A Bit Of An Update! (Long Overdue)

So, today is Friday and on Monday after almost a year off from driving a truck I will find myself back in one doing the same thing as I was before I left - and that's container work out of Southampton Docks.

Only this time things are a little different. I'm on with an Agency, which has it's pro's and con's but for me, I can now work when I want to work, and take time off when I want it rather than being dictated to.

That for me is the only reason I am going back, OK, not the only reason, money is the biggest reason!

Since I gave up trucking I have turned my hand to collecting and selling scrap metal and also restarted my eBay shop selling all sorts of treasure I found along my way.

This did work, but with the cost of living crisis in full swing, we did not budget for the mortgage going up almost £500 per month. We could of carried on without me earning more, but we both do enjoy the finer things in life and as it's only for a short time, I thought it prudent to return to work.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to go back, but feel I have to - it just eases the financial pressure.

So over the next couple of day's I'm putting together my tramping gear and ready for the off on Monday morning. I'll be away all week and hopefully returning home on Friday.

It's going to be hard work, I'm wondering if I can still reverse a truck on to the bay with no bother, we will find out soon enough!

I'm not looking forward to sleeping in a sweat box of a tin can during the summer or having to put up with trying to find parking after a long day, or generally being treated as something that's scrapped off the bottom of a shoe by the General Public either!

Of course there is always the threat of your container being broken into or your diesel stolen, although not my problem, it becomes mine after the event with phone calls and paperwork!

But, that's the life of a trucker in the UK - in all honesty it's pretty shite!

It pays a wage though, and for that, I'm grateful.

So watch out for more videos being uploaded to YouTube and if you see a fat hairy bearded truck driver, give them a wave - it could be me!

My Journey With Covid!

Well, this post is really all about my journey with Covid and what it has done to me so far.

I have worked right the way through the pandemic as a long distance lorry driver here in the UK.

The nature of the job means that for the most part it is a solitary existence, but at services and business I do have to make contact with other humans, more the pity!

Right from the start I wore a mask, maintained social distancing rule, washed hands and took all the measures I could to keep myself and others safe.

However, as time went on and certainly over the last few months, like many others I suspect, maintaining these protocols slipped a little.

As a result I tested positive!

For the first few weeks I started to feel just a little run down, headaches, tired etc, but put it down to working long hours (60 plus a week).

But it wasn't until I returned home on a Friday and more or less collapsed as I came in through the front door that my wife suggested I do a lateral flow test.

This proved positive and this set the wheels in motion.

A PCR test was booked for the next day (Saturday) and at 0600hrs on the Monday the email came through that I was positive. I then went into isolation.

By Monday I was bed ridden and only getting up to use the bathroom. The next time I got up and had a shower or really moved was late Thursday - I was in a bad way!

The symptoms I suffered from were - Difficulty in breathing, tight chest, cough, aches and pains, headaches, loss of appetite (I lost 9 lbs), brain fog, loss of smell, partial lack of taste and sometimes things taste different. I slept mostly not being able to do anything else.

I honestly think that if I was not double jabbed I would of ended up in hospital - It was really quite scary!

This is my 5th week, and I'm slowly recovering, I'm well out of quarantine, but going out for just 30 mins completely wipes me out. I still have a cough although not as bad. My chest is still tight and my breathing is still a bit laboured.

My sense of taste is getting better along with my sense of smell.

I'm still off work, a 15 hour day which is normal in the haulage industry here in the UK would be a real struggle and this has stopped me from going back. A job with normal hours would probably be ok.

I'm due to go back next Tuesday, but I'm still not sure if this is possible, I'll wait till the weekend and see how I feel. 

So if anyone reading this is in any doubt about having the vaccinations, please have them. I honestly think there was a strong possibility that without them I may not be here now.

Stay safe out there, take all the precautions you can and hopefully there is light at the end of the tunnel!

Til later.................

 

North Yorkshire - 10 Day Getaway

During the summer we took our Swift Conqueror 570 on it's first proper outing.

Up until now it was just a couple of nights away, but this time it was for 10 nights!

Recently our friends moved from where we live in New Milton up to Pickering in North Yorkshire, so we thought it a good excuse to pay them a visit and pitch up on a campsite near by.

We also arranged from my old friend Mark and his wife Kate to come across from the Wirral in the VW T25 and spend a couple of nights with us.

This was the first time I had taken the rig on the motorways, must say it felt very stable and was a comfortable drive up. Took us 7hrs approx to get up North and that was with a slight detour at the end due to an accident.

Not bad MPG - If I remember rightly it ended up averaging 28mpg which isn't bad for a big lump of a car and caravan!

