The Wondering Brit

Well I had the call earlier in the day to start work around 1am and was told it was a double run to Westbury.
Later, Dave came around and I went over to his and Annie’s place later for a chat n coffee when I get phoned again - to see if I would go in straight away and swap the milk run for a trip to the pallet hub in Birmingham. The thing was, I was no where near home and the wind had been so fierce the it even drowned out the sound of the traffic right outside my window – and that’s saying something.
So I get to work, and it turns out I’m doing a single Westbury, then going around retrieving trailers from all over the place.
I set off, only to find the main route to Westbury from here, the A303, was undergoing night closures and the diversions they had in place were not conducive to hauling a liquid load – what I mean is, they wanted us to go up a hill we simply can’t get up. So a slight diversion via Castle Cary, flooded roads and tree branches littered the place like an old photo of the Somme!.

Then I find they had changed access in Westbury town itself and have put weight restrictions all over the main route in – namely a 3ton limit over a railway bridge!! I didn’t know this and certainly did not see a clearly placed sign of any type!! I think 3ton is a little excessive seeing as the bridge could happily accomodate two 44tons trucks side by side normally!

Finally I got there very late and was under the direction to make sure I was back for 8am as the truck was going to Europe (the UK does not class or talk of itself as ‘europe’, that’s a place on the other side of the sea, unless you’re WKD).
As such I didn’t wash the tank, I just tipped and raced back.
I got back at 08:05 and was told there were no other trucks to doing any other work as everything is being used to the max!
So at 08:30 I clocked off!!
Short day or what !! Anyway, I hung back and had a coffee with the people there just in case something came up – the reason? Well we get paid for a minimum of 8hrs, so even if we work 4hrs, we still get 8. As such, I thought it only fair to hang about a little and be available for the full 8 as this lot have been alright to me over the years.

This didn’t stop me getting a full nights sleep, in fact – I could have done with a little longer in bed really! Not as beauty sleep, heck the longer I stay in bed the worse I look – my head gets a bit like one of those wrinkly faced soft toys, but about the size of a water melon, it’s just that it’s so much fun pulling it back into a shape I recognise. Sometimes it works too, other times – not so much!  lol

Here it is…

Just recently I’ve noticed a change in people… This is with friends, relatives, work colleagues, people on the net and other acquaintances.
I’m going to be blunt here, because this includes nearly everyone and even people I don’t know very well.
Lately people have been working their proverbial butts off and this is fine. For many of you, you’ve been getting ill with throat infections, the dreaded flu and of course the common cold.
Yet few are taking time out to either rest and very few to recuperate.
I will tell you something now that our governments won’t – THE RECESSION IS OVER!! In the UK it was over months ago and if you don’t believe me, just go and look at how many trucks are on the roads! The bottom line is this regarding the so called recession – if the trucks aren’t rolling, there’s no business going on and right now there is so much business that the company I work for simply can’t cope with demand.
So what am I saying? You don’t have to go made working so damned hard – especially when it starting to become detrimental to your health and it will catch up with you.

I’m not looking to get into and argument here, I really don’t know or need to know what financial planning skills you lack or have – but you must start to remember why you go to work!!
The bottom line is that we do so in an attempt to make our lives better, so we can enjoy ourselves and if a few of us are lucky enough – even retire early.

So ask yourselves, is your work making or creating a situation where you’re truly enjoying your lives? I guess not – because the day you put work before yourself and your family, you’ve missed the point entirely.

Take time out when ill, take time out just for yourselves, not for just family vacations where you end up doing all the work and running around after others – but for YOU!!
Learn to be able to sit in a place that’s your own and just chill and not do a thing, be happy with yourself. The other contradiction but something of vital importance and it is playing as hard as you work.
Work is about making our private lives better, to give us peace of mind when not there – use this and take the stress away.

