Wee diary on wee van ;-)

[orys]

I had nothing to do in Monday. I was on truck wash, I was learining english in the canteen.

At least I had a run start in tuesday. I had to wee drops in London and one in Manchester ( I parked on the industrial estate near musem of war and i took a tram to the city to see something - it’s not so bad city as they talking - the canals are amazing!)

And when I came back to the yard in thursday it turned to that I came here in the middle on some disaster.

There was plenty of urgent deliveries and only me available. But I had not too much driving time left, but we somehow worked out suitable route for me. But that was a big brainstorm, which included even ideas like “you will drive the van to London, then you dump it somewhere there and you will fly the plane back to Glasgow and then you get a lorry and…”

Of course I don’t do any shortcuts if we are talking about driving time, and, apart of that, I have my own live too so I told them, that I am not interested in weekending somewhere in low cab lorry. I got one sugestion that I will drive the van to Prestwick and then I’ll dump it there and fly to Ibiza, but they weren’t considering that seriously. What a shame

Anyway when I came back from home I saw this crap prepared for me instead of my lorry:

It look like crap, but it is really well maintentanded: see, it have even wheel freshly balanced:

.

Inside the cab it turned to be really well equipped van - it was even equiped with a litter bin! (In fact it was jus one big litter bin)

So that I head away. I had two drops of glass in London and one drop of this alloys from the roof in Plymouth. I never been there, so why not?

I started to drive south. The weather was heavily scottish. Van was driving all right (apart of all noise) but it turned that it’s not waterproof - all things, what I put on the dashboard become wet - including delivery notes and my road atlas. I think I must buy new one and claim the money back from the company.

Sprinters drive quite nice, when they are heavy, but I wasn’t brave enaugh to drive too fast in this weather:

I passed this terex tipper on the platform (I wonder how is to be heavy haulage driver - is that boring, or rather exciting?)

Disadvantage of small van is that it have no sleeping cab. Advantage is that ytou can park it almost everywhere, so I parked in front of my friend’s home in Crewe for the night

At the morning I drove down to London, but I wasted plenty of time to look for garage, where they accept my fuel card. You must refuel this van so often!

In London two deliveries. One in Charging Zone, in Euston (i stopped for the newsagent in some asian part, when no-one in the shop spoke english - i had to point my finger on the charging zone symbol in the window and show them my keys with registration number!) and just after 50 minutes I was 700 metres further on my delivery places ( I spent 20 minutes on the middle of junction on Euston, thinking about our civilization achievments)

Of course I was told to go to that place first and then it turned that this delivery is on the bottom. [zb]. But with a help of our two fitters we managed to do it.

Second drop - Wembley. There was late afternoon and it was some event on the stadium, so I wasted another couple of hours to get there and from there.

By the way I passed this polish shop: on the top it’s written “polish shop” in polish, but I don’t know what it’s that in the bottom. I suppose, that there are some prehistoric polish runes from the time, when we weren’t able to write yet

On the way west I spotted some interesting group of stones at the junction…

Time is passing and I found myself without place to sleep at about 9-10 o’clock. I started to look for some B&B, but it wasn’t many on the main road. So i started to visit some villages off of the road, but everything was full (except of one hotel which had rooms for 86 pounds :S) I think it may have something to do with events this weekend - according to the posters there was some air show and dream cars show.

At the end I just drove in some bushes

and went to sleep in the van. I luckily had my sleeping bag with me ( I removed my belongings from the lorry, as after last time I don’t trust agency drivers) and there was plenty of polysterene foam at the back. I paid a tribute to Lech Wałęsa and other Shipyard workers, who used to sleep like that during famous strikes in 80’s .

In fact it wasn’t easy to find place to stop - main road was busy, and I don’t wanted to be parked just on the shoulder, and everytime when i turned to some country road it were so narrow between the shrubberys, that it wasn’t space to pull aside. But at last I know where to go when I ever meet The Knights Who Says “Ni”.

I found some place and went to “bed”.

At the morning I found myself parked to some luxury Rover car with a middle age couple sleeping inside covered by suits and coats. I guess I wasn’t only one, who can’t find place to stay that night…

At the morning I decided to recompense myself this night with some decent breakfast. But first I stopped for a shower on motorway services and then, i drove aside from the Devon Expressway to use “local services” in one of the villages. It was very nice village, it was very good food, and it was very long wait for my breakfast - 40 minutes… :S

My drop in fact wasn’t in the Plymouth itself but a bit north so I decided to go back with B3212 inbsead of trying to go back into expressway. It was bad decission when we thing about time, but it was so beautifull there - all this nature reserve, animals, green hills and small villages with houses covered by thatch… I really enjoyed driving that way.

