Here’s a photograph of the British Road Services staff taken in the late 1940s or early 1950s. My sister, Brenda, is fourth from the left and this was her first job after leaving Richard Hind School.
I believe the office was somewhere near Parliament Street or St John’s Crossing.
Photograph and details courtesy of Neil Stockdale.
There is a difference between BRS (British Road Service) and the BRP (British Rails Parcels). The photo is the British Road Service BRS staff and it asks the location of between Parliament Street and St Johns Crossing. BRS had its depot somewhere hear Head Wrightsons which they took over when BRS closed. The British Rails Parcel is yes where Matalan stands now.
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The BRS depot was when you turned left at the Cleveland pub (now the Dubliner) it was just past Head Wrightson’s Garage & Wilkinsons Fabrications on the left.
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So behind the flour mill, at the end of Chapel St., where all the trucks are? https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW043776
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The yard for British rail parcels was on the corner of Parliament Street and Bridge Road. I worked as a driver for Royal Mail and in 1975 we were still using a Scammel unit for shunting trailers around the depot yard. Thy had their own system for coupling to the trailers. Ford later made a 4 wheel unit using the Scammel coupling
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The BRS (British Road Services) has their depot on what is now the Halfords store. It connected to the British Rail good depot there. I remember the three wheeled articulated wagons they used. I seem to recall they were made by “Guy” but can only find “Scammel” three wheelers. So I am probably wrong. Perhaps someone can correct me.
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You are right in your recollections Phillip. BRS was set up in the late 1940s, just after the railways were nationalised. The railways had had their own three wheeled trucks delivering the freight that arrived at the goods dept. But the Government effectively pulled the rug out from under the railways by establishing BRS in direct competition.
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I had a friend who’s father was the manager there in the 50’s, his name was Farbridge, he originated from the Newcastle area. I also knew a driver there called Harry Jaques, he was there from the 50’s to the early 80’s. Their depot was first left after Victoria Bridge area.
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