Yep, let T W Brit sound almost sentimental for a post – shock…
Today I received my first invite for Christmas to Dave and Annie’s across the road. This was very nice of them indeed, but for many reasons I like to spend this day alone – it’s nothing weird and I often need to feel a part of something greater to indulge – as such I work through Christmas day. But do I miss it? Well I guess I do a little.
This last few months have been amazing for me, you see, through this and other mediums, the people I have met and continued to communicate with have, for the most part, been people who at one level or another blown my socks off. These people have been from all walks of life too; Truckers, Journalists, Politicians, Actors, Lawyers (in a good way), even the odd celeb apparently (sorry, it’s an area for which I’m very vague). But the people I have and do speak to on a regular basis is something that has astonished me and I am most grateful.
As such there most certainly are things I miss – as we all do (and not in a sorry for myself way – it’s in a ‘just the way it is’ way).
So, while stagnating down here in Devon, here’s my list of things I miss – as bizarre as they may be and excluding individuals.

• The Peak District
• Owning and using a Land Rover 110 CSW
• My Irish Setter
• The stillness of a summers morning in some remote military training area.
• Arriving in a foreign town and simply not knowing what and where everything thing is, but having to find out quickly.
• Volatile risk in countries where life is so different to the lives we all know so well.
• Stark differences in cultures of those around you and learning the differences.
• The hustle and bustle of London
• I miss shooting a lot!! If I stayed in one place long enough, I guess I’d get a licence, but I never do.
• The silence at dawn in the ‘Empty Quarter’ desert in Saudi Arabia.
• Having a true reason or aim to get up sometimes.
• Fixing impossible problems
• Climbing
• The better side of me.
• An awesome roast dinner
• Air travel, I don’t like it (because I’m not the driver), but it always means I’m doing something cool.
• Seeing myself as clearly as I see others
• Huge Dr Who scarf my grandmother knitted me
• Long hair
• Being able to run 10 miles with weight
• A good Dentist
• Eastnor Castle
• Meeting people without them thinking you either want something or they feel they have to match-make me with a friend of theirs.
• Being sincere, actually I am, but my body language often says the opposite.
• Tax free living
• Ex-Pat lifestyle

So here’s the question to my regular readers, you get 10 things to list that you miss – that cannot be people.

Yes, yes, besides the persistent spelling and grammatical errors, the wide range of people like you who visit, is something that does surprise me. Moreover, it’s what you/they read!
The top 5 most read articles are these

1      The Nürburgring and Top Gears Respect fo
2     Motorway Driving Survival Guide
3     Zara Phillips shows off her swanky new h
4     Sabine Schmitz site is now in English –
5     Volvo Trucks Gift giveaway continues!!

The number one slot is very interesting, not purely because of the subject matter, but that Sabine Schmitz actually helped me produce it – for which I’m most grateful.

Irrespective of my techie, news, music, general entertainment and aviation posts – they’re all realated to driving!!

So, odd huh?!

Hi, well…. I was gonna post -but!! Just had a call and now have to take trip to Birmingham and back… I’m twittering on and off throughout the night.

L8r

Twice this week I’ve had a 1am start to haul milk to London. At night I never really get to work on time because I know exactly what time I’m suppose to hit the weighbridge at the Oakthorpe Dairy in North London.
Even so, on the first day I arrived at Oakthorpe 2hrs early and the 2nd day (yesterday), even though I set off later and tried to go slow – I turned up 1 ½ early!
Nevertheless, somehow with all but the greatest planning I couldn’t get my sleep right.
Those of you who follow me on twitter will have noted that I got a little ratty the other day when I pulled in to the ever useless Fleet Services on the westbound M3 for some hot food and a rest – only to find the Burger King and KFC shut until 11am…
I swear, if you want this nations roads and services sorting out – elect a new party at the general election and tell them to hire me to do it.  Though it has to bed said, I won’t settle for a civil servants pay to do it! lol

Anyway, I wanted today off and it would appear I’ve got it, also I need Friday and Saturday off.
A new High Viz jacket turned up today and while it is the exact same one as my last one, all I can say is, well – it’s very bright!!

