• BIRD'S EYE
Page 56
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VIEW By The Hawk
Here is Oldham Corporation bus 113 on location with Granada TV on a remote part of the moors near Oldham.
Bus on Box I hear that within a week of being placed in service, one of four new single-deck buses for Oldham Corporation (see description on page 29) became a film star! It was featured in a scene for the first of a new series of plays being produced by Granada TV, under the general title of "It's a Woman's World ". The scene was bet on a remote part of the moors, and shows the " conductor" (a professional actor) refusing to let an intending male passenger board the bus.
The passenger was carrying one of those "What the Butler Saw" machines bearing the legend "The happiest moments of a girl's life ". I am told that Harry Taylor, Oldham's general manager, was very disappointed to discover that there was nothing in the machine. The point of the exercise? You can find this out on September 4 when the play will be shown.
Grand Gesture It's nice to know that a com pany from the motor industry responded so quickly to an appeal for money to further the cause of commercial management in this country. The appeal in question was by the Institute of Marketing—they are asking for £70,000 to set up a Chair of Marketing in the new University of Lancaster. Within a matter of hours the Leyland Motor Corporation had donated a sum of £11,550!
"We are delighted to be associated with this pioneer effort," said Donald Stokes, Leyland's deputy chairman and managing director. "This country has lagged behind for too long, and it augurs well for the future that the universities should be relating their courses of study to the requirements of industry and commerce." He was sure that "other companies will follow rapidly to help train the young marketing men we need so urgently ". I hope to hear soon that Mr. Stokes' confidence is entirely justified.
hear that the Green family, of Rotherham, turned out in force on Monday when Leonard Green (Garages) Ltd.—the other " half " is Leonard Green (Haulage) Ltd.—opened what is claimed to be one of the largest commercial vehicle repair depots in South Yorkshire. After Len Green, Snr., died in 1960, the two businesses were run by his sons and daughters, and I detected a proud gleam in the eye of "Mum ", Mrs. K. Green. She saw her husband build up from one-horse-one-cart days to the present large fleet of attics and eight-wheelers.
Len, Junior, is generally regarded as a lively chip off the old block and obviously thoroughly enjoys running a20
Namesakes
the businesses, ably aided and abetted by brother Colin and various sisters and relations.
There was quite a large turnout for the opening ceremony (performed by our Editor, Alan Havard, whose name isn't the most common in the telephone directory). He was pleasantly surprised to meet one namesake, Sheffield haulier. Mr. M. Havard.
Interesting Journey In these days of outcry
against the lorry driver and his vehicle by the uninformed, it is good to find hauliers who are prepared to defend the industry. Last Friday's edition of the "Middlesbrough Evening Gazette" carried an interesting account of a journey, undertaken by one of the paper's reporters, in the cab of an Eeonofreight Transport Ltd. vehicle travelling on a regular trunk run to the company's London depot.
The Pressman described the reason for his trip—" We had been told that reputable firms are worried about publicity over pirates. The firm who offered the ride wanted to show us that despite bad publicity there are firms who want to stamp out 'pirates' as being bad for business as well as an unwanted road danger."
All Over the Place He also reported conversa
lions he had with his driver and drivers he spoke to in the cafés down the road—in particular with one Econofreight driver who, talking about pirates said: "They're no good to anybody. Some of them drive nearly right round the clock. They just get to one place, and there it is, another load for them to bring back. You can spot them a mile off, drifting all over the place."
Our Pressman champion ended by saying that if and when " pirates " are forced off the road, it will be as much due to the reputable haulage firms as the Government.
Well done that man. But perhaps the person who deserves the pat on the back, so far as the industry is concerned, is the man who invited them—Econofreight's Peter Jeffcock. We could do with more publicity of this sort.
Lorries Only Things are certainly changing
—among them motorway service areas. The Top Rank one on M6 at Forton, Lanes, is due to open next spring; it includes two transport cafes, ample parking space for lorries—and even shower baths for weary lorry drivers. This is a far cry from the first service areas on Ml. I wonder if we shall one day see service areas devoted solely to lorry drivers' needs.