Page 60 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Carting commercial tyres from tyre retailers to the Tyre Manufacturers Adjudication centres
had become the basis of our independent business since I had left the employ of
Firestone.
Moving boats, ECYB’s initial business had been proved to be altogether too hazardous
and fickle to make a serious living.
Firestone local boss Fred Popham and I had discussed the whole matter at some length
after I had admitted to ‘escaping’ for the odd day or two to deliver boats to various distant
parts of the UK.
(see “Filling up with a Magyar 9” in Book Two)

My knowledge of the tyre trade through working for Firestone had introduced me to the
problem encountered by all the tyre retailers in the UK in getting commercial tyres with
supposed problems back to the official centres set up and paid for by the UK Tyre
manufacturers working together.
There they were examined by engineers from the individual manufacturers on a rota basis
and where necessary raised credits for any manufacturing imperfections. Collecting these
tyres from retailers and their subsequent delivery had become the basis of our business.

The first vehicle we purchased was an elderly Volkswagen transporter pick up which we
fitted with a tow bar. Next we purchased a small lorry from a poultry farm at Swineshead, a
short wheelbase BMC FG (three penny bit cab) light truck of five ton or so capacity with a
flat open body.
It was fitted with the same three litre six cylinder petrol engine as the MG’C’ and really flew
along. Not the ideal transport for our needs but it was available and cheap.
We added a 16 foot single axle trailer to this vehicle to give it the capacity for twice weekly
trips delivering ‘complaint’ tyres to Burton on Trent our local Tyre Manufacturers
Conference depot. We soon outgrew this little lorry and hence the search for something
larger.

The first ‘Wonderloaf’ Ford, of about 1962 vintage was fitted with the same four cylinder
diesel engine as was original equipment in the famous ‘Fordson Major’ tractor series of the
late 1950’s, a long stroke, slow revving engine, with bags of pulling power, but not much
top speed.
The lorry had a normal type cab and long bonnet. We did not have pots of money available
for smart paint jobs hence ‘the green goddess’ was lightest green and white. Paint we had
in stock!
The complaint tyre collections had begun within Lincolnshire and initially only took a
couple of days each week.
Other clients were needed to help pay the bills and we had already begun to deliver goods
for J.H. Rundle's Engineering works based in the village.
Their own lorry was engaged on deliveries of really heavy items and we soon became
fairly regularly engaged in their smaller deliveries initially using our Volkswagen
Transporter pick up. (See Bus and the auger).

MAKING UP A LOAD
This trip to Inverness was more unusual. John Rundle had happened to mention that they
had a complete set of three Cambridge (gang) rolls for delivery to the Blacksmith at
Inverness in Scotland but the amount they could afford to pay for their transport would not
cover the cost of a lorry on its own.

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