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A Weeks Diary

It's been over a year since my last blog so I guess it's time to either carry on with this rubbish or delete the site. Let's carry on for the time being and see how it goes :-)
On the driving front nothing much has changed but work wise there could be a few changes. More of that another time; maybe!

So let's get the party started with a quick diary of the week before last.

Monday.

The alarm clock went off at 02:15. After all these years it is still a shock to the system.
It takes a good 45mins to get my brain into gear after a very strong coffee and a quick shower. Where did the weekend go to? I didn't get half the jobs done that I had planned.

A 17mile drive into work, collect my paperwork and keys, hitch up, and I'm then ready to hit the road to Aspatria in Cumbria.
Pass Scotch Corner after the usual boring two hour drive along the A1 and it's over the A66 to Penrith.
At this time of year it's a glorious drive over the Pennines with the sun just rising behind me. Going in the other direction is a steady stream of Irish and Scottish hauliers heading south.
A one junction dive up the M6 and it's overland towards Wigton and Aspatria, the only distraction being the hundreds of rabbits who just sit in the road. Please move Bunny. At the very last minute they always get out of the way. I hope!

Swop trailers at our customer at Aspatria and head over the short distance to the small port town of Silloth on the Cumbrain coast. The road at best is narrow with just enough room to pass an oncoming car but at times shrinks down to just enough room to pass between the hedges. It can get interesting if a truck comes in the opposite direction but for a change it's all clear.

Slip into the yard where I'm making a collection with just a couple of minutes of driving time left. Twenty minutes later I'm loaded and move round the corner to have a cup of tea and a bacon buttie. I don't often buy from 'Burger Vans' but I must admit I treat myself here.
The couple who run this van are just such a friendly pair that I feel guilty not to stop. A friendly chat, good well priced food and they never fail to wave when it's time to drive off. Customer service at it's best.

Four and a quarter hours later sees me back in sunny Alfreton. Fuel up, do my paperwork and head home. Something to eat; grab some rubbish on TV and bed.

Tuesday.

Another early start sees me off to our factory in Corby.
A blast down the M1, off at Leicester and a run through the early morning gloom to my drop off point.

Have a good old chat with the forklift driver. Another happy worker.

Load up with pallets for a customer in Mansfield. When I get to their yard, that is tight at the best of times, I find major building work going on. I wind up the builders and they do their best to wind me up as I try and tip and then turn around amongst all their crap.

Back to the yard and an early driving finish as myself and two other drivers have a meeting with senior management regarding possible job losses. Happy days.


Wednesday.


A short local run kicks my day off. A full load of foam blocks to one of our customers in Ilkeston. Drink coffee and watch the heavily loaded freight trains roll past as I wait to get tipped.
All blocks off and it's along to the garage that services (!!) our trailers to drop mine off for some much needed work. No trailers to collect so it's a solo run back to the yard. Can't help blowing away a souped up Citroen Saxo at the lights. Childish? Oh yes, but fun!

My next load for a distribution centre in Bradford isn't ready so it's yet another cup of coffee and a chat with a couple of our other drivers who are also waiting for their loads to be got ready.
I'm booked into Bradford for 12:30 so need to be away by 11:00 if I'm going to get there on time.
Time drags slowly. There is a problem on the production line. 11:00 comes and goes.
At 13:00 I'm loaded and on my way; the customer will not be happy. Get to my drop two hours late and book in at the gatehouse. I say sorry and wait for them to turn me away. They don't. Even the yard shunter smiles and points to my loading bay. Bradford is happy today even though it's pissing down!

Into the back of the trailer with a pump truck and 24 pallets of mattress toppers are soon unloaded.

Back to base, then home.

Thursday.

Yet another short local run to Long Eaton outside Nottingham.
50 rolls of foam soon off-loaded then back for another load to Barnoldswick in Lancashire.

Or not.

The production problems have carried on and after waiting 5 hours for my load it is decided to cancel the run for today. Coffee overdose day. Just over one hours driving. Not happy.

Friday.

Another run down to Corby, take the empty trailer to the garage and a solo blast to the yard. Hardly worth going in, still it's Friday so an early finish is always welcome.

Next week I'll be on shunting duties. More to follow...........................................................................

I've not posted for a long time.

I have been back on the road for just over a year and I'm still enjoying it.

The intention was to just let this blog fade away but I've decided to keep it going and update it at regular intervals.
Moans, groans and general observations along with some input from outside sources. 
First update coming soon.
You have been warned!

