Mr. R. Hanson's Return to Haulage Significant
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Sutcliffe Group Running 38 Vehicles: Daily Trunk Services to Main Centres
OF all the remarkable stories associated with the growth of road transport, the building-up and organization of what came to be known as the Holdsworth and Hanson group is outstanding. Both the Hanson brothers. Robert and Donald, of Huddersfield, and the Holdsworth brothers, Charles and Oliver, of Halifax, succeeded to small local family transport businesses dealing with both goods and passengers.
The Holdsworths still retain some coaches, although they sold their bus business (Hebble) to the railways in 1929: and Hanson's Buses, Ltd., is still owned by that family. But for the 20 years preceding nationalization, both families' main activity was long-distance haulage.
1,000-vehicle Group
While I. W. Holdsworth, Ltd., and Joseph Hanson and Son, Ltd., remained quite independent companies, joint interests were acquired in some 16 other companies, so that ultimately about 1.000 vehicles came into the group. In several instances, the original owners retained a substantial number of shares and this was the case with J. S. Hutchinson. Ltd.. Halifax.
When this company linked with the Holdsworth and Hanson group, Mr. J. Stanley Hutchinson kept half the ordinary shares. The working arrangements which followed the link-up were of great benefit to both parties, as the Hutchinson services to London, Glasgow. Hull and Liverpool fitted in well with those of the rest of the group.
Long before becoming associated with Hutchinson, Messrs. Holdsworth and Hanson bought Grimshaw and Evans, Ltd., of Leeds, a company largely concerned with removals, but also having smalls services to Leeds and Glasgow. This company was wound up in 1935 and the assets transferred to Holdsworth and Hanson (Leeds), Ltd.
Mr. L, W. Morton, previously associated for many years with Mr. E. B. Hutchinson, was appointed managing director. He died towards the end of the war and Mr. J. S. Hutchinson took charge of this company while still having control of his business in Halifax.
All the long-distance haulage interests of the Holdsworth and Hanson families were sold voluntarily to the British Transport Commission, leaving them with the coach and bus concerns already referred to and two haulage companies controlled by Mr. Robert Hanson and his sons—Huddersfield Parcels, Ltd., and Hanson Haulage, Ltd.
The latter is mainly engaged in contract work in and around Huddersfield. Mr. Hutchinson went over to British Road Services and became a group manager in Leeds. To his control was added the former BoutsTillotson Leeds depot and the two Croft businesses in Yeadon. He did not, however, remain long with B.R.S. as in July, 1949, he bought A. Sutcliffe (Haulage), Ltd., with six A-licence vehicles.
The concern of James A. Hudson, Ltd., then came into the market. This was a coach business based on Crow Nest Works, a former pickle factory in Elland Road, Leeds. Its attraction to Mr. Hutchinson was the great amount of waste land around it, which could be used for extensions. He bought the business and sold the coaches to the Wallace Arnold group.
Combined Operations
In 1950, J. N. Paylor and Sons. Ltd.. and in 1951, Richard Townend, Ltd.. both having A licences, were acquired and their activities are now combined with Sutcliffe's. The total unladen weight in the combined fleets under Mr. Hutchinson's control is 130 tons. including 22 tons recently granted after a strenuous fight in the traffic court.
There are 38 vehicles and two trailers. Most of the machines are A.E.C. (including two eight-wheelers recently acquired), but there arc a few Bedfords. Among the older vehicles are two eight-wheelers bought from B.R.S. which were originally in the Hanson fleet at Huddersfield.
As is only to be expected in Yorkshire, prominent among the traffics . carried are cloth outwards and wool from the ports inwards. In addition. a substantial amount of foodstuffs is handled. There is large storage spaCe and this activity is to be developed.
When the main warehouse was built in 1952 it was laid out so that it could easily be extended. At present, a stock of about 1,200 tons is usually held, but the lines all move quickly.
Furniture traffic, once an important part of Sutcliffe's activities, has diminished greatly. Steel is carried in large quantities. Four or five trunk vehicles are run to London nightly and three or four to Glasgow. Liverpool, Manchester and Hull are served daily and the vehicles on these runs can usually get back to base each night.
Bulky Loads
Whilst mostly bulky loads are handled, a good many smalls are also carried, particularly to London. When Mr. Hutchinson first restarted, Berk and Pollitzer provided him with accommodation in Lambeth Road as a London terminal, but he has now been able to obtain premises in Llewellyn Street, Rotherhithe.
The most important development of the past 12 months or so may well turn out to be the reappearance of Mr. Robert Hanson in the long-distance field. In 1954, Mr. Hutchinson suggested to him that he might like to take an interest in Sutcliffe and its associated companies, and he agreed at once. Consequently, the directors today are Mr. R. Hanson. Mr. .1. E. Hanson. Mr. J. S. Hutchinson, Mr. E. A. Wilkinson and Mr. F. Dyson.
Mr. Hutchinson is managing director, and his principal assistants on the traffic side are Mr. K. Bryning (from BoutsTillotson, via B.R.S.) and Mr. H. Whiteley (from Holdsworth and Hanson, Leeds, also via B.R.S.). Mr. J. B. Collinson, who joined B.R.S. from R. Barr (Leeds). Ltd., is accountant. Mr. Hutchinson has been fortunate in gathering around him drivers and fitters who were nearly all with him before
nationalization. C.S.D.