The past in pictures.

Following a trend we started in last month’s The Mover, when we published a photo of a Pickfords’ wagon delivering to the ship Terra Nova, we’re publishing an image from the 1930s of a truck and staff from coal merchants H. Appleyad & Sons.  The company went on to become Britannia Appleyeards, of course.  We’d like to publish more of these pictures, so if you have any images from your company’s distant past, we want to see them, and hear the story behind them. 

This archive picture from Britannia Appleyards in Rotherham dates from the 1930s and shows several members of the Appleyard family, including Rip the dog and members of staff.

As was the case with many long-established removals companies, Appleyards began as a coal merchants and diversified into removals. The theory being that people didn’t need coal during the summer, but did move house and it provided work for the vehicles and the men.  In those days most people didn’t have many possessions – that’s why they didn’t need to lock their doors – and so the large removal vans that we have today weren’t required. Appleyards continued in the coal business until 1997.

Photo: in the truck, from left: Bill Appleyard, dog Rip, George Appleyard; man next to cab - unknown; driver Eric Appleyard.  Outside truck from left:Joe Appleyard, (John’s dad) Jeff Soar; Harry Appleyard (Harry’s dad) man standing - unknown. 

Interesting fact:

In 1930 a company owned by Harry Appleyard senior, Appleyard & Lumb, was commissioned by the Air Ministry to bring back wreckage of the ill fated airship R101 after she crashed in Beauvais France on her maiden flight to India.