Love Will Tear Us Apart

This might seem a little odd but I'm going to miss the old girl. I know it wasn't 'my' truck but it certainly felt like it was.

http://youtu.be/AO36YpDWKaw 

The music for this little video is by Darren Poyzer. It's his take on the Joy Division classic 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'.

Love Will Tear Us Apart - Darren Poyzer

http://www.poyzer.com/

Goodbye CDZ. Hello YWO.

05:00 on a Saturday morning and a motly crew of drivers gather in the canteen at work.
Destination. Peterborough.
The mission. To collect 10 new trucks.

Shunter Shane has drawn the short straw and is going to be our mini-bus driver for the trip down. Glad it's not me. Who wants 10 back seat drivers?
Just after 06:00 we set off and after a brief stop off at a transport cafe to fill up with bacon butties we soon arrive at the dealers. After a short wait we are issued with our keys and head off into their large yard to collect the trucks.
First problem. The truck Neil is collecting is missing a vital part.

 

Yes, they have not fitted the 5th wheel. The fitters there have to put down their mugs of tea and do some work.
Problem number two. Phil's truck has a flat battery. More action from the men in the garage.
We sign for the trucks and as they have very little fuel in the tanks we head off in convoy to Peterborough Services to put in 50 litres each to get us back to our yard.
Problem number three. They do not accept our fuel card.

What are we going to do about fuel lads?

A quick chat on the forecourt and it's back on the A1 to the next service station. So running on fumes we head off.
Problem number four. Phil finds out that his truck will only do 50. Guess he will win the fuel economy prize!

We pull into the services and 10 trucks grab every pump available. The families in the 'American Diner' are treated to 15 minutes of chaos as bemused couples out for a Saturday drive find their petrol station invaded by a bunch of badly dressed truckers.
It did cause a stir with all the kids though. They loved it. As did the owner of the garage who had an unexpected sale of 500litres of diesel. Smiley faces everywhere.

A quick blast (except Phil) up the A1 and we soon got back to the yard and spent the next hour filling up with both diesel and Adblue.

I'm going to really miss my old DAF, CDZ. We have had many a good time together and she has only let me down a couple of times :-(

My new baby

The new and the old

I'm not looking forward to trying to keep this clean

Mercedes Axor

For the past couple of days I've been driving our hired Mercedes Axor. We have this until our new trucks get delivered in June or July.

I had thought that our ones would be the same as this but I am beginning to think that we are getting a more basic version. Ho hum.
One thing I know will be missing is the manual gear change button. We can't be trusted to use it correctly.
So it's full auto gear change or nothing.

The dashboard is neat and does it's job but I'm not sure how long it will keep it's 'as new' condition as the finish feels a bit cheap. This picture makes it look a little blue/green, the colours below are nearer the mark.

Much better curtains than the DAF. These let in far less light.

Radio, tacho, interior lights and night heater controls are located above the drivers head.

Under the bunk there is plenty of space for odds and sods but unlike my CF it is a pig to lift up. A couple of small gas struts on the Daf make it easy to lift one handed sitting in the drivers seat. The one on the Merc has nothing so you have to get up and heave it up and then secure it in the open position with a strap. Cheap and nasty but I suppose as a basic cost cutting fleet truck savings have to be made and it all adds up.

So something like this will be my work place in the future. Not the XF Super Space Cab of my dreams but suits the job I do now.

Odds And Sods

Finally a couple of weeks ago 'The Beast' made it to the million mark.

It's been a hard slog to get there as we no longer do long journeys. 350 to 400k a day is about the norm these days.
It looks like I will only be driving CDZ for another couple of months as new trucks are on their way. We have been told they are Axors. I'm going to miss my little DAF.
We have had an Axor on rental for a month or so. Can't complain about it. Does it's job and the auto box seems to work quite well; not as good as an I-Shift but not bad.

Could have done with the extra height in the cab when nights out were common but beggars can't be choosers.

Coffee time near Skipton

I've been thinking about the dreaded DCPC recently. Our company says they are going to sort something out but...........................................
Time is dragging on and I'm seriously thinking about just going ahead and getting the hours credited myself. £80+ a 7 hour session seems to be about the going rate round here. Still, I paid for my own HGV and CPC so I guess this is just another expense to cover if I still want to do a job I like :-((
I wouldn't mind if we were highly paid professionals but as, not a lot above minimum wage, drivers is sort of pisses me off! To be honest though, I do think some sort of training other than the driving test is called for.
I had a 'conversation' with another driver recently. 20+ years in the job and he knew sweet FA about the rules and regs regarding speed limits and drivers hours.

