• Soaring over the South oast at Easter, the Hawk
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spotted a Mercedes 1635 tractive unit on Hayling Island. Nothing unusual in that, except that this one was parked in a front garden on a narrow residential road.
Swooping down to take a closer look, your hawk-eyed correspondent also spotted two-tonne weight restriction signs for parking in said street.
The Merc's tyres seemed to be making quite an impression on the tiny front garden — Hayling's highest point is less than 5m above sea level and the soil is not exactly well-drained.
Predictably, six-odd tonnes of Mercedes was reluctant to move, and after much revving and wheelspinning it had successfully dug itself in. Its driver gave up and disappeared inside his bungalow. All was quiet until 9.00am on Easter Monday when another tractive unit arrived to pull it out. The E-registered Merc was then parked in the road taking up nearly half its width.
Just the kind of PR the haulage industry needs, really. The Merc carried no markings but the Hawk wonders how many other operators risk infringing their 0-licenses in this way.
I/ Six readers win a Michelin Mini-Atlas of Britain and a set of CM bumper stickers for • knowing the venue of our Truckfest extravaganza is Peterborough (CM 14-20 March).
Well done JM Sharpe of Spalding, Lincs; G Wright of Welford, Northants; Christine Taylor of Hull; Anne Millar of Dartford; MR Bloy of Milton-UWychwood, Oxon, and Graham Park of Montrose, Angus. Don't forget this year's event on 5-6 May.
• Bedford — the Commercial Vehicle for All Purposes by L Geary, is a splendid new hardback from Ian Henry Publications containing a full history of the commercial arm of Vauxhall Motors, from the time the first vehicle rolled off the assembly line until its closure and the birth of AWD.
The book contains many historic photographs — including coverage of the marque's crucial role during the war years — and a section devoted to oddities and special vehicles, such as the 100-passenger articulated bus built by Harringtons of Hove for BOAC in Hong Kong. Appendices cover model designations and engine specifications.
Why is the Hawk telling you all this? — simply to whet your appetite enough to rush off a postcard giving the year when the first Bedford was built — the first three correct answers out of the hat on 3 May win a copy of this fascinating book.
For those unlucky enough not to win, Ian Henry will sell you a copy for £15.95 — phone (0708) 49119.