The Last Run Out (for now)

I was writing a blog in the wagon on Wednesday parked up for the night after a day in Wales.

I thought I had better publish the pictures and the post I would of written had I not gone in on the Thursday morning and been handed a Redundancy letter. I had been washing someones spilt milk out of the back of the wagon.
I know they say you shouldn't cry over spilt milk but I'm feeling sort of sorry for myself this week.
I took a picture of all the stuff I carry with me. I only use a fraction of this stuff.




I was in the cab for 4 .30 am on Wednesday. I was going to deliver a container of dry ice to a car part manufacturer in Welshpool for 7.30.

I have been before and I knew they didn't open until 8.30 but I had been told to be there for 7.30 so I did what I was told and expected to wait a while.

nearly there.

This place is set in the most amazing grounds and has a little lake at the entrance.
I parked up at the main barrier and pressed the buzzer on the intercom.
I knew no one would answer because there was a notice stuck on it saying "Intercom not in use until 8.30".
After a few minutes a car appeared behind me and the driver came up to the window and explained the opening times to me. there is a pattern forming here.

He used his fob on the barrier and allowed me to park up and wait until , ... yeah you guessed it 8.30.

This is me parked at the loading bay.

I wandered inside the factory and was amazed looking at the robot arms firing flashes of sparks into sheets of metal and then spinning them into vats of ice. it looked great but smelt really awful.



It wasn't long before a fork lift driver arrived at the truck and swapped my full container for their empty one and I was one my way. I was all finished in welshpool well before 8.30.

My next delivery was in Cardigan a long way from were I was. It was all driven through minor roads and would take a while due to the hills and the other traffic.
I didn't mind much because it just so beautiful and I was taking pictures of every hill and valley I came across.


I even found a celebrity hiding out .



I was driving next to the sea for a lot of the time and I had to take a 45 minute break right here were I took a few shoreline pictures.





My delivery was to a Police station in Cardigan. It was a pallet of sample bricks so I had an idea that it hadn't actually been built yet.

The post code sent me into the middle of Cardigan and I knew I was in the wrong place. It was a real welsh address and I had trouble saying it to the lady who answered the phone when I rang 118 asking for the police station.

I was put in touch with a really helpful lady who told me exactly how to get there and that it was just a building site, just without a building. Great!


It wasn't to difficult to get to and I delivered the Ibstock bricks and left a tiny bit of Leicestershire in Wales .





I was on my way to my next drop Tenby.

It went across country again to the other side of Wales and took me through a National Park , I don't know what the park was called but I saw signs and picnic areas . Not much room in those for me though so I carried on.

I got to Tenby and the customer was right in the middle of a weight restriction.
It is something called Cafe Culture and they have all the chairs and tables from all the bars and cafes in the street and nothing can drive through the town.

I had to meet one of there drivers and unload at the warehouse with the tailfit.

It was all a bit tight because Tenby is tiny and very busy with lots of coaches and tourists about.

I was out before long though but didn't have time for pictures because I was facing the wrong way up the one way with my tail showing. Not a good time for pictures with angry motorists parked up your rear !!!

My last drop before home was Amazon in Swansea.



It has been very quiet the last few times I have been here and I was shocked to see it so busy.

I pulled up at the gate and I was the 5th truck outside.

All the bays inside were taken so I knew I would be here a while.
I was told to wait for an hour or so and he would come out and get me.
This is before I was even on the premises.

I was eventually asked to go onto Bay 11 and bring the keys to the window.
Amazon is well known for over the top rules on Health and safety, you have to chock your wheels and hand your keys over.Now you're not allowed to leave the waiting room at all.
The room was full of very angry, tired and some sweaty, truckers.

One was snoring so loud I thought I'd go crazy if I had to spend another minute in there.

I was tipped and ready to go by 5 O-clock.

I wasn't going to get home but I wanted to get as far as I could .

I had to stop for another 45 because I was going to drive a ten hour drive to get as far up the M5 as I could so I stopped at Cardif Services.
This blinged up boat was star of the lorry park.


After the bling of Cardif the only thing on my mind was getting back home. I always love crossing this bridge. It means I'm going the right way.


And then I see this and I can smile and relax.


I was parked up in Strenshaw services at 7 pm because I had 2 minutes of driving time left. just enough to drive around the Lorry park and find a signal for the lappy.
I found a smidgen of GPRS and it was just enough to send a bit of text. I was asleep by 11.30.
My last run for this company as it turned out.