There still seems to be a problem with me replying to comments (or I'm just being thick and doing something wrong) so sorry if you haven't heard back from me.

Two Weeks Under My Belt.

The last two weeks have flown by and I've enjoyed every minute of being back on the road.
I really haven't cared what I've been given.
Today I had a 45 between Ilkley and Skipton. Made myself a coffee and had a little doze in the sunshine. Perfect!
Even the VOSA crew who had set up camp outside Skipton Golf Club waved me on, when for a second I thought they were going to pull me over. Cheers chaps.

The only thing that has come close to pissing me off is quite a few car drivers on the motorway who insist on doing just over 50. I know fuel costs an arm and a leg at the moment but come on. Why buy a Merc if you can't afford to run it? Still, to give them credit, most have been flashing trucks back in and not just sitting alongside your rear wheels as many like to do. Damn. I keep reverting to 'Moaning Trucker' mode. I'm trying not to whinge but it's hard :-)

'The Beast' (aka MV54 CDZ) is still chugging along. I'm sure the Turbo is going to explode soon but for now it's still plodding along. I've started to clear the 8 months of grease from the catwalk and body but it's a long and messy job. Some might see this as a little OTT seeing as it's a fleet motor but who cares? I'm not going overboard and getting out the polish every time I stop, just a little TLC.

Roll on Monday and a quick blast down the M1 for a delivery to Leighton Buzzard then back to the yard for a local to Rotherham. International Trucker!

It's Good To Be Back.

Today was my first day back driving a truck since the DVLA gave me the okay last week.

I was given a nice easy, short run to get me back into the swing of things. Alfreton to Huntingdon and back.

How I have missed getting up at 02:30! Over the last few weeks I have been setting my alarm to go off earlier and earlier each day to try and get my body used to it. Sort of worked.
Arrived at the yard and after getting the paperwork for my load I went and sorted my truck out. I'm back in my old truck, CDZ. Good news for me but the only reason I am back in it is that the driver who has had it since my heart attack is now off work seriously ill. I wish him all the best.

It felt very strange driving up the road but after a few minutes and only a couple of duff gear changes I was really enjoying myself. Sitting in loads of traffic on my way out of Huntingdon didn't bother me. The sun even broke through the mist as I headed back north along the A1. It was the best I've felt in ages.

The months haven't been kind to CDZ. Rust is starting to appear in loads of new places. She really does look her age. I might still get to take it over the million mark though.

I've got another easy run in the morning. Can't wait!

I think I'm happy

Today I got the news that I've been waiting months for. The DVLA have finally said that I can go back to driving for a living. I should be jumping up and down and punching the air; it's all I've really wanted.
But I'm not. Pleased, yes. But this isn't the way I thought I would feel.
So much frustration has taken it's toll. The endless phone calls, letters and missed deadlines has been hard to take. I'll stop moaning now.

Not sure what sort of job I've got to go back to. My old truck is with a new driver and there aren't any spares. Guess I'll be 'Holiday Cover Boy'. So this weekend it will be sorting out my crap and getting ready for Monday. It might even mean some new videos on Youtube.

I wasn't looking forward to today.

I was dreading today. An appointment to see Dr Gunn in Sheffield.
When I had my stents put in at Papworth they had seen another artery that was partially blocked. Because of it's size and position it had not been possible to put another stent in. At the time there had been some talk of a bypass operation but they decided to wait and see if things improved with the other artery now being fully open.
I really wasn't sure how things would go.
Off I went to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield.

A short uphill walk in the cold and slush from the tram stop and I arrived a little out of breath. Blood pressure check by a nurse. Ok; but a little low. Then off for an ECG. Sitting for half an hour waiting for the test and my head was spinning. I just wanted it over and done with. Off with my shirt and on my back on the bed while electrodes were placed on my chest and ankles. I've had this done so many times that it felt quite normal and routine. Before I knew it I was on my way up to see my consultant with my ECG printout. I sneaked a look on my up but it meant nothing.
A short wait and I was in to see Dr Gunn. We had a short chat about how things were going and how I felt. He turned a little serious and said 'if I didn't know you have had a heart attack I would never guess from this ECG. Everything is working fine. I can see no problems'.

I left the hospital a happy man. No further appointments needed but he let me know that if I had any problems in the future he would be there to help.

