Pete.I was talking to a mutual friend of ours today a Mr.S.Dunn lorry driver “retired” I think.He was telling me about another colleague of ours Steve Skinner is now working as a guard attendant at Foston womens prison.Hows that for a change of career. Mick
Buddy well oiled Dan, surely not? 
Not much he could have done anyway though, he would have a job on holding 30+ tonnes back on a 1 in 5 gradient with only KM Bedford brakes! I launched my Sed Ak 400 down that hill one day not realising that the bar for the load sensing valve had broken and I had no rear brakes! Luckily I was in low box but it took some holding back, I stopped on Park Road and fastened the valve up with rope to get me to Qualcast and back. Took it up the garage and Tommy Wibb threw a wobbly (just one of many! )as he had another load lined up for me “I went to Sevenoaks and back with no back brakes when I drove for Barlow and Hodgkinson” he shouted, I stood my ground and luckily the fitter backed me up!! 
I wasn’t keen on going down there in snow and ice though, turned right at the Bowling Green and went via Dovehouse Green with my ar*e cheeks firmly clenched instead!!! 
Pete.
malmic:
Pete.I was talking to a mutual friend of ours today a Mr.S.Dunn lorry driver “retired” I think.He was telling me about another colleague of ours Steve Skinner is now working as a guard attendant at Foston womens prison.Hows that for a change of career. Mick
Yes I heard about that last week from Denzel Goodwin Mick, a bit like putting King Herod in charge of a Creche! Last time I saw Steve Skinner he was suffering with back trouble though. Stevie Dunn called at our house just before last Christmas when my wife was in Hospital and was looking to finish, happen he has done just that now.
Pete.
Good job your not from Bonsall pete ,in snowy weather one of my bros would hold the lift axle button in on the chassis ,whilst the other pushed the wheel barrow with ash in ,I would be shovelling this ash under the drive axle ,whilst father was barking orders from the cab ,all this with passing cars to contend with !!
Dan Punchard:
Good job your not from Bonsall pete ,in snowy weather one of my bros would hold the lift axle button in on the chassis ,whilst the other pushed the wheel barrow with ash in ,I would be shovelling this ash under the drive axle ,whilst father was barking orders from the cab ,all this with passing cars to contend with !!
Sounds like Child cruelty to me,NSPCC job I think Dennis.
No I am not from Bonsall Dan, I just have the standard five digits on each hand and no webbed feet either.
Pete.
Lol ,could be worse ,there’s only 3 surnames in youlgreave .
Dan Punchard:
Lol ,could be worse ,there’s only 3 surnames in youlgreave .
What,s the old man doing now Dan still playing his penny whistle?
Well ,the roads are dangerous enough so the whistle stayed ,the hgv licence went ,it was that steering with the elbow bit I didn’t like ,especially through Cubley stoop !!! What do you think mick ?
Dan Punchard:
Well ,the roads are dangerous enough so the whistle stayed ,the hgv licence went ,it was that steering with the elbow bit I didn’t like ,especially through Cubley stoop !!! What do you think mick ?
Glad to hear he’s got out of the rat race.He always seemed pretty sane to me though that might not be much of a recommendation.
That day when I diverted around Buxton Hill I had already had one scary moment at the quarry. I had battled in over Longcliffe in my car through thick snow and was loading foundry limestone for Johnson Matthey’s on Jefferys Road, Enfield. Loaded OK then needed fuel, anyone who worked at Ballidon knows that the fuel pumps are outside the garage at the top of another 1 in 5 hill and no way would I get up there empty so I waited until I was laden. Well I set off up the bank, halfway up there was a ‘hump’ in the road and when my first drive axle hit that it took the drive off of the rear axle! Suddenly I had a 30 tonne toboggan going in reverse down the slope in the pitch dark! I couldn’t see a blooming thing but I knew that there was a tree somewhere behind me plus a few of the workers cars so I just yanked the wheel round and prayed. Eventually the truck stopped, I had gone right around the tree and missed the cars by about six feet and couldn’t have done it better with vision but it put the old heart rate up a tad. Ended up buying diesel out, picked granite chippings uo from Mancetter on the return trip and wasn’t sorry when that day ended as I was rapidly running out of lives plus I had to get home in the car to Matlock via Derby as the ploughs were struggling to clear the minor routes !!
Pete.
windrush:
That day when I diverted around Buxton Hill I had already had one scary moment at the quarry. I had battled in over Longcliffe in my car through thick snow and was loading foundry limestone for Johnson Matthey’s on Jefferys Road, Enfield. Loaded OK then needed fuel, anyone who worked at Ballidon knows that the fuel pumps are outside the garage at the top of another 1 in 5 hill and no way would I get up there empty so I waited until I was laden. Well I set off up the bank, halfway up there was a ‘hump’ in the road and when my first drive axle hit that it took the drive off of the rear axle! Suddenly I had a 30 tonne toboggan going in reverse down the slope in the pitch dark! I couldn’t see a blooming thing but I knew that there was a tree somewhere behind me plus a few of the workers cars so I just yanked the wheel round and prayed. Eventually the truck stopped, I had gone right around the tree and missed the cars by about six feet and couldn’t have done it better with vision but it put the old heart rate up a tad. Ended up buying diesel out, picked granite chippings uo from Mancetter on the return trip and wasn’t sorry when that day ended as I was rapidly running out of lives plus I had to get home in the car to Matlock via Derby as the ploughs were struggling to clear the minor routes !!Pete.
Would’nt happen today Pete an inch of snow and the quarry’s shut
windrush:
malmic:
Pete.I was talking to a mutual friend of ours today a Mr.S.Dunn lorry driver “retired” I think.He was telling me about another colleague of ours Steve Skinner is now working as a guard attendant at Foston womens prison.Hows that for a change of career. MickYes I heard about that last week from Denzel Goodwin Mick, a bit like putting King Herod in charge of a Creche! Last time I saw Steve Skinner he was suffering with back trouble though. Stevie Dunn called at our house just before last Christmas when my wife was in Hospital and was looking to finish, happen he has done just that now.
Pete.
Is this the same Steve Skinner, plus a few more to stir the memories from the 80/90’s
Barry/Gloves
PS Allen truck parked in Buxton, ‘Offcumden’!!!
Yes Barry, the one and only Steve Skinner! That was an ex Tilcon Mancetter quarry truck originally driven by Keith Lewis, I fetched it when new from North Riding Garages (part of the Tilling Group) at Pickering where it had been on display at the Tipcon show. It had the 265 Rolls engine, its sister truck (RDT 759X) had a 250 ■■■■■■■■ I THINK that Steve was the first Tilcon driver at Ballidon to buy a truck when Tilcon offered them up for sale to the drivers, though Alan Astley was in the running as well.
David Robinson also ran from Ballidon when I was there. Good pics, might even see one of my ‘mounts’ photograhed by you one day!!
Pete.
You like it in there john ,is it since the nice younger lady has taken over ■■
Never been in the place Dan 
plus it was closed today when I was passing 
but now you have mentioned that I will make sure I am early next time round
No wonder it took you nearly 2 hours to get from Wirksworth to Hazel grove the other Dan if there’s a nice young lady in the cafe at Dove. !!! Ha ha.
Didn’t know Middleton had a tar plant Dan. Is that the area close to the old Via Gelia Transport offices?