28th December 2009

Last post for this year.  We have been busy, very, very busy.

Three months ago, perhaps longer, I fell out of the back of a long van whilst carrying a large box. Missed the step.

Result was a very swollen left ankle and a twisted right knee. Three months or more of gradually reducing pain and

difficulty walking. Working the Minivan clutch was a step too far. Impossible.

Minivan was therefore given a holiday, the engine was removed, gearbox stripped and overhauled, and the electrics checked, new fusebox, plus a full winter service. Ted was transferred to office work, and is still enjoying himself.

We did a few miles together when the ankle permitted, but then there was an overheating problem and the MOT was soon due, so Minivan went back to John. New radiator cap cured the overheating, new o/s track rod end fitted, MOT is booked for this week and then it's back out into the snow, ice and salted roads for another winter's work.

If finances allow, 2010 will be the year of a complete restoration before the bodywork gets too bad.

Just discovered some more comments added to this blog by some lowlife, and removed them.

My apologies to anyone offended by the content which was accessible by clicking various links he/she added.

All comments will now have to be moderated before adding to the site.

I had to skip the August post because the Minivan languished at John's garage whilst I favoured an injured ankle and then took a short[ish] break in sunny Yorkshire. Part work, part break sort of thing.  Hey, Redcar has a beach !

Anyway Ted is sitting behind me as I write, watching with what passes as interest on his furry face. He has been quite comfortable during my enforced abstinance from Minivan driving. Lisa has taken his position as vanboy for the last few weeks because she can run faster than Ted.

The Minivan starts September 2009 on a mileage of  3560 with a completely refurbished gearbox and final drive.

John May has made sure everything is running well and I must admit it is nice to have a tight gearchange and power take up.    Ideal for the winter and ideal for increasing the mpg figures,.........hopefully.

We are thinking that the bodywork may need to be done this winter, which will mean a complete rubdown. This will affect our logo and we need to decide whether to keep the original style or update to our fleet logo. [see below]

We will probably recreate the old one, but it would look nice in shiny blue and gold !

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Monday 13th JulyBig Gap ! Sorry.I have a badly damaged left ankle and Knee and have had to resort to driving automatics or vans with a light clutch action.  One week in bed, but available for light jobs, onto 5 day weeks of light jobs and for the last 6 weeks it's been continuous work on a light van. That's our spare van, a little Peugeot Partner on a 55 plate which runs nicely enough.Minivan is with John May at his Millbrook garage because the clutch action definitely does not fall into the the "light" category, so the little monster is a bit too much for this ankle problem. Also, I have been experiencing some slack in the drive take-up, and a clunk on "power-off". It become quite noisy one day returning from Cornwall and Terry was on holiday so I passed the problem onto John. He diagnosed a final drive bearing problem, actually he had been warning me for weeks about it !So we are both sick and need time off, but Minivan is more important so John is working on a full re-build of the gearbox and I am still hobbling around and driving slow-mo with a diesel lump for motive power excitement - not.

Flaming June !
Sunday 7th.
We ended last weeks mileage report for Sunday 31st May at 1383 miles.
We end todays, Sunday 7th at 2839.  That's  1,456 miles in one week of deliveries.

I keep making the point that our Minivan is a working van and sometimes does travel at motorway speeds, [ not our fault they haven't built the motorway yet,] and we don't always have time to stop and chat.
It delivers to really difficult places and on narrow roads. From unmade farm tracks to clifftop pathways and then onto dual carriageways and by-passes where it has to main traffic flow speeds.
It cannot be cossetted and cared for like the "shiney ones", and usually, but not always, it cannot be allowed to drop down to sightseeing speeds.  If we are seen at slow speeds, there is usually a fuel consideration or Ted and I are just relaxing at the end of a journey. Head on my shoulder sometimes !
Anyway..........if you see us, please carry on waving and flashing those super Mini spots, but please excuse us if we seem a little tied up in our work and are concentrating on missing the potholes.

