The Popemobile goes to Wales (there maybe a few pic's)

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
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I was offered a couple of days work in Wales last week and as I hadn’t been for a while I made a concious effort to take a few snaps on the way. :smiley:

I loaded a China Shipping 20’ dry van on tuesday afternoon on 36 park (Felixstowe) weighing about 23 tonnes all up, parked at the “Crossing” for the night and went home. :sunglasses:

An early kick off wednesday morning saw me get to Welford’s illustrious “Portly Ford Cafe” just after opening time for tea ‘n’ toost. :smiley:
45 minutes later and we’re off again, next stop Strensham services on the M5 for a quick piddle and to aquire a new earpiece as my old one was thrown across the cab in a fit of temper and stopped working. :blush:


Strensham.


A40 into Wales.


Tipping at LoadLok in Mertyr Tydfil. Full load of Span set hooks. ■■■■■■■ shrink wrap stuck together making a quick tip into a 2 hour job !


When they’d finally tipped at LoadLok I asked the chaps there if there were any sit down cafes nearby. Yes there is. Poached eggs on toast and a gallon of tea later I got my arse in gear and headed for S.Jones at Aldridge for a nominated box to load at Llansomethingorother the next morning.


Just filled up at strensham north.


Balls !

I cunningly threaded my way through the back doubles, skirted Walsall and pulled into “Sammy” Jones’ notorious yard with 1/2 an hour to spare !

Aldridge at last.

The box I was collecting was already arranged by the customer BUT the China box had to go back to Felixstowe. So £17.25 lighter I thought I’d have a few shots of the proceedings !








Nearly an hour later and we’re ready for the run back to Walesecesterceshire !

Thanks to the West midlands own brand of traffic congestion I scraped into the Cattle Market at Ross on Wye for the night. It does look as though the Dingles run the place but I did get a decent shower and slept like a log !



Walk round checks at Ross.

I didn’t fancy snack bar cuisine for breakfast so I headed a few miles further down the A40 to the little cafe on the left.




Lovley little place BUT a wee bit expensive.

Sadly there aren’t any pic’s for a while as the place I loaded at confiscates any phones, cameras, loose change,
■■■■ etc they also wanted the serial number from my laptop ! :open_mouth:

An hour or so there and then I started back towards civilisation ! :wink:


Guess where ?
As you may now realise my day is usually dictated by breakfast, dinner & tea.
That said I pulled into the Max Cafe on the A4, 3 1/2 miles from J12, towards Thatcham and had a beautiful home cooked dinner. Nice ! :smiley:


Fed and watered it’s back to the countries dullest road, the M4 !


Much traffic and idle curiosity later I stopped at Waltham Abbey for another tea and a look at the new cafe. Very plush and long overdue. I wish them well !

The run home was full of bell end car drivers trying to top 'emselves on the A12. :imp:






Onto Trinity tip and turn for friday and dump 'er off at the Crossing again. Finished.

No bell end motorists were harmed in the making of this diary. I did have a go but they were to quick ! :grimacing:

2

good diary goaty just a quick question, how come u dont use your mid-lift as surely when your empty it gives more traction when up an saves on tyre wear??

3

seems to BE a awful lot :wink: of tea drinking going on there goaty :laughing: :laughing:

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goaty why dont you go up the a14,m6 m42,m5 and m50 its shorter quicker and you dont have to pay the toll for the bridge,we always went that way on boxes :wink:

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Goaty, I may have passed you at some point - definitely remember seeing a late registered Iveco Eurostar somewhere, just can think where :blush:

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maverick72:
goaty why dont you go up the a14,m6 m42,m5 and m50 its shorter quicker and you dont have to pay the toll for the bridge,we always went that way on boxes :wink:

With him stopping at Welford and Strensham and going down the A40 I would hazard a guess as he did go that way. :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

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Ben9:

maverick72:
goaty why dont you go up the a14,m6 m42,m5 and m50 its shorter quicker and you dont have to pay the toll for the bridge,we always went that way on boxes :wink:

With him stopping at Welford and Strensham and going down the A40 I would hazard a guess as he did go that way. :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

so the piccy of the seven bridge and the ■■■■■■■■■ on the A12 didnt give it away then :unamused:

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maverick72:
goaty why dont you go up the a14,m6 m42,m5 and m50 its shorter quicker and you dont have to pay the toll for the bridge,we always went that way on boxes :wink:

Maybe because it is free to leave Wales, you only pay to go there for some strange reason.

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Nice diary and great pics, nice truck too, whats the eurostar like to drive/maintain? Don’t know why I just like the style of these over the scanias and volvos of the same year :smiley:

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maverick72:

Ben9:

maverick72:
goaty why dont you go up the a14,m6 m42,m5 and m50 its shorter quicker and you dont have to pay the toll for the bridge,we always went that way on boxes :wink:

With him stopping at Welford and Strensham and going down the A40 I would hazard a guess as he did go that way. :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

so the piccy of the seven bridge and the [zb] on the A12 didnt give it away then :unamused:

I did read that but I also read where he said he was using Severn Bridge on way home.

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mark h:
good diary goaty just a quick question, how come u dont use your mid-lift as surely when your empty it gives more traction when up an saves on tyre wear??

maybe its one of those that dont lift,you can only dump the air i think ?

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mark h:
good diary goaty just a quick question, how come u dont use your mid-lift as surely when your empty it gives more traction when up an saves on tyre wear??

It’s purely a twin steer Mark. Air dump only ! :wink:

maverick72:
goaty why dont you go up the a14,m6 m42,m5 and m50 its shorter quicker and you dont have to pay the toll for the bridge,we always went that way on boxes :wink:

I did fella. :wink:

Fxt to M/Tydfil = 268 miles, OTT
Fxt to M/Tydfil = 258 miles, 12,25,4, etc
Bridge toll £14 odd.

OTT there, M4 home ! :smiley:

Grayham:
Nice diary and great pics, nice truck too, whats the eurostar like to drive/maintain? Don’t know why I just like the style of these over the scanias and volvos of the same year :smiley:

Massive cab, badly laid out. Although it’s had some DIY to give it a flat engine hump and a raised bottom bunk now.
After driving my old 580 it was a bloody culture shock but it does grow on you, just like wagons used to be in terms of driving position.
The truck is on a full R+M with the local Iveco dealer because while i’m proficient with basic spannery I like then fact that my costs are fixed till I shop around next year for something else !

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[quote="GoatyBridge toll £14 odd.[/quote]
try £16.30 last timei went over it :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth:

Nice diary BTW :smiley: :smiley:

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shuttlespanker:

Goaty:
Bridge toll £14 odd.

try £16.30 last timei went over it :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth:

I rest my case ! :smiley:

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I mate great photos and diary

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Good read and pictures goaty!

Andydisco works for ktransport just noticed the daf next to yours in the first pic :smiley:

17

Good diary, thanks for posting.

Although I would point out that anything South of Welshpool isn’t ‘proper’ Wales… :wink:

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hammer:
Good diary, thanks for posting.

Although I would point out that anything South of Welshpool isn’t ‘proper’ Wales… :wink:

But then again it ain’t Liverpool overspill either! :wink:

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hammer:
Good diary, thanks for posting.

Although I would point out that anything South of Welshpool isn’t ‘proper’ Wales… :wink:

:open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth:

i would of said the opposite fella anything north of brecon is proper sheep shearing land :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :wink:

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shouldnt that be sheep sharing ? :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: