Here We Go Again!

I have to apologise to any would-be readers who were distressed at the total absence of a blog last week.  Somehow the weekend got a bit out of control, and the blog rather fell between the cracks ... in other words, I simply forgot to write it!  I'm glad to say that there isn't a repeat performance today.  And perhaps this is even more surprising when I tell you some of the things that have been happening this week - it's been one repeat after another!

Let's begin with Monday, which got off to a late start.  I suspect I might have been overlooked, although the office staff vigorously denied this when I rang in at noon to check.  'Yes, you were on the list, but not any longer ... would you go round to <customer> and load two deliveries in the CV area.'  The fact that this response came after quite a lengthy delay aroused my suspicions.  But the week was under way, that was the main thing; nothing could be done about the morning, whatever the reason for its silence.

One of these CV deliveries was to the Jaguar-Land Rover plant at Gaydon, a place I haven't been to for several years, since a motor industry provider in Letchworth went out of business.  This morning, as it happens, I went past where their factory had been and noticed how well the new housing development on the site is progressing.  As to Jaguar, it's good to go somewhere that I've been to before: a place where I know the layout, even if only in a rudimentary way.

The same could be said of Tuesday's principal job, too.  I was asked to take ten boxes to a firm in the High Street in Lincoln, which I know from experience is partly pedestrianised.  I spent the journey there wondering how accurately SatNav would direct me along the other streets, and how far away from my target I should be able to park.  The boxes were perfectly carryable, but only one at a time, so I envisaged ten trips to and fro, unless I could engage 'local support'.  I advanced cautiously along the High Street, watching the numbers with one eye, while the other minded the traffic.  I spotted the right name, thankfully just a short way before the road closure, and manoeuvred into the loading bay right outside.  As I got out of the van, I was approached by someone from the company I was delivering to, who explained they had two properties, almost adjacent, but either side of a junction, and opened the door of one, to show me where to take the goods.

Wednesday began with a seasonal anomally.  I took Mother's Day flowers to the Waitrose HQ in Bracknell.  I rather suspect these were samples for next year's event, however.  Later I took some items from another customer to the same destination.  Twice in a day was something of a record, but it was one I nearly matched as the week progressed.  Thursday started the 'Corby season'.  I had been to this particular printing company only a few weeks ago, and recalled how well I'd been treated on that occasion.  The customer for whom I was collecting is, to say the least, cautious.  On the previous visit, I had turned up about fifteen minutes after the prescribed time, and was about to apologise, when I was told, "You're early; they aren't ready yet!" I remembered this precedent as I was told I should have to wait about ten minutes.  Unsurprised this time, I took advantage of the opportunity to clean my van's windows while I waited.  Then, with the parcel safely in the van, I made for home.  I'd gone about six or seven miles when the phone rang.  Would I please go back ... there was more to collect.  Well, there would be, I found, once the extra copies had been produced!

Friday morning found me heading to Corby again, this time with goods to deliver to a company in the next road to the printers.  I then went back to the printers, where the same familiar play unfolded once more.  It was almost an hour before I was on the return journey, but this time I wasn't recalled. The scene now moves further south.  Just as I had arrived at Waitrose (for the first time) on Wednesday, I had been spotted by the Reading office, who asked me to collect some goods in nearby Wokingham, for a company in Ware.  On Friday, after returning from Corby, I was given a tender to take to Epping, and also a parcel for this same company in Ware ... yet again, I now knew where to go.  I was also given another job to go in the same direction, but had to turn it down, because there wouldn't have been time to collect this and still get the tender to Epping by the required deadline.  This rejection also duplicated a circumstance earlier in the week.  As I had made my way from Gaydon to Coventry on Monday afternoon, for my second delivery, I'd been called by the Warwick office to collect in Coventry for Leicester.  This collection, however, had to be before the people left at 4.30, and I wouldn't be making my delivery in Coventry until after that time, so I had had to turn that one down too.

The week's duplication phenomenon hadn't done with me yet.  Later on Friday afternoon, I collected some cables from Hertford to take to Shepperton Studios.  As I was given these, our customer told me with great 'professional excitement' that they were for the set of 'Beauty and the Beast'. Apart from having heard the title, this meant little to me, but I did recall a similar situation some years ago, when I had to take some far larger cables to a site in Oxfordshire where one of the Harry Potter films was being made. Now, on Saturday evening, I've only recently returned from a visit to Chigwell, where I collected a small package to deliver to the same engineer at Shepperton early on Monday morning.  I just hope that he doesn't oversleep ... I know I won't!

If your mind has kept up with all these comings and goings, look in again next week, for another thrilling instalment of life on four wheels!