Holi-Holiday

Came away Saturday for a week long break with claire, her parents, sister and her husband and their 2 kids plus Claires uncle Paul.

Bought my replacement van while I've been away.
From a guy I found advertising on ebay, made an offer and took it away.

Bit of a bargain and a 1.7dl combo but needs a few jobs sorting. For the price it still seems to be a pretty good deal.

Roof rack will be coming off, bonnet needs replacing but drives well and seems to be good enough on fuel.

Yesterday was a walk around Torquay, KFC for lunch before heading back to Teignmouth.

Today me and claire went to the babbacombe model village, a few pics here.
On the way I went to a car wash and put my back out while cleaning it, in huge amounts of pain but still managed to hobble around the model village.

Used a new motorbike courier from southampton today, he didn't let me know he'd collected the job but did the run ok and let me know when cleared. Hopefully he'll get the hang of  it, seems he's worked for businesses that don't wish to give the best possible service.

Time and a bit

Yesterday I had a job booked for collect at 10am to go to MOD abbeywood in bristol by 12.

That changed this morning to 11am collect so I took on another run to feltham in Middlesex.

It's now 1:15pm. In stood at the porton down science park waiting for this package.
Phone is on charge, I've checked bike over and now getting bored. No internet signal. Help !!!

Choo choo

Collecting the replacement van today so here I am sat on the 08:15 train to Basingstoke, then change to reading before another change to pershire in Worcestershire. Bargain at £40 when I could have driven there and back for £25.

New van

Sunday 21st.

I've today won an auction for a replacement van. £1140, hopefully it'll keep me mobile for a while and drive as well as the old one.

Just need to get to Evesham in Worcestershire to collect it now.

Tomorrow I've a collection from Amesbury at 7am on bike to go to Sainsburys head office in London then to meet claire at Watford to exchange some wrong size helmets I bought online before heading off to Cambridge for the last radiotherapy session for Rex.

Catching up

I've been neglecting my blog. oops.

It's been a bit busier this last week but unfortunately this is with van work and with no van isn't a good thing. i now owe in the region of £500 to other couriers who have covered the work for me.

The van sold on ebay for £810, I had kind of decided to keep it and spend the money (that i've not got) on getting it fixed and keeping it as apart from the not running thing it is a good van. the buyer has now paid a deposit and going to be collecting it so i'm going to see about getting an astravan or similar to get me mobile on 4 wheels for the time being.

Had an unusual day yesterday in that I had 2 jobs to London, both by bike. Some leaflets delivered to Mayfair and a tender to Canary wharf, one by midday the other by 4pm. As it was they were both delivered by 11am.
Had a maccy before heading home and a chat with a couple of bike couriers who said they had no work despite working for one if not the biggest courier companies in London.

The end

Well what a day. Finally made it to bristol and 'Harris on 4d' where I had a look at the van and the cams are quite dry and not turning so that's major damage.
Bent valves and likely screwed cams and oil pump. New engine please.

It's just not worth it so I've taken out most of my stuff, given it a wash and taken some pics and I'll be putting it on ebay as is in a bit.

I'm currently on a train that I boarded at Keynsham station after my wonderful mother collected me from the garage and agreed to look after the things removed from the van.
Change at westbury and hopefully home by 8:30.
Been a long shitty day.

It ended so badly.

Apart from the Durham job I had a poole to Banbury job come in so having had some food at Mr D's in Bath I went to poole to collect just after midnight, delivers in Banbury at 2:30am and went on to meet MK for a job to Carlisle after the Durham job.

It was almost going well until on the A1 the van lost power and I'm sat on the hard shoulder at 5am.
MK got on his way to me to take on the jobs while I wait for the AA who towed me to the services.

10am now and just had a call from the AA telling me I'll be picked up about 10:40. Intended destination bristol so I can see how disastrously final the breakdown is, either fuel pump or cam related.