Big wheels turning

A little bit of history. I started the Lady truckers Club in 1986. I wanted to meet other women like me who drove trucks. I met one woman on Rownhams Services on the M27 near Southampton. We got chatting and exchanged details so we could keep in touch.

I had an idea to start a club so I wrote to the trucking magazines to tell them about what I was going to do. They printed my letters. I got enquiries and signed a few ladies up to it, putting a £5 a year subscription on it to cover photocopying and postage.

The idea behind it was to support each other, because we were all having difficulty finding jobs, and being accepted into a male dominated industry. Each member had a contact list so they could communicate with each other by phone or letter. I started to go to Truckshows, the organisers gave me free space to set up a stand. I wanted people to come and meet us and see that we were just a bunch of women who drive trucks, and no threat to the men. 

Shell Diesel Drivers Club were supportive and invited us onto their stand. The white sweat shirts were sponsored by Keltruck of the West Midlands. 

Inside the Shell marquee. 

Wheels magazine was the publication of the United Road Transport Union, of which I was a member. They were very supportive. 

You can see all the photo's stuck on the wall from group meetings. People were interested to look at them and see if there was anyone they knew. 

You can see there are some yellow sweatshirts creeping in. I put money into the club and designed the logo. I got a local printer to make these up. I started off with all yellow, and later on mixed some other colours in with them. I still have mine after all this time. You may have seen me wearing it when I made the Trucking videos. 

This picture was when we met at a Truck Racing event at Brands Hatch. 

Here we are at Truckfest at Peterborough Showground. The lone male in the photo is Steven Rodwell. His dad owned the company I was working for, and loaned us a van to travel to the event. Three of us slept in it. 

This was another time we were at Peterborough. The weather was good so we set up the stall outside. Notice the home made banner pinned to the wooden door behind us. I drew that on a piece of sheet with felt tip pens. Also made the little sign on the front of the table.

I can't remember where this was, Truckfest at Shepton Mallet I think. The Centre for Road Transport Studies invited me to set up our table outside their bus. I studied with them to get my Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) I got a local sign maker to make the yellow banner on the front of the table. 

I often wonder where all these ladies are now. I did keep in touch with some of them for a while. They are all special to me, we bonded as a group as we shared the same love of lorry driving. After running it single handed for seven years, I handed it over to a committee. There were over 300 members in it, and it was taking up all my time. It was before computers so envelopes were written by hand, I typed out the monthly newsletter and got it photocopied, and posted it out. I worked all week and went to Truckshows at the weekend. It was very time consuming but so worth it. 

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.  Toodle pip. 

Chatter

I'm a bit lost with the days now that we have had two Bank Holidays. I have to look out of the window in the morning to see which of my neighbours have gone to work. Which cars are there and which are missing. Some of them have works vans as well as their own car. I thought it was Monday when I woke up, then realised it was still the weekend. To confuse matters, the man across the road works 4 x 12 hour shifts then has four days off. Six till six, days or nights. I think that would be a good job to have with those hours. Better than the hours I worked when I was driving, 5 x 12 hour days. 

I did my usual walk today. The tracks are very muddy, it has been raining a lot. I got chatting to a man today, he was walking in the opposite direction. He said he had sent some pics to his girlfriend who has agreed to come out walking with him. She wasn't impressed when he showed her how muddy it is. I said, you will have to buy her some boots, and suggests he goes to Go Outdoors where they have a good selection. 

Chatting for 20 minutes meant that I had to get a move on because I had allowed myself two hours for the walk. I calculated that it would be dark by 4.30pm. 

Not quite dark yet. Ten minutes to get back to the village. 

I met a woman who was walking her dog. She is a nice lady, we have spoken before. She has a gorgeous Boxer dog. I carry dog treats in my pocket so I offered one. She said he is allowed treats. I always ask as some dogs might be on a special diet. He liked it and I got the feeling he would have liked another one. They only get one. Some of the dogs in the village remember I have treats, and get excited when they see me. 

My neighbour was outside at the front of her house when I got back. I stopped to chat. We haven't chatted much before because she is always busy with family stuff. It was a good conversation. 

No cooking tonight. I warmed a portion of stew up in the microwave. That's the last of the meatballs gone now. I wont be buying any more, it was like chewing cardboard. 

