... Out like a Lion!

They say, I believe, that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.  Of course, that refers to the weather; work-wise, I can't recall its beginning, but for me March (and the financial year) has ended on a high.  Not exceptional - this age of recession doesn't do exceptional - but a week that has been financially healthy and full of activity.  Monday started inauspiciously, with a phone call to get onto the list of available drivers.  Learning that I would be in ninth position, I said that I would stay at home until mid morning at least, but in fact I was called around 10.0 to do the sort of job that isn't usually offered as a 'top-line' earner.  This means it's 'middle-distance', and isolated either because it's in a direction where it's unlikely that something else will be going the same way, or else because it's wanted urgently.  This particular job missed both sub-categories, and I found myself going to Hertford to collect two large boxes.  These almost filled the van with just millimetres to spare, and were taken to a woodworking firm in Southend.  After that, the afternoon was mostly empty until I left about 4.30 with a job to Didcot - not the easiest place to get to from any direction!

By that time, I had already been allocated an early job for Tuesday, taking a couple of items from the railway depot in Bedford to specialist maintenance consultants in Leamington Spa.  This was followed by another of those 'middle distance' jobs, this one to Oundle, where I pulled up next to the biggest yacht I think I've ever seen to make my delivery to one of a surprising number of boatyards that are to be found at this inland town.  Two more conventional jobs to Beaconsfield and Basingstoke completed Tuesday and meant that for the second time I wasn't home until mid-evening.

Wednesday, too, brought me four jobs.  My suspicions were confirmed when I arrived in the office to find that, because I had gone out quite late the previous day, I had been left on the list, so it was still quite early when I left with deliveries at a private club near Heathrow and a factory in Thatcham.  I returned to find, to my surprise, that there were no small vans in the yard.  So it was that I was soon out again, this time to take a small consignment of metal to Red Bull Racing in Milton Keynes, and some paperwork on behalf of a publicity firm in Hitchin for a conference taking place the following day at a hotel and golf centre near Daventry.  This journey was hampered by a serious accident that necessitated a diversion through tiny villages to avoid the severe queues on the main roads.

Thursday was solid, and straightforward.  I took an envelope of documents from a firm in Hoddesdon to Leeds University.  I later found that I'd been one of three of our drivers to go to Leeds that day.  One, a keen cyclist, had taken his cycle and a picnic with him as he delivered to a conference early in the morning.  He then spent the day making good use of the sunshine before returning to the venue to collect what he'd taken ready to return it to the exhibitors the following day.  The other had left soon after me, going directly to First Direct' banking offices.

Yesterday, of course, the roads were cluttered by the faux-panic over fuel supplies.  As I waited at the office for work, I had a phone call from the providers of one of my fuel cards, asking if all were well with me, since I'd not used the card for some while.  She must have been anticipating my (usual) response.  If the price offered by the card people is more than I can pay either at the same place or elsewhere using a credit card, the fuel card stays in the wallet.  She said that she'd arranged a very favourable rate for the rest of the week.  I resolved that, since I was likely to need fuel later in the day, I'd look out for an Esso station and use this.  However, the one near my home had run dry (and was still closed this morning), and before I found another, a competitor had attracted my business.  It will be interesting to see what effect this has on the price I'm offered next week!

Workwise, I took two trays of sample bread to Maidenhead for analysis, and then returned to wait for more work.  Meanwhile, my colleague John was doing another job for the bread company, which is featured here.  Again, I found myself the only small van around, and later left with a couple of fairly regular jobs that took me to a luxurious thatched cottage on the outskirts of St Albans, to a logistics firm at Heathrow and a to tiny village in the Thames valley, where documents that are taken there have to be left in an outhouse (dog-permitting!)

So one year ends, and after the weekend another will begin.  I wonder what it will hold for me and the other drivers.  One thing I'm sure we shall find will be the strange presence of the 'Repeating Genie'.  As you read this article, you might have noticed a few examples this week - Leamington Spa on Monday and Daventry on  Wednesday; two visits to the Heathrow area, and Maidenhead followed by another visit to the Thames valley yesterday.  Is it too early to wish my readers 'Happy New Year'?  I think not.

Happy New Year, one and all!