ALL UK COVERED.

Since first starting in the removals business it has never been a problem travelling for long distance removals as well as moving just around the corner. We must have been to many well-known places in Scotland, Wales, England and Ireland, not to forget Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Wight, Isle of Man, Anglesey with a couple of forays into the south of France.

Changes have been made over the years, to the way we work. As younger men starting out in business, we’d sleep in the back of empty vans in lay-by’s or sleep sitting up in the front of full vans, just to save enough to keep us on the road. All these years later we have Travelodges and B&B’s on line offering last minute cut price bookings. We’ve had quality hotels at affordable prices thanks to the internet and to us taking chances on availability. We’ve always got the back of the van if all else fails.

Running out of fuel, in the early days, was always a strong possibility. For a removal from say, Bromsgrove or Kidderminster to the South coast, we’d have to carry spare fuel in containers in the van because there just weren’t enough petrol stations, and if there were, they’d close at 8:00 or 9:00.

Running home on Sunday was a big gamble, petrol stations never opened on Sundays.

Once in a while, a little extra luck comes along to make a good job even better. I’d had an enquiry not long ago to move a job From Bromsgrove to Aberdeen, 445 miles. Our 7.5 ton van could do that so it was booked. Along came a small job going to Elgin in Scotland just 65 miles further than Aberdeen so it went into our 3 Ton Trailer on the back of the 7.5 ton van. One round trip of 1,000 miles and 2 nights out (in the van) and the jobs were done. Although it sounds simple enough to arrange work this way, it was only the second time that two jobs had come together for us. Dates, job size, destinations, our availability, all have to be right.

The other time was a delivery to Hastings from Redditch on a Saturday and a return load from Hastings to Studley on the Sunday. It was while sleeping in a lay-by on the Saturday night, in the back of the van, with a new member of staff who I hardly knew, that we saw the blue lights of the police car through the transparent roof of the van. Two policemen were curious as to why the van was parked there late at night. While they were walking round the van and chatting to each other, we were hoping against hope that they didn’t get too curious and open the back of the van to find two blokes who knew nothing about each other, wrapped up in blankets in the dead of night. Fortunately, they just checked the tax disc and went away.

I’ve been reminded that earlier this year in fact, we took a job to North Devon and collected a return move from South Devon to Kidderminster. All in one weekend. Our customer had been thoughtful enough to arrange B&B for us in advance. We declined the invitation to join in with the bingo thanks, but It became a good weekend all the same.

It has been said that our vans know their own way to Devon and Cornwall.

MOST JOBS ARE LOCAL

While we enjoy long distance work, the majority of our work is local. Redditch to Redditch, Redditch to Bromsgrove, Bromsgrove to Bromsgrove, Bromsgrove to Redditch. Not that it isn’t enjoyable, in fact we spend more time getting to know our customers on local moves. We’re all together for the whole day. Almost everyone keeps the kettle and cups handy to see us through the day and we usually share fish and chips together at lunch time while we wait it out for the interminable key release.

All areas have been covered by us over the years by now. We collect from the wider area I loosely call the Kidderminster, Solihull, Worcester triangle. This includes Stourport on Severn, Stourbridge, Hagley, Bromsgrove, Redditch, Studley, Alcester, Solihull, Shirley, Kings Heath, Kings Norton, Dickens Heath, Pink Green (honest), Portway, Ullenhall, Henley in Arden, Stratford on Avon, Evesham, Worcester, Droitwich. Sorry if I missed anyone out.