| Motoring Discussion > Sometimes it's good | Miscellaneous |
| Thread Author: Runfer D'Hills | Replies: 70 |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 12:33
Sometimes it's good - Runfer D'Hills
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Couple of recent occasions when driving what might be seen as horrendous journeys were in fact a real pleasure. A couple of Sundays ago I had to drive from home in Cheshire to Cairnryan ( near Stranraer ) to catch the evening ferry to Belfast. It was a pleasant warm afternoon and early evening but the first slog up the M6 was predictably boring with the usual crowded lanes, incessant "roadworks" and their attendant interminable contraflows. Then, somewhere about the bottom edge of the Lake District it all opened up. A feeling of space and fresh air, the late afternoon sun reflecting gently off the bonnet and the opportunity to give the big lazy estate a bit of its head. Later, having turned onto the A75 and having passed Dumfries I found myself heading west on the north shore of the Solway Firth, just as the sun was going down, it's last rays streaking out over the sea and with road twisting around and hugging the rugged coastline. Traffic was unusually light that night and the road just seemed to suck the car along. It may not be to everyone's taste but a tune from my youth came on the radio just about then as the car swept through the empty miles feeling like it was made for such a journey. It was Bob Seger's NIght Moves, a song I'd not heard in years and though never previously a real favourite, it somehow fitted perfectly with the isolation of the setting sun on such a road with the drama of the scenery and the still balmy 24C evening air I was letting in through the half open driver's door window. That 100 miles or so section of the journey passed in what seemed like no time at all and I reached Cairnryan port feeling like life was good despite the prospect of a tough-ish weeks work facing me the other side of the Irish Sea. Scroll on to yesterday and I found myself, this time early in the morning, setting off from Perth in Scotland just as the dawn was breaking to drive the hundred or so miles up to Inverness for a meeting. The early morning was dank and dreich in a way often found in Scotland but as the weak sun burned that off I once again found myself in motoring Nirvana. The A9 gets a bad press sometimes but yesterday it was on its best behaviour. Traffic was minimal and the mountains were at their Autumn prettiest. The car, despite its full load, just loped along disposing of slower moving traffic with ease when safe to do so. Again, the music on the radio seemed to fit the moment and the intended arrival time of 09.00 in Inverness was achieved with time to spare. With business complete around midday, I set off to cover the more than 400 miles home. Again the A9 was free flowing and offered superb views and even the often clogged sections around Glasgow moved well. The Borders element of the trip was stunning followed immediately by the run down through Cumbria. Then of course came the stretch down from Preston past the M62 junction where it all became hugely depressing again. Crowded, overused roads, accidents, impatient ill-tempered drivers, in fact situation "normal" for that area. But at least the first 400 miles of yesterday's 500 + in the car were spent in an environment much more in line with how driving can be at its best so in some ways I didn't resent the drudge of the last section. Anyway, the point of all this drivel was to share my nigh on forgotten but definitely regenerated pleasure in "motoring" with you. I think in the modern world we can sometimes forget how good it feels to get behind the wheel of a pleasant vehicle when the circumstances allow and just drive even when the journey required seems like it could be a bit of a trial. Anyone else had a "good run" recently? |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 13:44
Sometimes it's good - Armel Coussine
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Most people here like driving Humph. You can tell by the way they badmouth (or overpraise, or make excuses for) their jalopies. It's quite rare though to get a more or less unobstructed 100 miles, let alone 400. More often than not you have to take a bit of rough with the smooth. Careful timing can avoid congestion points at the worst times of day/week. It's often better on the Continent with its lower population densities and smooth flowing roads. Witter witter... as one of the highest-mileage drivers here - perhaps the highest - you know all this better than I do. I'm just agreeing with you really that long unobstructed drives are rare. |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 14:08
Sometimes it's good - Cliff Pope
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as one of the highest-mileage drivers here - perhaps the highest - >> How do you know that? Highest annual or highest lifetime? |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 14:33
Sometimes it's good - Armel Coussine
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>> How do you know that? >> Highest annual or highest lifetime? I don't know. It's just an assessment based on Humph's posts including the OP in this thread of his current annual mileage. Seems to be higher than most people's. But no one needs to get competitive. |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 16:48
Sometimes it's good - Runfer D'Hills
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| I'm sure I'm nowhere near the highest mileage driver here but I am lucky enough to have had a lifetime of regular opportunities to drive to and through a lot of nice places, along with some ( many ) not so pleasing ones of course. |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 18:37
Sometimes it's good - Old Navy
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Don't tell everyone how pleasant driving can be in Scotland, they will all be up here cluttering up the roads. Anyway you are hardly unbiased. :) |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 19:04
Sometimes it's good - Runfer D'Hills
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Aye true enough, and what's more, I didn't need a passport in the end to get south of Gretna on Friday night either thank goodness ! ;-) |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 19:13
