Just as Cornwall takes pride in ancient traditions such as its own language, the Peat family has created a working tradition of its own
By Dave Lee
PHOTOGRAPHY DAVE LEE
Hauliers in Cornwall are very proud of their heritage. You only have to look at the number of trucks running around the country’s roads, while proudly displaying the name ‘Cornwall’ across the front of their grilles. The Cornish crest, with its accompanying motto ‘One And All’, is a popular addition found on vehicles operating on this far south-western tip of the British Isles.
Another tradition is ‘Kernowek’, a Brittonic Celtic language historically spoken by the Cornish people, which has recently seen a revival. But the word which Trucking travelled to the county to investigate was ‘Kernow’, which when translated simply means ‘Cornwall’.
Kernow Mixers of St Austell can trace its roots back to the early 1960s, when Len Peat was operating as an owner-driver with a concrete mixer. Len’s eldest son Roy qualified as a heavy goods mechanic after leaving school in 1979, and subsequently went to work for his father, having gained an HGV licence along the way. Meanwhile, Len’s younger son Brett was cutting his teeth in his father’s yard at the controls of a loading shovel at the ripe old age of 10!
As featured in the March 2015 issue of Trucking. Buy the magazine here
