Blast from the past

First Drop this morning was Screwfix in Staford and it was already warming up on the M6 at 10 am.


I am in this Scania, but sadly there is no air con in this one.



The Scrwefix drop is always an easy one and the 'goods-in' people, always genuinely try to tip you as fast as they can.

Two cups of their finest vending machine cappuccino's later though, and I'm seriously wondering if my faith has been misjudged.

I was out of Screwfix after a few hours and back on my way past this.

I had a collection in Hinckley that went straight back to ours and then I was sent on a real trip down memory lane.

I had a collection on the street were I grew up.



I was 9 years old when I lived here and I left when I was 14.

It brought back some really nice memory's.

I took the chance to wander around the area while they took their time getting my pallets ready.

I even saw a few people I knew when I lived there, much to the horror of the forklift driver.
(they were sitting on the corner drinking stella)



It was a railways bank and we called it the "Rally's".



We would run up and down the steep hills and lounge around in the bushes and on the roofs of this old playschool that the council couldn't work out what to do with.

They were flat at the back and perfect for hiding on and smoking.


It looks like they still haven't decided what to do with it.

7.30 in the evening and I arrive at home.

Hot, sweaty and shattered.

"The Day The Music Died"

Thursday was another 7.5 t run, this time to Norwich. I had to be there for 7.30 so it meant a 4 o'clock start.

It is always nice to get a drop that goes smoothly and this was great because the shop was in a nice part of Norwich and had a lovely big delivery bay to back onto.

When I opened up the back doors and saw it was full to the brim my heart sank but I was told that they wanted to unload it themselves because they had a system and it worked! Fair enough I thought.

Their system was crap and it took them about 2 hours to unload 8 pallets but I didn't have to care. I was just following orders.

I saw a weird Latvian truck on the way over to the drop, he seemed a bit keen on the ladies.




The Cathedral made for an impressive sight and also a useful landmark.


A lovely example of a special kind of van.


I was out of Norwich and given the run around collecting.


This Diva was in no hurry and it took a while to slide past.


Friday was another truck. that's 7 in 5 days. This one was an 07 plate and it drove really well. Nothing like the other boneshakers I've had all week.

It was a weird day though because of the news of Michael Jacksons sudden death.

The radio was full of story's about his life and then the ups and downs of his career,
the controversy he attracted and his contribution to music and pop culture in general.

One fan said it was "the day the music died" and I suppose it was for her.

Other stars have passed away and the same old clips and stats get reeled out and after a few 30 second slots on the news, all is usually forgotten.

I think this will be a lot lot bigger though,partly because he was such an Icon and partly because there seems to be more to his death than meets the eye.


First drop was in Sandbanks

This is how wide the streets are in one of England's most expensive areas'

I turned around at the bottom of the street after the drop and found the beach.




I had a collection on the way back home in Devizes and that took me right out of my way and into the baren lands.



I knew I was lost when I saw this sign for tanks crossing.

When I got home my wife had been busy in the kitchen creating more amazing cakes so I thought I would share the latest ones with you.




You can see more here

odds and sods

Monday was an early run into London and an early finish. I was taking out a different wagon everyday this week so I have been living out of a bag and I haven't been able to settle.

I jump in a truck and then into a van and then another truck. Its been hard keeping up with the tacho's and the driving and working time as well.


On Tuesday I was given a Transit courier van and asked to take a pallet of Bic razors up to a Somerfield in Huntingdon.

At the gatehouse I met the biggest tosser that you could ever have the misfortune to meet.

I arrived for my delivery time of 11.50 an hour early and drove up to the gate.

I stood behind another driver and he was filling in a booking in form that was propped up in the window.

It was the usual thing, name, firm, date time etc etc so I started filling it in while the Tosser pretended I wasn't there.

He finally allowed himself to acknowledge me by grabbing the book out of my hand and tearing out the sheet I had written on and tutting to himself, "Reg" he barked.

I didn't know as I had just got the van an hour before so I looked at my keyring and took a nanosecond longer than Tosser wanted, so he barked it again "Reg!"

I was literally ten seconds away from pulling him through his safety window and giving him a good hiding.

I didn't though because I am, after all , a calm, level headed and very well balanced individual.

I took a deep breath and tried to explain I hadn't been here before and that I had half a pallet from France marked Urgent.

Tosser totally ignored me and 'issued' me the site rules and explained the procedures like a robot
One way, hazard lights at all times and blah, blah,blah......

He said to pull up behind the artics that were in line and then walk to the goods in around the back.

I set off to find the line of trucks and didn't have to go far.

There was 15 trucks in front of me and the goods in was miles away. Seemed like Tosser was on a power trip.

As I pulled up behind the last truck I spotted a forkie and explained what Tosser had told me to do.

He told me to get round the front and he'd take it off for me straight away.

He was true to his word and he took it straight off.

I went back into goods in and waited for the paperwork.

While I was waiting I was watching the system that Somerfield use for booking in stock.

There was a printer churning out paper like a newspaper press, reams ands reams of the stuff was pouring out.

I had only took one pallet in and I was signing for 5 minutes and took about 15 sheets back with me.

They had artic drivers suffering with writers cramp and repetitive strain injury's.

The booking in office was like a cauldron of pissed off drivers. Upset on the way in by Tosser, then upset by a crazy, over zealous administrative system that kept them cooped up in a smelly cramped room with signs and warnings all around them .

The signs inform them of all the things that they can't do. Don't knock on the glass, don't slam the door, don't stay in your wagon, no facilities for visiting drivers. (they say that as if they are proud of this fact)

Imagine what the mood would be like if the forkies were true to form as well? It would be chaos.
Luckily all the forkies I met were sound.

I was eventually allowed to leave the hell that is Somerfields.

