Ray Remembers - Woodside Brickworks
Ray Macdonald from Purley fondly remembers life as a brick driver for Woodside Brickworks.
Having followed the articles on Woodside Brickworks in your worthy paper, I thought it might be a good idea to see if its possible to get in touch with other brick lorry drivers from there.
I drove for Woodside from 1966 until close-down in 1970.
THe self-styled foreman driver was a big guy, named Frank, with a beard.
He drove the biggest lorry which was self unloading. Anothe rwas Jim, who was always joking (and skiving)!
There was a young lad who has his terrier dog with him at all times.
We were pais a low basic wage, plus 2s.6d. for deliveries on a five mile radius, escalating slowing to no maximum.
One time we delivered a load to Chelsea footballer Peter Osgood's house at Banstead.
He was just off to football training, but he gave me a good drink.
His wife also gave me coffee and cakes, as I unloaded all 40,900 bricks on my own. I often visited Newdigate to pick up their beautiful hand-made bricks.
If they were at launch I would look for fossils in the clay pit. Saturday morning would be deliveries of slate etc. (specials) to private houses.
One Saturday morning I went to a large house near Eastbourne, to deliver specials. The husband came out and said the whole family will help ! I could have unloaded quicker on my own.
Up London one day I was parked alongside "Lady Penelope's" pink six wheeled Rolls Royce.
Noticing that there was no tax disc on the windscreen I called out "Where's your tax disc ?".
The driver visibly paled because there was a police car next to his. Hard work, but happy days.