I walked down to catch my tram and just kept on walking. Heading through the city centre I treated myself to a Breakfast Pasty from Cooplands the bakers. Billions of calories and stuffed with fat. Lovely!
The sun was shining and even Park Hill flats looked good!!

Some of the medical staff who helped me. The NHS at it's best. Thank you.

East Of England Ambulance Service.

           Control room staff.
           Ambulance crew

Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn.

          All the staff in A&E.
          Doctors and nurses, M.A.U dept
          Doctors and nurses, Pentney Ward
 

Papworth Hospital, Cambridgeshire.

          Doctors and nurses, Hugh Fleming ward
          Dr Nick West and his Angioplasty team

Royal Hospital, Chesterfield.

          Dr Clare Hawley
          All the staff in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Group,
                    David Sandler, Janice, Elaine, Amanda, Nicola and Pat

 Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield.

         Dr J.P Gunn and nurses

and all the countless back room staff.

'Trainee Lab Rat'

It's now over half way through January and still no good news from my dear friends at the DVLA. I had another letter from them yesterday putting the blame on the delay at the feet of my consultant.

So now I have two institutions that I have to hassle to get my HGV licence back. It's a never ending saga of phone calls and letters backwards and forwards between Swansea, me and my consultant. I'm sick of it. A classic case of one step forward and two steps back.

The company I work for; Recticel; have been really good so no complaints there. They could have kept me away as I am not able to do the job I was employed for. All credit to them for at least finding me something to do and continuing to pay me at my old rate. It's still a kick in the lower regions not being able to do the job I love.

This last week has seen me swopping the transport office for the new delights of being a 'Trainee Lab Rat'.

For the last week I have been working in our companies testing lab. Goodbye diesel and timed deliveries and hello, Tensile Stress Testing. I'm using maths that I haven't used in nearly forty years!

One good side of this is that I have learned more in a day than I have over the last five years on how our company operates. It's been an eye-opener.

Setting fire to foam to see how your sofa would behave in a fire is just one of the things that have kept me busy. Pulling, crushing, heating and weighing foam samples before they go to customers has been a real change to my daily work.

Good fun and it's got my brain working. Work out the density of a piece of foam in kg/m3. Work out the percentage stretch before reaching breaking point etc etc. It hurts your grey cells at first but soon becomes dead easy :-)

My tales of self pity are rather pathetic though compared with what others are going through. One of my fellow drivers, Paul C, is in hospital following major surgery to his brain. It makes my problems seem very small compared to what both he and his family are going through. I really must make the effort to go and see him this week.

Over and out for now.

There is a new Super Hero in town!

I deleted my last little post because on reflection I was being quite harsh about a certain driver and it did make it look as if I was out to get him. After thinking about it I decided that as he was a complete cock (© 2006 James May, Top Gear) it would be best to let it rest.

So I've ended my third week back at work and I have gained promotion! For five hours a day I have become 'PRINTER BOY'. Impressed? I bet you are green with envy at my important role. Here is a taster of what I do.

Every ten minutes or so the little green light on the printer front panel starts to flash. This is my cue to get ready for action. Seconds later a page is spat from the machine, I grab it, then, pausing only to put down my coffee cup, I race across the transport office and place it on the admin girls desk. Another delivery made on time. Sometimes to really test me it might print two or three pages together. I know it sounds tough but I'm coping well. To reward myself I'll have a little sit down and finish my drink; a smug satisfied grin might even show on my face.

Man and machine in perfect harmony.

Sometimes when my boss has to go to a meeting I get to sit in his chair, answer the phone and play with the tracker screen. Great fun watching certain drivers and finding out their little hiding places :-)

You can't blame me for trying to big the job up; I have never in my whole working life done anything so boring and tedious as this.

My hopes were raised on Saturday morning when a brown envelope hit the doormat with DVLA printed on the front. I made myself a cup of coffee, sat down and ripped it open. Would the medical man have good news or bad? Nothing about my heart attack just a very nice letter saying my digi card would expire in January and would I like to pay £19 to have it renewed. How the hell do I know? Tell me I can go back driving and I'll say yes. 

From the mundane to the serious.

The terrible event on the M5 at Taunton certainly brought home to me one aspect of driving that I don't miss at the moment.

At times I'm as guilty as everybody else of not leaving enough space behind the vehicle in front. The trouble is if you leave too big a gap somebody will slot themselves into it and you are back at square one with no safety zone.

I hope that those horrific images just maybe might make people (including myself) think about their actions in future. 

