I think I was fortunate in not getting too many of these, but I know for some of the regulars here it was a way of life.
When I was a lad on school holidays I used to tag along on the Bewick night trunk from Northfleet to Lincoln Farm, and I was always regaled with tales of ‘The Duchess’ and always threatened/promised an introduction to her, usually with the threat/promise that she would ‘eat me alive’
Fortunately/unfortunately it never happened, but there must be hundreds of stories to be told about digs, what happened down the pub, bedbugs, landladies etc.
Apologies if this has been done before, but I’m new here, so you need to make allowances…
I was booked in to stay at ‘Mrs Macs’ drivers digs in (British West) Hartlepool but was running late and thought I would miss my evening meal, however when I finally arrived the old girl said she’d saved mine so get my boots off and go to eat. I don’t know why the boots had to come off - the place was filthy anyway, so in I go. Other drivers are sitting around having eaten and I was presented with half a chicken and chips. As I’m sitting there I think my feet smell pretty bad today as a bad smell drifted around and start eating the chicken - strange I thought chips AND rice, but then I realised the ‘rice’ was inside the chicken and was actually maggots (all dead and cooked). It was then I realised the awful smell was not my feet but the chicken and thought about these other guys sitting around who had already eaten, I feared a riot if I spoke out so I just sloped off to get washed saying I wasn’t hungry.
Happy days!
Before sleeper cabs. Mate and myself booked in at Georgie Brays, Liverpool Rd. Islington, wash and a meal and off we goes out for the evening. Well, we decided no taxi’s, no tube, we’ll use one of the Atky. units. We lost it. Took us until lunchtime the following day to remember where we had left it. We had a good night though. Many years ago, happy days, we were young fellas.
i never had any night out tales to tell . nice reputable digs every night , good meal , watch telly & early to bed . it’s true , ask the wife !!! cheers dave
Many year ago I was tipping in Maidstone, Sharps toffee I think, something wrong with the load I was delivering so was told they couldnt tip till the following morning. Tried a few digs out of my Headlight book but nothing doing so asked gateman if he knew of anywhere. Only place he could think of was a pub which used to do digs but had been taken over and he wasnt sure if the new landlord still did digs. Anyway nothing to lose so walked up the hill to the pub told the young new landlord Id been sent from the factory and did he do rooms. He said he didnt at that moment but if I wanted to rough it, as the rooms hadnt been cleaned, I could stay for free in one of the old rooms as long as I dropped the latch when I left in the morning as they didnt live on the premises. Well I jumped at the chance, had a meal in a local cafe then propped up the bar for the night. Come closing time they said there was some grub for a fried breakfast in the kitchen fridge, if I fancied cooking for myself. As I was closing the door when they left he told me that one of the pumps was on and to help myself to a pint as thanks for keeping an eye on the place. I drew a pint and you know what I couldn`t take advantage of them and so drank up and went to bed. Next morning had a couple of egg sandwiches and left a note, with the money for the pint, thanking them .
ddrbsn:
Many year ago I was tipping in Maidstone, Sharps toffee I think, something wrong with the load I was delivering so was told they couldnt tip till the following morning. Tried a few digs out of my Headlight book but nothing doing so asked gateman if he knew of anywhere. Only place he could think of was a pub which used to do digs but had been taken over and he wasnt sure if the new landlord still did digs. Anyway nothing to lose so walked up the hill to the pub told the young new landlord Id been sent from the factory and did he do rooms. He said he didnt at that moment but if I wanted to rough it, as the rooms hadnt been cleaned, I could stay for free in one of the old rooms as long as I dropped the latch when I left in the morning as they didnt live on the premises. Well I jumped at the chance, had a meal in a local cafe then propped up the bar for the night. Come closing time they said there was some grub for a fried breakfast in the kitchen fridge, if I fancied cooking for myself. As I was closing the door when they left he told me that one of the pumps was on and to help myself to a pint as thanks for keeping an eye on the place. I drew a pint and you know what I couldn`t take advantage of them and so drank up and went to bed. Next morning had a couple of egg sandwiches and left a note, with the money for the pint, thanking them .
One night I was sleeping in the cab in Bromsgrove and about two o clock I had to take a leek so I jumped out of the cab with just my underpants and boots on. All was well until my dog decided to look where I was and inadvertenly he locked the door with one of his paws. Years ago all vehicles had quarter lights so I looked for something to enable me to open the said quarter light. Nothing. In the end I got a piece of wire from an old chain link fence and eventually got the quarter light open so I could reach in and open the wagon door.[and strangle the dog/ only joking ] From that day on I always made sure if I jumped out in the middle of the night I had the keys on me.
maxhagar:
One night I was sleeping in the cab in Bromsgrove and about two o clock I had to take a leek so I jumped out of the cab with just my underpants and boots on. All was well until my dog decided to look where I was and inadvertenly he locked the door with one of his paws. Years ago all vehicles had quarter lights so I looked for something to enable me to open the said quarter light. Nothing. In the end I got a piece of wire from an old chain link fence and eventually got the quarter light open so I could reach in and open the wagon door.[and strangle the dog/ only joking ] From that day on I always made sure if I jumped out in the middle of the night I had the keys on me.
