Just returned from 4 days in Bicester, staying with our daughter. Neither she nor her husband drive, so whenever we go half the time is spent on jobs which seem impossible without a car - a trip to the tip for instance.
Interesting journeys both ways. Cloudburst rain several times. Just south of Preston complete lake across road. Truck pulled out to overtake straight in front of us (East Lancashire Pigs, or something similar) touched the brake, ABS kicked back immediately, let go, touched again, ABS again, so we were close to aquaplaning! Luckily by then felt comfortably far behind him. On the way back a BMW undertook us just as I was about to signal into the slow lane, then he undertook the car in front, which was in the left lane, by going on the hard shoulder. This was in heavy rain, he was doing about 80. At one point we were all down to 40 with the wipers just coping. Saw approaching in the mirror in the outside lane a Merc, headlights and emergency flashers on in the outside lane doing about 80.
Is it me, it seems that owners of expensive German cars seem to have a sense of 'entitlement '. We stopped at the big Marks and Spencer at Banbury on the way back. This has a huge car park. While I was waiting at the entrance for my wife a Merc pulled up directly outside the door, left the car and went shopping. A couple of minutes later, another Merc, pulled up behind it, woman gets out, locks up and goes shopping. Both came back laden with goods about 20 minutes later got back in and drove away. There were parking spaces about 20 yards away.
Anyway, rant over. One of the things that we noticed on the way down was that in the north hay or straw (sorry, I can’t tell the difference) was wrapped in black plastic. Further south it seemed to be in the same rolls but not wrapped, or in old fashioned bales built into blocks, but again not wrapped. Can Buzzer or Wrighty explain what’s going on?
The bales upt north will more than likley be silage, where as the unwrapped one’s will be straw which dosen’t need to be sealed like silage. The stacks of square bales will be straw which will be used mainly for bedding cattle and sheep, but can also be used as feed depending on the type of feeding regime used…
Sounds like you had an horrendous trip John! but now safely back in Gods own county, well the Furness part anyway ! Anne and I have just had a long weekend in Whitby and I kid you not the Sun was blazing on Saturday ! What a great place ! we stayed in a cracking private hotel, The Saxonville, absolutely faultless ! and to think we just decided to choose Whitby from reading the packet containing Whitby Scampi !! Cheers Dennis.
Evening all as Jack Warner used to say any one remember Dixon of Dock Green, anyways John West I was going to answer your query but Wrighty beat me too it but no worries even Tomas Shavenaker the weather bloke got a bollickin for that last week. Went to Suffolk today in me newly acquired FL14 and she drives sweet, up at four am left at quarter to five and forgot what driving any distance was all about. At the end of the day the tractor was not for me but took the truck as I did not want to go twice and if it was right I would have bought it and loaded for home. On the return journey I thought all the congestion would be gone, not so on that M25 four lanes that come to a standstill for no other reason than congestion like a flipin carpark, bloody nightmare and the standard of drivers leaves a lot to be desired. Cannot get my head round these pratt’s that drive in the third lane of a four lane motorway when there is nought on the inside two lanes and then blow there horn at you if you dare to undertake them, madness. Maybe im’e too old but when I arrived home I was done in and that’s after only nine hours so no way I could do a fifteen now. Just had a little knap and got up for me crackers & a cuppa and wont be long before I hit the mattress. Of to Salisbury market tomorrow to have a skite at the goods to see what’s on offer so onwards & upwards as they say, cheers Buzzer.
Breakfast time at the homestead, when they came less than a week ago they never knew what beef nuts were but they do now, its not a lineup for rear of the year but would be a fair entry don’t you think, pleased with them, Buzzer.
Pete that Ford is sure leaning nearly looks like a spring has given up but when I did straw carting with the one in the picture below and also TK Bedfords’s which were worse as the front springs were about 6ft long and had a lot of give in them, they would lean right over going round a corner especially if you had your foot down so neede a bit of respect else it could end in disaster.
As for the steamer that belongs to a mate of mine’s son Danny Dovey but they have a few old trucks as well and go to a lot of events, they used to do containers out of Southampton dock’s but mostly with four wheelers never got into the artics, Buzzer.
Buzzer:
Pete that Ford is sure leaning nearly looks like a spring has given up but when I did straw carting with the one in the picture below and also TK Bedfords’s which were worse as the front springs were about 6ft long and had a lot of give in them, they would lean right over going round a corner especially if you had your foot down so neede a bit of respect else it could end in disaster.
