THE LEACH FAMILY - FROM CYCLES TO TAXIS TO HAULAGE

CYCLE SHOP & PETROL STATION

Robert William Leach was recorded as an Iron Moulder in the 1891 and 1901 Census and lived in Ealees. He possibly worked at Scofield’s Foundry in Durn or Ebor Engineering in Bridge End, Littleborough. However, he subsequently owned the bike shop located at 32 Church Street becoming the Raleigh Agent in 1908. Robert also manufactured his own cycles know as WARDLEWORTH CYCLES,

Robert also sold petrol from pumps located outside the Royal Oak Pub (now closed) - see picture right and note petrol pumps (left). The petrol was delivered in barrels carried on horse drawn carts.

TAXIS SERVICE

Soon after the first World War he started his taxi business seeing the opportunity to chauffeur local mill owners such as Sir Alfred Law and Gordon Harvey. The taxi service was still operating in 1944 when an employee ‘borrowed’ a truck to take some friends back to Rochdale after their ordered “Leach” Taxi failed to arrive.

HAULAGE

John Alfred Leach, Robert’s son, bought has first tipper truck in 1931 carrying coal to the local mills. The business expanded over the years serving Hess Products, The Tannery, Fothergill & Harvey, Clegg’s Shore Mill and Taylor’s Builders etc. In the early years he had a base next to the Red Lion pub but in 1950 he bought the petrol station know as Central Garage (later known as Python Garage) and later acquired a plot of land opposite (now used by Corrosion Resistant Products). He continued to expand the company obtaining flat bodied trucks and later articulated vehicles. The company remained in Littleborough until 1994 when expansion of the fleet led to the company moving to continued expansion.

Details from a letter from the family to John Street for his book “The Story of Littleborough”

PICTURES OF TRUCKS

Albion Tipper Truck

Seddons on Todmorden Road Site

Leyland Artic