The End of an Era

As I said to myself on the morning that my daughter was born, and quoted recently to a friend, whose wife is expecting their firstborn, "Life will never be the same again!"  They're probably the truest words I've ever spoken ... or ever will, and they came to mind again yesterday.

One could argue that the typical week of a normal courier consists of waiting for work, doing it, watching TV and talking about his favourite Premier League team.  I know it's not really that simple, but, having come to the profession from a business background, I also take an interest in what is going on in the office as well.

That's why, last Thursday afternoon as I was indeed waiting for work, I quietly asked the office manager, "Would you like an extra pair of hands on Saturday?"  For yesterday was the designated day for The Move.  It had clearly been on the cards for some while, and gradually rumour turned to fact as things began to disappear first from the storeroom, then from the warehouse and finally from the office.  A couple of weeks ago, it was reported with some confidence that the weekend after Easter would see M-day.  Realising that I had a free morning I suggested that, since he would inevitably have a host of other things to do, I might usefully amuse myself setting up the computers, which were being shipped to the new site immediately after the office closed on Friday evening.

It's a simple enough job, but it's surprising how many people - although confident in their daily use - baulk at the suggestion of doing anything physical with computers.  I knew my boundaries, however, and ceased operations on each desk at the point before switching on the electricity.  After all, a professional network engineer was there for the move and, as part of his planned workload, he would be visiting each workstation in turn to link up to the network, switch on, log in, and make sure everything was working as it should; things which, as a mere driver, are well beyond my authority if not my capability.  Nevertheless, I was pleased to fill the need for someone at that intermediate level, who could spare the professional the unnecessary time for the mundane, also releasing the manager to co-ordinate other aspects of the move.

It must be about eight years ago, by my reckoning, that the firm moved into the offices we've just left.  I remember thinking that we'd played leapfrog.  When I started with them ten years ago, the office was just along the road from my flat.  At about 200 yards, it was the closest I'd ever worked to home.  Then I moved to the flat where I now live, about three times as far from the office, in the opposite direction.  Shortly afterwards the time came when the business had outgrown the capacity of that small unit, and they moved to another place about a quarter of a mile beyond my new home, but still comfortably within walking distance.

Walking distance applies no longer.  About five miles now separate home from office. It's not only in another town, but in the adjacent county!  This may not sound much, but it will mean about 2,300 additional miles in a year, something like 3½% more travelling for a guaranteed zero increase in income.  With many drivers travelling from far greater distances to work with us, my situation is exceptional and, in common with one or two others, I've enjoyed this unspoken advantage for many years.

But now it's payback time, and life will never be the same again!