Sometimes it's good - Old Navy
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>> Aye true enough, and what's more, I didn't need a passport in the end to >> get south of Gretna on Friday night either thank goodness ! >> >> ;-) >> It was close. :) tinyurl.com/of4kuaj tinyurl.com/nnrsjhh |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 19:18
Sometimes it's good - Armel Coussine
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>> It was close. :) Closer for some than for others. I've just remembered that Scottish traffic fuzz terrify Herself. She can't decipher a word they're saying and they seem to her to be shouting. |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 12:50
Sometimes it's good - Armel Coussine
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>> can't decipher a word they're saying and they seem to her to be shouting. She recalls the occasion and says that one of them was shouting in her ear. Of course he was shouting across her at me, and shouting probably because of road noise outside the car. When we were in Italy some plainclothes Carabinieri came to see us about something bureaucratic. Carabinieri are usually a bit frightening and these were no exception, but she displayed such alarm that they were a bit suspicious: why was the Signora so scared? In the end they took it as a tribute to their obvious heavyweight seriousness and went off smiling triumphantly. |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 16:08
Sometimes it's good - Armel Coussine
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>> She recalls the occasion and says that one of them was shouting in her ear. Of course he was shouting across her at me, and shouting probably because of road noise outside the car. To give the devil his due, some of the vehemence may have been due to his unfamiliarity, as a plod on foot - it was a mistake to call him traffic fuzz - with the cornering attitudes of the Citroen Dyane. Seeing our approach and thinking we were leaning over a bit, he very foolishly stepped into the road in mid-bend and held his hand up. Naturally in pulling up beside the foolish fellow the car assumed an even more extreme attitude for a moment. The exact words bawled into herself's ear were 'Thurrrrr's a SPID LUMMIT!' We had been below it throughout of course. |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 19:28
Sometimes it's good - PhilW
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"Anyone else had a "good run" recently?" Yep, and some parts similar to yours Runfer. Car to deliver in Bearsden, Glasgow at 9am last Weds. Set off from E Midlands at 3am (it's about 5 hours driving but got to stop for coffees!). Quiet via A50 to start with, v congested M6 (even at 4-5 am!) up to Preston then quiet as usual. Sun came up when passing near Lancaster, lovely light and views in S Lakes near Tebay and beautiful going through Southern Uplands (except for those awful, and useless in the windless weather that day, wind turbines, which scar the hills near Abington). Good run up to Hamilton mainly on cruise control then very busy, slow crawl into Glasgow. Nevertheless, arrived at customer's house at 9.02. Had next car to pick up at Edinburgh and from there Satnav said to go back towards A/M74 and M6 but decided to go round Edinburgh bypass to A68 and go down that to Darlington, then A1 to Newark, A46 home . Decision helped by fact that M6 was apparently blocked between Knutsford and Stoke - long delays. Lovely run down though the border country, bit foggy at Carter Bar but otherwise quiet roads (only overtook a few cars and couple of trucks) and lovely scenery and some pretty towns (Lauder, Jedburgh and even Tow Law and West Auckland - sat outside a cafe for coffee!) all the way to Darlington. Then, of course, it's congested England - roadworks on A1 South of Scotch Corner - 50 speed limit for miles (where people provide a rolling roadblock at 45 mph), then news that A1 is blocked from North of M18 so take M1 to Leeds and South from there on M1. M1/M62 junction is chaos then so is M1/M18 near Sheffield (because of closure of A1?) then there are those 20 miles of 50 limit replacement of central barrier (with the usual 45mph rolling roadblock by self-righteous so and sos who say "Well my speedo shows 50 so you are not coming past even though your satnav shows 45 and anyway I am writing an important text so I have to slow to 40 especially going past cameras"). Got home at about 6ish - 15 hour day but most of it enjoyable, because it was "oop North or Scotland". Quiet roads and beautiful countryside up there - but don't tell anyone!! |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 19:52
Sometimes it's good - Zero
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You don't need to dive into the border badlands to find good drives. Some of them are surprising, if you are in the right place at the right time. Last Week I wanted to be in the Region of Westbury, Wilts, at 10:am. That was an hour and something from me according to Sat Nav. Of course that meant the Evils of the M3 & A3 at tail end of rush hour, but Westbound - not eastbound. Once past Basingstoke at that time, and in that direction it all becomes rather pleasant, A303 good fast road and in mist and patchy fog it oozes mystery. Past the mist swirling round Stonehenge, I took in for the first time the sheer number of ancient barrows that surround it on both sides of the road. Right onto the B3083, left onto the B390 sends you swooping, rising and diving over the folds of Salisbury plain, only car on magnificent roads at around 9am in England, about 80 miles from London. Who'da thought it. |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 20:09
Sometimes it's good - Armel Coussine
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A303 is an old favourite of mine too, and its various westward and south-westward extensions. It's the shortest route from here to Bath and Bristol, although not always the quickest. Stonehenge is always a sight for sore eyes. Makes you feel like jumping up and down screaming, with a half-gnawed thighbone in one hand. No, sorry, makes you feel like putting on soppy robes and chanting some nonsense while someone tops a virgin with a meat cleaver. No, sorry... oh never mind. As for barrows, we got'em. I'm a bit exotic by English standards but always feel at home in the West country. I have some roots in those parts and lived there in formative years. Aaaarh. |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 20:15
