Thursday was a busy day , loading up our old (10 years) Camper Van, amazingly ahead of schedule and in nice weather we were heading for the Dartford and then Channel Tunnel. What no problems on the road or through the tunnel.

Out in France and off we go, the weather is dull, with the occasional drizzle, we are heading slowly southwest towards Cholet, then Challans picking up food and drink. A wine & food fair but I’m not allowed to stop, head to Ilie de Noirmoutier. We wait 30 minutes and then head across the tidal causeway, leading a convoy between the locals collecting sea food on the mud flats. We make it through the receding water, the first across.

We stay mainly in camp sites, depending on the weather and site for 1 to 5 days, and after visiting a view tourist sites, we retire to for the night, protected by trees. Weather still poor so we head south, this time over the bridge. Towards La Rochelle we head for the Ile de Re. At last sunshine but a cool breeze. Excellent sea food lunch by the port of St. Martin-de-Re look over the port and battlements, more sightseeing. Stormy night.

Head further South but also east, follow the Garonne to it’s source. Then down to Castres and Carcassonne. Tourist visits. Lots of Route Barre, don’t the French love them. A massive pothole hit hard and our main water tank drops to the road. RAC called, triangles out, we get picked up and taken back to Carcassonne, repair (bigger washers) takes a couple of hours, then off we go again.

Head to Narbonne then Narbonne Plage. On the hill top overlooking Narbonne Plage we stop for lunch and the view, the storm really blows us over but it’s warm. Lovely warm but very breeze weather. We follow L’Herault gorge lovely scenery. Then the Tarn, where I nearly go canoeing except it’s pouring down. Then to the Loire gorge. Helen’s worried the dam is not releasing water, but just a little further down there is plenty. Lots of eagles. plus a castle in the lake. Up to near Nevers and trouble!

View a two tier lock and help the gears wont work easily but I manage to get it going, only 15 kilometres to go to the campsite. We make the angling car park just next to the campsite and grind to a stop. No movement! Phone RAC told to ring RAC Lyon, duly do, as it’s late we ask to be picked up in the morning, at nine o’clock. Pleasant night. At 8.45 a phone call they can’t find us!!!! Although we gave the full address and postcode they are at another town with nearly the same name. New collection arranged picked up about 10.50. taken to Nevers. Garage personnel have very little English, explain problems, take limited personal effects, and have two hours to wait for a taxi to take us 30 miles to car hire place. Raining and cold! No restaurants but a patisserie! After an hour stop a cab driving slowly up the road, it’s ours, relief! Get a car told for three days.

Tour round Nevers and find a small restaurant/hotel at Grenouille (everything is frog based!). Next day RAC tells us it’s very expensive, we authorise, they authorise the garage. Next day, mid afternoon RAC tell us the garage will not act unless we go in and authorise. In we go takes about 30 minutes, with the help of a garage sales manager we authorise and the parts NOW get ordered, we are told should be tomorrow! Collect more personal stuff from the van. Next day told Monday van will be ready, so a weekend stay over, and we have to hold on to the hired car. Tour the area.

Monday no message! Ring RAC, they say ready Wednesday. No news so ring RAC Wednesday, more problems. Authorise again ready Thursday. Ring RAC ready Friday.

We were told you can’t pay for the repairs by credit cards even though we got permission for that amount. So we try the five major French banks not one would do a credit card transaction for the amount required. Told by my credit card group 3 different amounts per day I can get cash out, we drain over four days ATM machines of cash (extra expense), so the garage will get it in 20 and 50 euro notes. Have to rebook tunnel crossing 3 times.

Friday 15.00 hire car will not start, and we can’t jump start it. Phone hire place who charge to the rescue. Wait until 16.00 told van will be ready taxi will collect us at 18.00, garage will stay open just for us until 19.00. It’s very hot! We make it, pay, and head off, eleven days late.

Round Paris, nearly completely round, back and make Calais and the crossing two hours early, and home much the poorer, and had only about six good weather days out of over six weeks.

