Tesco of Kiln Farm

[pat_hasler]

Seeing a post from Gringo (an old friend from when I worked at Tesco) and him commenting on some of the stories I emailed to the tesco lads back there made me think of some of the scams we had there

I remember one day my regular truck M28TBH and nice Scania was out of service and they gave me a Leyland Roadtrain to do a run. I can’t for the life of me remember the store but it was off the M4 and I had a 13m trailer which they reloaded with empty cages. O left the store and was heading out of town when on a dual carriageway all the revs dropped, I limped to a layby, tilted the cab and found that a bolt through the linkage was broken. It was in the 80’s and a mile walk back to the nearest building which due to good luck was also a pub I phoned the garage at MK and told them the bolt had sheered. “Where are you Pat ?” asked the fitter.
" in a pub a mile from the lorry" I said.
“Then get a beer cos it’s gonna be a while” said the fitter.
I had my ice cold fosters top and walked back to my vehicle to wait. About an hour later a mechanic arrived from some company in a van. “It’s the bolt on the throttle linkage” I told him.
“Thats for me to determine” said the git walking past me, he tilted the cab, looked at the engine and said “It’s a bolt on the linkage thats broke, I don’t have one”
“You don’t have a bolt ? … just a f**kin 1 inch bolt with a nut and you don’t have one ?”
“Nope , I will be back later” and off he drove.
2 hours later an huge DAF 8 wheeler tow truck arrived to tow me to MK “Are you serious ?” I asked “how many thoudands of pounds did this broken bolt cost ?”
“Just following orders” said the bloke who did tow me all the way to Kiln Farm where the mechanic popped the cab and said " Oh, it’s a bolt on the linkage"

[pat_hasler]

GO TO THE CANTEEN.

Every morning we would get our instructions and check our equipment, every morning I would find a bulb out and report to the fitters who wouls say a uniform “It’ll be an hour” I would then call the traffic office who would say the same thing everyday “Go to the canteen” I would then get a voucher from the office and have a free fry up

[the_gringo]

Pat do you remember the days when the office would get pushy, and we would form a q around by the garage all waiting for the fitters to check wheel nuts…those days the drivers were not even allowed to change a light bulb, (Health and safety) or maybe the oil had been filled up over the high mark and had to be drained (good for a dinner break)
Over the next few hours the office would get a lot of calls …ermm sorry havent got time to make it,have to do a local…or better still give it to agency and go home…good days.
Same applied to Crick, Kiln Farm and NDC, they couldnt beat us as long as we used the drivers rule book for defence. (Writen by Tesco for drivers and company protection)
Although I knock them it was still a great firm to work for and helped me retire early, excellent pay and conditions.
Just so sad it changed to what it is today,I still have contacts there and the stories they tell me,its heart breaking.
I still have my red jacket and grey trousers…lol…Sad or what

[pat_hasler]

I remember John Morrel sitting in traffic waiting when Dave asked if he could listen for the phone to ring while he nipped out for a ciggy ? “Yes” said John “I’ll let you know when it has rung”
Dave went out for his smoke and returned about 10 minutes later “Did anyone call ?” he asked.
“Yes” said John “It rang at 9.08 and 913” he said.
“Who was it ?” asked Dave.
“I don’t know ? … you told me to let you know when it rang, not to answer it”

[pat_hasler]

I remember delivering to the old Cricklewood store one morning, this involved a 20 ft trailer because you had to drive below a block of flats and do 2 x 45 degree turns and could just get round if there was nothing in the way. I was suppoed to deliver and return to Kiln Farm for a second run but once empty and loaded with empty cages at the first sharp turn some pillock ad parked a Granada Scorpio and I couldn’t get round, I called the store manager who made an announcement but nobody moved it. I radio’d in to MK to let them know about the delay and they told me to sit a wait … so I did … … 5 hours later the police were called first a police woman who had no idea what to do ? then a patrol car with 2 cops who had no idea what to do then a cop arrived in a landrover and said we’ll call Rocky ! … oh yeah, call Rocky said the police woman after I had sat there 7 hours Rocky arrived he was a shaven headed cop about 6’6" tall, got out of his car, walked over, picked up a brick and threw it through the windshield, opened the door and moved the car
“Thats why we call him Rocky” said the woman.

[chris_webb]

Pat Hasler:
Seeing a post from Gringo (an old friend from when I worked at Tesco) and him commenting on some of the stories I emailed to the tesco lads back there made me think of some of the scams we had there

I remember one day my regular truck M28TBH and nice Scania was out of service and they gave me a Leyland Roadtrain to do a run. I can’t for the life of me remember the store but it was off the M4 and I had a 13m trailer which they reloaded with empty cages. O left the store and was heading out of town when on a dual carriageway all the revs dropped, I limped to a layby, tilted the cab and found that a bolt through the linkage was broken. It was in the 80’s and a mile walk back to the nearest building which due to good luck was also a pub I phoned the garage at MK and told them the bolt had sheered. “Where are you Pat ?” asked the fitter.
" in a pub a mile from the lorry" I said.
“Then get a beer cos it’s gonna be a while” said the fitter.
I had my ice cold fosters top and walked back to my vehicle to wait. About an hour later a mechanic arrived from some company in a van. “It’s the bolt on the throttle linkage” I told him.
“Thats for me to determine” said the git walking past me, he tilted the cab, looked at the engine and said “It’s a bolt on the linkage thats broke, I don’t have one”
“You don’t have a bolt ? … just a f**kin 1 inch bolt with a nut and you don’t have one ?”
“Nope , I will be back later” and off he drove.
2 hours later an huge DAF 8 wheeler tow truck arrived to tow me to MK “Are you serious ?” I asked “how many thoudands of pounds did this broken bolt cost ?”
“Just following orders” said the bloke who did tow me all the way to Kiln Farm where the mechanic popped the cab and said " Oh, it’s a bolt on the linkage"

Sounds about right does that Pat,great little story.