Back to the North!

Thinking back to last weekend's reflections, I confess that it does seem I was having a bit of a whinge.  From where I'm looking now, I'm thinking Someone Important overheard me, and has  told me not to make so much fuss.  I won't bore you with the statistical adjustments, but this week included Liverpool on both Monday and Friday, and Sunderland on Tuesday.

When I rang in for work on Monday, I discovered that I'd been left on the list on Friday evening.  Thus it couldn't have been  later than 9.30 when I was sent round the corner to pick up four fairly large items for the University Hospital in Aintree.  One of the advantages of driving a white van is that, if it can be seen that you're there with good purpose, you can get away with parking almost anywhere (provided it's not a double red line, or a disabled bay!)  I've found that, if there's clearly no other option, and you confine yourself to the side furthest from the door, you can use the 'ambulances only' bay outside a hospital entrance. 

At Aintree, I found this was essential, because the theatre is on the first floor, near the internal enclosure.  I took two of the four items in, and spoke to the ladies at Theatre Reception.  Once they'd confirmed that this was the right destination, I left the boxes there and went back for the other two.  When I returned, the first pair were just being toted off by one of the nursing staff so, quite naturally, I followed.  Intent on not losing her as she turned this way and that through the theatre complex, I overlooked a notice on the floor.  Suddenly aware of me behind her, she turned, and said with some alarm, "You shouldn't be in here! It's a clean area!"  With some degree of embarrassment, I apologised, left the goods where they were, and rapidly turned tail.  Back at the reception office, my apology was accepted, my sheet signed and I left in good grace.

I like to think that my attitude to hospitals is generally sympathetic, and after this dent to my self-esteem, bellringing practice in the evening provided a welcome relaxation.

I've spoken previously about high security vans with slam locks, and the ease with which the user can render himself helpless outside the van, with his key locked inside.  Tuesday's challenge identified another customer who uses such vehicles, and I found myself collecting a replacement key for one of them.  I called into the office on my way past to deal with some admin., and since nothing else was going north, I left for Sunderland loaded with just this key.

Wednesday began with a local job to Harlow, and then I was sent on to Hertford for a repeat of the job I'd done a few weeks ago, and mentioned last week, to Hereford.  Last time I'd had difficulty finding the house; this time I went straight to the place: a second time job is so much easier!  After two late nights, I wasn't ready for work until well into the morning.  Consequently, I wasn't expecting the day to be busy and it was after lunch before I'd risen through the list.  However, the job that was assigned to me was little more than local (just inside the M25), so I was left on the list, and afterwards called at a firm in Stevenage who wanted some conference equipment taken to Swindon the next morning.

Yesterday was a long day.  I'd been asked to make sure I was at the office in Swindon by 9.0 am, so I decided to avoid the M25, and left home early enough to go cross-country.  This worked out perfectly but, as I handed over the goods, my contact told me he hadn't expected me to arrive until mid-morning.  It always feels good to be 'early', and yesterday it worked well in my favour.  As I drove through the town to return via the motorway, I passed the Tesco store, where I remembered there used to be a café, and I was pleased to discover that this one hadn't been replaced by a Costa coffee-bar.  After a leisurely breakfast, I set off for home, thinking it had been a good week, and if I did nothing more, I should be content. 

I'd nearly reached St Albans on my way home when the phone rang.  I answered the ubiquitous 'whereabouts are you?' and was duly turned around to visit a freight firm in Luton who act as a distribution centre for a shipping company.  I was surprised not to be given a vanful of boxes, but simply an envelope, to be taken to a logistics office at the Port of Liverpool.  I'm wondering whether that repeating genie is a Scouser!   Once the delivery had been made, around 5.0, the pressure was off, and I could relax.  It had been raining most of the day, but by then it was dry; the sun had begun to shine and it was a pleasant evening.  After resting for a while at Knutsford services, having a snack, reading, and people-watching, I set off for home, and was in by about 11.0.

With so many jobs being done 'solo', profitability will be low, but the distance and enjoyment of the journeys balance this out, if not in financial terms, at least so far as the satisfaction of the week is concerned.  Now I have the delight of an 'Olympic Torch picnic' to look forward to tomorrow, as the passage of the torch relay through the First Garden City has prompted an extended celebration.  As in all good events of this nature, the arrangements include that comforting expression, 'In Church Hall if wet!'