BIRD'S EYE
Page 43
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
By The Hawk VIEW
It was 10.25 on a bitter evening in January, 1963, and the operation of offloading a tanker lying almost upside-down in a ditch in Essex was almost complete. Now there had been a lot of chat going on because the engineer in charge of the recovery had to cut a hole in the bottom of the tank to enable the load to be pumped off.
When he suggested that this would have to be done, the fire chiefs threw up their arms in dismay. However, needs must, and the hole was eventually cut while the, Fire Brigade turned a blind eye. After the engineer had pumped off the cargo and managed to save about two thirds of it (the rest went down into the ditch through a broken lid), the salvaged cargo was sent to a safe place for storage and the police whistled up the local council to make the vehicle safe for the rest of the night From the word go, the Fire Brigade had been watching carefully for fire hazards, the contents of the tank being highly volatile and (at this stage) considered by experts to be the most dangerous. Up came the council workers, putting down 30 red lights which they then proceeded to light with a flare the size of the Olympic Hanle: Flares O.K.
Experience Counts Labour recruitment and con trol constitute a major problem for employers, which is aggravated by the modern propensity to shift from job to job at the drop of a National Insurance Card.
A. pleasant change, then, to be reassured that there are other types, during the roll-call of members attending the course for foremen removers held at Knuston Hall, near Wellingborough. Of the 36 members attending, one could claim 30 years' .service whilst several had between 10 and 20 years' experience.
So, even in this materialistic age, perhaps it is more than a psychological blandishment to claim that there is genuine satisfaction in removal work. As a member of a team, one sees .a job through from start to finish, and this is coupled with the human interest inherent in a household removal.
At it Again I've mentioned before the wit
of humorist who compiles the Dennis Bros. news letter.
How about this one:— " We sincerely hope that the Dennis/Johnston sweeper ordered by our distributor in Libya will not operate in the desert. This terrain would certainly prove a rugged test from which even the Sphinx has not emerged unscathed. We have yet to see a sweeper with an inscrutable smile."
Late Delivery Talking of Dennis, incident ally, they recently received a letter addressed to " The Universal Athletic Shop. High St., Guildford ". Full marks to the G.P.O.. because that shop closed over 60 years ago— it was where John Dennis first began business, selling bikes.
Now Image At least one liner train (or Freightliner as they are to be called) has entered regular " service", having passed the experimental stage. But do not panic—the new train is only in miniature! It is, in fact, one of three model trains operating in the windows of the Design Centre in the Haymarket, London, during the current exhibition to present the new face of British Railways, now to be known simply as "British Rail ".
Not unnaturally the exhibition aims largely at presenting the new image from a passenger's viewpoint; but the directions in which the railways seek the co-operation of the road transport operator are not neglected. 1 was interested to see the model of an articulated road outfit alongside models of typical Freightliner containers, together with a model of the new Leapfrog—a 4,000 gallon demountable tank designed for road/rail transfer—alongside the model of a rigid eight-wheeler.
At least, if the new British Rail is to prove a serious challenge to long-distance road haulage, the latter is being offered the opportunity to participate.
Surprise for Santa So Santa had a spot of bother with his Christmas deliveries this year. For years and years he seems to have got by carting his presents about on a sledge, shinning up chimney stacks, etc., etc.—and proceeding merrily on his way. But this yearkeep it from the kiddies -I fear he got " nicked -, Details? It happened in Derbyshire, Santa's "employers Ilkeston Co-operative Society Ltd., pleaded .guilty.to using a vehicle a sledge--on a public road for a purpose other than that contained in the regulations. They also admitted to the Ilkeston magistrates that they Used the sledge without a road fund licence. The result—a fine of £2 for each offence.
The sledge was built on to a lorry base and carried a huge cracker in which Santa was seated. The idea was to announce a Christmas toy fair. Mr. John Scattergood, manager of the Society, afterwards remarked, " Yes, you could say that he (Santal was surprised when the police stopped him -. I bet he was.
L.A. on W.I. Trail ? Last week John Hanlon, the Northern Licensing Authority, told an operator that he wanted to know the names of ihe company's long-distance drivers and the addresses of their lodgings when away from home. On Monday 71,1r. Hanlon was seen in London striding purposefully along Piccadilly. Do we conclude that some lorry drivers have very expensive tastes? L.A. on W.I. Trail ?