Waiting for the tide at the Strood. Clifford White's lorries on the right.

Ron Green writes about Clifford White's lorries:
I guess I'm one of the few who experienced Clifford White & Co during the years between the wars. I was born in Barfield Road in February 1932 opposite the yard. The image shows two of CMW's lorries waiting for the tide to drop. The one nearest the camera is a Karrier and was driven by Jack Heard. I did have a short ride in that lorry just before the war when my dad was working on a house in Yorick Road. Mum and I called in to see him just before knocking off time. Jack had just made a delivery and was taking the Karrier back to the yard. I guess dad and I had a lift and mum had my little brother John in the pram so she walked the short distance home. The second articulated lorry was a Bedford driven by Gus Gentry.

Just before the war CMW imported several barge loads of timber ex London Docks and there were often three barges on the Hard at a time. A sailing barge carried 32 standards, a standard being 1000 cu ft and at the outbreak of the war the yard was filled to overflowing. There was a large stack on the corner of Melrose Rd and another where the Roman Catholic church now stands. When there were barges on the Hard all possible men and vehicles were brought in to help unload to avoid demurrage and I witnessed a steady flow of lorries and horse and carts coming into the yard well loaded. Shortly before the war CMW bought two new 5 ton Bedfords from Griffon Garage. During the early part of the war one of the Bedfords was requisitioned but the other was still there when I started working for Clifford White and Co in 1946 and a 5 ton Austin was purchased from Underwoods Garage. I suppose the Karrier and Bedford artic were disposed of when the new Bedfords were bought. There was also the Dennis from the 1930s which was still there when I joined, although laid up. It was eventually sold to A. Tredgett & Co., Mersea Builders, who later sold it to a Goldhanger fruit farmer. Also there from the 1930s were two horses. Tony a chestnut was used to pull the coal cart driven by Hector Farthing, and a black horse which had been used to pull the hearse prewar. It was only used occasionally. Pre war, every Friday a load of cement was delivered, usually by steam lorry.

Date: 1930s