old bestyett works

[Holcombe]

I've had a copy of a Newspaper clipping sent to me. It's a picture of Corona staff, possibly early 1960's, outside former Bestyett factory in The Friars. The man centre front has a cup but I don't know what it was for. On the back row, 2nd from the right is Gerald COOK and beside him, 3rd from right is John Crake. a few faces look familiar but I can't remember the names.
Can anyone name any of the others and tell me what the cup was for?

[EWW]

The only other person I can recognise after Cooky is young Mr Shifter. Second left back row. Cannot remember his first name but his surname is Dann.
I can remember when a young Dann used to deliver the pop round the houses. Cooky looked like DelBoy and opened his first furniture shop in what was
the Co-op building in Norfolk street after the Co-op shut. He moved from there to opposite the South Gates.

[Holcombe]

This is door to door delivery in Highgate around 1961.


Order form left by delivery men at private houses or small shops and collected when the empties were picked up.


I've been researching Bestyett for a while but the Gaywood roundsman link prompted me to do a bit more. EWW put a picture of an order form on this topic on 12.10.2006. I have located a newer version that was probably created as the business grew.

The attached was new addition to the Bestyett fleet. The background is the Boal Quay. The registration number suggests about 1962 because the numbers only went up to 9999 and a new format came in in 1963.

Photos of lorries taken by J E Gittens, Photographer, 68 Norfolk Street, Kings Lynn.
There's a photo of lorries in Goodwins Road that Littleoldboy added on 23.11.2006. The names of the people in that photo are, left to right, Arthur Chilvers, Walter Chilvers, George Sooley, ? Franklin, T. Simpson (but it may have been George 'Sandy Simpson) and T. Brown. I've been told that either Simpson or Brown played for football for a well known Football League club and scored a notable goal in the FA Cup but |I haven't been able to find out any more about it.

[Holcombe]

I been compiling a list of Bestyett Staff from various sources and would be grateful if anyone could add any 'meat to the bones' of the names. I'm also interested in the delivery man in the previous Highgate photo. One suggestion to me is that it is Bernie Tuffs. Roger made reference to meeting Bernie in his post of 14.04.2007. The list follows:
Bestyett People

Chilvers Family
Walter Chilvers – Founder
Arthur E Chilvers
Ernest W Chilvers
Leslie J Chilvers
Alice Mary Chilvers (Backham/Haverson)
Alice Maud Chilvers (during WW2 became Company Secretary while the males of the family were serving in the military)

Staff
Allen
Mr. Bob Ames
Mr. Charles ‘Mac’ Backham (1938)
Mr. J. A. W. Balding (1960)
Barton
Mr. W. R. Benjamin (1941-1942), Sir Lewis Street, Kings Lynn.
D. Betts
Mr E. E. Betts (was manager at Littleport Depot from 28.10.1948 to 28.10.1958)
Biddle
Mr. R. Blyth
Mr. W. F. ‘Fred’ Blyth (1960)
Mr. J. W. Bowles (1960)
Mr. Stanley Brockwell
Mr. Tom Brown (1935)
Ms Lucy Brown
Mr. George H. Buck
Burt
Chappel
Childerhouse
Claxton
Mr R. C. Cooper (1960)
Mr John Crake
Michael ‘Curly’ Crake – son of Leonard Crake
Croft
Darnell
Davies
Davy
Denniss
Drew
Mr. Bob Durrant (1938) – Lived in Terrington St Clement and played in a Band.
English
Mr. Lenny FARR (Mechanic)
Finney
Flint – Tony?
Mr. Franklin (1935)?
Ms Jean Fulcher
Gathercole
Greenwood
Gilbert
Griffin
Mr. James ‘Jim’ Haverson
Mr. Leslie Hilton
Horby
John
Mr. Billy Knights
Mr. John ‘Smiler’ Lethbridge (1938)
Morgan
Mills
Musk
Overton
Parker
Mr. Parkin (at Spalding)
Pearman
Perrin
Mr. E. W. Pitcher (1960)
Prior
Rawlings
Rayner
Mr. Don Regester
Revel
Mr. Charlie W. Rudd (1960) – Lived in Gaywood, Kings Lynn
T. Rudd
Salliss
Sargeant
Mr. George ‘Sandy’ Simpson (1935)
Mr. J. E. Smith (‘in charge’ at Wisbech Depot)
Mr. George Sooley (1935)
D. Suddell
Mr. F. W. Taylor (1960)
Mr. R. Terrington (1938)
Mr. Harry Tills (1938-1942) - Lived Harecroft Gardens, off Loke Road, Kings Lynn.
Mr. Godfrey Twite (1938)
Mr. M. B. ‘Bernie’ Tuffs (1960)
Tuffs
Mr. Harry Tyson (1938)
Usher
Ms Molly Wakefield (later Mrs Molly Crake)
Mr. Walden (1935)
Williamson
Woodhouse
K. Woodruffe
M. Woodruffe
Woods
Beryl Wright (nickname Beryl the Peril - worked there in 1950-51 at the age of 15)
Yardy
Yaxley
Youngs