As for the steamer that belongs to a mate of mine’s son Danny Dovey but they have a few old trucks as well and go to a lot of events, they used to do containers out of Southampton dock’s but mostly with four wheelers never got into the artics, Buzzer.
Hi Buzzer,
The TKs seemed softly sprung on front end, did that Dovey used to run a Daf 85 with a funny axle set up?
Pete not sure about your question about Dovey’s but my mate knows them well so I will try and find out. They are definitely into the old machinery and truck scene always at Great Dorset Steam fair partaking in all the activities, cheers Buzzer.
Buzzer:
Pete not sure about your question about Dovey’s but my mate knows them well so I will try and find out. They are definitely into the old machinery and truck scene always at Great Dorset Steam fair partaking in all the activities, cheers Buzzer.
Hi Buzzer,
When you mentioned rigid Daf’s on boxes that image of the 85 came into my head, it must have been a 6x2 unit originally, stretched to a rigid with a tag shoved on the back end, worked out of Soton as I used to see it when on the way to the landfill at Redlynch, as you say John a mary hopkins moment!!, Cheer’s Pete
Hi All
Danny didn’t have the 85b I think they are from the Stowmartain area and are green with yellow lines & sign writing as I remember Danny only had 1 six wheeler a B series with a Gardner all the others were 4 wheelers, he still has an ERF.
Hi John is the little Merc a lift off float and if so will it be for sale soon
Rich the Merc has a lift off body and she is for sale as I have a new to me FL14 which is having a new body put on so if your interested give us a ring or PM me. Thanks for clearing up Danny Dovey’s setup for Pete. cheers Buzzer.
Morning Rich/Buzzer,
Thank you for the info on that Daf, that is the truck can remember the yellow stripe now, it was the green on the Foden steamer what threw me as I thought that was the fleet colours, I’ve found a pic of Dovey’s ERF on ebay, it must be still about as it looks like the back end of an old Foden next to it? Cheers Pete
Hi all. I remember the DAF you are talking about Pete it must have been about 18 years ago before i started at Kawasaki i did containers for a year for a company that had on office in jimmy Alford old yard they were called HCD or something like that they had no truck’s but ran around 70 subbies mainly owner drivers but that guy worked with us. Yes it was a stretched tractor unit i am sure he lived up around Shepton Mallett or Devizes way. Glad to hear new truck is ok buzzer are you having the new body built locally.
Kevin the new body is being built in Wales at Tristar as I have had a couple of there’s before and get exactly what I need & want for both horses & cattle.
Pete today I was talking to FT as he affectionately known AKA Paul Stevens an truck electrician and he was with Danny Dovey today who confirmed that he did have & run two B series ERF’s he also had a Saviem artic which never quite got on the road for some reason.
Set up the loading coral yesterday and started bag training so they come to me and I don’t have to try and drive them, a whole lot easier that way, went down today and they were there waiting for the nuts but one has to be careful else you could easy get knocked over in the process of filling the trough’s, cheers Buzzer.
Buzzer:
Kevin the new body is being built in Wales at Tristar as I have had a couple of there’s before and get exactly what I need & want for both horses & cattle.
Pete today I was talking to FT as he affectionately known AKA Paul Stevens an truck electrician and he was with Danny Dovey today who confirmed that he did have & run two B series ERF’s he also had a Saviem artic which never quite got on the road for some reason.
Set up the loading coral yesterday and started bag training so they come to me and I don’t have to try and drive them, a whole lot easier that way, went down today and they were there waiting for the nuts but one has to be careful else you could easy get knocked over in the process of filling the trough’s, cheers Buzzer.
Thank you Kevin and Buzzer for the information, Pete
Hi Buzzer and wrighty good insight into farming north of the border, now in it’s 3rd series bbc.co.uk/programmes/b073h497 a mixture of livestock and arable in different parts of the country…catch up on BBCiPlayer.
Cheers
Oily
Oily been watching that as it makes for interesting viewing to me, don’t care too much for your weather though. Went to Frome Market today but only came away with two Lim X steers, there were some really nice stock there today but as usual far too much money for me, any way got home and could not believe they never crapped or urinated in the back of the truck so no washing out, simples cheers Buzzer.
