WARD’S WONDER WAGON

You only get one chance to make a first impression and being involved in the cut and thrust of the heavy vehicle recovery game, the long established Wakefield based concern of Norman Ward & Son Ltd know their reputation is on the line with almost every call-out they attend. However, the fact that the company is now celebrating 100 years in business, suggests they have made a pretty good fist of establishing their well-earned repute.

Now in the hands of the fourth-generation brothers and sister trio of Andrew, Philip and Linda Ward, the family owned concern operate an eight strong recovery fleet which is in the main utilised by the heavier side of the road transport world. And in that domain, there isn’t much Ward’s can’t handle. But so far as Andrew is concerned, the reason the family firm has lasted so well is because they have long pinned their allegiance to the Foden flag as the first choice of vehicle to carry their specialised gear.

That may sound a bit strange as Foden haven’t built anything new since the day they ended production in July ’06, although Linda reckons that closure date was actually July ’01: “When they stopped making the 4000 Series,” she says, “that was the real end of Foden.”

Either way, 13 or 18 years since a new vehicle was made makes any Foden still in use a rarity as in truck parlance, modern day load carriers don’t often last too long before they are put out to grass. However, anyone who knows the Norman Ward operation will tell you that such an age is perhaps a bit too new for one of their motors. As when you fly the Foden kite