Sometimes it's good - Old Navy
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>>if you are in the right place at the right time. >> Exactly, up here you can just go for it, all you need is a minute for each mile. Last edited by: Old Navy on Sat 20 Sep 14 at 20:16
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 20:25
Sometimes it's good - Bromptonaut
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Similar run to Runfer back in July when we were supporting JoGLE riders. Left Knaresborough around 19:00 on Saturday after seeing TdF in Harrogate. Lovely run up the A1 and over A66 to Penrith. Sun was nicely lighting the North Lakes by time we were ovr Solway and still briniging out best of Southern Uplands later on. Following day A9 to Inverness was pretty quietalbeit the Scottish schools were already in recess. Beyond it was dead quiet. Most of next week same. A roads in the north near deserted, even the A82 was quiet by any standard, never mind those of S of England. Only round the Central belt did urban traffic impinge. Trying to locate the Bannockburn experience from central Stirling was an expereince but once on the M/way tourist signs magically appeared. When the M74 was built the old A74 was left in place as a relief for non M/way traffic. It threads around the M/Way, meeting it at services, and apart from a few small towns avoids conurbations. And of course it's practically deserted. Good fun running the riders Passat down and playing with cruise control. Round here the old line of the B4525 through Canons Ashby to Thorpe Mandeville provides a much quieter and nicer run than the signed way by A43 and 'new' B4525. For the Cotswolds (A43) Croughton>Aynho>Deddington>Chipping Norton is good. Even the A5, formally a trunk road on the Highways Agency's bailiwick, is a fine alternative to the M1. Generally lightly trafficked and with good sightlines to overtake the odd HGV/tractor/dawdler. Added bonus is that proximity to Silverstone, N/S alignment etc mean there's nearly always some 'Unusual Sighting' to be reported here if I remember. |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 22:37
Sometimes it's good - Kevin
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>You don't need to dive into the border badlands to find good drives. >Last Week I wanted to be in the Region of Westbury, Wilts, at 10:am... Once past Basingstoke at that >time, and in that direction it all becomes rather pleasant,.. I admire your steely determination Z. Very, very few people can drive 'past' Basingstoke without stopping off for a while. Just being able to say "I've been to Basingstoke" is a great conversation-starter at dinner parties. |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 23:32
Sometimes it's good - WillDeBeest
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Just being able to say "I've been to Basingstoke" is a great conversation-starter at dinner parties. ...Speaking of which, Kevin, I've not been to Bas after dark for nearly 20 years but may have reason to do so again soon. Where does one go for a decent feed these days? Used to be Palmers in London Street, which probably shows how out of date I am. |
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New Mon 22 Sep 14 09:05
Sometimes it's good - Duncan
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>> ...Speaking of which, Kevin, I've not been to Bas after dark for nearly 20 years >> but may have reason to do so again soon. Where does one go for a >> decent feed these days? Used to be Palmers in London Street, which probably shows how >> out of date I am. >> Here you go, job done. No need to thank me. tinyurl.com/plx4uqg |
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New Mon 22 Sep 14 11:02
Sometimes it's good - WillDeBeest
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No need to thank me. Clearly not. |
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New Mon 22 Sep 14 19:56
Sometimes it's good - Kevin
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>..Speaking of which, Kevin, I've not been to Bas after dark for nearly 20 years but may >have reason to do so again soon. Where does one go for a decent feed these days? Used to >be Palmers in London Street, which probably shows how out of date I am. To be honest WdB, we don't go into Basingstoke to eat very often. There's very little choice in the town centre other than franchise outlets like Nando's, Wagamama, La Tasca and the usual burger and pizza joints. They are OK for a nosebag and a natter after work but if you want good food you need to go to one of the pubs outside town. There are about half a dozen within a fifteen minute drive. I can recommend The Sun Inn at Dummer www.suninndummer.com/ (just off M3 J7). |
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New Tue 23 Sep 14 10:28
Sometimes it's good - WillDeBeest
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| I feared it might be so, Kevin, but thanks all the same. Country pub - fine as they are round there - won't do it this time. Nor will Wetherspoons, so I have some more thinking to do. |
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New Tue 23 Sep 14 19:47
Sometimes it's good - Kevin
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>Country pub - fine as they are round there - won't do it this time. Ah, if it's Michelin Star Fine Dining you want then the nearest place is L'Ortolan www.lortolan.com/ . 5 minutes from where I work and an easy 20/30 minute drive from Basingstoke. Maybe not Michelin class but if you don't mind Chinese there's a new one called Tang which only opened a few weeks ago so we haven't been there yet. It's about 100yds from where Palmers was. tinyurl.com/qx7yb2b www.tangrestaurant.co.uk/ We'll probably give it a try fairly soon so I'll report back if you're interested. Last edited by: Kevin on Tue 23 Sep 14 at 19:50
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 20:05
Sometimes it's good - BobbyG
