harry – bumper
Speed cameras – has anyone ever disputed the speeding charge and got away with it [so to speak] !! Twice I’ve had a notification of a speeding offence recorded by camera – both times of my car !! First one was of an “offence” in Sheffield [never been there by car] – I requested more information & a copy of the photo’s. I was told it was a Peugeot [same as I drove] and I would have to pay for a copy of the photo’s [bulls**t] – I wrote back with photocopies of my tacho’s [signed by my traffic manager as true copies] showing I was out of the country on the date in question & my car was in a secure locked transport yard… Never heard anymore not even an apology or refund for the postage & phone calls !!
Second instance was when I was following a colleague to work at 7am – he went through the camera no problem but it flashed me at 35mph – we both knew the camera was there & drove accordingly !! Again I queried it & was told perhaps my speedo was reading incorrect speed, but as I was tailing my mate at the same speed it wouldn’t matter if my speedo was not even working… The firms solicitor said I could fight it but he couldn’t recall anyone who had argued a case against a fixed camera and won – £60 + 3 points the cheaper options !!
Having said all that I drove a Dutch registered truck for a while and knew if I set any cameras off I would never hear anymore as foreign trucks were then not pursued for any fines !!
Bye Frenchy, hope you are back on soon, going to Paris on July 24th for threenights at a hotel near to Paris du nord, travelling by Eurostar, wife, daughter, & two grandaughters, spending two days in Disneyland, been four times to Florida, but younger then, all the best on your move. Sandman Norman
Dave the Renegade:
Harry,you can only go on a speed awareness course if you are no more than five mph over the designated speed limit.
I was done in Llangollen on the A5 couple of years ago, not as many years under my belt as you mate, 44 years driving at the time, took the course, saved the points, cost me £60.00 for the course, also a 220 mile round trip to Greenfield in Flintshire to do it. I am very careful now. Probably still get done.
hiya,
have just been offered the speed awareness course and speed was 38 mph but not going to bother whats 3 points when the licence doesn’t really matter i don’t really need it, costs me nowt on the bus and the missus drives it’s just when pulling the old caravan that i come in handy,
thanks harry long retired.
harry_gill:
Dave the Renegade:
Harry,you can only go on a speed awareness course if you are no more than five mph over the designated speed limit.
I was done in Llangollen on the A5 couple of years ago, not as many years under my belt as you mate, 44 years driving at the time, took the course, saved the points, cost me £60.00 for the course, also a 220 mile round trip to Greenfield in Flintshire to do it. I am very careful now. Probably still get done.hiya,
have just been offered the speed awareness course and speed was 38 mph but not going to bother whats 3 points when the licence doesn’t really matter i don’t really need it, costs me nowt on the bus and the missus drives it’s just when pulling the old caravan that i come in handy,
thanks harry long retired.
Must have upped it now Harry, know what you mean about not bothering, but all you have to do is turn up and go with the flow, you probably know more than the BSM bloke about the rules, also save you on your insurance with no points.
Cheers Dave.
that photo should be put in the roping and sheeting colum perfect for some drivers needing advice
frenchy:
Thats a grate photo , Trevor , look at the ropes , dead strait , dollies almost equal , corner boards ,sheeted to perfection , probably done in the street , long after everyone went home , people and cars getting in the way for rope throwing , and a BRS ERF , looking like hes dropped home for a cuppa and a change of cacks before going away for the week . Makes the eyes misty dont it .