Those that know me, know about my odd and strange career life style. Some even understand it but most don’t – furthermore most are stunned that I now drive a truck for a living.
But the reality is, and I have made no bones about it on this blog – I’m tired of it.
No, it’s not that WKD said that hauling milk was a girls job or anything else, it’s just that I’m not affecting lives or getting results by doing it.
The crazy thing is that I see business opportunities everywhere, everyday infact. This is the way my mind simply works, I can produce business plans in a heart beat for all of them too… But until the day something truly floats my boat, then I can’t really see me doing it.
On the back of this, yer gotta want to do it, more than anything else in the world!!
I do envy people who have passions that turn into incomes, but to be honest – until the day it hits me, then I’ll just keep hunting for a Comms/IT contract that inspires me.
Inspiration means a lot these days, If I don’t like it, I simply won’t do it. I also think I’ve got a little long in the tooth for the BS rules and regulations we have in the UK for just about everything, so much so, I only follow rules that I think actually make sense now – this is not a disrespect for the law of the land, it is a reflection of the unbelievable political situation in the UK today. And I’m really not sure what power a UK court has to actually enforce an European law.
But hey…

This last week the press were making some hoo-haa about the first Merlin to arrive in Afghanistan. The Govt acting like this was some level of success.
Well it wasn’t and I’ll tell you why.
Several years ago, the MoD set up 16 Air Assault; their way of trying to be an ‘all-in-one’ air mobile force…
Well the reality of modern warfare requires you to move two or three regiments of men quickly – so what does that actually take?
A standard British regiment is 650 men strong, I should say Battalion size seeing as they’ve amalgamated most of them now (which in it’s self was incredibly damaging). With that 650 men you have upto 150 men/women in other trades, artillery, forward air controllers, medics, the list goes on – we’ll call it 800 men.
Now take those 800 men and load them onto Merlin EH101 helicopters and then give them an Apache escort… So, just how many helicopters does this require? Bare in mind that this is just the men and their personal equipment – not supplies etc
That’s 40 Merlin helicopters and at least 8 Apache’s
Your other helicopter types would still be engaged in other roles.
So in reality, you would need at least a further 10 to bring in the support equipment – so 50, for just one battalion to hit the ground in force.

So how many Merlins did they order/buy
Army 0
RAF  22
Royal Navy 44

Anyone see a problem here?
66 helicopter and only one has made it to theatre in 5 years of fighting…

Sometimes I wonder if the people who are charged with forward planning in the defence of our nation – simply need taking out and beating with a very big stick…

Yes! and why? Because the moment I stopped posting, I had too much to write about – typical!
Also, lately I’ve had various off the cuff remarks of care from email, twitter and comments and while it is very unlike me to accept such things, I’ve appreciated them.

As ever and while this old world turns, there has been a lot happening in the last few days,  the loss of Actor and Equalizer Edward Woodward has happened, Dell brought something new out and I will write about that later, I’ve been truly global with the people I’ve spoken to recently too. From Australia, the US, S.Africa to name a few places, I’ve enjoyed it.

I’ve decided not to blog for a few days, please feel free to return next week

h/t to Robert Llewellyn for this;

I was initially skeptical about this until the part where it shows it in operation – watch and see what you think!

Tomorrow night, I was going to go to see a comedy gig in London called ‘Boffoonery’. This is for the raising of money to help save Bletchley Park, the place where they cracked the Nazi Enigma code during WW2.

As well as many other comedic guests, my distant twitter acquaintance  Robert Llewellyn is also doing a spot of stand-up and I was especially looking forward to giving him a good heckle.
However, as things turn out, I can’t make it. So this blogs financial expert (i.e. she needs more than just figures to count) Fenny is going in my place.
The ticket, originally for a circle seat has been swapped yet again when Fenny learned of  friend who had a ‘standing’ ticket, but had either back or leg trouble – So good on Fenny for swapping the ticket with that friend!

I, instead of rolling around laughing will be hauling milk to Ashby de la Zouch up in the midlands.
But I do wish everyone a great time.

Well my two days off draw to a close with a 5am start tomorrow. Looks like a straight forward day picking up a load of hire trailers from Bristol – 3 in all.

Other stuff:
Gabrielle aka @Gabsatrucker has been added to the TWBrit Who’s Who page and furthermore she’s been most helpful in helping me pick what promo stuff I should get. As such a decision has now been made, so all I’m looking for is someone to help sort out the artwork – or I invest in the right kit to do it.