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PhilW, if you don't mind me asking, what is it you do? A 15 hour day seems a long shift! Have a friend who delivers vehicles for a specialised type dealer in Glasgow, deliver all over UK and then basically have to find their own way back home unless one of the drivers has done a pickup swap and can pick them up on the way back! Self employed, paid by the car delivered. Tough job. |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 21:14
Sometimes it's good - Runfer D'Hills
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Here it is. Empty winding road, sea to your left, rugged hills to your right, sun going down and bouncing off the water on a warm evening, reasonably competent car and this among other things on the radio... m.youtube.com/watch?v=bgOA24hAe60 |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 00:02
Sometimes it's good - legacylad
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Well Runfer I have Bob Seger on cassette somewhere...personally I always preferred Tom Petyt. I think he still tours with the 'Torpedoes' and is on my to see list.' In t'pub tonight celebrating the life of a recently deceased friend we got to talking about bucket lists. Here goes... Route 66 is is a bit, well, you know, some friends did it two years ago immediately after retirement and were unimpressed. So...plan A is get my CA friends to buy a car, fully service & insured, then visit National Parks in Arizona, New Mexico. CO, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Alberta ,BC then return down the coast. Three or four months should be sufficient. Plenty of nice driving toads. Cheap motels. Micro breweries. Characters in abundance. In the meantime, the A65 beckons. Roof down , of course. |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 00:06
Sometimes it's good - legacylad
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Meant to say Tom Petyt & the Heartbreakers. '' Damn the torpedoes' was a favourite album. Remember albums? |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 01:12
Sometimes it's good - BobbyG
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Legacylad, last year I did a roadtrip - Phoenix - Flagstaff - Grand Canyon - Hoover Dam - Las Vegas - Los Angeles Did some of Route 66 on way, enough for photos etc, wouldn't rush back to LA but would do the rest again. Well recommended and that was in their record heat of 52 degrees! |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 01:27
Sometimes it's good - CGNorwich
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| Drove from Vancouver to Whistler yesterday. Modest by comparison but the most scenic drive I have been on. Did Calgary to Vancouver last year via the Rockies and that was great. You don't realise how big Canada is until you drive across a bit of it. |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 08:08
Sometimes it's good - Zero
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>> Drove from Vancouver to Whistler yesterday. Modest by comparison but the most scenic drive I >> have been on. Did Calgary to Vancouver last year via the Rockies and that was >> great. You don't realise how big Canada is until you drive across a bit of >> it. in my youth, (well 21) I drove from New York to Niagra falls, then all around the Canada side of the Great lakes, then all round the US side to Pennsylvania, then to Washington DC, then all the way down the East Coast to the tip of the Florida keys. I think it was over 5k miles. Last edited by: Zero on Sun 21 Sep 14 at 08:08
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 09:16
Sometimes it's good - legacylad
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Sounds amazing Zeddo's....my ski road trip last March whetted my appetite for a road trip, something I have never seriously considered. It was only a mini trip, two weeks plus lots of skiing. Seattle to Revelstoke in BC, then Whitefish in Montana ( more skiing) Missoula, then west across Idaho, Nevada and return to Sacramento area in a very long day. Amazing scenery as we followed the Rockies South and still interesting the rest of the way . The secret is to find good travelling companions. Otherwise it could be hell! I have a nucleus of three friends at the moment, but two of them do not have sufficient brownie points to get away for more than three weeks. The trip I am looking at is nearer three months. Assuming I have the nerve to give up my job next year. |
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New Wed 24 Sep 14 05:06
Sometimes it's good - CGNorwich
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Drove across Vancouver Island today from Nainamo to Tofino on the Pacific Coast. Hardly a car on the road for the last 50 miles. Highway quite narrow and bendy by Canadian standards and a pleasure to drive. Started to rain heavily for the last 10 miles with the gantry signs warning of "ponding on the highway". Storms predicted for tonight with a further 30mm of rain overnight. It's not like this in Cromer. :-) |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 08:22
Sometimes it's good - WillDeBeest
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Plenty of nice driving toads. Does VW sell the Scirocco in North America? With love from the bottom of a long-neck bottle Damn the Torpedoes, put a brick on the throttle Hey Julie, she got Lucky and they're doing all right BBC4 has a series of programmes on the making of classic albums. Rumours and Paranoid are two that I've enjoyed, but Damn the Torpedoes is possibly the best of them. They come round on iPlayer every few months; worth looking out for. |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 21:22
Sometimes it's good - PhilW
