Looking Back: Send us your story
Stephen Webb’s story:
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Hello
I hope you don’t mind me sending this email to you, and that it’s not a directly business-related matter. But when I looked at your website I was delighted to see there is an image gallery featuring photos from days gone by at Bonners.
I have recently been going through boxes of stuff after my mother died last year and among many, many photographs I found those I have attached.
My dad, John Webb, worked as a mover for Bonners in the early 1960s, and possibly late 50s. He’s the dark haired chap in the photos, sitting in the passenger seat in the van in one, and standing in front of the van with cigarette in hand in the other. In the photograph in the cab, the chubby little lad sitting on dad’s lap is me; I think the guy at the steering wheel is Len Gadney, who was a family friend for some years into the 1970s. I don’t know who the other man is in some of the photos, the one with slightly fair hair, wearing a jacket and apron. The only other name I know from dad’s Bonners days was Mick Wales, who is not in the photos, but I know mum and dad kept in touch him with for a while (Mick’s wife’s name was Janet).
Dad left Bonners in the mid-60s, got some qualifications and had a good career in engineering. Work meant us having to leave London in 1971 – dad, mum (pregnant at the time with my brother), my sister Julie and me moved to Stafford in the Midlands. But I still have many relatives in south-east London/north Kent, and indeed mum’s sister Barbara (Spooner) moved with her family into the council house we vacated in Flaxton Road, Plumstead, when we left (I had been a pupil at Timbercroft School across the road from our house).
Dad sadly died in 2009 and I know he, and my mum, had fond memories of his Bonners days. Although he didn’t learn to drive and get his licence until 1970, his impressive geographical knowledge of the UK and the road system, as it was then, was down to his time with the company.
Anyway, please feel free to do as you wish with the attached photographs – I’m perfectly happy for them to be uploaded to your website. If you do, please let me know of any responses you may receive; and
if the mystery man is identified. (
email us, if you know who this man is)
Thank you
Stephen Webb.
Recapture the past: Send us your story
Tony Holland’s story:
Don’t want to waste your time but Bonners of Welling were a very important part of my young life, and I recently came across a photograph of vehicle OJJ 176 which triggered fond memories of my early years.
Back in the mid 50’s I worked as a trainee mechanic in Bonners garage premises at the bottom end of Springfield Road, Welling. Worked with the mechanic Ernie Mold for a few years until I was drafted into the Army on National Service in 1957.
After National service in Malaya I returned to Bonners as a driver of one of the pantechnicons with a crew.
What year did ‘Bonners’ cease to operate as a removal company? (It still operates as a removal company, but under a new owner: Doree Bonner International – L.)
Our house was also in Upper Wickham lane a few doors up from Bonners towards the railway bridge.
I presume that David and Ruth, (who I recollect married Jimmy Orpwood, a driver for the company and there was a ‘middle’ son whose name I think was John and Brian the youngest), I presume that they have all passed on by now as I am 87yrs and they were all older than me – they were a Chritadelphian family and lived in New Road which merged into Westbrooke Road so that may have been the road where they lived.
If you can let me know some relevant dates and the later history of the company I’d be pleased as it was a very happy period of my life.
Many thanks
Tony Holland.
Recapture the past: Send us your story
