Get Your Head Down and Do It. (Spring is Here in the Fenland)

Working through Newton on the Isle

Today was a very fine day indeed. It was one of those days that looked as though it might be difficult, but it turned out splendid - very good indeed.

As I sat in the canteen room before going out on our refuse clearing round, I got the news that my lorry driver (Alex) was off and also my bin loading companion (Dave.)

We got another driver to fill in for Alex. He was a retired worker called Dave (Another Dave.) He comes in now and then to help out. I've worked with him before and he comes from East London like me. We always have a lot to talk about, especially when East London is concerned. The next piece of news was not so good. Our governor told us that he could not get another loader so we had to approach the round with just a two man crew instead of a three man workforce. 

It is the first week of the summer rounds and all the work changes to fall in line with summer hours. Therefore, Dave and I were going out on a new round without prior knowledge of it. This is the first time for the rest of the summer round.

The weather was great and we decided to do the best we could on garden waste clearing. Our round took us out into the sticks amid all the farms and into two smashing villages. One was called Newton and the other was Tydd St Giles right on the border of Lincolnshire.

As we went about the round we found we were getting along with the work splendidly. The day was wonderful and the work was great. When the sun is shinning and I'm out in it, the work time seems to zoom by. We got into the villages very rapidly and by the afternoon we were well into the last village. We heard another smaller bin lorry driver call us over the radio - a troubleshooter vehicle that went where needed.

We managed to finish with time to spare. On the way back Dave and I were laughing on how smoothly it all went. Then we got onto topics pie mash with liqueur sauce, Jellied eels, cockles, crayfish and all. A great day because we got our heads down and got on with the job.

Driving about the Fens on a fine day is a great way of working

Small Farms scattered here and there beats the city