Military Surplus Yard in 1978.... Anyone know where ! from "Return of the Saint"

[PDonovan]

From an episode of "Return of the Saint" called "Yesterdays Hero"

Halftrack, Humber Pig, Scout Car, Dodge Ambulance and Tank engines everywhere... including a Continental R975 radial engine !

 

 

 

[Richard Farrant]

That is Chris Wilkinson's yard at the old railway goods station in St Albans

 

There were crates of tank engines everywhere, a real treasure trove!

Edited January 4, 2014 by Richard Farrant

[PDonovan]

That is Chris Wilkinson's yard at the old railway goods station in St Albans

 

There were crates of tank engines everywhere, a real treasure trove!

 

Brilliant... Thanks Richard

[Pete Ashby]

That is Chris Wilkinson's yard at the old railway goods station in St Albans

 

There were crates of tank engines everywhere, a real treasure trove!

 

Certainly was Richard, some choice stuff came out of that yard, I remember on one visit in the late 70,s Chris trying to persuade me that I really wanted an AEC armoured car, I think it was a choice of three, all I was after was a jeep layshaft.

Fool that I was I wasn't persuaded, I some how think the AEC would be worth more than a jeep now :-(.

 

Do you remember the Cadalac tank engines that had been Nos in crates, just heaps of melted Aluminium after one of several fires on the premises?. Did Chris ever show you the photos of NoS jeep and Dodge parts in crates stacked 10 feet high on the goods shed loading ramp? Happy days it was always a good day out at St Albans.......you don't get yards or people like that any more.

 

Pete

[Richard Farrant]

Certainly was Richard, some choice stuff came out of that yard, I remember on one visit in the late 70,s Chris trying to persuade me that I really wanted an AEC armoured car, I think it was a choice of three, all I was after was a jeep layshaft.

Fool that I was I wasn't persuaded, I some how think the AEC would be worth more than a jeep now :-(.

 

Do you remember the Cadalac tank engines that had been Nos in crates, just heaps of melted Aluminium after one of several fires on the premises?. Did Chris ever show you the photos of NoS jeep and Dodge parts in crates stacked 10 feet high on the goods shed loading ramp? Happy days it was always a good day out at St Albans.......you don't get yards or people like that any more.

 

Pete

 

Hi Pete,

Yes, to us wartime vehicle people is was like a toy shop, wherever you looked there were crates and a peep into them reveal those parts you were searching for. Never came away empty handed, in fact always took home more than you expected. The recon Dingo engines being partly stripped to sell on to the Daimler car people, Churchill engines in crates, the Humber Pig used as a sand blasting cabinet and always something enticing under a sheet. Always had a good deal with Chris too. Sadly missed.

[David B.]

 

Pete/Richard,

 

Did you never reply when Chris said to you:-

 

What do you f*****g want that old rubbish for ? - He is a sadly missed character.

 

Regards,

David.

 

Edited January 5, 2014 by David B.

[Pete Ashby]

Pete/Richard,

 

Did you never reply when Chris said to you:-

 

What do you f*****g want that old rubbish for ? He is a sadly missed character.

 

Regards,

David.

 

 

Good morning David and Happy New Year to you,

 

stock answer was 'I might find a use for one day' even if it was like gold dust which was the case when I found a mint condition cab tilt for my Retriever in a pile of canvas at the back of the goods shed and out came the immortal line.

 

Certainly a man of the old school direct and to the point, some found him difficult to deal with and some people he would not do deal with at any price, but I never had a problem. I first met Chris at the age of 16 at one of John Carters Shotersbrook shows Phil Passey introduced us, another of the old school no longer with us along with the likes of Joe Hurst from St Mary Bourne, Joe tried to convince Keith Orpin and I that we should buy a Diamond T ballast tractor on the road for about £500.00 delivered........... those were days.

 

Regards

 

Pete

[David B.]

Good morning David and Happy New Year to you,

 

stock answer was 'I might find a use for one day' even if it was like gold dust which was the case when I found a mint condition cab tilt for my Retriever in a pile of canvas at the back of the goods shed and out came the immortal line.

 

Certainly a man of the old school direct and to the point, some found him difficult to deal with and some people he would not do deal with at any price, but I never had a problem. I first met Chris at the age of 16 at one of John Carters Shotersbrook shows Phil Passey introduced us, another of the old school no longer with us along with the likes of Joe Hurst from St Mary Bourne, Joe tried to convince Keith Orpin and I that we should buy a Diamond T ballast tractor on the road for about £500.00 delivered........... those were days.

 

Regards

 

Pete

 

and happy New Year to you Pete....

 

I certainly can't match your find for rarity or obscurity but I wonder if anyone else can ?

 

Over the years I was happy with the "bread and butter" stuff. Butler blackout masks,head and side lights,1924 pattern wing mirrors,Dingo stowage and mechanical parts, BSA M20 tool kit spanners,Bedford OY rad blinds and all those kind of things. I never did need the American items ,Sherman or Stuart parts or even the brand new LVT bilge pumps !

 

Good old Chris,he made his money supplying foreign governments and then was instrumental in helping an infant hobby grow by offering a spares service which enabled so many projects to become reality.

 

I found him great company and don't forget also his ( sometimes controversial ) editorship of the MVT Windscreen magazine.

 

Cheers,

David

Edited January 6, 2014 by David B.

[Tony Lawrence]

That is Chris Wilkinson's yard at the old railway goods station in St Albans

 

There were crates of tank engines everywhere, a real treasure trove!

 

I lived in college digs in St. Albans in the late 1960's and I never knew the yard was there!! But then in those days I was more interested in booze, birds and other student activities. It was only when I was involved in the 1990's in restoring a half track that I visited the yard to pick up a NOS instrument panel for said vehicle and a NOS diff/axle that I realised my digs were about 600 yards away and a pub I used to frequent was even closer. By then the contents were fairly depleted from those shown in the clip but the old station building was still jammed full of gear and all over the ground were small bags of Humber components. Chris would not stand idiots but I managed to pass the test somehow. I only wish we could turn back the clock as we need characters such as him involved in the hobby now.

[cripesamighty3rd]

Back in the late 70s in the 6 weeks school holidays me & mate use to get a red bus rover,,, which was a 25p ticket that you could travel anywhere on a red bus,,( london transport) ,,,there was a route that would take us past that place,,, I remember it was down a big dip in the ground,, which you could get a good veiw from the top deck of an old R/T or route master, ,,, one day we stoped there to have a poke about, ,, my dad had a jeep at the time & the place was amazing, ,,,I remember plenty of vehicles there including some tanks,,,

Thanks for posting as reading this bought back some good memories,,,