Monday 4th September 2006
After last Fridays early day, I had had no messages or instructions so I drifted in to the yard about 7am and opened up to see if anything was in the pipeline. There were no notes for me and a quick shufty round the office suggested that I might be in for a couple of easy days. I put the kettle on and slunk into the corner with a cup of tea. Several cups later I went out in the van on a wild goose chase for tyres, but returned 2 hours later with not much to show for my efforts. Spent the rest of the day drinking tea and gave the cab a bit of a scrub.
Tuesday 5th September 2006 Following the debacle of my wife’s 30th birthday a couple of weeks back (when my agreed early day turned into a 14 hour marathon), I had requested, and been granted a late start today so that I could take my youngest son to school on his first day. Little lad installed in school I started at 10.00 and found that today there was no a huge amount to do again. Tyres had been ordered for the van, so I ran it down to the garage to get them fitted. ½ hour later it was ready with 4 new tyres and I presented them with an order number for the company account……….which was on stop. Hi-Q would accept the order if they posted the cheque same day, the best that our office could come up with was a remittance telling them what they would pay them on a later date. Unsurprisingly that didn’t wash, and I had to get on the phone to explain that they were going to hold the vehicle until it was resolved or refit the old tyres and charge them £11 x4 for the hassle of doing a pit stop. Eventually the company magicked up a credit card number to pay the smaller bill for the van tyres. Drove back and scrubbed the tyres in. Back at the yard, I loaded up the truck with 17x 6m x 140mm steel tubes for tomorrow, strapped the down and left mid afternoon so I could see my lad after school and get an early night.
Wednesday 6th September 2006
Up at 3.45am, what a bloody daft time that is. Still at least the commute to the yard at Harlow was easy, didn’t bother overtaking the Tesco artic on the A414 single carriageway as he was doing nearly 60mph. Arrive at the yard about 0430 and start the fort knox unlocking of gates and doors. Decide it’s worth opening the extra door to the office in exchange for a cuppa and I am out on the road by 0445. Across Harlow and join the M11 for a long slog North. Up past Newark on the A1 I am struggling, so pull into the layby by the A57 roundabout for 20 minutes kip. Usually if I have an early start, I can keep going until I get home and then flake for about half hour before picking up, but this morning was different. Feeling refreshed it’s an easy blast up to the M62 and across the M606 into Bradford. I was heading for Shipley and was surprised when the Salts Mill tourist signs took me off the ring road and through the middle. Apart from a recent run into Low Moor, I had never been to Bradford before and was expecting something akin to London on a smaller scale. Even though it was about 0900 when I went through, there were no big hold ups and I arrived on site at 0915. I had to wait a while for some plant to be unloaded, so I wandered in and watched the machine on site.
On site loaded with tubes. 
Rubbish pic. but its the only I got.
Although the two of these machines we have got, both come under our department we rarely get involved with them and was the first time I had seen one working. Impressive stuff, it only took a couple of minutes to hammer in a 6m tube, then they couple another on the top and keep going until they reach the required depth. Still the noise was something else. There was no way I was going to attempt to get into the site, the machine driver took off the tubes with the telehandler and reloaded me with the broken drophammer off the other machine.
I got away about 1100 and retraced my route back across Bradford to the M606/M62/A1/M11. Back at the yard I now discover that I should have had the drophammer loaded nearer the front as the Hiab is struggling to pick it up, apparently the weight weighs 2½t plus all the gubbins around it. Job done it’s off for home at 15.30
I got away about 1100 and retraced my route back across Bradford to the M606/M62/A1/M11. Back at the yard I now discover that I should have had the drophammer loaded nearer the front as the Hiab is struggling to pick it up, apparently the weight weighs 2½t plus all the gubbins around it. Job done it’s off for home at 15.30 Thursday 7th September 2006
0700 Start, loaded a 6m 300mm auger for a CFA rig plus 2 pallets of mixed bits and bobs, (gloves, grease (make up your own gags) rebar caps etc) and off down to Lemon Steel Services at Wickford to collect a couple of bundles of steel. Unusually today service is good and I am loaded and out by 0930. First drop is Oliver Goldsmith Primary School in Peckham, an old call from when I did food deliveries. Straight down the A13 and through the Blackwall Tunnel, everything smooth until I turn right onto the A2. It is a slow drag right the way to New Cross Gate and I arrive at the school at 1130. 