Didn't take us long to set up and the Royal Signals flag was hoisted!

It was also the first time that we had put up the awning, which was bigger than we thought and worked well for us. This awning had 3 openings, which was great.

Kate and Mark turned up in their T25 and we had arranged with the campsite for them to be next to us which was lucky!

We had some great days out, with a boozy day in Whitby.

Pickering is a lovely little town, which is where our friends Richard and Kjersti live, and we had a great time visiting a few pubs followed by a curry. Which after one too many, whilst having a pee, lent forward and my glasses slipped off and fell into the pan which I then pee'd all over!

That could only happen to me!

That night we also convinced them to bring their tent up to the campsite and stay for a couple of nights. They pitched up opposite us!

York was a wonderful place to visit, to really take it all in required more than a day, but we had a good time. Kiera ended up with a Mulberry Handbag and some perfume so my wallet took a battering, but she turns 50 this year and has to put up with me so money well spent!

We had a day out in Scarborough, which I have to be honest felt a little run down and tired.

The highlight being a ride up on the near vertical Victorian railway.

Whitby is a great place, it rained most of the day, but as we were on a pub crawl it didn't really matter!

Finished the day off with Fish and Chips - How British!

All in all it was a fantastic time, catching up with friends is always a pleasure.

Soon it was time to pack up and head South. No problems on the way back and it took a similar amount of time to get home.

Till next time.............

It's Been A While!

So, what have you all been up to?

If it's anything like me, it's been keeping your head down and ploughing on!

At least the "Plague" situation appears to be heading in the right direction.

We have managed to have a few nights away in the caravan, not without issues though!

On our very first outing we had a heating issue, which thankfully after several months, lots of phone calls and call outs to rectify has finally been sorted. 

We also had a burst pipe, I've never been a fan of push on/press fit type pipe couplings and there is a very good reason for this - they can fail! Which our hot water one in our end bathroom did. Not once but twice!

Thankfully we were in the caravan on both occasions, we managed to shut the water down to avoid a fully flooded caravan.

We have just got back from our first proper holiday in it - a total of 8 nights and thankfully no dramas at all.

Spent time up in North Yorkshire at a site called Wolds Way Caravan And Camping - A well run site, which is fairly large, however, the vast majority of caravans all the way around the perimeter of the site were seasonal pitches. The actual number of tourers on site was probably less than 30 in total.

It was also near to where our friends from down here on the South Coast had just moved to.

Spending time with them and one of my oldest Army friends who travelled across country with his wife in his T25 to camp with us.

We visited York, Pickering, Helmsley, Scarborough and Whitby.

The journey up took just over 7hrs of driving and we averaged 24.6mpg in the ML350 (3.0L V6 Diesel)

I was more than happy with the way the Merc towed and the caravan was rock solid behind.

Back home now for a few more days before I hit the road in the truck again. Still with the same company and work is constant, so no real complaints.

There is a truck driver shortage here in the UK which is getting a lot of news coverage, with various reasons being banded about for the cause of the problem.

The perfect storm has been created, Covid and Brexit have played it's part and so has the change in tax laws, but the biggest problem which is slowly being addressed is that if you treat a driver like shite, don't be surprised when you can't get any!

It was nearly always the way that if you had a problem, the bosses would say, well, driver, if you don't like it then bugger off!

Now that they are short of drivers that attitude just does not work anymore and they are finding this out to their cost! Drivers are voting with their feet and leaving the industry and only working for the companies that pay the premium and treat you with a little respect.

I guess I'm one of the lucky one's where my company is half decent, still away to go, but better than most!

We also have a new edition to the household, a black kitten called Milo, although he is now nearly 6 months old and about to have his knackers cut off next Tuesday.

Sadly our cat Whiskers had to be put to sleep after suffering a stroke, he was only 7 and was the daftest cat I've ever known!

Lola which was Whiskers brother is not impressed at all, and has still not accepted him into the house, and hisses at every opportunity. This has not made the slightest difference to Milo and thinks it a fun game to ambush Lola constantly!

Other than that, all is well - Hope everyone is doing OK, and if you're doing that, then that's just enough in this mad world we find ourselves living in at the moment.

Till later....................

Merry Christmas 2020

Well, what can I say about this year that folk have not said all ready!

But, even saying that we have had a pretty good year, we both have kept jobs which pay well, our health is good, Kiera's daughter has started University in Nottingham (Not exactly getting the full on experience) and we have bought a caravan!

Those who know me well, are fully aware that I actually spent 4 years living full time in a caravan, not because I had to but because it was a lifestyle choice.