The Wife usurped Ted's position this last week and Ted rode in the back. He was only slightly dischuffed, because he has more room back there. Because of The Wife, Minivan was to be spotted outside various pubs at lunchtimes, because she "likes to eat occasionly", apparently.  Cornwall has loads of pubs which serve excellent local seafood and coffee during the day, so The Four Lords at St. Blazey, The Safe Harbour at Fowey, both highly recommended, were visited, and others, during the now obligatory meal break.

OOOPs , phones going.........we're gone !

Sunday 3rd May.
0630 hrs and about to start another journey into Cornwall.
We went to Ivybridge, Exeter, Barnstaple, and down the Atlantic highway to Newquay yesterday.
Two deliveries in Newquay and onto Camborn to meet another van, then back for a 1330 collection from Torpoint.
Newquay was bursting with shiny Mini's, we spotted one green van, very smart!

 HELLO to all the Mini fraternity, I am afraid we are working hard and can only spend a little time to chat, and apologies if our van is a little dirty, it seems to pick up road dirt within minutes of being sponged down!.
Delivered into East Street and in any other van would not have been able to park, but Minivan fits anywhere.
274 miles yesterday. Mileometer now reads 97806.

Terry Eastley had made a great job of giving us brakes on the front.  Proper stoppers!

Just back, saw loads of "shiny ones" Not so quick today, too many boxes in the back!
Quick cuppa and out to collect for an evening run back into Cornwall, starting at Kelly Bray, Launceston and on down into Truro. Should be back home for about eight [2000hrs], ready for a light roast.
If you think I work hard you should see the effort that's gone into most of those show Mini's !
Well done people, I think Newquay loves you.

Sunday 10th May 09
Very busy week loads of miles on courier and medical equipment work.
Minivan is going fine except a new clunk on power-on or power-off. We will get it to Terry asap. Nearly had a chance yesterday, Saturday, but had an awful day of making bad routing and driving decisions, including making a wrong delivery. Apologies to anyone that met me, my brain was definitely taking a day off.

We had a delivery to the back of beyond near Looe on Wednesday or Thursday. Turned out that the postcode covered about 5 square miles but originally related to the Manorhouse/farmhouse. Guess who decided to go down a farm track that had massive cracks and divots causing us to give up and drive between the cows instead !
No wonder we have a new clunk.
Mileage is now 99025.  That's another  1219 miles this week.

Monday 11th May was a very bad day !  I jumped out of the back of a long van carrying a heavy box and went over on my left ankle and twisted my knee into the bargain.
Off work for most of the following week. It still hurts and is slow to heal and the bruises are still coming out today
Sunday 24th May.
Minivan and Ted have been making up for my days off by having to work harder than ever, and on Tuesday 19th Minivan became a born-again Minivan by reaching 99.999.9 miles on the A38 westbound at Chudleigh. [Piccies soon.}
Mileometer is at 000468 right now, that's 1443 miles in 14 days, with several days of non-use because my injuries.
Still running sweet, but the oil is getting a little black so Terry can fit us in on Friday this week for a full service and safety inspection. Just over 3,000 miles since the last service at 29th April, one month ago.
I will soon have to bite the bullet and find some money for a general bodywork tidy up, before it goes too far and needs a complete restoration.

We delivered to Langport, Somerset, on Thursday, maybe Friday, and if anyone is interested there were two, yes TWO Triumph Herald's or Vitesse's parked in some brambles at the back of the Industrial estate. They looked in reasonable nick for abandoned cars.
Working tomorrow, Bank holiday Monday, so the mileage will continue to climb so long as the bandages, heat pads and painkillers continue to work. 'er indoors offered to swap me into a 1.7 tdci Vauxhall Combo to help with a lighter clutch action for my ankle...............no ruddy chance. I'd rather drive something decent. Ted agrees. Nods. Grins.

