Can’t say that I recall that one if I’m being honest Larry, although I remember The Floating Light, and The Great Western, and there used to be another pub on the left hand side as you were dropping down towards Marsden, but before you got to the Motormans. I’ve forgotten the name of that place though.
Apart from the Blue Peter, the café that I tended to use mostly was the next one down on the right heading towards Huddersfield. I’ve forgotten what the place was called back then, but It’s called The Carriage House now. It appears to have been turned into some kind of fancy eatery. I’ve never ventured into the place, so I don’t know what their prices are like, but they’d sell you a mug of tea the size of the pot that I keep under the bed for a tanner in 1969.
I used that route frequently back in those days, as the job that I had at the time involved carting empty 45 gallon drums from Phillips 66 at Weaste to a place over Dewsbury Moor on the outskirts of Heckmondwike called Williams of Hounslow. The place is probably long gone by now. They made the red dye there that they put in rebated fuel, and all the blokes that worked on the loading bay looked like effin’ apaches, as their hands, arms and faces were bortared with the stuff.
I’d load the TK Bedford flat with full drums of red dye then take them back to Phillips 66.
Speaking of topping up the rad, being a bit green at the time, I omitted to remove the cardboard thermostat that I’d fastened to the radiator grill before setting off back from Heckmondwike on one occasion and cooked the engine of the TK climbing up out of Huddersfield. It was somewhere around Linthwaite or Slaithwaite or one of those places.
I remember knocking on the door of one of those stone built terraced houses and asking the occupant would he mind putting the kettle on for me, which he very kindly did. I poured a full kettle of boiling water into the rad, most of which spewed back out at me, but after about the third kettle, I felt confident enough to run the engine.
I thanked the bloke profusely, and since he appeared to have a house full of kids, most of them seemingly under the age of ten, I bunged him half a crown then set off for the drag over to Oldham.
I probably didn’t do the engine much good to be fair, and it may have used a drop more oil following this incident, but on balance, I think I may have got away with it. And since it’s rapidly approaching the 50th anniversary of the event, I would imagine that the statute of limitations may well have expired by now.
I’d be inclined to agree with you about the old days being the best Larry. Maybe it’s mostly due to the fact that we were young then with everything ahead of us, but the first half of my driving career I find, was far more enjoyable than the latter half.
All the best mate. Eddie.
Soliciting eh,I would have thought a quiet town like Alton was no good for that trade. 