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"Self employed, paid by the car delivered. Tough job. " Yep, that's me. Been doing it 6 years now. BUT, and it's a big but - I only started doing it 6 years ago after "retiring" so I also have a pension which means that I can take time off when I want to. So, I have only just returned to work after having all of July and August off. 15 hours is a long day but company would only give you one of these per week, (I did do 2 trips to Scotland one week with a very light day in between - but that was exceptional) usually followed by an easy day, so that on Thursday, after the trip to Scotland I took the Edinburgh car to Kings Lynn and then bus to Peterborough to pick up a car for Halifax. So, that day was 6am start. 8am drop at Kings Lynn, 2 hours on bus (nice doze!) , a couple of hours up to Halifax then 2 hours on bus/train to Burnley (lovely scenery and another doze!!) for car home by about 3pm. Our company usually tries to arrange it so that you do a drop off and then either have a return car or have to go by bus/train to another pick-up to get you home. Doesn't always work though! On Monday, I could well be "dead-ended" in Hull! But I hope that there might be a job out of Leeds/Sheffield etc to get me home. I do enjoy the job though, otherwise I wouldn't do it. It gets me all over the country (and occasionally to Holland, Germany, France, IoM and Ireland), need to do lots of planning so it keeps the brain going and I get to drive loads of cars I would never otherwise have driven (Ferrari 458, California, Maserati GT, Quattroporte, Porsches by the dozen, BMWs, Audi (yes, a couple of R8s) and MBs, Aston Martins Rapide, Vantage, DB 9 etc. Of course, since we drive anything that needs to be delivered there is also the old Pug 206 which broke down 200 yards after picking up from the dealers, and that bloomin' ancient horse box from Cornwall to Yorkshire and a lot of auction cars worth about £200! It's not a job for those who can't put in the hours (my alarm is regularly set for 4 or 5am) and the days can often be 12 or 14 hours and, since we are paid by the job, you are not paid for spending 4 hours on public transport. Also not the job for those needing a regular income - one week might put in 60 hours and get £300, another week with a couple of long trips could be £600 (but only after another 60 hours!). Another week might have you at home for a couple of days because of shortage of jobs or you are "in the wrong place at the wrong time". Worst bit is taking a car a couple of hundred miles and there is no job back - either wait for lift from another driver(could be hours) or get train home (could cost a fortune!) Other bad thing is that some dealers treat you like dirt - keep you waiting for hours to get signed off or to get car for you even when you have "rung ahead". I love it - but wouldn't like to have done it for 40 years as my primary source of income!! Sorry for long post - set off to write a brief reply!! (Typical verbose ex-teacher!!! ;-) ) P |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 22:05
Sometimes it's good - BobbyG
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Cheers for the reply Phil - sounds pretty much word for word what the guy I know says apart from the fact that he doesn't get to drive any exotica. Its more disabled conversions and taxis he does. Would have thought the exotica would have been delivered on the back of a lorry rather than you putting the mileage onto them? Especially when you see such cars advertised as 3 years old and 2000 miles only on the clock! Quarter of that could be the delivery mileage! |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 22:18
Sometimes it's good - sooty123
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| I was surprised that they didnt use transport trucks as well, especially the expensive stuff. |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 22:11
Sometimes it's good - Westpig
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Other bad thing is that some dealers treat you like >> dirt - keep you waiting for hours to get signed off or to get car >> for you even when you have "rung ahead". Some years back, I went into the the now defunct Jag dealer in Chaddlewood, Plympton on the edge of Plymouth to have my car serviced, they'd just bought out the old dealership. When I came back to collect my car and was stood in reception waiting for it to be ready for me, there were two chaps there with trade plates, who'd just delivered cars to the dealership...and I overheard one ask if anyone could give them both a lift to the railway station. They were told 'no' immediately....yet, I'd been stood there for well over 15 minutes... and no one was doing anything much at all. As I drove out they were walking away towards the A38...and it was absolutely ripping it down ...so I drove them 5 miles the wrong way to the station. Properly annoyed me that did. Didn't surprise me when it suddenly closed... (for other reasons as well). |
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New Sat 20 Sep 14 23:19
Sometimes it's good - PhilW
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Would have thought the exotica would have been delivered on the back of a lorry rather than you putting the mileage onto them? ! " I think many of the real exotica I have had are demo cars. Certainly the fully specced Bentley Mulsanne I drove was and I reckon the 458 was. Guess it stands to reason that not every Bentley dealer or Ferrari dealer has one of these to show to prospective customers and the demo cars are shuffled around. Also bear in mind that in 6 years I have only driven 1 Mulsanne, 1 Quattroporte, 1 458 and 1 Rapide, - it's not every day!! Even 400 miles on a 10 reg Cayman or 911 from Scotland prob doesn't affect price much does it? I suppose also that a couple of hundred miles on a 20,000 mile California doesn't really make much difference? (only had 2 of those!!). New or newish exotica do go on our transporters (I did drive a Ferrari FF at least 200 yards to put on one of our fully enclosed transporters - nerve-racking (sp?)) WP, Can't remember ever getting a lift to station/bus stop from a main dealers though many are otherwise very helpful and friendly. Often get lifts after deliveries of new cars to individuals or small out-of-the-way dealers. We are not allowed to ask for lifts, but do tend to drop hints like "how far is it to station from here" or "do you know what time next bus is from up the road" etc. Other people just ask where you are going next and immediately offer to give you a lift to station/bus-stop (eg private customer new MB Glasgow last Weds, middle of nowhere in S Wales on Friday). Mind you, I do remember dropping a car somewhere in the middle of Wiltshire and the guy asking me where I needed to go next. I said the name of the town containing a station (about 10 miles away) and he said " I've just come from there but there is a bus stop about a mile away" I knew that - according to Google the buses ran once a week on Tuesday - I was in luck, it was Tuesday. Walked to bus-stop and on it was pinned a notice saying buses now ran on Wednesdays!! Walked about 4 miles with plates out before a couple picked me up and dropped me at station! Main dealers? Well, I guess if you have dropped a car that's all they care about - they have the car they want. If picking up why should they collect you from station? The annoying thing is when they keep you waiting for an hour or 2. Don't think they realise or care that we are only paid for job, not by the hour. Blimey, that's 2 far too long posts on the trot! Sorry, P |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 01:12