Five miles walked today. Total 32. 

Monday tomorrow. Must think of something to do to fill the day up. It depends on the weather. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Half a million subscribers!

I am a fan of Bjorn Andreas Bull-Hansen, he is a novelist, and a former powerlift champion. He lives in Norway. He promised that when he had reached half a million subscribers he would take a swim in the freezing cold Fjord. True to his word, he has now done what he said he would do. 

Here are some of the comments from his channel.

Love your content Bjorn. You are very calm, wise and thoughtful. I first heard about you through the Woodlander channel. You guys are two of the shining lights in the current struggle for Humanity. All the best

I'm really proud of you for reaching so many people with your authentic, loving and beautiful soul. Please continue to let your light shine bright. The world needs it desperately right now. Much love and light.

People like you are what gives hope to this world . I always achieve some peace when I travel to your space . Thank YOU Bjorn!

Half a million people who agree with your outlook on life. You are not alone, through your channel we know that WE are not alone.

Take a look at some of his videos, his thoughtful and calm presentations are a genuine reflection of his passion for freedom. It's good that we can make contact with people throughout the world and support each other. My friends list is growing. 

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon. ilona 

Crazy characters.

I went to the 20 21 Arts Centre just before Christmas, to pick up an application form for the Open Exhibition which starts later this month. I had a look at this exhibition, it has been there for a couple of months, and is due to finish on the 8th of January. A giant inflatable plus some sculptures and giant computer generated digital pictures. 

Jason Wilsher-Mills is the artist. Here is a link to his web site. You might like to browse through my photo's here. 

My thoughts are that my eyes cannot process what I am seeing. There is far too much detail, too many bright colours, and I am not into weird and strange looking characters. Not my cup of tea, but maybe it is yours.

 

I had a very cold walk this morning. It wasn't too bad when I set out, but it became quite blustery, with some snow which turned to rain. Five miles was enough. I was glad to get back in the house. 

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip.   ilona

Truth bombs.

 I vowed to myself that I would take a step back from the current situation, and concentrate on only the positive, and make plans to enjoy my own life. Although I am no longer posting on the Research page it doesn't mean that I have stopped reading up on the situation. I am still processing information for my own benefit.  

I am pleased to say that many more people are coming forward and delivering their own Truth Bombs. This is the new term given to those who have put themselves at the forefront of speaking out against the unfair and unjust way those at the head of Governments are pushing forward their narrative. A narrative that was created by an unelected body of the richest people on earth, and who have the money to control everything that comes out of the mouths of the politicians.  

Truth Bombers are everywhere, they have the knowledge, and the experience, of what is going on at ground level. These are the people who have been vilified on social media platforms, have been cancelled, deleted, and had their whole careers shut down. Luckily a lot of them have retired from paid work, so they are able to find new non censoring  platforms to get their messages out there. Those that are still working run the risk of losing their jobs. 

Truth Bombers are our warriors, they have their army of followers which is growing by the day. People are beginning to question everything, and they are getting close to the real reason why so many restrictions are being imposed on ordinary citizens world wide. Why are Governments pushing jabs so hard, there has to be a reason. They have peddled lies for so long they have lost sight of common sense. You cannot obliterate a virus with endless treatments. Zero cases is a fools dream. 

There is no point in covering old ground over and over again. Ongoing debates about masks, jabbs, lockdowns are all going round in circles. They will keep this going for as long as it suits them. 

Those who are controlling all of this have moved on, and so must we. In the beginning any mention of the World Economic Forum and the Great Reset were scoffed at as a conspiracy. Now it is becoming apparent that this is real. Some of the news channels are picking up on it. People will continue to rubbish it because they can't get their head round the fact that this hasn't been about health, it's been about control. 

Stop moaning about people not wearing masks, not getting a shot, and not following the rules, whatever they happen to be at the time. Leap ahead six months, a year, two years, to the next stage in the plan. What comes after is a whole lot worse than what we have endured so far. 

 If you can't keep up, or cope, with how things are moving on, you can close your eyes and ears and live in your own little bubble. Those who are ahead of the game can be planning how they are going to survive. 

