Page 194 - IT'S A RUM LIFE BOOK TWO "BOSTON 1960 TO 1970"

Initially, FJK and I regularly travelled over the “Peaks” of
the Pennine hills to a packing factory in Stockport, Manchester.
We took bulk potato powder in sacks, returning with boxes
and boxes of dehydrated potato in natty little paper packets.
Several times we made overnight trips with potato powder
to the “Hula Hoop” factory in Newcastle upon Tyne. We never
managed to bring any “samples” back, perhaps this is was a
good thing as after a few visits there I could never again bring
myself to eat another “Hula Hoop”!

THE LADY DRIVER
As time went on we managed to get more work and I
needed relief drivers. Log books were becoming a thing of the
past and drivers working hours were under far more strict
control.
The evening of this next tale the relief driver was a girl, or
rather, young lady. Female HGV drivers were thin on the
ground in the early 1970’s. The lorry had to go to Brighton
market with potatoes, leaving home at about 1am or so.
FJK was getting quite old now and had already spent 10
years or so delivering “The Wonderloaf” for Glentons of
Grimsby.
On the evening in question, the young lady only managed
10 miles or so and the lorry stopped on the outskirts of Boston.
I received a phone call and went out to see what is wrong. On
lifting the engine cover the problem was easy to see and
quickly repaired. The throttle spring has broken and only
needed a replacement. Half an hour or so and she was on her
way again.

BEING WATCHED
Almost 2am by this time and I began my journey home.
I must explain at this point that to get to the breakdown I
had borrowed my wife’s car a Renault 4L. This was a curious
little 5 door estate car, very light, with a nippy four cylinder

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