Frenchy
Hi Harry -if I can ■■■■ in, I would consider taking the course, I got 3 points about 8 years ago (before the courses came in) first ones in 46 years it cost me a lot of money. I was still running a truck had a motorbike and 2 cars. I was told by my insurance co. that a 2.5 turbo diesel jeep (I use it to tow the caravan) was too powerfull a vehicle for someone with 3 points 
My offence was just a blip on a downhill section of the A303 I now stick to the limit all the time much to the consternation of other hourly paid drivers. Gavin
PS look for the BRS post I put on Long Departed Southampton hauliers
Gavin
Hi Harry, hope you make the right decision, myself I would have to take the course, because I could not drink half a glass, let alone three pints, tomorrow, I will be half way near to you at York, then Doncaster on Sunday for the races, I hope you know, I made a pun on Points & pints Ha Ha Ha . Sandman Norman
hiya,
enjoy your weekend at the races norm and hit those poor bookies hard come away from the tracks with your pockets bulgeing,a little BRSish story before i park my typing finger back in my pocket, parked up for my nights digs at kates cabin announced myself as “tyne tees” consett BRS by any other name our lads used kates a lot and was always assured of a drinking chum, pays my dues and nips out the back for a jimmy, returns and starts away from the counter cuppa in hand the old boiler behind the counter shouts me back saying theres only one cuppa with your booking you’ll have to pay for these she thought i’d said ten teas and expected me to pay for the other nine she’d poured at the same time a little bit of northern charm poured oil on the problem it was joked about in the yard for a long time afterwards,
thanks harry long retired.
Harry, I bet you never had your false teeth in, that why she never understood you Ha ha ha. The meal in the " County Restaurant " in the Grandstand at Doncaster, was sublime, the starter was fresh salmon, smoked as well, giant prawns, and all the other sea food, ham and salad, then roasted beef, lamb, pork, new & roast potatoes, all types of veg, then chocolate gateux, chocolate pears, fresh fruit, strawberries, raspberries. pineapple, grapes, and many more, if you was still hungery, you had the choice of ten types of cheese & biscuits, this was washed down with two bottles of wine, red & white. This deal was got through Saga, 2 for 1 price £65, a table for the day to watch the races, everything was included. I was nearly a ton down, but I put a tenner on a 5/2 & £20 on a 4/1, and ended the day £26 up, well worth the trip, 2 nights in travel lodge for £51. Sandman Norman
hiya,
no false teeth in those days norm, i’ll have you know i was a bit gorgeous, pleased to see you managed to return home in pocket, i used to go racing a lot at one time have done a lot of tracks over the years last time was about four years ago i did the grand national a weekend thing had to buy a pair of braces to keep my trousers up won so much money the weight was pulling them down i actually backed four winners including the big race winner best day ever came home more than a grand in pocket that doesn’t happen very often to someone who knows nowt about racing, the only information i had was put your money on what the irish lads are betting on and you won’t go far wrong, it certainly paid dividends that day the nearest i get to the track these days is in ladbrokes i still like a bet but the glory days are gone,the “c” thingy certainly puts you in your place,anyway lets get back to BRS business people will be browned off with my small talk but i can’t think of anything at the moment will have to rattle the old brainbox a bit and see what i can come up with, help frenchy, come back all is forgiven.
thanks harry long retired.
Handsome Harry, I do not think our small talk talk will bore anyone, because apart from you, Frenchy, and myself, and about three others, it seems that, either the rest ex- BRS, cannot use internet, or we are the last of the mohicans. I hope like you, that when Frenchy, has moved house, he is able to re-connect to the net. Do you remember or know a firm who used to do groupage called " Baxter & Hoares " , I done many trips for them to Germany, when waiting for M/E loads, they had depots in London, where I used to pick up from, when at the races with Bagdad Bill, a old M/E buddy, we was talking about our French & German work, and if they were still a going concern. Sandman Norman
hiya,
norm baxters & hoares doesn’t ring any bells, have done bits and bobs of groupage collection & delivery work when on for bowker international in the sixties and early seventies, did a bit into and out of jamiesons of heywood and southhampton and other people doing over the water work over the years didn’t go abroad myself it was just a no fancy thing although did irish work occasionally does that count as getting ones feet wet? and tramped all over the far east as a military trucker that won’t count.
thanks harry long retired.
Hi Guys
Dyou know I take my hat off to drivers doing continental with a BRS lorry , when God was a lad you were pushing your luck to get the Red and Rust out of the depot , I had many breakdowns and towins probably more on BRS than any other Hauliers in my career ,but I was still proud to drive for em even if they were the worst payer in town , if you had an MT flatbed trailer and wandered into any of the 80 odd depots for fuel the traffic could collar you and send you anywhere , and would fix you up with digs , they were very professional but just did`nt invest in Lorries very often .