An increase in Truth Bombers, people willing to speak out, can turn this around. A short video by Dr Robert Malone. 

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.  ilona  

It's all over in Blackpool

I was thinking about the little story of my time at Blackpool, there are plenty more I can draw from. In the meantime I came across this video made by Stephen. He makes some great videos of Blackpool which bring back a lot of memories for me. I was thinking I might go for a visit in 2021, but never made it. Always something else to do. I need to get organised and put it on my list for 2022. 

Take a look at this little gem of a video. I have seen the Illuminations many times. After I left Blackpool I went back a few years later as a coach driver. Park at the Pleasure Beach coach park. When the passengers came back after a day of walking around, I would take them down to Starr Gate, the start of the Illuminations, and drive very slowly in convoy with the rest of them, up to Fleetwood. Then it was straight back home to Burton on Trent. It was always very late after I had dropped them off and got into my bed. 

I have watched quite a few of Stephen's videos. A lot of them are about the entertainment side and the Promenade. He also shows some of the back streets, and films where there are changes going on. Closed hotels and buildings being demolished to make way for new. 

You may be wondering what happened about the fly tipping I found. I did leave the evidence of the culprits at their front gate, and noticed that the bag was gone a couple of days later. I walked in that area yesterday and found that the four black bin bags had gone, been collected. So it worked. I assume it was them who picked it up, because the Council have not been working over the holiday period. 

Another sunny start to the day. Let's hope it continues. It certainly lifts the spirits to see a clear blue sky. 

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.  Toodle pip.   ilona

Bridlington Harbour.

The last hour of my day at Bridlington. The tide is coming in so I walked to the Harbour to have a look at the boats. 

It is very well laid out, there are walkways both sides of it. Leisure boats and fishing boats. 

The pirate ship is on it's last journey out into the sea. Heading for that gap near the lighthouse. 

Ahoy there, me hearties. It's a short trip, about ten minutes. I will pass on that, don't want to be seasick. 

Here it comes back in again. Whisps of red in the sky as the sun goes down behind the clouds. 

Heading to it's mooring place. Time to park up for the night. 

The lights go on. No movements in the harbour now. 

So it's goodbye to Bridlington. An enjoyable day out. I will be back, but not just yet. Lots more places to visit in 2022. Thanks for joining me on this trip. Some more explores to come. We'll catch up soon.  

Toodle pip.   ilona

Beside the seaside

Bridlington is so well spread out that you don't need to see the amusement arcades and fairground rides if that is not your thing. There are plenty of other ways to enjoy the seaside experience. A walk along the very long beach when the tide is out is most pleasurable. Just watching families enjoy themselves with kids and dogs in tow makes me smile. A simple portion of chips, a bag of hot fresh donuts, or an ice cream is enough to make it a special day out. I had the chips, but not the donuts and ice cream. 

This part of town was surprisingly quiet on Friday. Not many customers for the arcades. The doors were open trying to entice a few people in.  

The funfair was closed, as you would expect in the middle of winter. The rides were covered up, the big wheel was motionless. 

There are no barriers around the funfair so It's possible to walk through it. 

It brought back memories of when I worked on Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Back then, in the late sixties, early seventies there were no barriers, so it was possible to meander through the park even when it was closed. Now the whole thing is enclosed in security fences and there is a charge just to walk around, when it is open for business. 

I worked on the waffle and donut stall, we also sold hot dogs. When I started the job it was situated at ground level opposite the entrance to the Ice Drome, on Watson Road. Later we were moved upstairs to a brand new stall opposite the entrance to the Log Flume. I often sneaked a free ride when we weren't busy. 

I worked with Ada and Maura. I called Ada my Blackpool mum. Maura came over from Ireland every year for the summer season and went home in the winter at the end of October. Maura lodged with Ada when she was here. I was living in a one room bedsit. 

We had a kitchen at the back of the stall where we prepared the mix for the donuts and waffles. The kitchen was also where Ada prepared and cooked our meals. We all paid into a kitty and Ada did the shopping. On busy weekends we didn't have time to leave the stall, we ate our meals one at a time, so there was always two people serving on the counter at the front. We even used a bucket to have a pee, because it was such a long traipse to the toilet. That wouldn't be allowed now, but we managed. 