Dave Poulter

Gulf Oil GB

The year was 1967, I walked into the Gulf offices at Dagenham dock and saw the traffic clerk and asked if there was any driving vacancies. He said, “when the other two drivers come in we will issue you a donkey jacket and two boiler suits and you can then go home because we have no work “ I said “do I get paid”, and was told “yes“.

I said, that’s ok then because of the pension scheme, He said, sit at that desk and fill in the application forms instead of having to come back with them.

In due course I had a driving test and was given a starting date , on the Saturday prior to me starting on the Monday I had a phone call from the manager and he said, “ Are you still ok for starting Monday”, I was ok, he then went on to say, I am sorry to put you on this but I desperately need an extra driver on nights and as you know we do shift work could you possibly start nights, I said, I could, and he said, we look forward to seeing you at 10 o’clock Monday night.

This happened all the week and I later found out that drivers volunteered for nights because there was little work and they could do their decorating at home.

So much for the extra driver on nights. I decide that I could like this job and stayed for twenty years and ten with Tankfreight when they took over the Gulf contract.

By Lesley Hays After taking early retirement from my job as Credit Manager with Chevron and Texaco, I followed one of my hobbies and became an archaeologist. Not only getting involved in the practical side on excavations, but also completing a degree in Classical studies and Archaeology. This hobby has now become a major part of my life and I am closely involved with local societies; taking part in, mainly, rescue archaeological excavations where a site may have been designated for building or development and any history or archaeology has to be examined before the site and information are lost, perhaps for ever. Whether professional or volunteer, most experienced archaeologists will say that our “treasure” is the knowledge that we uncover which helps us to define our past and possibly colour our future. Archaeology should not be confused either with metal detecting or treasure hunting. Some metal detectorists work closely with us on site as part of our team, but unfortunately there are other less scrupulous folk in the world who think nothing of using a metal detector without the landowners consent and in some cases have dug on the site of a National Monument in the search for their own monetary gain wrecking the history and site for everyone else. These people are known as Night Hawks. I hasten to say that not all metal detectorists are treasure hunting Night Hawks, many use their detectors responsibly with the full agreement of the landowner and correctly report their finds to the local Portable Artefacts Officer.. Those who have watched Time Team on Television will be familiar with some of the archaeological terminology and the scenes one might find on an archaeological site. What cannot be sensed on television is the smell. Last year in the UK it was particularly wet and muddy. Many sites are situated a mile or so from a road, so walking there carrying a back pack is a dampening process even when wearing appropriate clothing. Standing on a muddy site is indescribably uncomfortable, the mud sticks to ones boots making walking difficult; and the smell of rotting vegetation needs to be smelt in person and the accompanying midges and other biting insects need to be felt. A few weeks of this can give a new insight into what the trenches in the first world war must have been like. They mention the mud, but not the stench or discomfort which were suffered by the soldiers for years. So far this hobby is not sounding very glamorous is it? Wet, muddy, smelly and insect ridden with mosquitos and midges. On a sunny day there is nothing to compare to sitting with colleagues enjoying a break and chatting about the days events and finds, often in beautiful surroundings with a background of simple birdsong. On training digs where students or novices are on site seeing the look on their faces when they discover their first find; be it a piece of worked flint, roman pottery, or other artefact is sublime. Being able to pass on skills and knowledge to a new generation is also what gives one a buzz; but perhaps the biggest buzz of all is knowing that the artefact one has just discovered was last handled by someone maybe hundreds or even thousands of years ago. Hold a piece of worked flint in the knowledge that it probably predates the Roman period. Some Roman pottery has makers marks on it so its manufactory can be pinpointed giving knowledge about trade patterns. If very lucky, the piece of pot may have a fingerprint embedded in it from the manufacturing process all those years ago. Put ones finger where someone put theirs thousands of years ago and that gives one a connection to the past and ones forbears that cannot be obtained from books or television. This year I also joined an excavation team at the Villa Oplontis in Pompeii which was great fun and I plan on joining the team next year (if they will have me). Maybe this will whet the appetite of others and encourage them to get wet and muddy or baked and sweaty in the interests of history and knowledge… Lesley Hays Return to Members Contributions Association News  

When asked if I would write an article for an edition of “Insight” my response was yes; I can do that. I have been retired for three years and surely, perceptions of retirement versus the actuality should provide ample fertile ground for an interesting amble through my retirement period so far. Fine, seems ok, then reality!

