One of the great pioneers of scientifically thought out refuse collection was Densmore Walker, one of the sons of Pagefield lorry makers Walker Brothers (Wigan) Ltd of Pagefield Ironworks, Wigan better known for their ventilators and mining equipment. Just when demand slowed from four chassis per week at the end of WW1 and colliery orders declined, Edwin Walker had a chance encounter with the Borough Engineer of Southport (where Vulcan lorries were made). He was bemoaning the increased distance to out-of-town refuse dumps. The horses that made house to house collections were too slow to get there economically.
Edwin’s son Densmore, for some reason known as Mr Dick in the factory, put his thinking cap on and came up with 300cu.ft four-wheel horse drawn container carts that when full were winched up onto Pagefield lorries for speeding to the dump. One lorry could keep three or four horse teams hard at work marking a 20% saving. Southport soon had five so-called Pagefield System lorriesthe city’s rabbit warren of back streets.