Sunday 31st 2009
Terry has done the service, fresh oil & filter, adjust brakes, tighten lower engine steady bar, [ the dreaded clunk has gone ], and a general safety look around. Carried out at 1166 miles on the 29th, so about 3840 miles since 29/4/09.

We are just back from Barnstaple, Minivan fine, Ted's ok, my left ankle still feels weak,  I was glad of some help on Thursday. Ted stayed home to annoy Lisa and Sue, and I took grandson Andy. His Dad has a Mini car. Apparently our Minivan is a little quicker. We did several drops around the Cornish TR postcode area. Andy helped by picking out the next parcel and punching the postcode into the sat-nav whilst I delivered. He also acted as tea-boy/runner in Truro and bought two logs which he called pasties, { rear axle overload type monstrosities ], whilst we were parked in the pedestrian precinct,  .........well.....we fit.........and we are small.
Thank you for the Comment Donna.
My leg is getting better, my personal service will be around 80K, and that will be Mass ! Unless we get hit by brick-wall disease before that of course.

Ending May , hopefully the work will stop for today,  at 1383 miles
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Saturday 11th April
Fourteen days since my last post and we have added another one thousand, two hundred and 38 miles onto the mileometer.
Not only has that been hard work for Minivan and Ted, but it has been long journies and long days for me !
Minivan is running fine, no problems with starting and running, but a problem is beginnng to show with the front drums again.
I was delivering around Ivybridge last week and dropped into Terry Eastley ,the Mini man in Blair Road, [ 01752 894822 ].   He very kindly gave me a front wheel nut to replace one which had been wheel-gunned all to hell when a new tyre was fitted last week.
 He was talking about the Minivan still doing deliveries as a working van, and I mentioned the front brake problem. Well, I can sort that out for you he says, and shows me a full set of disc brakes sitting on the garage floor.
I'M HAVIN' 'EM !  I was so excited that I may not have to put up with oval drums for much longer, that I drove off without fitting the wheel nut.  I remembered it at Wrangaton and stopped to replace the knackered one.

This morning was an early start and I was looking at the beach at Challaborough in warm sunshine before going onto Salcombe. I had checked the tide times so knew not to go via the ford at Aveton Gifford, but being dim, I still went that way out of habit. Pillock springs to mind ! The water was about 5 foot deep. Ted didn't bring his snorkel so we turned back.
Mileometer at 95678

Tuesday April 14th
Nothing much happened all Easter weekend then came THE SMASH !
Me, Minivan and Ted head for Burnham-on-sea for an urgent medical pump, but are delayed by an accident on the A38 between Marley Head and the top od Rattery bank westbound. We were going east, but of course everyone slows to look. Me too. SEE DIARY PICTURES.
I drove artics for a long time, and have sympathy with the driver of this one, which had gone up the bank and fallen over. Probably trying to avoid something or someone, in my experience. If anyone knows him, I hope these photo's may be of some use for him.
Anyway, arrived at Burnham holiday park and delivered the box, then we were accosted by a very nice coach driving man who talked about his minivan and his time as a courier driver. Five minutes for the delivery, ten minutes for the conversation. An hour of dripping by Ted about not seeing the beach and the birds.
Then a steady ride home at 55'ish...but, at Lee Mill on the A38, there came a little tinkling, which grew into a bigger clanging, then a nastty scraping. Exhaust middle bracket had let go again, and this caused the tail bracket to give up, so we scraped our bum into Plympton and a nice man did a temporary bracket job for a fiver.
We are booked into the Stainless Steel man in Cattedown this afternoon, Wednesday 15th..

Took Minivan into the place that fitted the exhaust about four years ago, 

Longlife Exhausts Exhaust Systems

Sunday 8th march
This month started with snow and hail and icy roads, which caused much flinging of salt to make it safe for the investigators to check out the scene of the accidents which all happened before the salt flinging ceremonies.

I kept minivan and Ted in for a few days, because one hates salt and the other hates the cold.

The Guard on the gate at HMS Raleigh noticed that Ted wasn't wearing a pass, so I've had to design one for him.
[see Diary photo page].

