Page 198 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

Over a period of two weeks, I made surreptitious journeys from New Bolingbroke to
Northcote at 6 am precisely. The distance was only about 14 miles, just as dawn was
breaking and I had sufficient light to move, I chose all the quietest back roads, knowing
there would be little or no other traffic at that time.
Four boxes were moved, each 29 feet long, 11 feet high and 8 ft wide.
There was more than sufficient space to hold our bits and pieces and we made it without
incident.
At Easter 1984 we arrived at Northcote and during the time of the move, Alan Rundle’s
middle brother, Ken contacted me to ask me to work for their family firm for the next year
or so, our luck was beginning to change.

More comprehensive coverage of the move is in Book Four Volume One.

CHAPTER 39

THE CRANE LORRY

A collection of stories from Rundles in 1984
Our circumstances had totally changed and our lovely home for the last 14 years had been
sold to our neighbour’s youngest son, Alan Rundle and his wife Ruth. Legal procedures
were complete and the move to Northcote was imminent.
I still had no income or job or job prospects when quite out of the blue my immediate
neighbour, Ken Rundle, Alan’s elder brother and middle son in the family business, came
across his garden one morning and asked me if I had any plans in the immediate future?

Evidently their permanent lorry driver John Brooks had been diagnosed as having cancer
and would most likely be off work for several months.
Ken wished me to understand from the first that the family company wished to keep the job
open for John to return to and wished me to work on a temporary basis.
This suited me just fine as I had no wish to enter into “paye” employment as my personal
tax situation was to say the least “unstable” and I could see all my earnings going in tax
payments.
Rundles were quite happy for me to be self employed and provide them with weekly
invoices for the work I did.
I began work virtually straight away.

RUNDLE’S
The Rundle family ran and to this day still run a thriving agricultural engineering business.
It all began with grandfather who was an agricultural contractor and used traction engines
to propel his machines from farm to farm. (Some of those traction engines are still in the
family ownership and form the nucleus of their fabulous collection).
The business developed over the years into manufacturing agricultural machinery and
specialist repairs of unusual machinery.

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