Did you watch the ch5 Everest programme last night tony ?
Hi Tony,
No, I swerved it, as I have a rule never to watch any programmes on Ch5 which must surely be the worst TV channel ever ever ever.
Was it any good? - Yes I thought so possibly thought so more than most as it’s an interest of mine
If so, I'll try & find it somewhere & take a look. - good idea
How is life treating you what with Lockdown & everything? I seem to recall you retired from drilling holes & started up a little business to keep you occupied. How's that going?
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I’m driving 2 k Miles a week in a Mercedes Vito collecting and delivering all sorts
Early in the pandemic ie last April May time it was boxes of Ppe from their depot at the end of the bedford bypass to xpo logistics- id never heard or noticed their vehicles prior to that - they manage and run food distribution warehouses up and down the country for a lot of the big supermarkets, some of their depots are huge , it was when gloves masks and hand sanitizer were like gold dust ,I had half a van full of said items .
There was one job that an older guy - by old I mean a bit older than me 62 ,travelled down from Preston to do as courier work was short oop north
3-6 boxes 📦 think 48 xpkts of crisps box sized to Dublin and Belfast with hand sanitizer and gloves in ,he could quote a “ good “ price as he was in the loyalty club of two ferry companies to Ireland
So a logistics company would let him drive past 10-20 of their depots in the Merseyside area where I was going to ,with a van barely 10-15% full ,logistics my arse .
He explained he had been a courier 20 years and had had 4 vans all Citroen berlingos all doing in excess of 400 k with little or no trouble
My thoughts were ,are there really no hand sanitizer n nitrile glove suppliers in Ireland ?
Then it became ventilator parts - that didn’t last longer than a month or so .to mcclaren the racing team units
Bizarrely I enjoy it ,the moneys quite poor but it pays our bills and it gives me purpose ,direction and incredible job satisfaction- esp when I get a medicine run out of addenbrookes pharmacy to generally older people who have left hospital before their meds can be dispensed ,they are always appreciative and chatty
The most bizarre thing I’ve ever had in the back ? Do I sound like a London taxi drivers quote ?
Guess who I had in the back of my cab last week ? Lol
A placenta packaged in a box - think putting a football in a box size ,obv in poly packaging but you could hear it sloshing about .
Taken to a house in Kent where there was a pub under bar fridge outside the garage built in its own little wooden felt roofed shelter with a combination lock on
I was given the combination and instructed to leave in the fridge taking photos of it in and the fridge door being closed
It was apparently going to be made into tasty protein pills / food for the owner of said placenta 🤢🤢🤢🤢
So I try and invoice £1 k plus vat a week
The van costs £100 per week on finance it currently has 130 k on after 18 months
Courier insurance £2500 pa so £50 a week
Tyres servicing repairs £50 per week - I have put £50 a week away and am currently plus £300 ,but a b service and windscreen replacement next Tuesday Wednesday- note the crafty oh dear I’ve got to be off on opening day of Cheltenham,- will use the £300 up and a bit
Then £250-£350 of derv
Leaving £450-550/wages
It’s currently a lot of covid test pick ups from care homes for oaps / special needs adults occasionally prisons and sometimes individual houses ,the company I work for Citysprint have a contract to support Royal mails e courier network as required
For example last Monday I took a colonoscopy machine boxed obv from a Peterborough drs to Romford £60
Home by 1 pm - not brilliant as no return job ,but an easy drive
Then got an e courier route 22 pick ups staring in Billingborough near sleaford ,5 x care homes Grantham , HMP Whatton,x16 care homes Nottingham area
Started at 1600 so left my house at 1500 drove 120 miles and until 2145 collecting
Then 85 miles to a topspeed courier depot at wilmslow arriving at 2345 unloaded by midnight
That is where my Paid part ends
So now I get to drive 125 miles home 2,5/3 hours with no pay
So 1500 start driving 0230 finish
What’s the pay ?
£200-300- 350;
Nope £150 minus £40-50 fuel so get £100 not brilliant imo
The biggest hassle ? Getting the nurses to answer the doorbell at some care homes,obv busy with patients
Last night I get a call out to pick up at Wisbech to addenbrookes £40
I tell control I will drive back via Peterborough instead of march Chatteris Ely way as we get few pick ups that way
I get a cavell centre covid pick up £45
Peterborough city care £42 pick up to the same place floor 6 microbiology at addenbrookes
So £120 for 3.25 hours work
So there’s swings n roundabouts in the job
Have you ever looked in a care home window ?
It’s horrific old folk sat there in vegetative states like Shaun of the dead
All of the staff I’ve met / seen seem totally wonderful caring people ,the homes look nice almost luxurious in some cases
But the poor folk in there it’s like a horror film ,not a nice future for us to dwell on
So yes that’s me atm
No online poker
A bit of horse betting donkage
No casino nights out
No Vegas last year ,this years not looking good either June or September
Hoping for a Tenerife and or Malta holiday ASAP
Do you have any plans - dreams for this year ?
Author