Page 108 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

CHAPTER 20

MICHAEL GOES TO LIVERPOOL

Albert our No 1 lorry driver had been to Blackburn again.
His lorry was a late 1960’s Commer Maxiload. A 16 ton gross weight four wheel lorry with
fairly short flat body designed to carry exactly 10 tons of potatoes in four stone paper bags
on 10 pallets.

“You will never guess who I saw on the M62 just now?” he stated with excitement.
Just now would have been some two hours or so previously.
“It was Michael in the little red Ford going up the outside lane of the motorway like a bat
out of hell!” he continued.
We all groaned.
Michael had been working on this particular lorry for a couple of days. It was our second
“long nose” (engine in front of the cab) 7.5 ton Ford 4D with a 16-foot flat body. This one
was painted a smart maroon and red, the engine had only been running of three cylinders
and it had taken some time to solve the problem.

The Ford was carrying a load of goatskins imported from Turkey. They were in transit from
an East coast port and had been smelling out our workshop for several days while Michael
solved the problem lorry. They had been due in Liverpool two days previously!

The lorry eventually ran on four cylinders but we could think of no one better to take the
hides to Liverpool but Michael. If the lorry played up again, the right man was at the wheel!
Michael was obviously “road testing” the engine on the motorway.
For those of you who do not drive, even in the 1970’s, goods vehicles were not allowed on
the outside lane of a three-lane motorway! Typically of Michael he did not always
“remember”!

Evidently the trip to Liverpool went off uneventfully. It was on the way back that things
began to go wrong.

(Picture of River Trent at Dunham Bridge.)
The lorry stopped on the western side of the river Trent at Dunham toll bridge.
This is about 14 miles west of Lincoln and a quite direct route for the A1 and all roads
north from us.
Michael phoned in, left the lorry in Dunham and started working his way home.

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