hiya,
Norm, i’d feel like a robot in this day and age having to paddle along at 56mph or whatever, at least when wagons was slow when i was a lad they was such hard work you was working all the time constant gear changeing and dragging non assisted steering about, sitting there at that speed with all that power would drive me potty, OK Norm pottier.
thanks harry long retired.
Speed never concerned me, it the miles of queueing traffic that used to make me tired, and wanted to park up, bye I’m off to bed. Sandman Norman
hiya,
Norm, i liked a bit of speed, thats why i liked night trunk, quiet roads and you could give the old girl a bit of wellie, on the old red and rust there was no need to speed and there wasn’t much that was speedy with few exceptions like the BMCs and the Mandator’s and Mercury’s they was handy if trying for a dodgy, i think the BRS expectations was 22 mph loaded or empty which related to 200 miles per shift of ten hours break included, but bet i’m wrong.
thanks harry long retired.
When I was on BRS, I was always told how quick I had done the job, which I could not understand, because I wasted so much time than normal, but I thought if you are happy with the way I work, I will keep it going in the same way. Specially when on the gaz contract, I done the round up Scotland, & Newcastle, and got back a day early, the manager said you have done well, I was a bit surprised, but I replied, yes, but I was lucky, every drop, I went straight in, and I just managed to miss all the traffic, but I may not be as lucky next time, I thought to my self, if I go any slower, I will be going backward Ha Ha Ha Sandman Norman
hiya,
tell you what Norm in the early days when i did my first stint at blackburn if you did the job a day early and run into the depot the union would have chased you and pulled you over the coals, i used to have some good hidey holes for the motor which i used on numerous occasions, wouldn’t have been fair for me a then newbie to upset the apple cart, running back late was no problem though.
thanks harry long retired.
When I joined the BRS in 1972, they never asked me if I was in the union, but I was, When I was on the cranes, I would get all the union site jobs, they would send other drivers to the site, and they used to be refused entery, they asked to borrow my card, but i would say, join it yourself. Sandman Norman
hiya,
Norm it was either 63 or 64 not sure exactly when i did my first bit for the old red and rust, the rules and regs was still very strict and the working methods was very much the same as when nationalisation took place or so the lads i worked with used to tell me,but during my absence and when i returned in the early 70s you was expected to do more for your money although still keep legal, the motors were better though, not my idea of better, but more up to date and more reliable and the original 22 mph had been upped to about 27 mph which was still easily achievable and made the dodgy night out easier to get.
thanks harry long retired.
Glad I was on later, I could put the pedal to the metal, the only time I use to go slow was when I did the boat job, on Carlsberg, I drove a rigid, that would catch the wind, and it would be a miracle if we got to 40mph, I bet there is many a trucker on here followed behind us going and comming from Northampton to Harwich, and was cursing, but we could do nothing to make it go faster. Sandman Norman
hiya,
tell you what Norm if in those later years if i’d had to drive at 40 mph it would have been with a dry sump or i’d have invested in a box of swan vestas and torched it in a layby, i used to motor faster than that when doing abnormal stuff.
thanks harry long retired.
So did I, but not in that motor when it was windy, I bet Chris hardly gets it in gear, on the IOM, unless he took it on the TT course, but then again, when he was at Sheffield, I bet he belted along the dual carriage way, one way, and back on the to road the other way. Sandman Norman
hiya,
Norm i had slow motors in my early career some of them at the BRS but at that time so did lots of other firms and it was’nt so bad because you was’nt alone but at the time you’re talking about it was ridiculous stuck at that speed, no matter how good the firm was it would have been a case of fix it or i walk or there may have been a few seals removed and the tool box put to good use.
thanks harry long retired.
Harry, I forgot, the cranes I drove never went fast, they used to give us 8hours to drive and rig up when going to sheffield, before we would start operating the crane. Sandman Norman
hiya,
Norm in your crane days if you’d just thought to pull over onto the hard shoulder you might have caught me coming past in the old seddon piece of string between us and you’d be doing 90 in no time and if you’d done the same on the way back you might have managed a dodgy night out, always willing to help out , the original knight of the road thats me.
thanks harry long retired.
Lads this next piece is when I was on BRS, but on contract to camping gaz, after doing a few deliveries, I decided to park up early on the docks in Bristol, I walked up to the town, and was outside the theatre, when this lady spoke to me, are you interested in plays, this was as I was looking to see what the attractions were, and I said yes I am, would you like two free tickets, two of my friends cannot make it to the show, and they are non-refundable, I said I would love them, so with the tickets in my hand I waved goodbye, she called see you later in the theatre.When I returned to my cab, I saw a driver I knew, and I asked him if he wanted to go to see a play, I had a spare ticket. We got washed and shaved, and put on our nightout togs, and back into town. By the side of the theatre was a small street, and a nice little cafe, and we went in and ordered a meal. While seated there, three of the cast came in, I reckonised the star right away, Micheal Gambon, another six foot actor, white hair, and large eyes, and a young girl, they sat next to us. Later the girl swore in german, and had a ciggarette in her mouth, and was searching through her bag, Micheal and the other man, shook their heads, I took a lighter from my pocket, and leaned over towards the girl, and said " Darf ich bittern" may I Please, she smiled and lit her ciggarette, you speak German, yes, where did you learn, in Germany, three years in the army, a camp doctor, and my girl friends, I learnt it from, Micheal said pull your chairs over, we can chat, anything but theatre, he was a very nice fellow, I followed his career, he came to fame much later in “Dennis potters” Singing detective on the TV. When in the Theatre, we sat down, and this women came along in a evening gown with a split from her waist to her toes,hello my name is Jane, glad you used the tickets, I am Norman and this is John, she sat on my right next to me, and all through the play, she was rubbing her leg against me, the interval came and I went to the toilet , and it was overdue, a moment later, I would have pole vaulted over the balcony, the end came, and Jane said hope you both enjoyed it boys, goodbye, I thought you are a big PT Jane, but cheerio. Sandman Norman
hiya,
Norman,Norman,Norman,you must have a very understanding old lady, mine would have killed me if i’d done half things that you’ve done and got away with, the only time i came into contact with the opposite ■■■ was those who wanted paying and that wasn’t my scene and when they knew i didn’t sleep in the cab they was thankfully off like a shot, so i should be grateful to the old red and rust for not allowing sleeping in the cab hence keeping me chaste.
thanks harry long retired.
I never kept chaste by not sleeping in my cab, it was just by having a strong will, a young lady knocked on my cab in Toddington services, and said £25 for ■■■, I put out my hand, and she said no, you have to pay me, I said do not be silly, I have never paid for it, only when I got married, and I’m still paying for it, its like having it on the never never, Sandman Norman
Norman Ingram:
I have never paid for it, only when I got married, and I’m still paying for it, its like having it on the never never.
Well put Norm… Your dead right… never thought of it like that.
TIPIT:
Norman Ingram:
I have never paid for it, only when I got married, and I’m still paying for it, its like having it on the never never.
hiya,
Tipit and Norm my sentiments exactly, well put guys.
thanks harry long retired.
Well lads I got a bit worried, when the priest, said dearly beloved, I never knew you would be paying for it , even when they stopped giving it to me, is that fair i ask you, so I never make the same mistake twice, so I would never pay for it twice in my life, so that girl had no chance of getting money from me, I would rather resort to the five fingered widow ■■?, if you get what I mean. Sandman Norman
hiya,
is the five fingered widow any relation to J Arthur Rank Norm?.
thanks harry long retired.