However, we have a Grand Plan for the future which is rather exciting, and for our holidays for the next few years a caravan fits the bill perfectly.

So what did we buy?

It's a Swift Conqueror 570 - Single Axle, Fixed Bed, End Bathroom - 4 Berth Caravan.

Great specification with this van, with loads of extra's fitted.

I'm really pleased with it and towing with the Mercedes ML350 is easy.

These pictures were taken at the dealership before we collected it and the last on our very first outing on the day we collected it!

Buying all the gear has been fun, hindsight is a wonderful thing which has made it easy to buy the right equipment with no fuss.

Since we collected the caravan we have been away twice, not without incident, but all has been rectified now.

We should of been away for Christmas, but at the very last minute the camp site decided to cancel all bookings, which to be totally honest was the correct thing to do.

No idea when we will be allowed out in it again, the world appears very unstable at the moment.

Work wise both of us have been flat out, and over the festive season we are enjoying down time, not having to be anywhere or see anyone is almost a blessing in disguise!

No idea what the New Year holds for us, but neither of us expect to be short of work, which is one less thing to worry about.

So I would like to wish you all a Happy Christmas and New Year, stay as safe as you possibly can and when I can I'll give you some more updates.

Stay safe folks........

 

Time Off - But Not Our Planned Holiday!

The weeks before I went on holiday were hectic to say the least!

Plenty of nights out and I had travelled the length and breadth of the UK.

On Wednesday I found myself up in Leeds and a night out in a new Service Station - Skelton Lake J45 on the M1 just East of Leeds. Quiet and it was not busy.

From here I had a reload at 1100hrs on Thursday, and then I was to return to London Gateway.

An easy trip or so I thought!

I knew I would not get down to London Gateway and had planned to stop around 1900hrs, but at 1800hrs the traffic ground to a halt.

And from this spot I moved less than a mile over the next 8 1/2hrs!

Unfortunately there had been an accident just ahead which had closed the A1 in both directions.

I am all the other trucks were stranded, they did manage to get the cars cleared, but we were left to our own devices.

I ran out of Working Time Directive at 2100hrs, Drive Time was ok thankfully.

Eventually at 0240hrs we were given the go ahead to drive through.

All the layby's were stacked out with vehicles, some trucks parked with their back ends sticking out onto the carriage way, which I thought was not only foolish but dangerous.

I carried on till I hit the next truck stop, pulled in, parked up and slept like the dead!

I had to take 11hrs off which meant that I did not get going again till 1400hrs the next day.

I was supposed to be on the docks at 0600hrs and I still had a 2hr journey to get there!

But, this is what happens, you just have to go with what is dealt you.

Eventually I got to the docks, unloaded and ran dead to Southampton where I had to go on the docks to collect a box.

By the time I got back to the yard, unloaded all my gear out of my truck and got home it was 2300hrs and I was knackered and in desperate need of my 2 weeks off!

The first few days I have to admit were spent sleeping! We did nothing at all!

Then on Thursday we travelled up to Preston for a flying visit to see my daughter who has just returned from Spain after losing everything after both their jobs fell through due to Covid-19.

Thankfully, after having been in 2 weeks of quarantine my daughter got a job, shortly followed by her partner, so both now in full time employment. Which is pretty impressive all things considering.

We had booked into the Farrington Lodge Hotel - A lovely hotel, but upon arriving we did have our doubts that it was even open. It just looked deserted!

There were only a few people staying in the Hotel that night and we were the first to arrive.

Must say that the the guy we saw on reception, who was also on the bar and appeared to be running the whole show "Paul" was brilliant.

The restaurant was not open, and a continental breakfast was left in a bag outside our room but the room was big, clean and very comfortable.

Would I recommend it - Yes, without doubt.

We met up with my daughter at the pub she works at, It's got a whole new team and owners from what I can make out, no website yet, but they do have a facebook site. It's The Woodsman at Leyland.

We ate there and the food was good and inexpensive.

Next day we took my daughter and her partner out for lunch, stopping in Clitheroe, never been before but from what I saw was a quaint market town. It was raining but we did walk up to Clitheroe Castle, you can walk around it for free. There is a museum but it was closed.

On the way up to the Castle you pass a rather splendid War Memorial, probably one of the finest around.

The Castle itself, is really no more than a "Keep" apparently one of the oldest in the UK.

On a fine day I can imagine the view is a little better, but it was pretty wet by the time we had wandered around and headed back down the hill to find shelter and a brew.

We found refuge in the Rose and Crown pub and had a hot drink to warm us and helped us dry out before we headed out to our lunch destination.