Sometimes it's good - Bromptonaut
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Phil, How did you get into this work? As a fellow retiree who could do with flexible work I'd be interested. PM via the mods if you prefer. Simon. |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 07:33
Sometimes it's good - Duncan
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I looked at it after I retired and also had a chat with one of their drivers. I decided I was too old! www.british-car-auctions.co.uk/BCA-Logistics/Working-for-BCA-Logistics/ Last edited by: Duncan on Sun 21 Sep 14 at 07:36
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 10:22
Sometimes it's good - Duncan
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What's it like working for BCA Logistics - possibly? tinyurl.com/mk7phgf |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 12:14
Sometimes it's good - PhilW
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Brompt, My wife got me into it!! She still had 2 years to work when I retired and she had already told me that she would find plenty for me to do in retirement (mainly decorating, which I hate!!) I said I would get "a little driving job" to keep me busy (pictured myself doing something like the "Drop" bit of "You shop, we drop". When talking to a colleague about this her colleague said "We might have just the job for him". Her husband is a director of the firm I work for. (Not BCA!) Work is flexible I the respect that you are self-employed so can accept or reject the work given (I've never rejected any jobs sent) and can take time off when you wish but is not really flexible on a day to day basis. ie, If you pick up a car one afternoon for delivery the next morning you can't really say you won't deliver it! Having delivered it there will usually be another car to pick up and you may have to do it unless you want to pay for train fare home. It also becomes difficult for the allocators if you only want to work, say, 2 or 3 days a week. They have to find work near home to start you off and a delivery near home to drop off after day 2 or 3. For instance, I've had a car from S Wales over the weekend for delivery to Leeds on Monday. If I didn't work Mondays someone else would have got that job and I would have had to try to get lift or train home from S Wales. There are lots of delivery companies out there - BCA and Paragon for example are big ones. Some large dealers have their own drivers and there are lots of small companies. Try a Google for ones in your area. P |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 12:16
Sometimes it's good - PhilW
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PS. I've heard some horror stories about some companies being rather lax about paying (or not) drivers and paying (or not) expenses and very poor pay rates. I've been lucky (so far!!) P |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 12:16
Sometimes it's good - Bromptonaut
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| Cheers, Phil, I'll follow that up. |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 18:38
Sometimes it's good - Ted
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Sometimes it's good.....Yup, it was good today. Left Llangammach, nr Llandovery after a good ole full English about 1000 hrs. The Sun was out although it wasn't too warm yet. I was on the Honda 600 and it was in good form...as usual. Plenty of twisties all the way to Oswestry where I lost me mate. He signalled a right and took a marked lane into a garage but then changed his mind for some reason. He dived back into the traffic on our nearside but there was no gap for me. By the time I got to the roundabout 50 yds ahead I couldn't see him. I chose the option of heading the way we would have gone and never saw him again. No doubt he'll ring me later. Or perhaps he's trying to tell me something ! Had a nice solo run through Whittington and Ellesmere up to the Whitchurch by-pass where I called into the Macdonalds..( ex Little Chef ) for a bun and coffee. The car park was heaving and I reckoned the counter would be as well so I didn't bother. By the time I got to the top of the by-pass my hands were a bit cold so I switched the heaters on. The A49 was a treat...I didn't see a single vehicle in front or behind me all the way to Tarporley. A lovely bendy run with a good surface. Had my coffee at the Shell garage at Sandiway lights sat on the kerb watching the young studs on sports bikes go past. Ten minutes there and off home. Throttled back a bit on the Northwich by-pas when I noticed the clock reading just over 90....there's a few cameras but I don't know if they work. Not worth risking it. Altogether one of those days which was just right. The only incident was when I went round a fairly sharp blind right hand bend nr. Newtown and was confronted by white van man on my side of the road overtaking a TdF type cyclist ! I wriggled through the gap on his offside....If I'd been in a fast car, it might have have been different ! |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 19:00
Sometimes it's good - Armel Coussine
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>> Left Llangammach, nr Llandovery after a good ole full English about 1000 hrs. A bit early in the morning for a full English massage surely Ted? I doubt if I could face one even now. |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 19:04
Sometimes it's good - Runfer D'Hills
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| Sort of depends if you're having a glorious morning or not I suppose. |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 19:15
Sometimes it's good - Armel Coussine