At the end of the day the first indication we got of the Pleasure Beach closing was that the top lights would be switched off. It was a different time different every day depending how many people were still walking about. We knew then that gave us an hour to wind things down. Half an hour later Laughing Man, the clown at the front of the Fun House, stopped laughing. The stall holders nearest to it would pass the message along the line, it spread to everyone in a few minutes. 

By this time Ada had cashed up, and our machines had been switched off and cleaned ready for the next day. Only one thing left to do, when the siren blasted out over the whole Beach the shutters were pulled down, and we locked up. Usually Ada and Maura did that. Because I was the fastest runner I made my way towards the Casino building under the cover of darkness, so I would be the first to run upstairs to the office to pay in the money. I was nearly always the first, with a queue building up behind me which would take ages to clear. After paying in the cash I used to go into the Horseshoe Bar at the Casino and meet up with some friends. Watch the Cabaret and have a drink until 1am. This was the routine for six days a week. 

I have fond memories of my time at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. I was there for three years. It was a summer job. I had a job for the winter at Empire Pools the football coupon people. This arrangement suited me fine. Indoors in a warm office in the winter, and outdoors on the donut stall in the summer.  

I think I have rambled on a bit here, ha ha. I have a few pics of the harbour at Bridlington, I'll put them on tomorrow. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

New Years Eve, a day out in Bridlington.

Yes, I did go to Bridlington yesterday. The weather was a bit breezy but it was warm. I saw a Park and Ride on the map on the south side of the town. That will do nicely I thought. When I got closer they had plastered a big CLOSED notice on the road sign. That's a pain, so I carried on towards the Town Centre. I came up to a queue of traffic at a junction. I don't like queue's of any kind, so I did a 'u turn' and went back the way I came, then turning into a residential street. I dropped lucky on a quiet road so parked there. It was ten minutes walk to the Promenade Sea Front. 

Quite a lot of people about. There was almost as many dogs as people. It was lovely to se them chasing about on the beach. 

I went down the steps to walk on the beach. These are the rules. 

The sun was trying to make an appearance, not very successfully. 

Outdoor showers if you want to wash the sand off before you put your clothes on. I assume these are mainly used when the weather is warm. 

Rows of Beach Huts. Apart from these attractive blue huts, the rest of them looked rather dull. Why no bright colours? 

The door was open on one of these, so I stopped to chat to the couple who were sitting outside, while they sipped their hot coffee. They live five miles away and come down here on their bicycles. 

These are really ugly. They look like army barracks. What a difference a lick of paint would make with some bright colours. 

I like the little white fence dividers here. 

I stopped to talk to a woman on the beach, I thought she was litter picking. She showed me what she had in her bags. I was amazed when she said she comes down here to pick coal. How very frugal is that. Free coal to be found on the beach. 

I climbed up some steps to walk back towards the town on a higher level, and spotted the coal picking woman. 

Then the sun came out. There are plenty of benches to choose from should you wish to sit down. 

These very posh houses are in prime position overlooking the sea. Most of them have balconies to sit outside on. How the other half live eh!

I've got a few more pics but I'll make another post with them. In the meantime I made this video just as it was starting to get dark and I set off walking back to the car. 

Thanks to those who have checked in with their miles. There is still time to add yours if you haven't yet done so. We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip.   ilona

Calling all Walkers. Last check in for 2021

 Good morning and a Happy New Year to everyone. I didn't hear the fireworks at midnight, don't know if there were any, I was fast asleep by 10.30pm. That's what sea air does for you. 

This is the last check in for the members of the International Walking group. The final total for the year. Thank you to everyone who has come here to check in throughout the year. Stand tall and be proud of your achievements. 

I finished the 1000 miles on the 22nd of December. I carried on walking but haven't recorded the extra miles. I start again from nil today. Let me know if you are going to join me. 

As always, the message is simple. Exercise in whatever form it takes is good for your health. Being outside is good for physical and mental heath. After six years of doing this challenge I am ready to go again. 

I had a smashing day out at the seaside yesterday, it was lovely to be somewhere different. I'll get the photo's sorted out for later. 

Now it's up to you to check in with your miles. How has it been for you?

Catch ya later.  ilona