Although this was my first restoration, and neither Katherine or I have any family heritage in the haulage industry (I am an Engineer and Toolmaker, Katherine a pharmacy dispenser) my family does have a strong background in preservation. My grandfather Mick Kettle has owned a Burrell traction engine for many years which my brother Jack, sister Sarah and I now maintain. Additionally, my Dad Myke Ready owns a Scammell MU that he restored and is rallied regularly.
It was therefore probably only a matter of time before I followed in the family line and acquired my own vehicle, and that I would choose a Scammell. The vehicle in question is a 1964 Scammell Highwayman with a Gardner 6LW engine.
In terms of its working life, my lorry was new to United Dairies/Unigate.
United Dairies was acquired by Unigate in 1958, but we know that the lorry ran, at least initially, with UD branding, as the remains of their lettering were uncovered during the restoration. It was most likely used, with a tanker trailer, as a reload tanker, for long-distance milk transport.
From Unigate it joined the fair – in this case Coles Fair, a South of England touring fair based near Southampton. With Coles it carried a ballast box and a generator set. After that it moved to Marchwood Motorway.,
