Page 75 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

The driver telephoned the office to say that he was coming home as he could not possibly
sort out the different tyres that were supposed to go to different delivery points on his list.

Ruth told him, so I am told by a third party, that he (the driver) should have paid more
attention that morning when he was being loaded then he would not have a problem now.
I am sure she explained the facts in a very diplomatic way, but despite that, the driver
locked the lorry, which happened to be parked on double yellow lines, in the centre of
Hull. He then threw the keys down the nearest drain and disappeared.

Picture of Hull City Centre.
I had another late night that night, accompanying Terry our local HGV mechanic in his six
wheel Atkinson recovery lorry.
This is part of Terry’s collection of antique vehicles, and I suppose it still is.

It has a wooden cab with wooden ‘poorly fitting’ doors , wooden seats and wooden
windows, it is equipped with a very low geared Gardner 6 cylinder diesel and huge
recovery crane mounted on the rear.
The evening was autumn or even winter time, the rain and wind blew into every nook and
cranny. We needed top coats on inside the cab and scarves and gloves and hats too!

We eventually found poor old ‘wonderbun’ still in the middle of Hull town centre with cones
around. I suppose the local police had nothing large enough to tow it away themselves.

Picture right of recovery vehicle of similar
vintage although a Foden not an Atkinson.
Also terry’s lorry had 6 wheel that is double axle
at the rear.
This lorry in the picture also has a wooden cab!

Because there were no keys, we had to affect a
suspended tow taking the front wheels off
the ground with all of four to five tons of engine,
cab, body and part of the load.

The air brakes on the rear axle had to be
unwound so the rear wheels would turn
unimpeded.

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