When I left, Tossers mate at the gate said "We didnt see you in the Queue" "No" I said and drove through the gate.

I was given the job of collecting an out of hours driver and driving his truck back to base.
after I had loaded it in Bedworth and then Un- loaded at the other end in Sutton Coldfield.

No pictures of Monday or Tuesday due to them both being crap days and me not being in the mood to take any of find anything worth snapping.

Today was a run into Braintree at an ungodly hour after another driver phoned in sick.

He had the right idea because this truck is worse than all the others I have been in this week.
It stinks, and it shakes, rattles and rolls more than a greatest hits of the fifties and sixties compilation album.

I have stopped cleaning out the wagons I am given now because at this rate I would of valeted the whole fleet by the end of the summer.

I ran straight into this on the A14 at 6.30 this morning.
This was the lorry that had tipped over on the Spittals roundabout but all it really shows is how dirty the windscreen is.

I had some cables for this hole in the ground that will be a house one day.

I was collecting from here, East Midlands Airport, just before I ran out of hours.

I got back in just under 9.

I am in another 7.5 tomorrow, so I expect to be bullied on the road by the big boys again.

I was okay today because the truck was an oldie and wasn't limited 67 mph all day long. It was the only way to stop it shaking, drive it to the limit!!!

A Birthday Treat

For those readers with long memory's you might remember I turned 40 this last year.

I was given tickets to this years Grand Prix from my lovely and very clever wife. She always seems to know exactly what I want and this year she did me proud.

We didn't have a clue what to expect so I spent a few hours checking out a few fan forums and finding out some Do's and Dont's .

Do: leave at 4 o-clock in the morning and get there before the crack of dawn.

Don't: forget a chair, a cool box and a picnic for two.

Do: Set up camp on the grass banks as soon as light descends and a space the size of a cowpat is visible amongst the rows of folding chairs and cool box's.

Don't: wear a shiny pair of shoes and your best summer shirt.

Do:Bring a portable radio to listen to race commentary so you know who is actually leading who.

Don't: Get a general admission ticket if you want to see the race.

It was a shame that on the day we got our Do's and Dont's mixed up.



It was still an amazing day, if not also a massive learning curve. We learnt lots of things about Silverstone and I personally had a lot of myths about the place destroyed.

I expected a bit of glamour and ended up with a lot of clamour.

It was a tale of two tribes.

The Haves and the Have - nots.

The Haves, fly in, in wave upon wave of helicopters or are whisked in to private parking areas and surrounded by glamour and celebrity and usually pay nothing for the privilege.

The Have- nots, are the life blood of the sport, get up and queue at the crack of dawn , get corralled into pen like areas and treated like sheep, stumble around on rough gravel and crushed rocks, line up for in adequate toilets, get over charged for everything they buy and pay roughly a months salary for the privilege.

The Haves contribute very little, but the Have- nots create the atmosphere and provide the aura and the mystique that is Silverstone.

From what I am already telling you, you would be forgiven for thinking I hated it.

I can understand why you might think that but you would be wrong.

I cant stop myself thinking what I think, and I cant stop my self noticing what I notice, but I can see through all the wrongs and still get to the one big right.

Forget all the overpriced burger vans, the toilets, the gravel and the Haves and Have- nots because at 1 pm, a massive smile came across mine and 100,00 other faces when we heard the amazing roar of 20, highly tuned,perfectly balanced formula 1 cars fire into life and head for one spot on the tarmac in front of them.

All of them heading for it, only 1 of them ever going to make it.

The sound of the crowd and the cars brought the whole of this historic track to life and made us all feel good. Every single person in that magnificent arena was, for those few seconds connected.

It didn't last long, because a race lasts a long time, but it was still magical every time a car roared past and your stomach shook with the vibrations. Every time the wind blew the smell and the heat off the track toward you. Every time you heard that noise, that only the best cars in the world can make, you knew you were somewhere special.

This being a lorry blog I wanted to get pictures of the special wagons at the track but sadly, I couldn't get any where near them.

I found an amazingly popular truck though , one that should of been invited to Truckfest.And there were a few of these Volvo's about as well with a special trick on top of them.




This was the (alleged) chief pervert arriving.

My crap picture of Vettel going past and the other picture is Button. Same picture , different coloured blur !


This was the line for the toilets when we arrived.
Another tidy truck was this Renault simulator.
And this was as close as me and most of the other 100,00 fans got to the paddock and the pit lane.


A few legendary names but little else to see unless you were well connected or had deep pockets.
I did have a good time believe it or not and I will definitely make the trip again. I will be better prepared this time and maybe it will be still be at Silverstone.

I don't mind it going to Donnington next year because I believe that fans make a sport and most of the fans I saw today would follow these cars to the ends of the earth.

A Norfolk Clearout

I was all set for another night in my new home on Thursday night after being sent up to Norwich on a late job.
I was supposed to collect at 5pm and would need to deliver the next morning.
I got there a lot earlier than 5 and found out that it was a repossession job.

It was a card shop that had gone bust the day before and even though the staff had been made redundant they were still helping to load all the fittings into my lorry.

They did it in really good humour and were a credit to their company.




Because the shopfitters and the shop staff all helped out and loaded me I was able to get away before I ran out of driving hours and make good progress getting home.

It was a fairly easy day and I was happy to be back at home and putting the kids to bed rather than tucking myself up in a lay by somewhere alone again.

I had a late start in the morning because the firm taking charge of the repossession didn't want the fittings back until much later.


I think batman was late but robin had it covered and seemed pretty laid back.

The rest of the day was pretty ordinary and I drove up to Birmingham for a few collections.

The M6 was pretty slow around junction 6 and I soon found out the reason why,

One of these was going the wrong way.

The weekend was taking ages to arrive and I couldn't wait to get out of the truck and get back home.