Another rubbish pic, but again the only one showing a CFA rig. Tipped off the smallest bundle of steel and 1 pallet and head back out across the A2. Stopped at the Blackheath Tea Hut, and did my good deed by giving another driver spot on instruction as to how to get to a convent in deepest Kent (another food drop). Back through the Northbound Blackwall and out onto the M11 for a run up to St.Ives. The matrix signs are helpfully saying A14 Westbound – Long Delays but not actually displaying whereabouts. I called my wife who tells looks it up on the web and tells me it’s the bit I need up to Huntingdon. I decide to take the A428 towards Bedford and head north on the A1198 towards Huntingdon before a B road to St.Ives. It was a bit of a gamble but I hate sitting in traffic, and I find the B road is a 7½t limit so end up going to Huntingdon and heading eastbound on the A14 to get to St.Ives. Destination was West Street and the street map suggests going down Ramsey Rd to the river and then first left. Get the feeling its going to pot when I see the unsuitable for articulated vehicles sign. Round the bend the turning is No Entry so I have to go down to the roundabout / memorial thing and shunt it round before finding West Street from the other direction. The access is tight but I manage to squeeze in and quickly tip the rest of the materials. At least this is easy as there is only an excavator on site and is not yet clogged up with building and piling paraphernalia. Two 8 wheel tippers turn up and make a right hash of getting in the gate, which lifts my spirits slightly. Just as I am leaving the 6 wheeler with the container, pump, augers and hoses for the rig arrive and I am just able to squeeze out before getting involved. Unusually the lowloader with the CFA rig is just behind him (usually arrives about an hour later, so can get the other kit sorted first) He has about 40 cars backed up behind him and is shortly going to create chaos. Not my problem though and I escape and trundle along to Huntingdon to do a site clearance from a big site just inside the ring road. Thankfully all the stuff has been dumped together near the entrance and its a fairly quick operation to sling the two pallets, and one bundle of steel rebar, and some drainage pipe on board. A couple of loose items go on and I have to squeeze the motor tight into the entrance to let several vehicles from the adjacent office car park out. 
All strapped down and its back to the top end of Huntingdon to pick up the A14 southbound avoiding the 7.5t bridge. A good run back down the M11 gets me back into the yard just after 1700 and I leave about 1800 after unloading all the tat from site. Friday 8th September 2006 0700 start, a quick cuppa and its out heading for Whitstable. All is going well until the M25 grinds slowly to a halt by the A13 and we trundle slowly across the bridge into Kent and through the tolls. The left lane is fairly clear and I bypass all the queuing traffic (one of the two lanes that become the M25 is shut) and join the A2. My job address is 11 High Street, Whitstable and I am slightly perplexed to find an intact gallery there rather than a building site.....Aah the High Street starts half way along what appears to be the actual High St. Slowly move along looking for building work, and spot one of drill crew in the narrow single lane one way bit. Which is where the site is, so I go around the block, park and wander back to suss it out. All I have to do is collect a P11 grout pump (about the size of a towed compressor) so I unfold the crane and find a shackle so that I can nip round and scoop it up as quickly as possible. Have to drive about two miles before I can turn around, and its case of steam down the narrow section, hit all the lights. Legs out, slew the crane, grab the pump, and dump it unceremoniously on the back, legs in and go. Stopped for about 2 minutes. Back round the corner to strap it down and fold the crane, and head off at 1000. Destination is Bexhill in E.Sussex, which will be fun as it means negotiating the hairpin at Winchelsea which is just possible to by taking the wrong side of the road all the way round, either that or about two shunts. Just as I am approaching Brenzett on the A2070 with a good few cars behind me, I get a call cancelling the Bexhill job and telling me to return the pump to the plant department at Basildon. Wheee round the roundabout and back towards Ashford passing the cars that had been stuck behind me. Back up at the M25 it is still heavy all the way to the tunnel, but once through it is a good run into Basildon yard. Quick turnaround here, pump off, ramps down and load one of the Kitten mini piling rigs and some augers.
