares in the company originally priced at 10/-(50p) each were valued at 6d(2.5p) each. The premises were sold for £32,000 to be paid over five years; with an annual rent of £5,000.The settlement was sufficient to provide Allan with a comfortable pension. Sadly his happy marriage to Ida lasted only until October 1978, when Allan died in hospital in Woking from bronchial pneumonia. Five years later the sale was completed.
All traces of the premises have disappeared. The house in Lower Church Lane has been demolished and the site in Tividale Street has been cleared and an estate of private houses has been built.