It's time for a full safety check again, overdue if it wasn't for the forced weather stoppages. We really cannot afford the Minivan to be off the road for long because we are busy with small van work. We have bought three Vauxhall Combo's, but two have decided to have EMS warning light faults at the same time. Minivan and Ted to the rescue.......again.
John May will work on Minivan on Monday, so we don't lose a van for any longer than necessary.
John now has a massive garage facility in a boatshed/garage at Millbrook and can happily turn his hand to anything.
He is still registered and carded as a MOT tester, but obviously does not do MOT's now, although all his work is always up to MOT standards, which is reassuring for Ted and me.
Minivan needs a full brake check and adjust, wheel bearing check and inner wall tyre check, [ you try doing this when your my age and shape ! ],  as well as a full oil/filter/fluid change.
Must try to convince John to rub down some rust bubbles and paint them up a little. Put a smile back on Ted's face.

The week has been a mixture of local deliveries of medical equipment and replacement phones but we managed to add another 295 miles to the mileometer which stands at 93246 now.

Saturday 28th March
We have been very busy, work took off and we are rushed off our feet.
Movements from Copenhagen to Sweden, new large contract for local distribution, and the usual work doubled.
Minivan and Ted are happy enough.  John decided two new front brake backplates was the sensible option when he did the last service, and he thinks a new starter solenoid is needed again because the last new one has failed already.
People watching the minivan being started by using a claw hammer inserted between the solenoid posts and then twisted to make contact, must think we are nuts. But we did fit a brand new one just weeks ago !

John has worked on minivan today and I have just checked the Tracker and noticed he is on his way back.
Anyway, we are at  94440 today, a running sweetly.
So 1194 miles added since  8th March, that's twenty days.
No wonder my back aches so much !!


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Written Sun 22nd February 09
Since the last post in January we have had a considerable amount of snow and ice and an even greater amount of the dreaded salt and grit.  Minivan was kept at home for most of the bad weather this year, but has had to do some work as we found ourselves short of vans ! Seven small vans working daily in Jan/Feb of any year is surprising, but during a well-documented recession it certainly came as a surprise. We have bought three Vauxhall Combo 1.3 CDTi small vans to augment our fleet. Minivan had to work though.

There were several small jobs and today I have just returned from Teignmouth after delivering an urgent piece of medical equipment.
For the lovely people in the three Mini's, making their convoy-like way up the A38, all glittering and shiny in the winter sunshine, we were on an urgent job. Sorry. And it wasn't much over 70.
I hope you enjoyed watching a working van going about it's business, You cheered Ted up enormously !   In fact he displayed his best grin whilst staring out of his window, until I told him that it was his job to polish Minivan up to the same standard as those proper Mini's. He didn't talk to me for miles after that.

We saw loads of shiny Mini's today, and it makes us a little sad that our Minivan has to work so hard in all weathers and always looks so muddy and dirty, but even when we have the quietest few weeks of the year we managed to bring the mileage up to 92205.

Friday 27th
just back from Lands End, [ photo's in the Diary Photo page ]
Minivan worked hard this week and has added 405 miles to the clock. Now at 92650
Still running well but a trip to Truro to collect for Okehampton had to be done at legal maximum all the way, resulting in our honey coloured oil getting a little black and needing a litre to bring it back up to the level.
Must be getting time for a service.
There seems to be quite a lot of rust spots popping out all over the van so I guess some TLC is required and maybe this will be the year of the full repaint. Must count shekels and talk nicely to the wife.

Saturday 28th
Wifes birthday !  Happy birthday Lisa.  Kissy, kissy, kissy.

Early trip tp Bideford.  really quiet roads, cruising at about 50mph uphill, down dale, round bends. Nice trip.
Added another photo showing Bideford bridge in the backround in a dull morning light.
Finished on 92775 miles.
..............but there's more !
Not back five minutes, just enough time for me and Ted to boil the kettle and Lisa announces we are going to forget the planned birthday nosh and she sent us off to Looe for an urgent medical equipment job..................and there's more...............she then sent us to Budleigh Salterton for a similar job.
At 1530 hours, both trips completed, the mileage stands at 92929, which is really neat.

