Local hauliers (coach, lorry, etc.)

Does anyone know the colour of Morton's lorries 1950-1952, pre BRS days?

Mortons & Pickfords were two of the pre BRS companies. Pickfords were blue & Mortons I believe were green.

I agree with P-in-C, Mortons were green.

Morton's also ran some barges. I remember some being stuck for weeks on the canal during the big freeze of 1963. I agree on the colours. Red House Motors was also a big haulage firm pre BRS days

I had forgotten about RHMS, Adrian, which is really a detention for me. RHMS supplied coaches for the Grammar school, they were red too. I must be getting really old.

Having recently transcribed the Coventry registration books for narrow boats between 1879 and 1924 they tell us that John Morton registered nine narrow boats to carry coal mainly between Polesworth and Moira. All were pulled by horses. 6 14/1/1879. Florence - John Morton, Coal Merchant, 17 High Street, Coventry 7 14/1/1879. Alfred- John Morton, Coal Merchant, 17 High Street, Coventry 8 11/3/1879. Rosa (changed to The Stormy Petrel in 1894 when sold) - John Morton, Coal Merchant, (William Blower, Coleshill in Jul 1894), (W.H.Green, Atherstone in Dec 1894), 17 High Street, Coventry 9 11/3/1879. Charles - John Morton, Coal Merchant, 17 High Street, Coventry 18 20/5/1879. Percy - John Morton, High Street, Coventry 35 25/2/1879. Alice - John Morton, Coal Merchant, White Street, Coventry 39 11/3/1879. William - John Morton, Coal Merchant, White Street, Coventry 42 11/3/1879. Walter (Lucerne) - James Linden, Coal Merchant (John Morton), East Street, Coventry (High Street, Coventry) 161 12/2/1884. Florence - John Morton, Coal Merchant, White Street, Coventry

Red House Motor Services (RHMS) had a large coach fleet, largely because they took over a number of other coach companies. They included Bennett's (BTS), Bunty, Godiva and Bantam. They acquired some real old bangers. I remember travelling to City games on RHMS when at school, and also to other Midland grounds when City were away and it was deemed too far to go on my own. It was about 4/6d to Villa, Blues or West Brom, half price for kids. I seem to recall that RHMS had a depot in Cromwell Street, near where my father worked at GEC Helen Street. They had some huge trucks, and that part of the business outlasted the coaches as I recall.

Thanks for that info heritage, it seems I am mistaken in my memory. I can't understand where I get the name Morton's from though, as I always associated that name with the canal boats.

Many thanks for all the replies, I've decided to paint my model Jensen green. As a Coventrian, my father drove for Mortons after the war, and on school holidays I was in the cab with him, to 'exotic' places like Oldham, Hull Docks, Stow-in-the Wold, and Bourton-on-the-Water. There was a big Harry Ferguson Massey tractor contract at the time, and we took four tractors on every trip. Many thanks again for all of your replies. Just a final note on the Bantams, the first professional football match I watched was at Highfield Road, 10 am kick off Christmas Day,1957. City won 1-0. The following day (Boxing Day), they played Port Vale away, and won again 1-0, those were the days!

Probably from Fellows Morton and Clayton. There are still some working boats about with that logo on.

As you will no doubt have gathered, I enjoy our local transport history. I have been a passenger on several UK canal boats that have been horsedrawn. For over a decade I have enjoyed narrow-boat holidays, & I am 'Rear Admiral Philipuddle' in the next picture, where I am in charge of a Rose Narrowboat 'Matador', about 2003. On this cruise we were near to Cropredy, where I had my haircut aboard a barbers boat called 'The Cut'. There was a ladies salon on the top deck called 'The Cut Above'. That is not a joke! but I still laugh at it. Just in case you are wondering how the boat navigated beneath the bridge in the picture, we are in a lock. Regards the subject of Morton's transport, I have learnt that before BRS days, Morton's had two shades of green for their vehicle fleet. A dark, almost locomotive green for their heavy lorries and a lighter shade of green for their vans.

Yes, my Dad used to drive for Red House in Cromwell Street, on the heavy haulage, low loaders I think I remember him telling me. Probably sometime in the 1950's I think.

One of the Morton family was president or chairman of the Old Coventrians, as I remember, in the early 60s. I remember some of their trucks were a sort of pea green at that time - not unlike the green of Bunty's coaches, but more yellowish green. RHMS had coaches that were darkish red above and cream "streamlined" panels along the sides, as I remember, and were mostly Daimler Fleetlines (Posh!). (Unlike Bunty's old Bedford OBs.) I well remember going to Chester one year, and Bath the next, with the Classics Society, from KHVIII, I think both trips were on RHMS coaches. I remember going somewhere else, but can't remember where, on Bunty's old OBs......very, er, cosy to be in! Wasn't there a pub called the Red House? And wasn't the RHMS coach business nearby? Seems like an ideal relationship, driving coaches and boozing.....

Yes the Red House was the big pub on Stoney Stanton road and I think the haulage business was around the back of that at the end of Cromwell Street.

Hi jetblue Ah, yes, I remember now, but I just can't quite picture the pub. Haven't been along Stoney Stanton Road for some 30 years.