We did find an award winning butchers "Cowmans The Famous Sausage Shop" with an immense range of sausages, so we bought some to take home!

After drying off we headed out to a pub called The Aspinall Arms - You just know you are in fro a special time as soon as you walk through the door.

The service and food was amazing and could not fault the service or the food. We certainly dined in style that day!

We said our goodbyes and headed home, eventually getting home just after 2100hrs.

Over the weekend it was my birthday, so we had a few beers with some friends down at Milford On Sea - village green. The weather was kind, and a good day was had by all.

Then on Monday we were off for a 3 night stay in a Shepherds Hut in Old Heathfield in Sussex.

It was lovely and just what was needed.

It had it's own resident goats which were very friendly and no trouble at all.

We were lucky enough to see an Owl and on our final morning I woke early and as I looked out the door I spotted a large deer with a full set of antlers and 3 or 4 females no more than 100 foot away. 

I didn't manage to get a picture, I was rooted to the spot just looking at them. It was magical to see.

It was just so relaxing, the weather was amazing and we cooked on a wood fire pit each night.

We decided to on our way home to follow the coast as we were in no rush and ended up having lunch at the Cams Mill at Fareham. An stunning building and great staff, unfortunately my pet hate is Triple Cooked Chips - These chips looked like they had been cooked three times, dry and burnt, along with the chicken burger which was also over cooked. The roll was not only warmed but burnt around the edges.

What is with this fascination of cooking everything to death?

So sorry, not worth visiting and certainly not at £14.00 for a chicken burger!

Lovely location as well, so a bit of a shame really.

Then to cap it all, we had another problem with the car, same old fault by the looks of it. Another or maybe even a replaced tyre sensor, as it is displaying the same faults.

A phone call to the garage and it is booked in for this Wednesday.

Now sat at home and it's Friday. Had a message from work wanting to know if I would start back on Sunday, I agreed as the money is too good not to do it. So Sunday I am back in my truck and heading to Liverpool!

That's my summer holiday done for this year!

Stay safe folks.....

Back To Normal - Ish!

Well it's been a few weeks, and to be honest it's been a bit hectic!

Plenty of miles and jobs completed from one end of the country to the other.

Taking a bit of time out every now and again, but not enough - so we decided to take breakfast down on the beach a few weeks back.

It was a bit windy down there, but we had wrapped up well and it was lovely to just sit for an hour and listen to the waves.

Iv'e been doing a bit of cooking over the past weeks, so here are a few creations.

Sometimes a simple feta cheese salad is all that's required!

Getting to play with my food processor is brilliant! Smoothies are so simple to make!

A Mango Rainbow Salad

You just can't beat a home made potato salad! 

Steak and salad with a home made Caesar dressing.

As I haven't been in my own truck I tend to travel a bit light and not have all my cooking gear with me. This does mean that sometimes out of pure laziness I eat from the truck stop cafes.

To be honest, they have all upped their game and the food is sometimes exceptional!

Not the most healthiest, but tasty and excellent value for money!

I've been to some places with amazing views as well - 

These were taken out at New Quay a small fishing village on the West of Wales coast. Nightmare to get into I must add!

Then again I get some really crap views!

And some really tight spots!

And some interesting cargo!

Some times you see things that make you wonder what goes through folks minds! These kids were running feral around the truck parking area!

Eventually a couple of adults came out and then stood in the middle. Can you guess what part of the community they came from?

Had a bit of an issue when the fork lift decided to go through the floor of the container. It bowed so much that they decided to unload the container and reject it. That was another long day for me!

It's not something that is noticeable when you load an empty container, only when a fully loaded fork lift drives in and it decides to bow do you realise it's buggered!

The Royal Corps of Signals recently celebrated it's Centenary year, so I had to get my mug out and raise it to the best the British Army has and one I am proud to of served in.

 

Finally I am back in my Mercedes Actros, it's certainly been a while and to be honest I do prefer the Merc over the DAF.

Even though the DAF is a little more refined, the Merc certainly has far more room, the flat floor certainly makes a difference and the dash does not move out into the centre of the cab.

So I'm glad to be back in it.

Although, I have only been in it a week as I am now on holiday for 2 weeks!

We should of been travelling over for a week in Holland, returning to the UK and then having a week in France, but all that has gone right out of the window!

So now we are going up to Preston to see my daughter who has just returned from Spain with her partner. They lost everything, as they were working in the tourism industry and it's just not there at the moment.

Then we are of to Sussex for a 3 nights in a secluded Shepherds Hut, looking forward to that.

So that is everything up to day I think!

Take care - stay safe!