No, I did though! I’m glad that week’s over; In 5 days I’ve had a formal warning (valid for 6 months) on Monday. Got stuck doing a topsoiling job in Worsham quarry Wednesday morning AND yesterday afternoon. Had to go to yard with an oil leak (tipper ram breather) this morning, done 1 load and got a puncture! 
Still, Worsham quarry’ll be a memory from next week as the Smith owned part’s being sold to a tyre recycling firm and the filled bit’s going back to the farmer…
Phil Hickman delivering soil to Worsham quarry- At this time Worsham’s being landscaped ready for the filled section to go back to agriculture, and the part-filled section is being sold for industrial use
Here is one to cheer you up after your crap week mate!
What can you tell us about her?
That was Michael Haynes’ lorry from new. He was the Banbury-based driver who’d clean his truck at weekends. Someone posted on here a while back that he’d climb out of his cab, walk along the load and unhitch the tailgate from on top of the load so he didn’t get his boots dirty! Had a CAT 300 in that, I drove it once not long before it was sold and wasn’t in the condition that Michael had kept it in. Was still a lovely truck to drive when it went end of 2004/05 along with 6 wheeler G160 (the 4000th 4000 series) about the time my lorry arrived. G162 came with G160 and G161 and 163. Dad had G163 for a while until it was stolen from Gill Mill not long after it’d been upgraded to 32 ton GW. Wonder if it was nicked by the lot who were meant to have links with a dealership somewhere??
Muckaway:
That was Michael Haynes’ lorry from new. He was the Banbury-based driver who’d clean his truck at weekends. Someone posted on here a while back that he’d climb out of his cab, walk along the load and unhitch the tailgate from on top of the load so he didn’t get his boots dirty! Had a CAT 300 in that, I drove it once not long before it was sold and wasn’t in the condition that Michael had kept it in. Was still a lovely truck to drive when it went end of 2004/05 along with 6 wheeler G160 (the 4000th 4000 series) about the time my lorry arrived. G162 came with G160 and G161 and 163. Dad had G163 for a while until it was stolen from Gill Mill not long after it’d been upgraded to 32 ton GW. Wonder if it was nicked by the lot who were meant to have links with a dealership somewhere??
That’s a nice bit of kit Nathan a credit to the man.
The workshop during the July '07 floods
This arrived this afternoon; has Tiptronic auto box. Any opinions to pass on?
Pete James fixing a poppy as workshop foreman Pete Bennett (PeteBenn66) avoiding the camera
As an ex tipper man myself ive been really enjoying this thread. Regarding the new MAN, i dont think you’ll have too many complaints ( providing they can keep the weight down ). If i was buying a new 8 x 4 tipper today it would be either a MAN or a Mercedes, or possibly a Daf.
Mark R:
As an ex tipper man myself ive been really enjoying this thread. Regarding the new MAN, i dont think you’ll have too many complaints ( providing they can keep the weight down ). If i was buying a new 8 x 4 tipper today it would be either a MAN or a Mercedes, or possibly a Daf.
The MAN they’ve got on an 08 plate with manual box has been very good. With an 18m3 Charlton/Thompson Steelite body on carries about 19.3t-I thought this was pretty good as the Volvo FM 8 wheeler only gets 19.7 with alloy body. They tried a Daf 85cf with ASTronic around this time last year and the driver loved it. I’m not overly keen on the seating position in Daf cabs (I’m always adjusting the seat in the Alpha) the base of the seat either tilts too far down or raises you up too far. Drop the seat height and the sunvisors are as much use as a chocolate fireguard, and raise the height up and everything else is too low down or the seat bangs it’s stays on bumpy ground. My favourite at the moment is the Merc Axor-fantastic driving position and loads of storage and no frills, although the much maligned Volvo FE driving position’s pretty good except the seat doesn’t go back very far.
Guy photographed at the then new Smiths Concrete Manor Farm Quarry at Hardwick c1971
Godfrey and Arthur Smith (from company website)
Nice pic RC; That pic must be early 80s-so many Leylands! 
I don’t know why, but the Bison in the distance was a favourite of mine as boy as it had that horseshoe fixed on the grille (I’m trying to get one for mine-a bit retro) The workshop in the background is the plant engineering workshop, while the stores building on it’s right is now rented out to Chesterton Coachworks (next day delivery on spares,ppe etc made it redundant).
A bit of trivia for Big G, the blue building in the left background was Bletchington signalbox that worked the main line and Shipton Cement works sidings.
The canal towpath looks a lot tidier nowadays, and lorries have to reverse park into the spaces…
My Foden’s a bit poorly at the moment; the fan clutch has packed up so the fans working overtime (and sounds like a hoover running behind the seat), water pipe leaking and the easysheet motors’ virtually life-expired-all on a 54 plate with less than 400k on the clock!
So today (and Monday morning) I’m driving Pete James’ Volvo 4 wheeler-the one pictured earlier and featured in a BigLorryBlog. I took the pic not long after getting the keys and look at the lengths Pete goes to to keep his almost 3 year old motor looking like the day it left the dealer
There’s 2 mats on the cab floor, obviously wrapped in paper towel! 
How he does it, God knows (when you look at the state of Gill Mill)…