Valerie (Big Val) Skeggs - Lived West Lynn.
Valerie (Little Val)

Ms Peggy Route

[EWW]

All good stuff Holcombe. Few names I know on the list for sure.
Lucy Brown was my brothers mother-in-law and a loverly lady. She used to slip me a fiver when I was a hard up teenager

And Beryl the Peril is my sister and a member on here. Still going strong and and lives in Plattsburg NY and some of her
children and grandchildren are members also.

[littleoldboy]

Wow Holcombe,
Two great photos and what quality.
First one very rock and roll the haircut and the uniform. Along shot it reminds me of Alice's boy Roy Backham, he would have been 19 at that time.
My mum said that Walter gave my father a job at one time, but I have no record of that.
Little Old Boy

[Holcombe]

Thanks Littleoldboy. The delivery man isn't Roy Backham. He's still going strong and I see him from time to time. And thanks EWW. Your comment made me look at the photos again. I noticed a couple of things on them. The location of the tractor unit was the South Quay, not the Boal Quay. There is also a number 29 on the cab, perhaps giving a clue to the number of vehicles in the fleet. There's a good photo on www.picture.norfolk.gov.uk of an older lorry outside the Friars factory near where the wall sign, featured on other posts, was located. I haven't seen any other 'Wrights' so far, but if I come across a reference to another, I add it to the list and post it.

[EWW]

I think the peril was the only Wright that I know worked there Holcombe. I took a ride down Highgate today and went
every road but could not find anywhere that had a row of bungalows of that construction. There is a couple of rows
but one is a long row like a terrace..and the others are a semi and a three..so not them. Can anyone think of anywhere
else with bungalows like that and I will take a look.

[Tresagreen]

Another name for your list holcombe. My uncle, Ken Thurston worked at Bestyett in the mid 50s.

[westwinch]

Look like the bungalows on Wisbech Road.

[EWW]

You are 100% correct sir. No big deal but nice to know the exact location. Thanks.

[EWW]

[Holcombe]

Well done westwinch. I trusted the information with the photo. Seeing your post, I agree that it was taken in Wisbech Road. This would probably fit with Bestyett having premises beside Coopers.
Sorry EWW, I confused your reply and that of littleodlboy. He mentioned his father may have worked there.

[EWW]

Lots of the pictures I have posted over the years have had the wrong info on the back of them but we can only post what we have
at the time. It is always nice when things are corrected over time. Hope you carry on posting great stuff Holcombe..its all good.

[chapesse]

Just to confirm one name on the employee list and add another. Mr Flint's forename was indeed Tony (a distant relative's husband). The name to add is Stan Gent, I believe he was the, or a, manager. He's possibly the one holding the cup in the group photo. (Parent of a childhood friend, living in Hockham Street at the time).