Heritage Commercials Magazine - capturing the spirit of vintage days

Cornish gold

The haulage firm of D A Vercoe was started in 1969 by Arnold Vercoe, who took over a one lorry business from a Mr Harry Treveth, who did local work in the St Steven district near St Austell in Cornwall.

Within a very short time Arnold purchased a Commer TS3 which he collected from the factory himself. This lorry was used to deliver building materials until 1983 when it was laid up in the back of Arnold’s shed. And there it stayed until 2000 when it was rediscovered by Arnold’s son Adrian.
 
A quick inspection and a new battery soon had the two-stroke Commer up and running. And apart from a paint job that’s all the girl needed. Very soon the Commer was a regular sight at shows and rallies throughout Cornwall.

In 2001 Arnold was approached by Brian Honey to see if he had room to store his 1957 Rowe-Hillmaster lorry that he had just finished restoring. Unfortunately, Arnold didn’t have the room, which was a shame as a short time later the Rowe was actually put up for sale.

Arnold was fully aware that the Rowe-Hillmaster was a very rare Cornish-made lorry, and although he couldn’t take her on he decided to try and find her a new owner. A quick word with his very good friend Mike James was all that was required as he agreed to buy the old Rowe. However, soon afterwards Mike was given notice to quit the shed that he had stored her in, and so in desperation offered the lorry to Arnold.

Arnold had a think about things and decided that as the lorry was built in Cornwall it should stay in Cornwall. His decision was also helped by the fact that Brian had actually put the Rowe into Arnold’s original colour scheme – just because he liked the look of it. And so Arnold became the Hillmaster’s new owner in 2003 and all he had to do was have it signwritten – possibly the easiest restoration on record!

It was around this time that I first saw the Rowe and I asked Adrian if I could possibly do a feature on this very rare lorry. He had no objections but said that I would have to talk to Brian Honey as he was the real expert on the lorry. And that is where my problems started!

By now Brian had moved from Cornwall and nobody in the local vintage commercial fraternity knew how to contact him. Loads of people tried to get an address or phone number for him but it was all to no avail. And so I put the idea on the back burner and forgot about it. Fortunately after all these years Brian has now been traced and so the story of the lorry can now be told.

For many years Kivells, the well known and respected auctioneer and estate agency, has held a vintage sale at the Dingles Fairground Heritage centre at Lifton in Devon. This sale is normally held around the first week of October, and it always draws a large attendance not only for the vast array of things that are for sale, but because the main auctioneer John Wakeham is a bit of a comedian as well! For his gavel he uses his trademark cane walking stick – and it really takes a battering at the sales! God help anyone who stands too close when it comes crashing down with a shout of “Sold!”

Anyway, Arnold decided to attend the 2009 sale, together with his sons Adrian and John. When they arrived they had a look in the sheds where all the small items are sold from, then outside at the tractors, steam engines, lorries, and larger pieces of machinery. And it was there that Arnold spied a Rowe-Hillmaster tractor unit.

The auction started dead on 10am, but it always takes hours to sell all the rats and mice before they arrive outside to start selling the big stuff. The Rowe, like all the other star lots, was to be auctioned last.

Finally its time arrived and John Wakeham called for an opening bid of £20,000. The crowd was deathly silent. Finally an opening bid of £10,000 was called and suddenly the interest started. Before long the bids were over £20,000 but it didn’t sell. Arnold and the family at this stage had no intention of buying another Rowe-Hillmaster but after the auction Adrian introduced the owner John Shortbridge to Arnold. They both chatted about their Rowe lorries and John mentioned how much he would let his lorry go for. With that Arnold didn’t hesitate and a deal was done there and then.

This Rowe-Hillmaster had been superbly restored by Colin Pitt and painted in Dingles old colours. This had been done at huge cost but the owner needed to sell it so that was that. The Vercoes now had two Rowe-Hillmasters in their fleet.

Over the following winter the new arrival was repainted into the Vercoe colours, and in March 2010 she made her debut on the great Rex Curtis Commercial Road Run, along with their other Hillmaster. Adrian drove the rigid, while Arnold took the tractor unit. Travelling with Arnold on the run was his grandson Michael, who was sadly killed in a road accident the very next day.

In addition to the Commer and Rowe-Hillmasters the Vercoe family have now built up quite a nice little collection of vintage vehicles and machinery including a steam roller, a fairground organ and the rare 30cwt Manchester lorry featured in the September 2011 issue of HC. And to get a photograph of all four classic lorries together we decided to take them to the West of England Rally at Stithians in the middle of August – and what a sight they looked!

Thanks must go to Arnold and the family for taking the time to speak to me and photograph their fabulous lorries.

Words & photographs Roger Hamlin