Okey dokey… here we go.
I was told last Friday that I was shipping out Sunday for Paris and Perpignan, and as I was loading Friday for Southampton Dock, to leave my trailer there (late Friday night) and they would unload it and reload it Saturday. Then Saturday, the Controller rang me and said it wasn’t leaving till Monday and they would load it Sunday. Then Sunday I rang the Office before going down the Docks to be told by the assistant Controller “Why the hell do you want to drive today?” “Stay at home and I’ll have it collected and bought here, you can pick it up from here Monday” What a nice man, I thought.
So Monday lunchtime I drive up to our little yard and hitch up to my regular trailer. Gave it all a quick wash down and was ready to go. The controller told me one of the part timers had loaded it so I got inside to check the load was properly secure etc. I left the yard about 2pm and headed for Dover to catch a P&O to Calais
The Beast ready to roll
It was a lovely sunny afternoon as I arrived at Dover and went over the weighbridge. I was loaded with 20 pallets of tomatoes which weighed about 18 tonnes
Weighbridge at Dover
There was a slight delay at Dover but eventually I boarded the ferry and over we went. I left the boat about 9pm, radio tuned to 107.7 where it would stay for the next 4 days, like a scalded cat and started the run down to Paris and Rungis along the A26 then bearing right onto the A1. I stopped for 20 minutes at Peronne Services just to stretch my legs and then ran on down into Paris. At the Peage just before Charles De Gaulle Airport, I handed the Mastercard over and paid €50.80. Past the airport and onto the A3, then the A86 and into Rungis where I parted with another €10. Rungis is the biggest market I have ever been into and I was looking for ‘building B4’. I found it through luck eventually and went inside the warehouse. It was now 1am. The little man in there told me to come back at 5am!! See you at 10, I told him! I am off to bed! Luckily I knew that the delivery had to be at both drops by 11am at the latest! Woke up the next morning about 930, sat and had a ■■■ and then wandered into the warehouse. I was put straight onto a bay and I then helped the guy tip the load. The guy appreciated this and 10 minutes later having tipped 10 pallets, I had a signed CMR and was pulling off the bay to park back. I went for a wander and had some nice croissants and coffee to start the day with.
MONDAY: 7 hours driving and 505kms.
The main drag in Rungis
They seem to have a graffitti problem here!!!
I left Rungis just after midday and settled down for what I knew was going to be a long long day!! Paris to Perpignan running down through the centre of France. I went back out onto the A86, then picked up the A10 towards Orleans, then the A71 towards Clermont-Ferrand. 4 hours later I was at Montmarault and I had an hours break and 40 minutes snooze. It was a wonderfully sunny day and was getting hotter as can be seen by the picture
Note how clear the roads were 
Was like that all day
50 minutes later I was parting with another €95.20 just before Clermont. From hereon it was free down till the coast. It was also the start of running through the middle of the Massif Central along the A75! Up and down I was going like a yoyo. Now I only had 10 pallets on, about 9 tonnes. yet look at this picture. I drive a 480 Daf that pulls like a train yet on some of these hills, I thought I was fully freighted!!
Also note the tripometer … I only noticed that tonight lolol
Now for me personally, the race was on!! I was heading for the new Millau Viaduct and had never seen it yet so I wanted to get there before darkness fell! I managed it but only just.
This was my first sight of the Viaduct…took me another 10 minutes to get there
Crossing the viaduct… unfortunately you can’t take pictures through the baffles to show the height of the thing
On the far side there is a Peage and I parted with another €24.30 but its worth it for the time it saves you. Thirty minutes later, another 4 hours had passed and I stopped at a big Services for an hour where I had a hot powerful shower and a meal. Just what I needed!!
From here, it was the hardest bit. the last bit lol. I came to the end of the A75, ran onto the N9 and picked up the A9 heading for Beziers, Narbonne and finally Perpignan. PHEW!! Arrived in Perpignan at midnight and found the market easily enough as it is just off the Motorway. Parked in the Centre Routier alongside and hit the sack almost immediately. Shattered!!!
10 hours driving( to the minute) and 860 kms!!!
I woke up at 10 on Wednesday morning to find another bright and beautiful day. I went into the market after paying another €10.50 and in minutes I had my other 10 pallets off. It was then I discovered what the dipstick of a part-timer had done!!! He had loaded my trailer ok… but had left the 23 GKN’s on the headboard which had been on there from Friday!! How the hell was I going to get rid of these?? Burn 'em??
TheBeast ready to roll from Perpignan.
