Not-so-retiring authority
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"Once you have mastered a new regulation you can begin to understand the explanatory leaflet that comes with it," declared John Hanlon, about-to-retire Northern Licensing Authority, to a large, appreciative audience last week.
This crack came in the middle of a tour de force entertainment w.th which he wound up the speeches at the RHA's annual dinner at the Grosvenor, and his reception was in marked contrast to the barracking that had greeted Minister Fred Mulley. Fred kept his cool, but his speech-writer should be forced to eat his own words on parchment for including such facile remarks as ". .. we are building better roads" etc, etc. Hauliers are not fools : they know the road programme has been cut back and that there is a commitment to prop rail at road's expense.
John Hanlon had obviously written his own script, and he delivered it with great timing and stagecraft. As one haulier said to me afterwards : " So who needs a cabaret ?"
This LA, who has practised in court as well as sitting in judgment, set the tone from the start : " I was a little surprised when the brief from your national chairman was not marked with a fee ! " Mr Stafford's competence, truthfulness, knowledge and mental state which UK laws forbid me to repeat here.
For good measure Overdrive also took a great swipe at the American Trucking Associations for supporting ICC over the years and resisting the small owner-operator's right to compete in a free market place. Heady stuff.