UK, or should say the governments Peter Mandelson is proposing to introduce a ‘3 strikes and you’re out’ for internet file sharers – yeah, that’s really going to work – and could render the said gentleman in a world of trouble. Shame really, he often sounds so bright – yet hasn’t got a bloody clue! (bless)

Watched NASA finally launch the Ares rocket today – really, a falling leaf would stop those guys doing anything. Needless to say it was highly uneventful and they seem to be unable to build a rocket that’s weather resistant against rain and thunder – hurricanes, that I understand, but nothing else.

I leave you now with the knowledge that the only problem I have with working tomorrow is that WKD will be sitting back with her feet up doing nothing while others have to go to work. If she comments on this saying otherwise – don’t believe her

Well I say that, but really – can I bothered?! 
There are a few minor things I have to do, but they take money – the thing I no longer like spending..

I bought a brand new Linksys wireless thing on eBay that should have been £80, that cost me £20 which has pleased me no end in my sad little way. I had to go to the Post Office to pick it up - but as I was half way through the front door I received a text and went to read it – here it is:

Did you remember to get the Milk?

I just rolled about laughing after yesterdays text from the ever formidable WKD – I certainly never expected to be looking a picture of cows butts! but I was almost in public view and there is no way I could let the outside world see my face with a genuine smile on it – they would throw up!!

Any way, I went up to the Post Office and picked up my Linksys parcel and headed home when I decided to see how Dave was getting on across the road with crack in the wall of the very old property he’d  bought.
After few laughs  I pottered home and for lunch I had a Choc Ice and a mug of coffee (bliss!!)
The Linksys router is exactly as describe and was indeed in a brand new sealed box – I love shopping on eBay, especially for computer bits!

I’m kinda chatting on tweetdeck at the moment – but really, that is the day so far – it’s certainly a better one than @gabsatrucker is having  on her way through Tennessee at the moment according to twitter

I’m not a great historian by any stretch of the imagination, but Trafalgar, while a Royal N…thing (sorry, can’t seem to spell that word) is one of history’s greats. It was important too. Nelson’s defeat of the combined Spanish and Fr**ch fleets and is one of the many reasons (and there are many) why the English language is spoken (or a form of it) in the USA etc.
But today is an important day in British military history – yet, typically, not much is going on about it.

The Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 was the most decisive British naval victory of the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815). Twenty-seven British ships of the line led (click map to enlarge) by Admiral Lord Nelson aboard HMS Victory defeated thirty-three French and Spanish ships of the line under French Admiral Pierre Villeneuve off the south-west coast of Spain, just west of a place named Cape Trafalgar (oddly enough). The Franco-Spanish fleet lost twenty-two ships, without a single British vessel being lost.
Nelson was mortally wounded during the battle, becoming Britain’s greatest war hero of the time and then only succeeded by Wellington himself. The commander of the joint French and Spanish forces, Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve, was captured along with his ship Bucentaure.

Needless to say with Nelson at sea and the Duke of Wellington on land chasing down and whooping Napoleon, the day or at least the campaign was won – then we had to go and do it all again and England, will forever be our England! (well, until Hitler turned up and we had to do it yet again – Doh!)

This post is for the Richie family in Houston

UPDATE:

Loraine mentioned something in the comments about the lamp posts in Trafalgar Sq in London were cast from the cannons of the Franco Spanish ships that lost the battle.

Firstly, the Column itself is topped off with a ‘Capital’ (thats the bit that finishes the top of a column off)was cast from unused bronze ordnance. Furthermore, as I mention in the comments section, each street lamp running from Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Place has a ship on it that was defeated by Nelson.

Old captured weapons adorn the streets of London, it was indeed common practice to spike and use them or melt them down, using them as trophies of sorts. None more so than old cannons. All over London and indeed the UK you will see a certain shape of bollard on the sides of roads etc – these are often old small canons that were captured from the ‘then’ enemies of the realm – and there was a hell of a lot of them.

These days they even manufacture this shape of bollard in order to keep the continuity of local architecture in tact because of the sheer number of originals.