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RMMee Moderator	Heanor's Dustbin Lorries - Ash Carts replied on: 9/9/2005 3:06:08 PM On a different, but related, subject (as printed in March's newsletter), an article in The Times in December 1958.... "Refuse collectors at Heanor, Derbyshire, whistle snatches of Schubert and Tchaikovski while emptying the town's dustbins, says the town's public health inspector, Mr. W. H. Jefford, in his annual report. 'It may seem rather a mixed grill to see dustbins being emptied and brought to the kerbside to the accompaniment of one's mates whistling strains of Schubert or Tchaikovski - but believe me it happens,' he writes. 'One would have to go a long way to find a more cheerful and hardworking bunch of men.'" I wonder what they whistled when they were dealing with the nightsoil?
MoltoVivace This message was updated on 9/9/2005 3:00:27 PM by RMMee	Heanor's Dustbin Lorries - Ash Carts replied on: 1/9/2005 2:38:26 PM There is a 16mm film about showing the Ford 'T' model lorries in working conditions on the very old tip that is now the playing field behind Coppice Primary School, at the top of Roper Avenue. The old road to Stoneyford turned off right to Langhams Farm. Nearby was a bungalow which he had built for his mother about 1952. The road continued, and then turned right, down the fields, and eventually came to a low railway brige UNDER the main railway line. The road went under and turned left towards the old tin church, and finally to Dovecoat Road. Has anyone mentioned the Longden's from Stoneyford? There is a lot of cricket history there!
Azzabuv	Heanor's Dustbin Lorries - Ash Carts replied on: 1/9/2005 12:08:55 PM The ash compartments of the 1940s/50s models appeared to be around twice the size of those on the 1928 photograph. It appears it took the onset of the 'wrap it up and throw it away' era to force a design change. Azzabuv.
RMMee Moderator This message was updated on 1/9/2005 12:13:55 AM by RMMee	Heanor's Dustbin Lorries - Ash Carts replied on: 1/9/2005 12:06:43 AM And another, dating from the 1972, also thanks to Gill
RMMee Moderator This message was updated on 1/9/2005 12:04:22 AM by RMMee	Heanor's Dustbin Lorries - Ash Carts replied on: 1/9/2005 12:03:38 AM A newspaper cutting, coutesy of Gill Hall, showing the dustbin lorries in the 1920's.
RMMee Moderator This message was updated on 1/9/2005 12:15:29 AM by RMMee	Heanor's Dustbin Lorries - Ash Carts replied on: 1/8/2005 11:49:46 PM Molto Fascinating stuff - it may be trivial, but it's items like this that people remember. I can't work out in my head though which bridge the newer lorries couldn't get under to go to Stoneyford. I know things have changed, but I can't think of a railway bridge you have to go under. Any comments on the two photos below would be appreciated. Robert
MoltoVivace This message was updated on 1/14/2005 9:14:43 AM by MoltoVivace	Heanor's Dustbin Lorries - Ash Carts replied on: 1/6/2005 9:27:13 PM It’s amazing what interest sites like these bring forth. Who would ever guess that even the basic things like dustbin lorries, (Refuse Collection Vehicles)’ would ever get a mention. Heanor Urban District Council, throughout the 50s/60s/70s/ relied on Dennis vehicles, although there was one exception I can think of, and that was a Shelvoke and Drewery collection vehicle with a Perkins engine, which was used for 4 years in the Codnor district; and it had a wooden coach built cab. The Dennis side loading vehicles had three push up shutters on both sides, so that if the lorry was used on the wrong side of the road, as often happened, and this meant facing on coming traffic, it could still be used. Shutters were a problem; if you oiled them the ash dust stuck to the runners and stopped them working, and in winter they sometimes froze up on wet frosty days! The remedy was to use a tube of ‘Zeebrite’ Black Lead, the type of black lead they used on the old cast iron fireplaces. BUT the Council would not supply this; some drivers purchased tubes themselves. I wonder if that would happen today. (Now it can be told!) There were three gangs for the districts: Heanor, Codnor, Langley Mill, each with a team of six men. These three teams also covered the adjacent smaller areas. (e.g. Heanor gang also covered Marlpool, a little piece of Shipley etc.) There was a forth lorry that was used to collect cardboard and paper from shops in all three areas; this had a gang of two men including the driver. It also had to empty the dustbins at Stoneyford, and do ‘Night-soiling Duty’ every Friday, this was the polite name for emptying pan lavatories. This went on until the late 1980s believe it or not, and the last route covered the old station house at the bottom of Thorpes Road in Heanor, Lawn Cottages on Codnor Denby Lane, Joe Woolley’s Farm on Alfreton Road, Codnor, and most of the houses around Stoneyford. This lorry had to be used because the up-dated bigger Lorries could not get under the small railway bridge which went to Stoneyford. There have been exceptions to the rule, but they mostly chose Dennis vehicles because they were so reliable, and at that time were in use by the Fire Services, and other local authorities. To quote a well known comedian of the time: “And there’s more…”well perhaps we had better leave the rest for another time, if there’s enough interest! This has been my first chance to write about something dirty……….