Now I already knew my reload… from Vienne just below Lyon. So just after midday, I left Perpignan and hit the A9 again heading back the way I had come. I stopped at Nimes Ouest to fuel up and grab a spot of lunch. I was by this time suitably attired in shorts and sandals. MIght have been something to do with the tempature 
I carried on up the A9 towards Orange admiring the scenery and enjoying the sunshine, went on past Orange onto the A7 and stopped at Montelimar as I decided it was time for a snooze a quick hours snooze later and it was carry on to Vienne when I got a shock!! The radio announcer mentioned a storm coming in from the West!! Boy, was it a quick mover. One minute in sunshine and the next … well look and see
Luckily it was only a brief storm and soon I was coming off the A7 at Junc 11 and running along the river at Vienne. I found the place and on going in, there was another Brit there. he had been there since 10am, he said (it was now 730pm). He was not best pleased when I went straight on a bay and was loaded ready to go in 45 minutes!! Not my fault he wasn’t due to load until the next morning. Luckily at this point, I discovered that my load was only 30 Euros so I could keep my blues on lol. I scooted out of there, hit the Lyon ring road and headed for Macon and Dijon. I decided I had enough time to get to the services above Dijon tonight and so off I went. Now there was one thing I had forgotten!!! Thursday was a Bank Holiday in most of Europe. I got to the Services at 11pm to find them full!! Everyone was parked for 24 hours…unless like me they had the fridge running. A ‘Security Man’ helped me find somewhere out the way and I turned the fridge off before turning in for the night.
9 hours driving and 731 kms
Thursday was back to cold and damp 
I went over and was pleasantly surprised to find the showers were only €1 as opposed to the usual €2. I soon found out why… they were lukewarm!! Today was purely a driving day again. No chance of reaching Nuneaton tonight. It was wonderfully quiet on the roads as I hit the A31 so much so that I took a chance and came off the motorway at Chaumont and took the National road up through St. Dizier and Chalons-En-Champagne and came back onto the A26 just above Reims. From here it was a straight run to Calais but first there was a small matter of a “45”. I stopped at the Services just before St. Quentin and took an hour including a snooze. Set off again for the last 200 kms and the 26 was lovely and clear as can be seen!
Now those of you that know this road know what happens at the Peage at St. Omer lolol well today, as usual, the little Gendarme was there with his speed camera on the big ‘down and up’ just before the Peage. I spotted him halfway down the down part and luckily was doing just 80k’s. But he was alone!! So I guessed his partners were at the Peage. Sure enough, when I got to the Peage there must have been 15-20 Gendarmes and Douanes there. Oh dear, thought I I am bound to be pulled.
I climbed over, paid the toll and as I pulled through, waited for the wave. It never came!!! Instead it seemed that for once, it was all French car drivers there pulled over!! A Miracle!!!
I flew away from there before they changed their minds lol
25 minutes later I was pulling into the Dunes for fuel and three minutes later my mate pulled in having come up from Germany. we fuelled up and went round to the Port although he was going Sea France and I was on P&O.
Taken especially for Ben in the Dunes
Those of you that use the Dunes will know where this is lolol For those that don’t, this is where at night all the illegals hide in those bushes just the other side of the car and try to “hitch a lift” My mate was in front of me there and as he wasn’t padlocked, he flew round that corner lol
We sailed at 1845 and we was soon across the Channel. I came off and tried to decide where to park for the night. I had three hours left so decided to clear the 25 if nothing else. As it happened I made it to Watling Street in plenty of time and for the princely sum of £4, parked there for the night by 1030pm.
9 1/2 hours driving and 765 kms
I woke up Friday morning and got ready to leave for Nuneaton by 730. In fact, I ended up leaving at 745 as I felt lazy today. I arrived at Nuneaton at 915 to be put straight on a bay and was pulling out by 955!!! Straight over to Corby where I loaded for tescos at Southampton. I told the loader about the pallets and he said he would take them off!! I made sure I got a reciept for them before I left and off I went down to Southampton. Arrived there at 1530 and wa sparked up. Was only 2 hours early lol. Was tipped by 6 though and when I pulled off the bay, lo and behold what did I see when I went to close the doors■■? THOSE BLOODY PALLETS AGAIN!!! They were still there!!! I backed back onto the bay and went in and explained what had happened and thankfully, the guy asked someone to take them off and gave me another note for them!!! The Govenor will be pleased lol
I left here and took a little meander along the M27 and up the A3 and home. At last 
Today a mere 5 hours driving and 484 kms
My trip from the yard to Paris and Perpignan and back to Nuneaton was 2,981 kms long. A lot of driving but a very enjoyable week
Scratching my arse…Picking my nose…Digging bits outa my teeth… whilst having a good read! With great pics too. More diaries please!
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