Great day

[johnik]

when i was doing breakdowns, i was doing a front lift down the M25, fella behind was tooting and flashing me so i pulled over, he pointed out that i had lost a rear wheel on the car, put the spare on and did the 3 wheel nuts trick, if anyone wants an alfa wheel it,s in the bushes, M25 southbound near # M3

 

[WorkshopChris]

Wife..."how was your trip over to Chesterfield ?"
Me... "don't ask and make me a cuppa please"

Should of been a nice trip over the Cat and Fiddle pass to pick up 42 rolls of Torch-on felt...fate had other ideas half way there

Look on the bright side if it was on the way back you would have had another 500Kg + to jack up.

 

[pedrobedro]

Whereabouts in Chesterfield, I'll pick em up I'm only down the road. Will they fit in the Berlingo ?

 

[dobbslc]

when i was doing breakdowns, i was doing a front lift down the M25, fella behind was tooting and flashing me so i pulled over, he pointed out that i had lost a rear wheel on the car, put the spare on and did the 3 wheel nuts trick, if anyone wants an alfa wheel it,s in the bushes, M25 southbound near # M3

That's funny! I have just been pressing Alfa wheel studs out of a GTV hub and fitting longer ones!

 

[4String.]

Wife..."how was your trip over to Chesterfield ?"
Me... "don't ask and make me a cuppa please"

Should of been a nice trip over the Cat and Fiddle pass to pick up 42 rolls of Torch-on felt...fate had other ideas half way there

Last time I went over the Cat and Fiddle was many years ago in the depths of winter, snowing like buggery, and 25 tons of bright steel bar on the trailer destined for Sheffield.

A worse load I have yet to come across, slathered in grease to stop it rusting, the stuff was terrifyingly slip slidey with a life of it's own, and woe betide any driver who took the corners too fast .

Almost as bad were the big carbon electrodes that we used to move from the long defunct Union Carbide factory near Hillsborough, to the big electric arc furnaces round Sheffield. As befits graphite, these things were as slippery as an eel and were a pain to sheet, a sphincter factor of 9.5 start to finish...

 

[roofman]

Last time I went over the Cat and Fiddle was many years ago in the depths of winter, snowing like buggery, and 25 tons of bright steel bar on the trailer destined for Sheffield.

A worse load I have yet to come across, slathered in grease to stop it rusting, the stuff was terrifyingly slip slidey with a life of it's own, and woe betide any driver who took the corners too fast .

Almost as bad were the big carbon electrodes that we used to move from the long defunct Union Carbide factory near Hillsborough, to the big electric arc furnaces round Sheffield. As befits graphite, these things were as slippery as an eel and were a pain to sheet, a sphincter factor of 9.5 start to finish...

30 years ago i used to do the cat and fiddle every weekend as my Mother lived in a place called Tibshelf...Yes its very bleak in winter and i have been over when its been a white out in the days when winter meant cold and snow guaranteed

 

[brightspark]

30 years ago i used to do the cat and fiddle every weekend as my Mother lived in a place called Tibshelf...Yes its very bleak in winter and i have been over when its been a white out in the days when winter meant cold and snow guaranteed

when I was a kid everyone got a sledge for Christmas snow was guaranteed and deep this year hardly any and was near easter

 

[4String.]

30 years ago i used to do the cat and fiddle every weekend as my Mother lived in a place called Tibshelf...Yes its very bleak in winter and i have been over when its been a white out in the days when winter meant cold and snow guaranteed

We live on the edge of Weardale, in the North Pennines.

From home, it's roughly 15 miles as the crow flies to the dam wall of Balderhead Reservior in Baldersdale, not far from Barnard Castle, and Low Birk Hatt Farm where the sainted Hannah Hauxwell lived out her life, is just off the dam wall. It can be a calm winter's day at home, the sort that might make you think about putting your big coat on, but Baldersdale can be under feet of snow and practically cut off from the rest of civilisation.

It genuinely amazes me how the weather can differ so much in such relatively short distances, such as when we had the "Beast from the East" 2 years ago and Alston was cut off for 6 weeks! Again, it's not that far from home, about 35 miles up through Weardale and over the top past Nenthead, but we saw nothing like the kind of weather they had.

 

[johnik]

That's funny! I have just been pressing Alfa wheel studs out of a GTV hub and fitting longer ones!

i got the job as a noisy gearbox, turned out it had just had the brakes done and wheel nuts left loose

 

[addjunkie]

It genuinely amazes me how the weather can differ so much in such relatively short distances, such as when we had the "Beast from the East" 2 years ago and Alston was cut off for 6 weeks! Again, it's not that far from home, about 35 miles up through Weardale and over the top past Nenthead, but we saw nothing like the kind of weather they had.

Yes but your not taking into account the change in height, for example though gradual, you climb all the way up through the weardale. Couple of years ago, I agreed to buy some scaffold, from St Johns Chapel. Lovely day here, trailer on and off I went over Allenheads. Snow and Ice still on the road, up on the top.

You can also get micro climates, caused by both topography, and large water masses like reservoirs.

My last working day was the day the beast arrived, I drove home from Aberdeen, got to jedbrugh and there was 4 inches of snow. Fortunatly almost no traffic, I had my pick up in 4 wheel drive with weight in the back all the way home from there, was quite good fun up over the carter bar. My son in law, a farmer, drives a tractor plowing in winter, met me at the turn off for Bellingham, and I followed him home.

 

[4String.]

Yes but your not taking into account the change in height, for example though gradual, you climb all the way up through the weardale. Couple of years ago, I agreed to buy some scaffold, from St Johns Chapel. Lovely day here, trailer on and off I went over Allenheads. Snow and Ice still on the road, up on the top.

You can also get micro climates, caused by both topography, and large water masses like reservoirs.

My last working day was the day the beast arrived, I drove home from Aberdeen, got to jedbrugh and there was 4 inches of snow. Fortunatly almost no traffic, I had my pick up in 4 wheel drive with weight in the back all the way home from there, was quite good fun up over the carter bar. My son in law, a farmer, drives a tractor plowing in winter, met me at the turn off for Bellingham, and I followed him home.

OH found a detached house for sale near Allenheads a while ago. 1.5 acres of land, plenty of outbuildings, no neighbours, needed a bit of work, and well within our budget, was I interested?? Hell yes, put an offer in now!! OH - "No way, it's too remote for me..." . Love the road up through Weardale, especially Kilhope Lead Mining Museum which is a superb spot for stargazing. Whenever I head to Scotland in the van, I now go via Weardale to Alston, then up to the A69 to Carlisle. It's longer than going over the A66, but it really is a superb drive .

I had an unexpected long weekend at home thanks to the beast. Coming home via the A68 was interesting going down Bildershaw Bank towards West Auckland, then back up the other side towards Toft Hill. Me and my little Nissan van were quite happy, but the antics of the clueless car drivers was bordering on dangerous...