I managed that at my first Truckfest Stood there in my t-shirt and boxer shorts trying to get back into the crew-cabbed Merc 814D I was kipping in. Plod turned up, laughed and called me a plonker (fair do’s) then cleared off - however it didn’t take long before my new name at work was Rodney!
The sad part was, whilst using a length of wire to prise out the n/s/r cab window, I gouged it along the doors paintwork - paintwork I had spent weeks cleaning, polishing & general tittyvating
I’ve heard the following story several times from different drivers over the years and whether it’s true or not I don’t know, but it certainly made me laugh. Many years ago when a certain truckstop ( in ■■■■■■■ ) first opened there was certain “lady of the night” operating there and apparently she was very overweight. A driver, who must have had his beer goggles on thought he take advantage of her services. He took her back to his Atkinson and had a hell of a job getting her enormous frame through the passenger door. ( I thought that was funny enough but wait till you read the next bit ). After the deed was done and it was time for her to get out she couldn’t get through the Atki’s narrow door. I can imagine a lot of pushing and shoving along with a lot of swearing and shouting but it was all in vain, she was stuck fast. As a last straw the local windscreen people were called and they took out the passenger-side screen and got her out via their stepladder down the front of the motor. Late at night ,I wonder how much it cost and who paid. Regards to all, Haddy, Gt. Yarmouth.
used to stop at sadies alloa in the seventies,she had the old fire place took out in the living room, and replaced with a single bed ,she used if it was full.
I might have told this tale elsewhere on the site but it fits this thread. There was a cafe at South Mimms years ago(can’t just re-call the name Do’h!)however they had one little bed that just fit under the stairs literally!! and there was only one driver that ever was allowed to use it,which he did anywhere from twice to 3 or 4 times a week.His name was Fred Sarginson from Kendal and he drove for Croppers of Kendal the local Paper Mill.He left Croppers in the mid 70s and moved away to Scarborough or somewhere on that coast to operate a fishing boat.He was an ex naval man,I always remember his nickname was “Furry Fred” as he had a full beard and he wore a dangly ear ring before they became popular!!! He always had his overalls tucked into his boots which shone like mirrors!!I don’t know what happened to his bed after he finished but I think the cafe is long gone.Cheers Bewick.
Bewick:
I might have told this tale elsewhere on the site but it fits this thread. There was a cafe at South Mimms years ago(can’t just re-call the name Do’h!)however they had one little bed that just fit under the stairs literally!! and there was only one driver that ever was allowed to use it,which he did anywhere from twice to 3 or 4 times a week.His name was Fred Sarginson from Kendal and he drove for Croppers of Kendal the local Paper Mill.He left Croppers in the mid 70s and moved away to Scarborough or somewhere on that coast to operate a fishing boat.He was an ex naval man,I always remember his nickname was “Furry Fred” as he had a full beard and he wore a dangly ear ring before they became popular!!! He always had his overalls tucked into his boots which shone like mirrors!!I don’t know what happened to his bed after he finished but I think the cafe is long gone.Cheers Bewick.
Hello Bewick, was the cafe called “The Beacon” regards, Haddy.
Bewick:
I might have told this tale elsewhere on the site but it fits this thread. There was a cafe at South Mimms years ago(can’t just re-call the name Do’h!)however they had one little bed that just fit under the stairs literally!! and there was only one driver that ever was allowed to use it,which he did anywhere from twice to 3 or 4 times a week.His name was Fred Sarginson from Kendal and he drove for Croppers of Kendal the local Paper Mill.He left Croppers in the mid 70s and moved away to Scarborough or somewhere on that coast to operate a fishing boat.He was an ex naval man,I always remember his nickname was “Furry Fred” as he had a full beard and he wore a dangly ear ring before they became popular!!! He always had his overalls tucked into his boots which shone like mirrors!!I don’t know what happened to his bed after he finished but I think the cafe is long gone.Cheers Bewick.
Hello Bewick, was the cafe called “The Beacon” regards, Haddy.
parked up at home once when i was meant to be on a night out,came back to my truck in the morning to find broken window, no stereo ,all my kit missing,no light lenses and no diesel in tank…got the gooner for that one!
Ann Morrisies in the seventies,park road east,Birkenhead. stayed there often ,good diggs used the sea dog pub down the road,22 shillings bb/em,if full 16 shillings to sleep on the soafa,one of our drivers from rsf darlington used to ring in late to get the soafa often.
Back on a dodgy one night,parked up on waste ground behind the shops,done it before ,no problem.
Back in the morning,some low life had not only syphoned the tanks dry,also pinched both the 12v batteries!!so a rather fraught phone call to the workshop to get some juice and batteries before the gaffer arrived at 10.00AM!!
One of A E Evans drivers dropped his empty tank on some spare land in Hyde and ran over Woodhead to Sheffield on a dodgy
When he got back the trailer was on it’s knees,the legs having dropped down an old cellar.He stopped a mobile crane driver who he had passed on Woodhead earlier and came to an “arrangement” to get it lifted.I forget how much it cost him…
Stood there in my t-shirt and boxer shorts trying to get back into the crew-cabbed Merc 814D I was kipping in. Plod turned up, laughed and called me a plonker (fair do’s) then cleared off - however it didn’t take long before my new name at work was Rodney!
