Vange scaffolding, Benfleet. (6 Viewers)

podgermad

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Hi again fellas,

Anybody out there who worked for Vange in the early 70's when we ALL had a CEU card and there was still plenty of work for everyone. Anyone remember Micky Whatson, Alan Crumpton, Denis Donovon, Pete Chalmers, Alfie Roberts, Mac the steward, Paul Smith (Smiffy) Terry Molloy, Mickey Ring and brother Johnny ?
Anybody worked the Tilbury power station for Vange ? Ah yes, Harrison Vanges foreman, couldn't put three words together without spitting in your face ?

Thanks if anyone remembers.
 
mickey ring, i knew him when he was a supervisor on centurys then contracts manager, and because of him they went under, he is retired now, and best place for him, he was a proper driftwood.
 
Yes I think he was a couple of years older than me. I got on OK with him but he was never really a mate. Neither was his half-brother Johnny Moore, who was an even bigger p**ce than Mickey. When I knew him he was only a fixed on SGB and then down on the Kellogg's site in Billericay.
 
Alan/Dave Crumpton, micky Ring Rainhams,(PERFECT ) Peter Charmers, must be retired now last time i saw him was on D+R eastern, nice to hear old names.
 
Alan Crumpton

Actually Alan, so I have heard from another source, died of a heart attack at least 3 years back. And Denis Donovan got himself shot for putting his podger where he shouldn't... but that is not confirmed
 
I'm too young to remember him in the 70s as I was still swimming in Me dads ******** but Pete chalmers is still doing the rounds on the agencies pretending to be 10 years younger he mist be pushing 70 though looks no where near it
 
Micky Ring by all accounts is a Contracts Manager (along with Bryan Hopson) on Admiral Scaffolding, after Century Scaffolding went under and got overtaken by Admirals.

He stitched me and Essex up for a price about 8 years ago in Wanstead... proper had us over.

Remember that Dal? - poxxy £800 quid for about 90 square inc. Beams and a 13ft x 35ft Tower?

Id have tipped it back, but i was given a new 'revised' price AFTER it was all struck and on the lorry...

Hes a f.ucking prick, imo...
 
Thanks for that mdann. They'll have to bury Peter under a pile of boards when he kicks it, so he don't pick his tools up again. When I knew Peter, when he shaved his beard off he looked 5/6 years younger and he could only have been 25/30 then. If ever you see him tell him Smiffy from Dagenham says hello. We worked together on the Kellogs site, I think it was for Total oil and also at the IPLC hotel site at Russel square. Thanks again.

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Thanks Jason, yes he was never a mate of mine either. Always me me me. Although he was a good scaff in his 20's. As Dagenham was one of the rare branches of the CEU, after part of the AEU, to have scaffs in its ranks I'd see him at meetings from time to time. Thanks again for the info.
 
i new most of them we all worked on the construction off littlebrook power stn,your right we was all members off the ceu dagenham branch or scaffolders branch at aldgate,allan crumpton j more m ring ive bumped in to them a few times all so see dennis donnavan in a chinky in romford about a year ago
 
I seem to remember Dennis Donavon on the Grain or should I say Treasure Island he was foreman for Babcocks before Vange took over: I was long gone by then. but its good to hear the CEU mentioned again, Buffallo Bill was the Steward great bloke, and Was it Joe Fairy his deputy, great laugh with Dagenham and Canterbury boys sorry names all gone but good memories out the gate for £1.08.
 
Anyone know Alan McCarthey i think he use to work for Vange.
 
mcCarthy, Alan

Hiya,

Wasn't him that was known as "Mac" ? He'd done a bit of boxing when he was younger and his nose showed it. Was it the same McCarthy as was the shop steward on the Kellogs site in the late 60's/early 70's ?

-->> Gary, dod you have a brother or cousin Derek that became Secretary at the Dagenham branch of the CEU or AEUW around 1970?
 
Hiya,

Wasn't him that was known as "Mac" ? He'd done a bit of boxing when he was younger and his nose showed it. Was it the same McCarthy as was the shop steward on the Kellogs site in the late 60's/early 70's ?

-->> Gary, dod you have a brother or cousin Derek that became Secretary at the Dagenham branch of the CEU or AEUW around 1970?

Yes thats the man,i remember now he done a bit of boxing,is he still about.
 
I'm sorry, personally I couldn't say,last time I saw him it was at a meeting with all the shop stewards at Vange's offices in 1975. I was the steward at Tilbury power station at the time just before going to Nigeria seconded to Wimpey's on the B.P. refinery over there.
 
bill thompson john fairy derek wheaton my dad where all shop stewards at the grain,derek wheaton ended up being a full time official for the ceu.its a shame it still dosnt exsist they where great jobs ernt as mutch then as you can now

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derek is my dad.do you mean sammy mcarthy from the east end

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bill thompson john fairy derek wheaton my dad where all shop stewards at the grain,derek wheaton ended up being a full time official for the ceu.its a shame it still dosnt exsist they where great jobs ernt as mutch then as you can now
 
Hi Gary,
Pleased to see it still runs in the family. I knew your Dad quite well, and I know he appreciated all the scaffs at the Dagenham branch, as we did him. But a real time opportunist from our branch was Mr Johnny Baldwin, always wondered what happened to him. He once accused me of being hyper-critical about Vange,while there were heavy suspicions about him getting into Mrs. whatsername, the boss at the time, knickers.
No, the McCarthy we were talking about was the steward for the scaffs at the Kellogs site (I think it was for Total) down near Benfleet. As said, his nose had taken a bit of a beating when he used to box. Bit like Dennis Donovan's, but worse.But I was told that Dennis had been murdered or shot some while back.
Do you remember Terry Molloy ? He got out of the game about the same time as me in 1975.
Paul
 
mrs garnett ,dont know terry malloy did he have a brother sam,joh n baldwin died a couple of years ago
 
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Ah yes, Mrs Garnett, always treated me OK. No, Terry didn't have a brother. His family are out of Rainham and he lived out near the Mobil refinery. He was always up to nonsense like plugging his telly into the neighbours aerial so he didn't get done for the licence, sticking lumps of copper in the meter to bypass it.....Loads of stuff that I couldn't put on here.
 
whats your name

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any one know of jimmy sinclair from bethnal green
 
Me, I'm Paul Smith.

Yes I knew Jimmy when he came back after some time off to become a double-glazing salesman. He taught me a lot about union work and what it meant to be a trade unionist. We used to meet up round Alfie Smith's house in Barking for tea and a chat.

Are they both still alive ?
 
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