This is a group of four images of one of the many large loads that were transported into I.C.I. Billingham. They were taken on Belasis Ave, Billingham as the load negotiates the various obstacles, and attracted a large crowd. We have this dated around 1983/1984, only because I was using slide film at that time.
Photograph and details courtesy of Alec Moody.
Sunday 25 March 1984. An unsociably early start made worse by the start of BST that day. The longest load ever moved on a British road at the time made the next Guinness Book of Records. I worked at Head Wrightson Teesdale in Thornaby while this (a Nitric Acid Column) was being manufactured but I was working for Sunters by the day of the move. I later worked at ICI Billingham, where it ended up. I’m the lad in the pale jacket posing for the camera in the bottom LH photo. Next to me is Sunter’s Company Engineer, Leason Gower.
The “guy in charge of Sunters big moves” who “always wore a grey suit, collar and tie, had silver grey hair and had a permanent smile” might be Jack Higgins – although he was Heavy Haulage Manager, he wasn’t in charge of the big moves (that was Dave Taylor). I think that’s Jack in front of the wagon (under the ‘E’ of ‘HAULAGE’) in the same photo – with his coat covering his suit.
Thanks Barry, that was the guy I was asking about. He used to come into the Maintenance Dept. at Teesdale works to see Bob Fishburne, and hung around for a while, just filling in time I guess.
Ha, yes, that sounds like Jack!
It’s a distillation column for the then new Nitric Acid Plant at Billingham. Possibly No6 Nitric?
It looks to be the load seen in
https://picturestocktonarchive.wordpress.com/2015/02/23/large-load-billingham-road-c1984/
Sunters wagons, it’ll be a Head Wrightsons job.
Can you remember the name of the guy in charge of Sunters big moves Bob? Always wore a grey suit, collar and tie, had silver grey hair and had a permanent smile.
I remember Sunters son, had a Mercedes with the doors that lifted upover, not him though.