Biddulph Valley was originally heavily wooded, and even up to the beginning of the nineteenth century it was still a very isolated area with very little communication with the outside world.

It was industry which was developed by significant 19th century entrepreneurs which allowed it to grow and flourish, but local employment has always had a wider dimension to its employment, from the making of boxes to Velcro.

John Haydon & Sons

Even during Biddulph's industrial hey-day there was still a rural, farming element to it's existence. A well known business was that of John Haydon & Sons 'Cattle Hauliers'

John Haydon, more familiarly known as Jack, was born in John Street in 1891. Shortly after his marriage to Emma Walley, a local butcher's daughter, he moved into Bradley Green Farm in Wharf Road, later to become Yew Tree Farm. He became a familiar figure cultivating the land to the west of the High Street with his Shire horse and plough, cart full of hay, or cutting the crops with a scythe.

The farmland he worked now bears his name - Haydon Park. Home Bargains Supermarket and the town car park have also been built on 'Yew Tree' farmland.

By 1918 he was farming and using a horse-drawn cart to transport coal, bricks and general goods locally. Five years later he bought his first truck, an Albion subsidy model 24 and a second one, with body built specially for livestock transport was added in 1927. The Albion fleet continued to grow to ten livestock trucks, a platform lorry and van.

Mr Haydon's family also grew during this time, together with his four sons, the business of livestock transportation became known throughout the country.

At the market the drivers followed the auctineer and buyers, and when a regular customer made a buy, the driver marked the animal with a coloured sticker to denote its destination. Loading was no easy task before the delivery run in the afternoon. School children and young people were always encouraged to come into the Wharf Road yard to watch, and take an interest in loading and handling livestock.

The Haydon family took over Hollinshead's bus company in 1985 and sold the haulage business in 1989. Mr. John Haydon died at his home, 'Albion ', in Wharf Road, in 1991, at the age of ninety-nine years.

Some Notes on the Photographs in this Gallery

These photographs were kindly submitted by Mr. M. P. Winterton

Photograph 1: Possibly early 1940s - taken in Wharf Road looking towards the High Street. Check out the car and street lamp at right of shot. Note the phone number. Kelly’s Directory for 1940 records: “Haydon Jn. Haulage contractor Wharf Rd. T.N.4”

Photograph 2: 1950s shot of a vehicle on Wharf Road. No identification re: driver.

Photograph 3: Wharf Road orchard with Haydon’s garage and petrol pump in the background (now Sainsbury’s). Taken in 1947. Middle child is Frank Haydon with Diane and John Kirkham. Diane is Mike’s mum.

Photograph 4: Taken in Wharf Road in the early 1960s. In the distance you can make out Barlow Fireplaces and the High Street.

Photograph 5: Haydon’s yard c.1960 includes from left to right: XWY326 (?), UVT722, XDH245, OVT402, VRF9 and RF249.

Photograph 6: Alice Haydon - Biddulph Queen 1937. Alice was Mike’s Nan.

Photograph 7: Alice Haydon as Biddulph Queen with her retinue in 1937. The Chronicle printed and ran an article on the photograph in the 1970s and named all the girls.

Photograph 8: The Haydon family outside their farmhouse taken 1940/41. The by-pass cuts through there now. Back row (left to right) Jack, Fred, Alice, Eva, Lucy and Tom and front row (left to right) John Haydon, Frank and Emma.