Page 14 - IT'S A RUM LIFE BOOK FOUR Volume 1 "Northcote 1984 to 1998"

I made plans to move the lorry and its boxes one by one but on the way filling them with all
our remaining worldly goods from Ivy House.
My plan was that the boxes could hold the furniture etc. and we could dig it all out at the
new home bit by bit. The boxes would provide storage for us and give us time to think!
A grand plan indeed!

I had to choose my travel time carefully, not wishing to be caught breaking the law
intentionally. I had no chance of being able to make the Leyland lorry road legal. I could
not even access its paperwork. It was difficult enough finding the bits and pieces to make it
go!

Over a period of two weeks, in April 1984, I made surreptitious journeys from New
Bolingbroke to “Northcote” at 6 am precisely, 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 the time.

Five boxes were moved, each 29 feet long, 10 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 officially “arrived” at the “Northcote” property 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 had changed.
(Full details of this eventful year and the “Crane driving Challenges” are all to be found in
Book Three It’s a Rum Life Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984)

CHAPTER THREE
“TO FRANCE ON TWO CYLINDERS”

This story comes from the time just after we had moved to Northcote after the traumatic
episodes involving the loss of our home for 14 years and our distribution business, also
litigation was still threatening from our ex farmer neighbour.