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>> A bit early in the morning for a full English massage surely Ted? I doubt if I could face one even now. Had a friend who lived near Northwich, and remember going a bit too quickly round some curves in a 3-lane road, perhaps that very bypass. Was there an elegant green steel bridge somewhere along there? Later we went to the friend's funeral in a disgraceful Skoda 130 saloon. I got so drunk that Herself had to drive back to London. The moment we got onto the M6 she was up to 90. I remonstrated mildly, but was ordered to shut up by the Jamaican and Trinidadian geezers we'd taken from London to the funeral. Old Notting Hill... guh. Like yesterday, to raaaaaaas... |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 19:59
Sometimes it's good - Old Navy
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>> Left Llangammach, nr Llandovery after a good ole full English about 1000 hrs. >> Army background? They put "hrs" after a time, I won't say what the navy think of that, it wouldn't get past the forum filters. :) |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 21:48
Sometimes it's good - legacylad
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| And a cracking day here too....early morning gym then relaxing sauna to mitigate last nights excess. Lovely 7 mile walk through the fields & open pasture to Clapham. A couple of pints then bus back to Settle for more rehydration in my local beer garden. Autumnal feel to the evening under clear skies. Bodes well for tomorrow. Shame I have work indoors for 9 hours tomorrow. |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 21:55
Sometimes it's good - Runfer D'Hills
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People with motorbikes seem more ready to just "go for a drive" it appears. I rarely do that in a car, well, I suppose I did with the Westfield a bit but not much in "normal" cars. I guess my work gives me my fix of that aplenty. I had a friend in Edinburgh who would get on his big BMW tourer type bike and go to the south of France for a long weekend quite regularly and I got chatting to a Northern Irish guy on the return ferry to Cairnryan the other day who was "popping" to London on his bike to visit friends for just an overnight stay, something he said he did every few weeks. Must be something in this biking malarkey. Not sure I could do the leather clothes thing though. So 80s isn't it? |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 22:47
Sometimes it's good - legacylad
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| I know zilch about motorbike clothing, but why do they all still wear leather? Where I live is motorbike central at weekends. Surely with modern clothing, as witnessed in the outdoor gear industry, leathers could have been superseded by something more comfortable ? Kevlar onesies? |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 23:00
Sometimes it's good - Armel Coussine
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>> why do they all still wear leather? Leather is still very resistant to road abrasion, but people really prefer it to manmade stuff because it 'breathes', something like that I thought? LJK Setright, a dilettante biker I thought, had a colourful and certainly very expensive set of thin but effective leathers, I seem to remember. On a smaller note, my 6-year-old granddaughter has acquired a set of pink kevlar joint protectors for her sweet little brown elbows and knees when she's hurtling about on her roller skates on uneven paths. Cutesville, aaah! |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 23:28
Sometimes it's good - legacylad
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| Fair enough AC but modern synthetic outdoor clothing breathes just as well, if not better, than nature made. Some tree surgeons I know wear Kevlar suits all day. They must breath pretty well because it is hard physical work. |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 23:42
Sometimes it's good - Armel Coussine
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>> but modern synthetic outdoor clothing breathes just as well, if not better, than nature made. Some tree surgeons I know wear Kevlar suits all day. Fat lot I know about it really. Perhaps very expensive leather drapes better or something. And it's quite likely actually that resistant, warm leather gear can be had cheaper than decent kevlar. Perhaps some of our bikers will set me straight sooner or later. |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 23:50
Sometimes it's good - Armel Coussine
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>> my 6-year-old granddaughter The same child bounds high in the air, more than her own height, on the trampoline and gamely tries aerial somersaults, so far landing on her back. They just need the equipment and other nippers to egg them on. Trampolines didn't exist in civilian life when I were a nipper. |
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New Mon 22 Sep 14 02:04
Sometimes it's good - Pat
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>>why do they all still wear leather<< Because it's sexy LL Pat |
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New Sun 21 Sep 14 23:26
Sometimes it's good - WillDeBeest
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So 80s isn't it? For some the 80s never ended, Humph. judaspriest.com/photo/newshowphoto.asp?image=/photo/2005/press/04.jpg |
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New Mon 22 Sep 14 00:40
Sometimes it's good - Ted
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Here's your bridge AC...although afaik it's always been the Hartford Blue Bridge. Built 1938. I came over it at some lick today, the bends and camber are very good...as is the surface. It takes the by-pass over the River Weaver. www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.2375059,-2.5299744,3a,75y,328.95h,75.15t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s6P4GmdGURTT6igxcCkP34w!2e0?hl=en I wear cordura on the bike with back, elbows and knees protected by inserts. My gloves are leather but they don't perform well in the wet so I carry other pairs. I like open face helmets. I have reasonably new Caburg with two visors..a clear one which you pull down and a smoked one operated by a slider on top of the helmet. You can use either or both at the same time. |
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New Mon 22 Sep 14 01:28
Sometimes it's good - Armel Coussine