The anti truck brigade will have a field day. I don't know any of the facts as I wasn't there but with trucks being involved in such a graphic way the blame game has certainly shifted towards, rightly or wrongly, blaming truck drivers. We are already seen as scum by many and already ill informed comments are being made about the 'dangers' of allowing trucks in the middle lane etc etc. 

Fingers crossed that no 'vote catching' knee jerk reactions come from this accident. 

Back To Work

Finally on Monday I went back to work. Well, I use the word 'work' very loosely.

I'm on a 'phased return'; 4 hours a day for the first week, see how it goes, then more and more in the following weeks.

Sounds like a cushy number. Believe me it's not. As I'm still waiting for the DVLA to get to my file, it's no driving. Add to that my company telling me that I also cannot lift, pull or push things then it sort of limits what I'm allowed to do.

I can sit. I can drink coffee. I can file and use the photocopier.

I'm bored out of my skull and slowly cracking up. Hurry up Swansea. Please!

Back Home and Rehab

Sunday 17th July found me back at home after 11 days in hospital. Although, in a strange way, I had enjoyed myself at both King's Lynn and Papworth it was good to be home.

Everything over the next few days is a blur. Spent most of the time sleeping or watching the telly and of course being fussed over by my wife. That would soon change! My mum who is in her 70's treated me like I was about 10. Her poor wounded soldier. I must admit that at times it did all get a bit much and I became Mr Grumpy.

I was quite touched though when I received some 'get well soon' videos posted on YouTube by the Three Musketeers (Paul, Andy and Patrick).

I was stuck in the house as I wasn't allowed to drive. I would be able to drive my car 3 weeks after the operation but my HGV licence was suspended until some point in the future.

 

Days turned into weeks. I spent my days on the computer and slowly getting myself fitter by taking walks along the Chesterfield canal. Even these short easy walks knocked me out and I would come home and have a couple of hours sleep.

 

I joined the cardio rehab course at Chesterfield hospital. This involved twice a week exercise sessions; each week the sessions were made more intense. These really did me good, building up my strength and also making me get out of the house. Great set of nurses yet again. Without exception, every single nurse and doctor I have come into contact with have been fantastic. Smiles, good humour and always ready to help or answer questions. I've lost track but it must be about 60 people directly involved with getting me better. I love 'em all!

At the end of September I took my treadmill test for the DVLA. This involves first getting all wired up to an ECG machine and standing on a treadmill machine. At first you are walking at a slow pace, the speed is increased and the angle of the machine is raised. Every couple of minutes the angle is increased even more so you are walking at a brisk pace uphill. It only lasts about 9 or 10 minutes but it's hard work.

My consultant, Dr Hawley, was in charge and, touch wood, everything went fine. It is just now down to the DVLA to say when I can get my HGV back.

So to bring everything up to date. I am going back to work next week; for a start it will be office based and only a few hours each day. If things go ok in a couple of weeks I'll get back to driving, short runs to start off with.

Papworth Hospital

Arrived at Papworth and got myself settled in the ward. I was feeling a bit of a fraud. Patients there with problems that made mine look like nothing. Everybody was really cheerful though, self pity had no place here.

 

A very young nurse came armed with a razor to shave my bits. It sounds really good but to be honest it wasn't. I felt like a very old man being looked after by a carer. She was great though, quickly got the job done and didn't laugh or compare me unfavourably to her boyfriend!

A couple of mad nurses came and wheeled my bed at great speed along the corridors to go and have an angiogram. This was being done to show where my arteries had narrowed and to see how they would repair the damage.

I was wheeled into the room, transferred onto a table and told to lie very still. Above my head to the left was a bank of monitors and above me a camera on an adjustable arm. It was a very impressive set up. Loads of people were walking around getting things ready and cracking jokes to make me feel at ease. There was even music playing in the background.

I was given a local anaesthetic, the area on the right side of my groin was cleaned, and they prodded around trying to find my artery.

A catheter was then passed into the artery and sent up towards my heart for a good old poke around. With the X-ray camera moving around just above my chest I could just see on the screens the images of my heart. Amazing pictures as they injected dye to highlight the arteries. A very strange feeling as the dye goes in, you get a hot flush all over your body. Not unpleasant, just weird.

Within half an hour it was all over and I was back in the ward feeling very sore.

In a few days I would be back down there for a couple of stents to be fitted. For the next couple of days it was again just a case of resting.

