Edward Beck & Son Ltd
Edward Beck Stockport
Greg Street Depot Stockport.
The main depot of Edward Beck & Son Ltd was located on Greg Street Reddish near Stockport.
The site, which was around six acres in size, consisted of Beck's head office, garage, trailer workshop, fuel island and plenty of storage space for the vast amount of Caterpillar & International equipment.
It also was used as a storage depot for the hundreds of cable drums which were distributed across the UK during the extensive upgrading of the high-voltage electric power transmission network, otherwise known as the national grid.
Teddy Beck takes time out for a light hearted photograph in 1954 with the local scrap dealer who would call into the depot and take away any surplus material.
In the foreground from left to right are Tony Hogg (apprentice mechanic) Len Etherington (driver) Teddy Beck and Ronnie Wiggins (apprentice mechanic).
This ex Ministry of Defence Austin 6x4 was powered by a six cylinder 4 litre petrol engine.
It was used mainly as a recovery truck and was fitted with an overhead gantry and block and tackle which enabled it to tow broken down vehicles.
This particular photograph is a still image taken from an old cine film taken by Teddy Beck in 1960.
You can view the whole film by clicking here.
A group photo of drivers and staff taken opposite the depot on Greg Street.
At the moment we are missing four names.
If you can put a name to the faces please get in touch.
Top row left to right...
??. Henry Parker. ??. Slim Griffiths.
Bottom row left to right...
Joe McHale. Vernon Macro. Arthur Fryers. Dave Porter. Jimmy Etchells (foreman driver). Billy Peters. Jimmy Peters. Jack Bradshaw.??. Colin Howells. Fred Pilkington.
This bucket was just part of the equipment for a large excavator called 'Big Geordie' which, at the time, was Europe's largest excavator located in a massive opencast mine near Morpeth in County Durham.
It was transported in sections from Salford Docks to Morpeth in 1968 with many other parts of the huge excavator stored around the depot in Stockport until they were required on site.

Lying on the ground in the depot at Greg Street while awaiting delivery is another huge piece of 'Big Geordie' which was, at the time, Europe's largest excavator located at Morpeth in County Durham.
The company's purpose built weighbridge and office in 1967.
The Thames Trader four wheeler tipper, Reg No CND 8C, was one of a number purchased by Edward Beck along with other various plant equipment after the closure of Thomas Nield.
This great period shot shows a few of the Thames Trader tippers in the fleet, along with a BMC tackle wagon.
Also if you click on the picture and view it full size you will see on the left a locomotive awaiting delivery.
Edward Beck & Son carried out all their own repairs and servicing to their large fleet of vehicles as can be seen in this picture, taken in 1965.
An FG Foden 4x2 tractor unit and an Atkinson 4X2 tractor unit are seen parked in the service bay of Edward Beck's own garage which was located within the depot at Greg Street Stockport.

Taken in 1966 this picture shows the purpose built head office of Edward Beck & Son Ltd.
Located at the junction of Greg Street and Broadstone Hall Road South in Reddish, Stockport you can view this location today by clicking HERE.
Today it is called Progress House and is occupied by the North West Police Benevolent Fund, an organisation set up to help police officers, together with their dependents, who are in a condition of need and hardship or distress.
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