Recalling Miller's Transport Paul Turner and David Welsh, December 2024
Paul Turner Wrote
The photos above and below may be of interest as they show the interior of Miller's garage in 1998 and the last bus (spring 1984) from the old Box Highlands School with 'Dusty' Miller at the wheel (both photos courtesy Paul Turner).
The photos above and below may be of interest as they show the interior of Miller's garage in 1998 and the last bus (spring 1984) from the old Box Highlands School with 'Dusty' Miller at the wheel (both photos courtesy Paul Turner).
David Welsh wrote
Your article about Millers Transport is extremely interesting, especially the photographs. I never realised Millers ran lorries as well as coaches in the 1950's, I would be most interested in seeing any photos of those. I was also amazed to hear they took over Hancock’s Feed Supply business, a very familiar firm to me as a boy. They ran two Albion lorries transporting animal feed. The lorries were always immaculate, beautifully finished in bright red paintwork with gold lettering. I would often see them loading at the Hancock’s garage in Pickwick Road, Corsham. My father knew Mrs Hancock well as he rented their old smaller redundant garage in Alexandria Road to house his first car, a 1934 Armstrong Siddeley. Later, when he had difficulty in purchasing his first brand new car, Mrs Hancock helped him to overcome the long waiting list through her contacts in the motor industry.
In the 1950s I travelled from Corsham to Chippenham Grammar School on a Millers Bedford OB coach driven by Harry Miller. Does anyone possess a photograph of this coach please? If so I would love a copy, failing that any details such as registration number, external colour scheme etc would be helpful. I remember Harry very well. He was very tolerant of us lively youngsters unless things started to get out of hand when he would bring the coach to sharp halt, leap up from his driving seat in the Bedford and give us a real dressing down, threatening to put off the coach anyone who persisted in misbehaving. Relative silence followed this telling off and Harry would assume once more the driving position.
It's a shame there are no photographs of the little Bedford OB that Harry always drove, dressed in his white driver's overcoat complete with PSV badge and shiny peaked cap. I remember that John had a slightly more relaxed approach to the uniform situation. In my final two years at school, John drove me and other children to Chippenham Grammar School in the larger Bedford SB shown in the photograph. We boarded at a bus stop layby near the Hare and Hounds pub at Pickwick, on the A4. I left School at end of summer term 1962 and I see that Harry passed away later the same year, something I never knew until now.
Your article about Millers Transport is extremely interesting, especially the photographs. I never realised Millers ran lorries as well as coaches in the 1950's, I would be most interested in seeing any photos of those. I was also amazed to hear they took over Hancock’s Feed Supply business, a very familiar firm to me as a boy. They ran two Albion lorries transporting animal feed. The lorries were always immaculate, beautifully finished in bright red paintwork with gold lettering. I would often see them loading at the Hancock’s garage in Pickwick Road, Corsham. My father knew Mrs Hancock well as he rented their old smaller redundant garage in Alexandria Road to house his first car, a 1934 Armstrong Siddeley. Later, when he had difficulty in purchasing his first brand new car, Mrs Hancock helped him to overcome the long waiting list through her contacts in the motor industry.
In the 1950s I travelled from Corsham to Chippenham Grammar School on a Millers Bedford OB coach driven by Harry Miller. Does anyone possess a photograph of this coach please? If so I would love a copy, failing that any details such as registration number, external colour scheme etc would be helpful. I remember Harry very well. He was very tolerant of us lively youngsters unless things started to get out of hand when he would bring the coach to sharp halt, leap up from his driving seat in the Bedford and give us a real dressing down, threatening to put off the coach anyone who persisted in misbehaving. Relative silence followed this telling off and Harry would assume once more the driving position.
It's a shame there are no photographs of the little Bedford OB that Harry always drove, dressed in his white driver's overcoat complete with PSV badge and shiny peaked cap. I remember that John had a slightly more relaxed approach to the uniform situation. In my final two years at school, John drove me and other children to Chippenham Grammar School in the larger Bedford SB shown in the photograph. We boarded at a bus stop layby near the Hare and Hounds pub at Pickwick, on the A4. I left School at end of summer term 1962 and I see that Harry passed away later the same year, something I never knew until now.
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I attach two photos of my model Bedford OB in Millers colours, based on memory as there are no photos of this particular coach. The model is a repainted and lettered Corgi 1/48th scale diecast, converted by myself It may be of interest to you and/or Keith Miller?