frano	Heanor's Dustbin Lorries - Ash Carts replied on: 12/30/2004 9:10:46 PM I remember most weeks the lorries would have a fire onboard due to someone putting hot ashes in their bin. The tip was then between Lockton Avenue and Slack Lane and that was very often on fire too.
Azzabuv This message was updated on 12/29/2004 11:57:24 PM by Azzabuv	Heanor's Dustbin Lorries - Ash Carts replied on: 12/29/2004 11:56:25 PM Yes, that's correct, Suzard. They actually did carry the full bin from off the back yard. Would they do that to day? No, i never had a toy Bin lorry, but i did have a wooden battleship. It was about a foot and a half long. In the side of it facing you, it had a wooden plug plunger. Fire from about a dozen feet away, with a catapult 'gun', which at times, nearly broke the wrists pulling it backwards and loading it, hit the plunger in the side of the ship and dive behind the chair quickly as a couple of dozen wooden battleship parts zipped round the room. After about six goes, it was banned because of the ripped wallpaper, dented paint and plaster and hammered doors and incase anyone walked into the room as it literally blew up fast,far, wide and loudly. Do you think someone was trying to tell me something? Azzabuv.
suzard Researcher	Heanor's Dustbin Lorries - Ash Carts replied on: 12/29/2004 11:35:55 PM Didn't you have a dustbin lorry in your toy car collection?? My cousin did-it used to fascinate me-it was red and green and you could slide the side panels open-and push your sweet wrappers in! I think Heanor probably led the way in recycling-in probably early 60's newspapers were not put in the dustbin-the binmen collected them sparately and put them in the cab of their lorry-bin men used to get paid a bonus for sorting out the paper and getting it ready to be sold.(They also got paid extra for putting up the stalls on Heanor market)The bin man used to fetch your dustbin from the shed at the bottom of the garden , hoist it on their back and take it to the lorry to be emptied-must have been really heavy work-The bins were mainly full of ash-all the potato peelings and food waste used to be put in the "pig bin"-these were dustbins which seemed to be placed at the end of every street, which were filled with waste for pig swill-I never saw these being emptied-wonder who was responsible for that job?I recall taking potato peelings to put in there -and using the bin as cricket stumps-but never questioned who empitied them or where they went???
Azzabuv This message was updated on 12/29/2004 8:19:25 PM by Azzabuv	Heanor's Dustbin Lorries - Ash Carts replied on: 12/29/2004 8:12:26 PM I don't know if the surrounding districts Dustbin lorries were similar in make and appearance to Heanor's, but i remember them around the Tag Hill area in the 1940s/50s. The back of the lorry consisted of four large, wide sliding panels, which rose up in an arc when lifted. There were two panels on either side of the back of the lorry. They were predominently filled 90% to the brim with ashes and clinkers, the rest being boxes and paper rubbish Etc. and as more and more of the rubbish compartment was filled, the sliding panels were pulled down one by one. One, or sometimes both men, would heave a dustbin over the fairly high side and if you weren't nimble enough, you could really enjoy your own personal ash storm briefly. I remember one time, walking deep in thought and then being literally covered in a fine whitish ash. It was one of my best dating suits too. Still, the ensuing argument passed the time of day for a time. If it was a windy day, no one approached the lorries in the wrong direction. If you did, you could literally end up 'ashen faced' and the hair and clothes too. Many a time, i saw the lorries filled to over-spilling and the two man crew had to dash to the council dump, then return to where they had left off on the street. I think one of those old style Dustbin Lorries, including body and cab, could fit inside one of its modern counterpart's rubbish compartment easily. Azzabuv.

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