Local lambs seems to totally ignore the traffic, even if cars sound the horns for them:

On M5 i seen some nice cars - Morris Oxford, some ancient saabs and that:

that’s this strange vehicle, what I was talking about in other topic - three wheeler. I can’t understand what is the fun of riding that? All the fun in bikes is that you can tilt on the bends, isn’t it? If I have to make a choice, I would be rather buy smart cabrio then that:

And so I came back to glasgow at the evening (with no screenwash left):

It’s nice to drive something small from time to time. You can choose small roads, you don’t have speed limiter fitted and, with my saturday lorry driver’s overtime rate, you can once feel as you are among the best paid van drivers in UK

I only hope, that the agency driver won’t leave so much rubbish in my car as the last one…

[trucking482002]

Very good diary and good pictures ,cetainly easier driving a van. thanks and regards derek

[denis_f]

orys:
So that I head away. I had two drops of glass in London and one drop of this alloys from the roof in Plymouth. I never been there, so why not?

On the way west I spotted some interesting group of stones at the junction…

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are you sure you weren’t on a tourist bus Orys

that photo is the wrong side of the stones - and looks
like it was taken from the car park at the visitor centre

Stonehenge taken from the layby on the 303 looks like this

[orys]

Denis F:
are you sure you weren’t on a tourist bus Orys

that photo is the wrong side of the stones - and looks
like it was taken from the car park at the visitor centre

Stonehenge taken from the layby on the 303 looks like this

Yes, I must admit, I seen the sign for “stonehenge” and it was just next to the road, so I pulled to the right as signposted, and then just after that I took the small field road back to A303

I thing this couple of hundreds metres extra are not too big loss for my company

But now as I see from your picture that was a mistake: I should stay on A303, view from that side is much better

But that’s reminds me of my first driving jon in Scotland - I was driving a sprinter for a laundry and I was visiting most beautifull places across lanarksire, lothian, scottish borders, nothumberland and stirlingshire. And I was told “you got full tank of fuel, you are paid for 12 hours, you can do what you want unless job is done”.

That was great job.

I don’t use my lorry or van as a camper, as I taking my job first, but if I can choose two roads, I will choose this one what is more interesting if it’s not cause any delays in my work. (Choosing B3212 was obviously a mistake, but usually it’s not happens). Alike if I have to stop for overnight and I can choose some nice place with things to see or some ugly industrial estate, I will go see something.

I think it’s nothing wrong with that. And, last but not least, I sometimes drive slightly faster then speed limit, when it’s safe of course, so then company have profit (as I am faster and can pay me less ) . I thing in general we all are quits

[the_catman]

Good diary and pics Orys, thanks!!!

TC

[chunky]

orys:
The weather was heavily scottish.

Pure genius!

Great read.

[ronaldo]

orys:
that’s this strange vehicle, what I was talking about in other topic - three wheeler. I can’t understand what is the fun of riding that? All the fun in bikes is that you can tilt on the bends, isn’t it? If I have to make a choice, I would be rather buy smart cabrio then that

Have you stopped to think for one minute that the person riding that may have been a biker for years then suddenly been involved in an accident and become disabled through no fault of his own? He/she had his beloved bike converted into a three-wheeler so they could still ride it?
If that is the case then it would be a lot of fun for them riding that because they would be grateful they were still alive to be able to ride it.

[orys]

Hm. In fact I wasn’t considered that option. But I seen a lot of this kind vehicles, some of them even pulling caravans, so I was thinking that it’s an option on its own, not a motability vehicle…

[macplaxton]

Good diary Orys.

Ronaldo:
Have you stopped to think for one minute that the person riding that may have been a biker for years then suddenly been involved in an accident and become disabled through no fault of his own? He/she had his beloved bike converted into a three-wheeler so they could still ride it?
If that is the case then it would be a lot of fun for them riding that because they would be grateful they were still alive to be able to ride it.

Maybe, but if I came a cropper I’d get something those stabilisers that retract when you get going or buy a proper sidecar.

The rider doesn’t look like they’re short of a few bob riding a Honda Gaywing. Not my cuppa thanks. Nor would I have a Honda Fireplace, Yamaha Thunderarse or any Moto Gutless . Each to there own as long as they enjoy themselves.

(My mate lost effect use of his left arm years ago on IoM, he became a courier and he was still fast as ■■■■ riding his bikes one-handed with the clutch fitted on the right just below the front brake lever. Big respect to the fella)

Ronaldo - Have you considered that the rider might not have a category A motorcycle licence? That Goldwing trike looks like a category B1 beast to me, which means any car driver could ride it

Unless I’m very much mistaken there is a couple on that machine both wearing completely matching and co-ordinated clothing. Typical sight on those sorts of Hondas in the summer months. They are also commonly spotted with colour-matched sidecars and/or trailers. :lol::lol:

[limeyphil]

Nice diary orys, But learning english in the canteen■■?
The words don’t usually have more than four letters in there.

[orys]

No, no, canteen was empty and I was learning from books