AEC PHOTOS BY DAVE CHALKER   Welcome to this selection of AEC photos by guest contributor Dave Chalker.  Regular visitors to the AEC "Fotopic" Gallery may have seen the photos in the monthly collections there, but now visitors may browse the pictures on one page. Dave Chalker was born in Portsmouth in 1941.  His father was a dockyardman and his mother worked in one of the prolific corset factories in the city.  When he left school Dave joined the Royal Navy.  After leaving the Navy Dave went on to work for Post Office Telephones and eventually BT. Dave's interest in commercial vehicle transport began early, growing up in Lower Drayton Lane, Cosham, where W. G. Privett & Sons Ltd had their depot.  Right opposite the family house was Privett's open yard where clinker from Portsmouth Power Station was tipped.  This in turn was loaded by Muir Hill or Chaseside mechanical shovels into Hall & Co tippers, including AEC Monarchs, though mainly Austin K and Bedford O types.  At the bottom of the road was the Southern Electricity Board depot, and the Limmer & Trinidad Lake Asphalt Co. Ltd. Works.  Located in nearby Station Road were the Portsea Island Mutual Co-operative Society Bakery, Dairy and Transport depot. Dave's late uncle Stanley Chalker started as an office boy at Portsmouth Commercial Motors, which became J. H. Sparshatt & Sons Ltd of Portsmouth, the commercial vehicle bodybuilders.  Dave spent many happy Saturday mornings at the works in his schooldays.  Stan worked up to the position of company secretary, but died in 1971 soon after the take over by Wadham Stringer. From 1974 until 1989 Dave was Rally Secretary to the well known Southsea Spectacular Rally run by the Vintage Transport Association.  From 1989 he concentrated his efforts as Operations Controller for the City of Portsmouth Preserved Transport Depot until closure in early 2003.  He was working on a local history project for Portsmouth City Records Office on the subject of operators of commercial vehicles in the Portsmouth area prior to his untimely death in December, 2004. C L I C K   A   T H U M B N A I L   F O R   A   L A R G E R   I M A G E  · AECs working in the Portmouth area ·  Mercury Mk II KTP 333 New 1955 Mercury in the Cosham (Portsmouth) yard of W.G. Privett & Sons. Mammoth Major 6 Mk III MLA 594 Limmer & Trinidad Mammoth Major Mk III, Southampton Common 1972. Mammoth Major TG8R OJB 121L Hall & Co Mammoth Major at the Hampshire heat of LDY in 1979. Mammoth Major 6 Mk V Purchased by Portsmouth City Transport in 1986 but never used. Later sold to dealer Carl Ireland, Hull. Mammoth Major 8 Mk V 229 XKX J.H.Clapcott's (Parkstone) bitumen tanker arrives at the M27 construction site north of Portsmouth. Marshal TGM6R YLB 153G 1969-reg tipper seen on the M27 construction site north of Portsmouth in the 1970s. Marshal TGM6R VBK 152K Treloar's (Fareham) tipper north of Portsmouth on M27 construction work. Marshal TGM6R UBK 884K 1972 Marshal of Francis Concrete (Chichester) on the A27 north of Portsmouth. Mandator TG4R GUD 92D McAlpine's 1966 Mandator in Portsmouth hauling a Scammell Himalayan dumptruck. Mandator TG4R OBK 642H Mainland Market Deliveries' Mandator at Portmouth's Camber Docks in the 1970s. Mandator TG4R OTP 110H M.M.D. Mandator at the Docks. Mandator TG4R RRV 823J M.M.D. Mandator at the Docks. Matador 0853 This Matador was owned by ASP Garages (Portsmouth) and is assisting a Bedford TK in the City. Reliance 2MU3RA/Duple 444 BXD Ultra Television staff bus ex Samuelsons, at the Ultra factory in Gosport in 1975. Swift/Marshall NTP 186H 1969 Portsmouth Swift with B42D bodywork seen in 1973. Mammoth Major TG6R PWV 433H Ken Brown Boats MM6. Not new to them, Swindon reg, possibly ex Wilts C.C.  · AECs at the Southsea Spectacular ·  RT2911   MLL 658 Normand Electrical Co staff bus seen at Southsea Castle in 1974. Normand also had two RFs. Regent V D3RV099/Roe RWU 643 Ultra Television staff bus, ex Felix Motors Doncaster, at the 1974 Southsea Rally. Reliance/Plaxton TRO 704E 1967 Smiths of Reading Reliance at Southsea in the 1970s. Mammoth Major TG6R 038 BK (trade plate) Wadham Stringer recovery at the Southsea Spectacular in 1976.  · Away from Portsmouth ·  Mandator Mk V GYK 795C 1965 Shell petrol tanker seen in the Lake District. Mammoth Major 8 Mk V 723 BD (trade plate) M&N Recovery's rally tender at Brighton in 1979. Mammoth Major 8 Mk V 558 MYA Edwards' 1961 fairground transporter at Salisbury in the early 1970s. Mandator TG4R MAE 142F Western National recovery at Belgrave Road, Exeter in 1981. Acknowledgement Many thanks to Dave Chalker for permission to use his photos and photos from his collection. vangastow@aecsouthall.co.uk