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| Hartford! The very place Ted, first line in my late friend's address, thank you. The bridge not as green as I remember it, although greenish in one photo. Nor is the zigzag through it as sharp as I remembered. But that's memory for you. I did remember the thing, and its construction and very elegant form. I hope it has national treasure status. Deserves it. |
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New Mon 22 Sep 14 01:35
Sometimes it's good - Armel Coussine
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>> national treasure status. Deserves it. If only because it's the same age as me. |
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New Mon 22 Sep 14 13:48
Sometimes it's good - John Boy
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| These topics can go all over the place, can't they? For some reason, this one has reminded me of an incident from my childhood. My dad took me to Boston Assembly Rooms to hear a talk by Geoff Duke (for those too young to know, he was a racing motorcyclist). We sat in the middle of the front row and, partway through his talk, his tie turned round at the bottom to reveal the fact that it had a plastic back and therefore must have been on an elastic loop round his neck. My perception of him as a hero was shattered in an instant. |
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New Mon 22 Sep 14 15:50
Sometimes it's good - Slidingpillar
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I still remember the trip from Keswick to nearly Windermere late at night on the A591. No traffic and for once, I was able to drive the road as it invites one. Normally the traffic slows down every time there's a pretty bit - to admire the scenery! It was a quick time of course, but not as stupid as my passenger made out! |
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New Mon 22 Sep 14 18:55
Sometimes it's good - PhilW
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Found another "Sometimes it's good" route today. Had to get from Stockport back to E Mids. Satnav said M60/M56/M6/A50 but I thought "Not that bloomin' M6 from Knutsford to Stoke again and plumbed in "find alternative route" Said it would take an extra 15 mins so thought "Why not?". Took me A6 to Disley, then Buxton Old Road (A 5003?) to Whaley Bridge then A 5004 to Buxton, A515/5012 to Cromford then A6 to Derby and home. Very quiet roads, bit twisty but lovely views of Peak District, scenery, picturesque villages and towns and some lovely pubs I would have loved to stop at and have a pint sitting in the sun outside. (Didn't - don't drink and drive!!) Got home at the time the satnav said I would have done if I had taken M60/56/6/A50 ----- but a much more pleasant experience! P |
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New Mon 22 Sep 14 20:45
Sometimes it's good - Alastairw
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Should have popped in Phil - you would have gone past the end of my street. I find the climb up through High Lane and Disley a bit tedious tbh, but after that its lovely. I usually go that way if going anywhere East or SouthEast. Predictably The Boy chose a university in the South West, so its the good old M6 and M5 for me most of the time.
Last edited by: Alastairw on Mon 22 Sep 14 at 20:48
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New Mon 22 Sep 14 20:50
Sometimes it's good - Runfer D'Hills
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| Were you in the truck or something more suited to the road Phil? |
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New Mon 22 Sep 14 21:10
Sometimes it's good - Ted
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I'll be taking that route on Friday with the caravan Phil. I use it a lot, often turning left at the top of the Chapel by-pass and heading for Baslow and Chesterfield to get to the M1. I'll be keeping on the A6 this week and turning right just before I hit Bakewell to get to the campsite. Stand on the corner and wave Alistair ! |
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New Mon 22 Sep 14 21:43
Sometimes it's good - PhilW
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"I'll be taking that route on Friday with the caravan Phil" Think your route is better with caravan! Hope weather holds for you - beautiful there today. I'm off to beer festival in Liverpool - don't care what weather does - I know it will be hazy! P |
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New Mon 22 Sep 14 21:39
Sometimes it's good - PhilW
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"in the truck" No, gave up the truck about 18 months ago after a couple of metal bending incidents which cost me a bob or two! Think I wrote about them on here in about April 2013. Was being pushed to limit of driving hours every day with no breaks, kipping in the cab etc and made a couple of errors of judgement re width of truck and trailer - was only doing a couple of miles an hour in one incident, stationary and loading trailer in the other!! No real harm done except to my bank balance and the parked Ford Ka which had it's front wing and bumper removed in one case and the top of the range Ford S Max which was minus front bumper (oh, and foglights, parking sensors, DRLs etc!!) in the latter. Whole lot held in place with little plastic clips which pop out and break if tapped lightly!! ;-( Today I was in a little Suzuki Swift thing - sporty one I think with white alloys and a bit of poke so ideal for those roads. Quite impressed with it actually as a small/nippy car. P |
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New Mon 22 Sep 14 21:19
Sometimes it's good - PhilW
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Yep, lovely country, got a soft spot for Peak District having done a lot of walking there in the past. Lived in S Manchester many years ago and now E Mids so Peak Dist been in easy reach for many years. We do a fair bit of work out of and into Stockport so will use that route again. Anything to avoid M6! P |
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New Mon 22 Sep 14 21:45
Sometimes it's good - PhilW
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"Yep, lovely country" That was reply to Alastairw if not clear |
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