Oh Gentlemen,
Im just on my way to the land of nod…and then Pete tells of his 1963 adventures, and rigsby as well , then Larry, (who I suspect is approaching my vintage as well)…`63, I was failing in my career as a watch maker, and Jeweller, (perhaps it was the lure of the fair ■■■ that was my influence)… Oh yes it was.
Weekends, oh I was shunting with an S18 Foden, O`rrible little 28 ft steel carrying tandems…and herding sheep into a well shot Bedford O serie! but sadly my incompetence seemed to reign supreme…daydreamer…that was my downfall…
The cataclysmic On reflection, end, was a spectacular incident with a whole window display of chiming 8 day monolithic clocks… (have you any idea of the tremendous gravity of their thunderous chimes…when there are 40 of them arranged on 4mm plate glass shelves)…Down they came…and the Police arrived in black Austin Westminsters with ringing bells…to add to the chagrin of this poor youth!!!
So after the carnage, I was obliged to work for 4 weeks without pay…then I was off to join the family firm up in Shropshire…and the pvc seat of a worn S18 was my perch for a few months…then a promotion, (to one with brakes), a worn S20 4 wheeler…then delight…an S20 4 LK Gardner powered box van…and Scotland bound each week.
Suddenly I was the family`s International Division, same lorry, but no longer “sunny” Scotland, but France, and then Italy, delivering to Prevantoriums, and Hospitals, mainly situated in inaccessible places up in hills far steeper than anything Scotland or Wales could offer! That little S20 was a dream, a real delight, there was nowhere that she could go! Then came mega power, 150 Gardner power in an S21 “Micky Mouse”, and a 33ft Tandem box, (that took some sorting out to back onto a ferry…even worse going to Sicily where the ferry was straight from WW2…and surrounded by excitable Latinos!!!
But 150 hp made light of Cenis, and Cerdon, as fast as anything that the French or Italians drove…(but they were working at at least 6/8 tons more than me)…ah well, I was young!
We lost the medical job! …What a surprise…it paid well…so the Sharks moved in…(and we wondered why)■■?..But it was the start of the “Antiques” for the USA…So mugs that we were , with a brand new S36 day cab, (big power Leyland .680, and 12 speed), I was off to sunny Sicily with a new York Freightmaster Tandem, (and several , nay, many bottles of best Wolverhampton Bankss Beer for an Italian customs man of my acquaintance,.........(did things ever change)......Yes they did......I could power over Cenis on wings of gossamer with all that power, ......must have been nigh on 200 hp........but the dear old worm drive diff, and those paper thin hub seals kept my velocity down to a mid 50s mph......(Boy did I hate changing those seals if they blew.......and they would at 56 mph on a long run)!!!!........And with my hatred of being enclosed I never ever used Mont Blanc even after it opened in 65…but Cenis was oh so quiet after July that year…for a time!!!
IBut in `69 it came to an end, we were chasing dreams…more equipment, more overheads, more pressure…more for less was the mantra…Not for me, I loved my time on the road, I loved, (and still do), my Fodens, but new to marriage, and needing a “proper” job, I went off selling lorries…Atkinsons…and my days of Foden driving were done…but I loved every minute, and I loved those beautiful lorries from Sandbach!
Cheerio for now.