I started from ALC as usual this week and washed the Yellow Peril, as the forecast for this week is good, so I thought it would be worth while. After this I made my way gingerly down the valley, with the biggest load I have ever taken from
ALC. Its four layers high, the best part of fourteen foot off the ground.
A mans load
With the sun high in the sky and the sky a deep blue I made my way down the valley to join the M4 and then up the M50 to meet the hoards returning up the M5 to the Midlands from the coastal resorts. I had a break at Tamworth Services, where it seemed the entire HGV driving population of Poland congregated. BY seven I was in Alfreton close to Derby. The sunset was stunning, being reasonably high I managed to get a few good shots.
Alfreton Sunset
Monday started off with the sun shining brightly in a clear blue sky above the Derbyshire town of Alfreton. got the first drop of the week off and on the way to Harlepool by eight thirty. Having been in Hartlepool on a few occasions before I was eager to try and get a few shots of the
transporter bridge, one of two in the UK, the other being in
Newport South Wales. As luck would have it the drop was right next door to it, which gave me a great opportunity to fire off a few shots of this fantastic structure. Its a great mode of transport, I've been on the one in South Wales, and it seem's that you almost glide across the water to the other side of the river.
Two views of the Middlesborough Transporter Bridge
The next call took me over the Pennines to Carlisle to drop one small pack in the centre of Carlisle, then off to
Newtown St Boswells in the heart of the Scotish Boarders, close to the town of Hawick, famous for its rugby. Hawick is divided by the river Teeviot, over which there has been a new bridge built , and named the
James Thomson Bridge, a famous poet of the area in the 1700's. I had a well earned overnight rest in the quit village of Newton St Boswells on the Monday night.
The James Thomson Bridge Hawick
Tuesday opened as Monday with more glorious sunshine and blue sky's, which made the run North over the Lammermuir Hills towards Edinburgh and then West to my first call of the day at Bonnybridge all the more pleasant.
Due to the nature of the load and the way it was loaded, plus the possibility of a large backload then I had to quite litarly zig zag up the country this week. And after that little explanation about my geographical meander, my next destination will come as no surprise. Perth is a regular call for me, so a quick turn round was expected, and by late lunch time I was in Dundee getting rid of the last of the bulk. This left me with one large pack for Aberdeen the two last small items for my last two call's, Elgin and Inverness.
After departing Perth, as I made my way north along the banks of the river Tay the cloud grew thicker and the temperature dropped like a stone. from twenty two degree's this morning coming over the Tweedmuir Hills to the twelve degree's now. I moved further North the temperature dropped to ten degrees and the wind got up, by the time I arrived in Aberdeen around three thirty, it had dropped to ten. Quite a shock to the system having enjoyed scorching temperature down South all over the last week and through the weekend.
I decided to take a nose around the dock in Aberdeen and see if I could sus out a few haunts to take the lorry to get some shots of the ships. I found that by going along the North side of the dock I could gain access to the dock side around the ship repair yard at Telford Dock, giving me ample opportunity for great photo's.
Aberdeen Ships
I decide that I should really make my way out to Inverurie on the Inverness road for my overnight stop, as I had a collection from Aberdeenshire council for some column' to be returned to them. So I joined the nightly xodus from the city and made my way west out of the city to the pretty wee town of Inveruire, ready for my collection in the morning.
Its getting time to be thinking of a back load. round about this time of the week, I start to speculate what's in store me to return back down South with, will it be stone from Cali Stone in Frazerborough or will it be steel from SPS in Bellshill?
The speculation is over its a run down to Derby after I finish in Inverness with my last drop. Wednesday has started off with a very cold raw feel to the day in Inverury. I have had to wait at
the council depot for my collection of poles to go back to ALC, which has meant that I didn't get away till after nine. Luckily my drop in Elgin took only a few minutes to drop off the single pole and move move on to Inverness. Getting in around twelve I had the pack of Sign posts off in miutes, but having along run south I decided to take a fourty five minuete break and then run for the full four and a half hours which would take me to around six, just nice time to have a break
for tea. The weather improved as I headed South over the
Grampian Mountains and on into Perthshire, with temperatures rising again and the sky blue with fluffy white clouds, it felt like summer again. I had a break around Beattock summit in the boarders and then carried on to Walton Summit Industrial Estate on the outskirts of Preston.Having driven today for a total of just short of ten hours, I had to have my daily break , and carry on to Derby in the Morning.
The best thing for it was to get up early and crack on down the M6 before the traffic built up at the M62 and over the
Manchester Ship canal. I did just that and was in Fabritec by nine thirty. As usual it wasn't just a case of one drop to Altwalis in Carmarthenshire, but I had another drop dumped on me for the Leicestershire village of Theddingworth to the South of Leicester.
With only eight panels in all to go on I wax away by ten. The weather continued its trend of sunshine and pleasantly warm temperatures, so that was half the battle when going onto the farms with the lorry, there is nothing worse than going onto a farm in the rain and getting up to your axle in mud and cow shit.
By midday I was on my way across the country to Carmarthenshire via the M6 & M5 and then South West down the M50 to pick up the M4 to head West. I thought I might have managed to get down to Altwalis and then up to ALC to dump the
lorry and get home, by tea time, but this master plan fell apart when all stop happened North of Monmouth. A car fire stopped all traffic for about a half hour, and I then had to have a break. So needless to say I didn't get into Alwallis as early as I had originally thought, it was nearer six by the time I got there, plus I was rapidly running out of driving time. So the best thing for it was to tip at Altwallis and have tea, make my way back along the M4 to Swansea and have another night out. All this made for a busy day and a very frustrating day, but that's part and parcel of the haulage game.
The Village Of Husbands Bosworth
Friday brings the usual loading routine, this week it looks like Northern England and Scotland.
This weeks route
Picture Of The Week
This shot was taken literary outside my drop at Bonnybridge. The
Fourth & Clyde Canal runs past the door. Its unusual to see a boat on this part of the canal, but this chap seemed to be having a break. The shot its self portrays a typical summer scene, and just screams summer and hot lazy days messing about on boats. But what make's it slightly more unique, is the fact that it was taken on a
Scottish canal, and not one of the English canal's where you would expect to see such a scene.