Still flying the BRS flag regards Frenchy
hiya,
nice to see you back frenchy, you metioned brs and breakdowns iv’e got to agree the motors weren’t very reliable the bmc’s and aec’s were regulars on the end of a rope but the old bristols always got you there and back though they were sore on he old back never broke down with the octopus’s either but, you needed extra time to get there with the latter, but i always thought they payed well it was the north west and north east where i worked and most drivers would have given their right arm to work under the brs flag, the worst motor i had was at consett depot a volvo f88 well past it’s best when i got it wouldn’t get past doncaster without needing a fitter and his big hammer to get me on my way, i was on the christmas card list list spent so much time in there still wouldn’t have missed it for the world best job ever, happy days.
thanks harry long retired.
Frenchy, how are you, what part of France are you resting your head now, glad you are on the net again, it is been a job keeping the red& rust site going. BRS has always paid good to me, and plenty of nights out, which I used to collect a week or so late, specially when I done contract work for Camping Gaz, they was a French company, but they was painted up in blue colours, then I left them, when I volenteered for Brs Overland. But I will remember them with fondness in my heart, and my book will keep the name going long after I am departed from this pleasant land. Sandman Norman
Hello Norm and Harry_Gill
I was only 23 and BRS was my 2nd job in Haulage and was by far much better conditions , I took the job telling my Wife I would be home more , well did I lie , I was away just as much but then I was driving a tilt cab ergo AEC Mercury , much better than the Seddon I previously drove and because i was the youngest driver I was told " slow down boy ", " Sandbach in 10hrs is all youre allowed to do ", that was 180 miles where I would previously have done at least 400 miles in a day , what spreadover ? , " we do not cab it on BRS and never out of the digs before 8.00am " , and we booked a day in advance so you always knew were you would be the next night . as I was on Pirreli cable with a semi low loader it was great fun , find the Paddies bender and thats were you drop your drums , Do you remember BRS had a sliding scale paydeal from 4 wheelers up to 32 tonners , whatever you drove you got a £1 more for a heavier the Lorry , but as I said breakdowns were so regular that in 71 I went into their workshops for 6 months , if you cant beat em join em , we did have Bristols Harry but I only drove one once it didnt break down but was too slow for a youngster .
I suppose most of the original drivers have passed on to
St Peters Road Services now but we are the chosen few Norm .
Ive moved 20 miles west of Limoges now not far from The dreaded N141 with Lorries from all over Europe , Im not Truck spotting but I like to see them .
Regards Frenchy
hiya,
once took a load of whisky perth to london with a brs merc cylinder head gasket blew at edinburgh got to london with the help of an old wellie and a 5 gallon drum found in a layby filled up at every stream en-route tipped got the train home the old merc had to return home piggy back, i didn’t get that one back got an old dependable bristol kept that till made redundant the first time, started back later straight back on the same old bristol just like i’d never been away next time made redundant the depot closed a sad day, anyway frenchy pleased the move went ok and your back on line the old red and rust thread wouldn’t be the same without you and our other old retrobate norm who hasn’t had much to say for a day or two,
thanks harry long retired.
Handsome Harry, what with my bowls and gardening, I sometimes wonder how I managed time to work ha ha ha, back to Brs, I have stopped many times in the the area of your domain, at the old sally-army, always clean beds. Sandman Norman
hiya,
like the handsome bit norm,but don’t think my old lady would agree with you although at least i think you’re right,just wondered are there any old BRSers going to peterborough this year i personally hope to get there,iv’e never been and would like to see it the only problem is i don’t drive much these days(can remember when that distance was down tip load and back for a shift plus dodgy night out) but the train passes my back door so no problems getting there and there must be buses(show em your pass)from the station to the showground, any advice on buses would be appreciated someone must have got there by the same method as i’m going to use,it all depends on how the health holds out at the moment i’m pretty canny but won’t book until nearer the time just in case,will wear the tee shirt(thanks harry long retired) then people will spot me and buy me a cuppa failing that i could always JOG over to kates cabin and buy my own hope to see loads of frenchy’s red and rust brigade unless norm we are as you say “the last of the mohicans” anyway hope to see somebody i know.
thanks harry long retired.