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One for the old boy's


rambo1969

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I started driving trucks in the mid 1950s, tyre kicking was only done on the twin wheels, just to make sure that you did not have a flat, particularly on the inside. Giving people a lift was a regular feture of the job, just good to have someone to talk with, particularly troops making their way to or from their camp. Most drivers (Trucks) were ex-army drivers anyway, no radios in the cab, even when they were introduced, some employers would not allow them in the cab, they felt that they were a distraction............. I have gone through all of the changes since the 1950s and I can tell you that I enjoyed my driving then, it gradfually all went down hill........... the experience, not my driving. The lighting was certainly not as poor as depicted on the film (unless it was 6v) thats obviously the poor quality of the camera used. The sheer volume of oncoming traffic today can be quite blinding, like I said at the outset, much more fun in the early days..... it really was a mans job.

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After the war my grandfather was a lorry driver for Hills of Botley - he used to say that it would take a week to drive to Scotland. Not sure if that was true or not as he used to tease me.

 

He is the same man who threw my cuddly on the fire :( I still remember it!!!!

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Delightfully put together film. Regards Jacks point on the dim lighting. A camera technique to emphasis the night time activity. The camera operator could control the amount of light being emitted into the camera. A closed aperture ( f stop)

reduces the light input but a clear sharp image as seen in the street scenes. Totally unlike the automatic cameras of today.

I carried on to watch more of that series and will continue watching more today.

Doug

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After the war my grandfather was a lorry driver for Hills of Botley - he used to say that it would take a week to drive to Scotland. Not sure if that was true or not as he used to tease me.

 

He is the same man who threw my cuddly on the fire :( I still remember it!!!!

 

Depending on what he was driving, assuming he meant the working week of 5 days, took the maximum possible breaks and the to/from locations - he might not have been too far off....

Stirling Castle to Tidworth Camp in a Mk 1 Militant GS took 32 hours 40 minutes driving non-stop.... Never be allowed to do it today but 35 years ago...... :cool2:

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After the war my grandfather was a lorry driver for Hills of Botley - he used to say that it would take a week to drive to Scotland. Not sure if that was true or not as he used to tease me.

 

He is the same man who threw my cuddly on the fire :( I still remember it!!!!

 

At 20mh (the speed limit then) up to the likes of Aberdeen, multi dropping and sourcing a return load, it could quite possibly take a week............ add to that the distinct possibility that all loading and unloading would most likely have been by hand.

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After the war my grandfather was a lorry driver for Hills of Botley - he used to say that it would take a week to drive to Scotland. Not sure if that was true or not as he used to tease me.

 

He is the same man who threw my cuddly on the fire :( I still remember it!!!!

 

Do have a copy of the "Hills of Botley" book? may well be a picture of your grandfather in it. I am good friends with some of the Hill family today and the stories they come out with are truly amazing. The book is well worth checking out, loads of ex Military trucks and trailers.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hills-Botley-Transport-Centuries-Hampshire/dp/095219385X

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