Lorry Day: Start of the line

With all the pictures I take during the lorry day, some always get left out so I have decided to feature a collage of them all at the beginning of my blog .

I was out in a 7.5 t (again) on Monday and had a fairly easy collection in Doncastor at Polypipe.

Every thing was very civilised and I was out in 20 minutes.

I saw this truck with a novel advertising slogan "The Only Thing We Don't Deliver" next to this picture of the baby.

I had a few local collections and then went and fuelled up the truck.

As usual my Nemesis was waiting for me at the fuel bunker.

I don't like dogs and dogs don't like me. They say dogs smell fear, well this dog must have a smellfest every time my truck pulls up.

He jumps up from wherever he is sitting and runs up to me, barking and snarling and basically showing off.

My heart is always racing and I try to laugh it off and say things like hear boy , and nice doggy but he never falls for it , he just barks louder.

I hope his bark is worse than his bite.

After my run in with the devil dog I was sent to collect a load for the next day that was going to a Nuclear power station at the end (or beginning depending on your personal north- south divide) of England in Kent.

I was briefed before the visit by the boss and kitted out in full PEP kit, hard hat,gloves, glasses, ear defenders and hi viz.

I looked like Homer Simpson although a lot slimmer and only a little bit yellower.

After the long drive up to the power station and the reassuring signs saying I was in a nature reserve and a place of outstanding beauty and not a Nuclear reactor site, I saw the start of the line.

The first pylon in England, the beginning of a link that makes its way to a field near my house and beyond.

I thought it was rather exciting.

To get unloaded I had to find my way to sub station B, hanger 7 along the path marked park energy routing zone and park at the double gates. easy !

An hour later I was still waiting. I had actually ran out of hours on site having arrived after a 4 hour and 17 minute drive down from Leicester.

When they eventually turned up to unload me I asked them what I was delivering.

Something called Scattered Neutrons. They sit in the nuclear reactor like a sort of filter and they are replacing all of them.

I had brought Three down with me and the took up all the space on a 7.5 t.

They cost £50,000 each (before delivery) and there are roughly 800 in the reactor.

Looks like our firm will be busy for while yet then.