wemburywaves

ON THIS DAY IN WEMBURY
4 June 1936

A Wembury coal merchant found himself at the centre of an awkward licensing dispute on this day in 1936. Mr W Blampey, well known locally for delivering coal with his horse and cart, had for more than a decade supplemented his income by carrying parcels for villagers. When he modernised his business by buying a motor lorry, he unintentionally triggered a legal problem.

Instead of applying for a B licence, which would have allowed him to carry goods for hire or reward, his wife had mistakenly taken out a C licence, which only permitted the carriage of the business’s own goods. As soon as the error was explained to him, Mr Blampey stopped carrying parcels, but by then the damage was done.

At the hearing in Plymouth, his barrister argued that the mistake was innocent and that his long history of carrying small loads for the village showed a genuine existing need. The objector, however, insisted he must now be treated as a newcomer to the haulage trade. The chairman of the Licensing Authority was firm. He noted that Mr Blampey had technically operated outside the rules and had not kept adequate records. There was also no proof from customers that the area lacked alternative carriers.

The application for the correct licence was refused. The ruling left Mr Blampey restricted to delivering only his coal, and it highlighted how tightly regulated haulage had become in the 1930s, even in small rural communities like Wembury.