From the onboard Tracker:
23/02/09   87.6 miles
24/02/09  241.5
26/02/09   60.3
27/02/09  173
28/02/09  255.8             Total for this week   is  818.2 miles   running like a bird !!


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We worked flat out right up to the end of 2008 and all the drivers were knackered and riddled with colds and flu.The end of year party was postponed to January 3rd and all the teetotallers were assigned the Sunday jobs. Still seven drivers could not turn up because of illness or tiredness. What a year end !!I will upload some party photo's later, just to embarass those that did turn up.Minivan and Ted have had their six-weekly visit to Alan Jefferry's and Minivan has had a new hub bearing fitted as a result of the safety checks. Full service, new starter solenoid to cure a slow starter, repairs to a split maniflod downpipe , various switchgear problems sorted. The wipers have a typical Mini fault, new switch, new motor, new everything, but still refuses to park after use. Happily goes on wiping a dry screen when switched off. Alan decided that fighting the Minivan had no merit, so reverted to manual parking. I agree. Ted is nodding.Ted came out of it OK too. Stayed clean, kept quiet, learned some new words from the mechanics.Serviced at 90,800 miles, Praying for more sun and less salt.  2009, here we come.18th January started at 90,812 miles.           65 miles today19th.   95 miles.20th.  123 miles.22nd.   99 miles,24th.  202 miles. This week  584 miles ending at 91496Sunday 25th  52 miles.  Soon need another service if this keeps up !!Various other small jobs over the weekend and a run to St. Issey this morning.I usually look forward to a trip into Cornwall as it nearly always ends up with me and Ted sharing a pasty. Lisa allows me to buy a pasty so long as I share it, because she says eating a whole one will ruin my figure.SHUT UP TED !Anyway, today Lisa had cooked pasties and I wasn't allowed to buy one. Also the weather is atrocious.Wet and windy, surface water, spray, misting up, screeching wipers, drizzle, low cloud........all that stuff.This is 24 hours after I decided to remove the cover from the grille because the weather was getting warmer!Cornwall county council, in their wisdom, have cut down all the Rhodedendrons alongside the A38 through the Glynn Valley and the road has recently been straightened and widened and made safe from subsidence between the Halfway House and Bodmin Parkway.  Did they do a good job? NO!. No trees to catch the rain, camber into the hedge.  Result. Deep surface water extending two or three feet into the carraigeway. Thanks.Mini killlers. Surface water and speed bumps.  Poor drainage and deliberate ruination of roads. And we pay taxes to make it happen.Just checked the speedo  91623 miles and running great..

Written 17th December 2008.Mileage now 90,495.I must check the total for the year.Minivan is properly insured again, but we are having to do less of what we did before and more slowly !!We are extremely busy and sometimes Ted gets plonked down in the warmth of the office to have a rest whilst I drive whatever other van is spare.We have doubled the size of the fleet and taken on drivers for the lead up to Xmas.There are now twelve long vans on the road doing multi-drop parcels, six small vans doing various courier jobs and contract deliveries.Our 7.5 tonner air-ride is also working hard for another parcels company, delivering locally.The 3.5 tonne curtainside Renault Master, which has air-suspension for delicate work, has just returned today from Switzerland, where it collected the Liverpool University equipment which is part of the Particle Accelerator experiment at Cern.We took it from Liverpool originally, via Eurotunnel for the smoothest ride, and delivered it to Cern. It will now be re-worked and calibrated presumably, and we will re-deliver it when ready.Tony drove it both times and treats it like he is sitting on a tray of eggs.Hopefully their success in making a BIG Bang will not cause us any problems next year, but if it does, it ain't our fault!!I should have enough time in January to go back to a weekly Diary..........hopefully.