How to go about it. I have never written an article before – only reports. Why not try the same structured approach as I would when working. Ok, here goes with a list. Better do a planning bullet point list- but of what?? Oh why did I say yes to this article??

Just get started Bridgford! Here goes.

• How did I feel approaching retirement at the end of August 2009.

• Desires when retired?

• Reality – What happened after stopping work

• That dreaded to do list of long awaited jobs

• Firm up those promised visits to friends and relatives.

• Eventually go on those impromptu short breaks, and mini holidays

• Don’t forget the “Bucket List” of preferred activities (This is more like it!)

o After years of threatening, come out of the closet, and take part by singing songs at the local Folk Club

o When the weather is good, just get up and go fishing.

o Clean the garden pond

Ok that’s the planning out of the way, now for an interesting article – Tongue firmly in cheek. I was always better with figures!

Having worked for 47 years I was ready for retirement. Although I have to say, the last 5 years were the best years. I think I am fortunate in having that experience.  None the less I was on my way and I had a pretty good idea of what I was going to do.

Now, what really happened? The first few weeks just went in a blur. Did not have to start the day at 5.30, so get up at 7.30 ish! Catch up on the news and, hey, where’s the morning gone? Does not matter you are retired, enjoy. Ok so play the guitar for a couple of hours. Is that the time, oh well it’s a late lunch today. Fiddle around sorting a bit of paperwork. Oh, I was going fishing when the sun was shining. No matter plenty more sunny days coming along. I probably got under my wife’s (Margaret) feet, as I have never spent so much time at home. A hint was when she found me in ‘her study’ and suggested I got my own computer!!!! Weekends worked fine before retirement, but now they tend not to be so recognisable. I think you may now be seeing something of a familiar trend!  Yes, No?

I have retired, and I suspect my brain has as well, but do I care, enjoying it too much? Come on Bridgford get your act together.

Well three years on, life has never been so busy! The Diary has never been so full. People are constantly wanting me to get involved in activities, an aspect of retirement which did not cross my mind before retiring.

I have managed to complete about 10% of what I imagined, – Note:- do not plan too much – but a very interesting, and generally intriguing time, none the less. The big plus is that my wife and I can go out mid week, visiting, lunching, and sorting out our respective Mums and avoid the busy times of schools/commuter runs.

The achievements. I now visit a few folk music clubs to play the guitar and sing a few songs, as well as helping to get another one off the ground. All good fun apart from the politics!  I have become the Treasurer of our local angling club. This also has its unexpected spin offs. Such as negotiating a merger with another club. Great, except the merger failed to materialise and yes you guessed it, politics!! Should have stayed working. Ah well too late now. My wife and I did manage a long overdue trip to Ireland. So we just had to stay for 4 weeks. Ah, such a strain, but we braved the Guinness, excellent food, music, and lived to tell the tale.  Another long awaited trip was to Australia to celebrate Margaret’s Sister’s 60th, Tinnies and BarB’s ticked off the list, with no rushing off to the Airport to get back to the office.

The greatest consistency though has been a monthly GOM meeting with two retired work colleagues, Barry and John. What’s a GOM you wonder? It is a Grumpy Old Men’s meeting held monthly in a pub in Canary Wharf. I can thoroughly recommend it, and I am off there tomorrow. Cheers!!!!

Enjoy yourselves folks.

Ken Bridgford