The early days of Dick Hampton

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mary64
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Re: The early days of Dick Hampton

Post #11 by mary64 » Sun Feb 16, 2014 7:34 pm

Thanks Bertus - do you remember those days?


BertusL
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Re: The early days of Dick Hampton

Post #12 by BertusL » Wed Feb 19, 2014 8:11 pm

Mary, sorry for my late reply.
As a young lad I grew up with with earthmoving equipment, my memories from the age of 5 are still clear to me and these left a lasting impression. When I saw the pictures you posted, not just the machines but also the people in the pictures full of expectation, looking forward to a new future, days long gone when life was much more straightforward.

If you have more pictures, please post them.

Best regards,
BertusL.


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mary64
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Re: The early days of Dick Hampton

Post #13 by mary64 » Wed Feb 19, 2014 9:29 pm

Thanks for your comments Bertus, I am glad you enjoyed looking at them. I will sort through the photos and post them here. As you say, it was all a long time ago now and Dick Hamptons Earthmoving Ltd was a rapidly growing company during the years that road and motorway building was at its peak. My Father absolutely loved his job travelling all over the country, when we went out as a family he never had to look at a map. Good days!


daver1184
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Re: The early days of Dick Hampton

Post #14 by daver1184 » Thu Mar 13, 2014 8:39 am

Hello.

My father was David Richards. He was a foreman on the M5 around Gloucester, Glasgow bypass and Pembroke Dock jobs in the late 60's and early 70's.
He went on to build a sucessful agri plant business west of Worcester.

Sadly, after a period if ill health, dad passed away last Friday.

If any of the ex Dick Hampton community that knew dad would like to attend, the funeral will be on the 18th of March at 11:30am at St. Bartholomew's Church, Harpley, Worcestershire WR6 6HG.

Thanks


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Re: The early days of Dick Hampton

Post #15 by mary64 » Thu Mar 13, 2014 9:00 am

So sorry to hear of the death of David Richards. I am sure my Dad would have remembered him as he was travelling between sites in the 60s and early 70s. Sadly my Father died in 1973, not long before Dick Hampton himself. ad really enjoyed his working life and made many friends, it was a great testament to him that at his funeral the church was completely full. Sadly there are probably few of the old employees left now but they enjoyed great times together.


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Re: The early days of Dick Hampton

Post #16 by duncan » Tue Apr 01, 2014 1:21 pm

Hi Mary thank you for the pictures of Dick hamptons early days at Blacknest they were still talking about that launching of the TD24 tractor as you say the very first new tractor the company bought it was not there when I started as the TD 24 were not that reliable but there was a picture of the"launching "in the workshop office.
I remember your dad a round the yard (I was a fitter in the tractor shop ) and reconise Lofty tractor shop foreman Bert Parish, Basil, and Tweedie Harris Plant Manager when I was there as well as Dick Hampton in the photo's .
Tommy lamb did a lot of Jobs on hes own mainly small sites like you say always with the family on site he taught me how to drive tractor and scraper when I was on site with him he was a great bloke as you say


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Re: The early days of Dick Hampton

Post #17 by mary64 » Tue Apr 01, 2014 1:45 pm

Hi Duncan,
Many thanks for your reply, it is lovely to think that someone remembers my Dad - it is all such a long time ago now. The early days of Dick Hamptons were good old days and Hamptons were very good local employers. I have lots more photos that I will put on this site as soon as I have time, so watch this space!
Best wishes, Mary


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Re: The early days of Dick Hampton

Post #18 by Daphne Aynsley » Fri Jul 04, 2014 2:56 pm

Hello Mary,
I remember your dad Sammy, I was his mate in low-loaders for several years. I remember you and your Mum Flo and the chocolate Wagon wheels you sent down for me when you were at school. I went to Germany a few times with him. I now live in France with my family and my wife Daphne (Marsh) who lived in Bentley and her Mum and Dad knew your Mum and Dad very well. I am John Aynsley (Ginger) and have lots of fond memories of your Dad.


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Re: The early days of Dick Hampton

Post #19 by mary64 » Fri Jul 04, 2014 8:35 pm

Hi Ginger, how lovely to hear from you and to know that you are well and enjoying yourself in France. I hope that you enjoyed looking at the photos that I posted on this site, I have lots more but just a the moment I can' t use my own computer as I have a trapped nerve in my neck (very painful) and am having to use my daughter's ipad as it is easier to position for use but will sort through them when I am able.

myDad was very fond of you and as you know loved his job so much - his lorries really were his life. Do you remember the Hampton's Christmas parties, they were legendary, Bentley Village Hall had never seen such good times(or so much booze consumed!) On one occasion I remember that Dick Hampton taken home in a wheelbarrow! Paddy Fury always had a fight with someone and his brother Owen just got happily more and more drunk.

not too many of the lads left now sadly. Do you remember Tommy Lamb? I have very fond memories of him and his wife Madge, I Remember visiting them isn their caravan when Hampton's were working at Rochester Kent. in those days everywhere you went in the country there we're roads being built and Dick Hampton's were there in the forefront.

Of course I remember Daphne and her dad Alf and her Mum. Mo was my cousin Peter Aikman and Susan Haslam,s bridesmaid. I was looking at some photos the other day (as you do when you are stuck not able to do much and fed up with it!) and found a photo of Mo at their wedding. Peter died back in 1990, they had divorced mostly due to the fact that sadly Peter was an alcoholic, but Susan remarried and lived in Cornwall until her death from cancer last year. Daphne will my aunt Joan (Peter's Mum) who married Les Hoare and they lived at East Green. Joan died recently at the grand old age of 97.

Richard and I have lived in Cornwall (Mullion cove) for 27 years now. our daughter, son in law and two grandsons also live in the village, Our other daughter And her family of three more grandsons live in Dorset. we love our life here and it is very like living in Bentley in the good old days when it had a community - long gone in the south of England, but still very alive here.

Richard says do you remember Peter Lee who did car repairs in Passfield near Liphook? Richard said that he remembers you arriving at Peter's in a red and white or red and grey Zodiac. he said that as he was admiring it you said " yes, great isn't it and it will pass anything - apart from a filling station"!

please give my best regards to Daphne, We very rarely go back to Bentley these days, mostly because there are very, very few people left there that I remember and I really don't miss it, I think i enjoyed Bentley's best days.

with very best wishes to you both, from Mary


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Re: The early days of Dick Hampton

Post #20 by John penfold » Wed Mar 11, 2015 1:43 pm

mary64 wrote:Hi,I am a new member. My Father, Sam Hopwood worked for Dick Hampton from the time that Dick opened his yard in Hampshire, until my Father's death in 1973. My Dad loved his time working for Dick Hampton and travelling the country in his lorry delivering machinery to all parts of the UK and latterly to Germany. Does anyone still remember my Dad? I have lots of photos of the very early days of the company and going forward. Would anyone be interested if I posted them to this site, and if so perhaps someone could let me know where to put them and how to do it. There are lots of old names that I remember - Stan Jeffrey, "Ginger" Ainsley, Bert Parish, Barbara Toogood (Dick's secretary) ......and may more.

I knew Sam very well, one of our star L/Loader drivers, A few more names you may recall.-
Basil Gamgee, Norman Dowding,Bill Harris, Ken Rooke Owen Fury,Doug Westwood,Dick Whittle And in the field __Phil Petters , Bryan wells, fred goldsmith ,Phil Walton, Bob field ,Gerald Box,Dick Cummings,Don Hughes, Bill Bailly,Gorden Kite,Ross Mcall, Naming just a few.
I could name many more, but I am in my Eighties and my memory is not as sharp as it once was!


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