Back down again for my angioplasty. Same procedure as before, but going into the left side of my groin. A longer procedure this time as two stents (a short tube of stainless-steel mesh) were inserted. These are put in with a catheter with a balloon on it; the balloon is inflated to widen the artery. A second catheter, with a stent on its balloon, is then moved into position. As the balloon is inflated , the stent expands so that it holds open the artery. The balloon is then let down and removed, leaving the stent in place. This all lasted about an hour and I was then sent back up to the ward.

Sore or what! I had bruises all over the top of my legs and down my thighs; when they put the catheter in they do use a lot of pressure, it feels like they are trying to ram a hose pipe up you!

Because of all the blood thinning drugs the entry point takes a couple of hours to heal. It is your femoral artery supplying blood to the leg, cut this and you will bleed to death very quickly. For this reason you are looked after very carefully for the first few hours. A clamping device is strapped to you and a high pressure pad keeps the wound closed. This I found the most painful. The nurses make you drink lots of water. Fine; except one of the straps is tight across your bladder. I was soon bursting! Having to lie on your back and empty your bladder involves some very strange movements, a lot of luck and the wish that you had more in the trouser department to make filling that bottle a little easier. Dignity goes right out of the window. So a painful few hours but well worth it. The really good thing was the ward sister said I could go home the following day. A quick phone call to my wife to arrange things and then a good nights sleep.

I was quite sad to leave Papworth; it's a fantastic place. I can't put into words my feelings for the staff there and what they do.

The NHS gets a lot of stick, deserved sometimes, but when you really need it they are second to none. 

Off To Hospital

So for little old me the mighty NHS swung into action

Within seconds I had been put through to the ambulance service control centre. A lady spoke to me and I told her what was wrong and gave her my location.

"I'm going to stay on the phone until the ambulance reaches you. Don't worry they are on their way"

I then started to cry! I couldn't help it. I wasn't scared or even worried about myself.

It was just something about the cool, calm way that she spoke to me. 100% professional; I just knew that I was in good hands.

Within minutes I saw the blue flashing lights and as the ambulance swung into the space in front of my truck I felt as if this was all a dream.

The crew helped me into the ambulance and soon had me wired up. I was given an aspirin to crunch to try and open up my blood vessels and a spray under my tongue to try relieve my pain. That didn't work.

A quick blast down the road and we arrived at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn.

Into the emergency dept and it was all a blur as tests were done and I was seen by the doctor. I was given some drugs and told to rest. Luckily for me in the grand scale of things mine wasn't a major attack.

There then followed a few days of tests etc while I waited for a bed at Papworth Hospital where any surgery or procedures would be carried out.

So I spent my time chatting, eating and sleeping while all the time being looked after by a group of fantastic nurses. Was I complaining!

A bed became available and I was told I'd be taken by ambulance the following morning down to Papworth near Huntingdon.

Two of us went down together for the hour long journey and the next stage of treatment.

Something Is Not Quite Right!

Wednesday the 6th July started with clouds in the sky and the odd hint of rain in the air.

As usual it was a 4am start from Alfreton in Derbyshire; destination North Walsham in Norfolk. A regular run that we do and a nice easy day along the A17 to King's Lynn then over to North Walsham via Fakenham and Cromer.

I didn't feel that great but put it down to just being tired and made my way to my drop.

I got there about 7.30, made myself a coffee and opened my curtains ready for the goods in opening at 8am.

An easy handball job of a trailer load of mattresses. Paperwork signed and I was ready to go. By now I was feeling pretty awful but again just put it down to tiredness.

Off I went heading towards King's Lynn where I knew I was going to have to get a break in. As I headed over that way I started to realise that maybe I had a little more to worry about health wise!

I pulled over into a lay-by just outside Lynn and put my seat back, shut my eyes and grabbed a cat nap. 15 or 20 mins later I woke with an almighty pain in my chest. A drink of water did nothing to relieve it and pain had started in my arms.

It then hit me. I'm having a heart attack.

One quick call to my office and spoke to Carl, a fellow driver who had gone through this a couple of years ago. Said I was thinking about dialling 999 and he said, 'don't think about it just do it'.

I picked up my mobile; dialled 999 and thought; shit, what is going to happen now?

A Good Idea?

I've been thinking of doing one of these blogs for some time but have never got around to it.
Until now.

I really don't know if this is a good idea.
Will I get bored?
Does anybody really care?
Will nobody read it and my thoughts just swim around the web like lost souls.
We shall see.

Stay tuned for more exiting stuff!!