Another rubbish pic, but again the only one showing a CFA rig. Tipped off the smallest bundle of steel and 1 pallet and head back out across the A2. Stopped at the Blackheath Tea Hut, and did my good deed by giving another driver spot on instruction as to how to get to a convent in deepest Kent (another food drop). Back through the Northbound Blackwall and out onto the M11 for a run up to St.Ives. The matrix signs are helpfully saying A14 Westbound – Long Delays but not actually displaying whereabouts. I called my wife who tells looks it up on the web and tells me it’s the bit I need up to Huntingdon. I decide to take the A428 towards Bedford and head north on the A1198 towards Huntingdon before a B road to St.Ives. It was a bit of a gamble but I hate sitting in traffic, and I find the B road is a 7½t limit so end up going to Huntingdon and heading eastbound on the A14 to get to St.Ives. Destination was West Street and the street map suggests going down Ramsey Rd to the river and then first left. Get the feeling its going to pot when I see the unsuitable for articulated vehicles sign. Round the bend the turning is No Entry so I have to go down to the roundabout / memorial thing and shunt it round before finding West Street from the other direction. The access is tight but I manage to squeeze in and quickly tip the rest of the materials. At least this is easy as there is only an excavator on site and is not yet clogged up with building and piling paraphernalia. Two 8 wheel tippers turn up and make a right hash of getting in the gate, which lifts my spirits slightly. Just as I am leaving the 6 wheeler with the container, pump, augers and hoses for the rig arrive and I am just able to squeeze out before getting involved. Unusually the lowloader with the CFA rig is just behind him (usually arrives about an hour later, so can get the other kit sorted first) He has about 40 cars backed up behind him and is shortly going to create chaos. Not my problem though and I escape and trundle along to Huntingdon to do a site clearance from a big site just inside the ring road. Thankfully all the stuff has been dumped together near the entrance and its a fairly quick operation to sling the two pallets, and one bundle of steel rebar, and some drainage pipe on board. A couple of loose items go on and I have to squeeze the motor tight into the entrance to let several vehicles from the adjacent office car park out. All strapped down and its back to the top end of Huntingdon to pick up the A14 southbound avoiding the 7.5t bridge. A good run back down the M11 gets me back into the yard just after 1700 and I leave about 1800 after unloading all the tat from site. Friday 8th September 2006 0700 start, a quick cuppa and its out heading for Whitstable. All is going well until the M25 grinds slowly to a halt by the A13 and we trundle slowly across the bridge into Kent and through the tolls. The left lane is fairly clear and I bypass all the queuing traffic (one of the two lanes that become the M25 is shut) and join the A2. My job address is 11 High Street, Whitstable and I am slightly perplexed to find an intact gallery there rather than a building site.....Aah the High Street starts half way along what appears to be the actual High St. Slowly move along looking for building work, and spot one of drill crew in the narrow single lane one way bit. Which is where the site is, so I go around the block, park and wander back to suss it out. All I have to do is collect a P11 grout pump (about the size of a towed compressor) so I unfold the crane and find a shackle so that I can nip round and scoop it up as quickly as possible. Have to drive about two miles before I can turn around, and its case of steam down the narrow section, hit all the lights. Legs out, slew the crane, grab the pump, and dump it unceremoniously on the back, legs in and go. Stopped for about 2 minutes. Back round the corner to strap it down and fold the crane, and head off at 1000. Destination is Bexhill in E.Sussex, which will be fun as it means negotiating the hairpin at Winchelsea which is just possible to by taking the wrong side of the road all the way round, either that or about two shunts. Just as I am approaching Brenzett on the A2070 with a good few cars behind me, I get a call cancelling the Bexhill job and telling me to return the pump to the plant department at Basildon. Wheee round the roundabout and back towards Ashford passing the cars that had been stuck behind me. Back up at the M25 it is still heavy all the way to the tunnel, but once through it is a good run into Basildon yard. Quick turnaround here, pump off, ramps down and load one of the Kitten mini piling rigs and some augers.
All done its a quick blast back to Harlow, as I have a meeting with the personnel bod at 1500. I am 20 minutes late, but he is 45 late so not too bad. Meeting was discuss various points, mostly about my hours and how I have to start early to get goods to site for 0800 and finish late through long day or reload for next days early one. The other bone of contention was about them trying to push night outs on to me, when I took a job that was advertised as no nights out. Basically I got told that I was doing a good job, but things would get a lot worse before they would get better. If I didn't like it, tough, go and get another job. Not that he said it exactly but that was the inference. Oh and have a nice weekend.
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