The Tale of a Whale
Page 24
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Being Just One Story of the Part Played by a Dricer and His Lorry in Preparation for D-Day By Driver of 10S11 /102
W " What? "
" Whale, man; Whale, pull up your socks! '!
Was it something out of " Alice in Wonderland "? Sometimes I wonder if it really was. It started on New Year's Day, unless I really did dream it all. • .
I was greasing around the old bus; she's not, perhaps, as flashy as some of the rigid " -eights " you see about, but" she's a steady old girl, and in a way a bit like the inissus. • Then the boss 'called me into the office and switched the light on over his fancy map that runs up and: down like a blind. I could tell there was something special up. He didn't fuss, but his hat was just a shade farther on the back of his head and his glasses a. fraction higher, up his. forehead. You can't work for a man for 20-odd years without getting to knowthe signs.
Some steel girders for a little village on the coast of North Wales. Sounds' simple eitough A Punishing Job
The boss caine out himself to see the first one loaded, on that New Year's Day.Eleven feet wide, 36 ft, long, 12 tons dead weight. Punishing work even for an old bus like mine, with its 24-ft. platform. Why couldn't he order a machinery carrier? I learned afterwards—they were all booked on even bigger jobs.
dello ! the managing director of the steelworks is on the job himself; odd to see him without his battle dress with the crown and two pips.
What's he saying to the boss? Whale? . . . What Whale? . . must he moved off to assembly immediately each piece is finished . . , priority?. . . where's the three stars? . . . a whole ruddy constellation . . . before everything . . , Churchill himself said .
The big jib soon has it on. What an overhang for Welsh roads. Now a splash of white paint on the overhang, sides and tail. Lord ! I wish I could go the coast road, but this thing'll never go through Conway Bridge, No, the boss has checked up on that. Nothing for it but to head off for A5. How we scorn A5 on the London run, but how we came to bless the lump of it that took us through wild Wales.
Check .up after 10 miles, The old Whale, or .a bit of its backbone, is riding well. The chain's not shifted. Police escort waiting to see me through Chester—just like the old man to have them. on their toes. Gresford—thank Heaven I'm not a miner! Ruabon
the smell of hot, wet ashes always makes me think of the kettle boiling over on to the fire.
Now we're on to A5. What a road He was an engineer, that chap 'that took this road through to Holyhead. .• . Wasn't it for stage coaches? What scenery, too. Bowling along nicely, and she's riding very well, although, of course, we've not started yet. Llangollen—that's where the two old ladies lived; remember reading about them in a book once . . , wasn't it by a chap named George Borrow? .' . . That's it. Wild Wales—wonder what he'd think if he were with me now.
Ah! now she's dragging a bit; but what a road—wide curves, easy gradient, up we go—doing it nicely in third, 'old girl! What was that engineer chappy's name? Telford, wasn't it? Bet he never thought that bits of Whales would be going up his road through Wales. Good, that, Whales—Wales--must remember it for the missus.
Combating the Elements Corwen—funny, parting with the Dee. Must be three hours since I crossed it at Chester. Where's the Thermos and bit of bagging? Now for it-road narrower, surface rougher, up again, steady rising, no fences, sheep on the road, up we go, sleeting a bit, mist, sleet again, bare moorland, broken stone walls, tiny little cottages—what a contrast to Cheshire farms.
Where's this? Cerrig-y-druiddion? Fancy Druids, in white robes up here what a switchback . . . lonely up here . some of these bends a bit tricky . specially the narrow bits.
Pentre . Voelas . . here's the really tricky bits though, sharp bends, overhanging rocks on one side, and what a drop on the other. I'll bet it's pretty in summer—just my hick to. get this job in the middle of winter. Clearing up a bit now and brakes holding well.
stop over the bridge and check tyre pressures.
The Wellington Hotel—came on a coach outing here with the missus just before the war and had a nice glass of beer at the Wellington. Bettws doesn't look very holidayish on January the first. Now, old lady, we's really going to Climb. Swallow' Falls—bet they're worth teeing now. There wasn't much water going over when we saw it on the day trip. Had a nice glass of beer at that place, too, Wonder what this thing is . . Whale? If it keeps clear, might see Snowdon soon. Mod l Siabod, Capel Curig—starting to rain again, and no sign of Snowdon. Narrow here, and bumpy. What's this big lake—yes, it'll be Llyn Ogwen that Young Ted in the office talks about . . and that'll be the mountain he's always climbing. Stays at a Youth Hostel somewhere.
Must be quite close to it. Kids are lucky these days The old Whale still on . . . it's a long run down now and still narrow: lots of twisty, little bends that are a darned sight harder than they look. Thank Heaven there's no • pleasure traffic, anyway The Last Lap Bethesda . . . slate quarries make a mess of the .nountains . . . now it's better . . must get the turn right before Bangor . . • there it is . . last lap . . . gee, I'm stiff ! Sea looks
like the gravy vat Sam's Cabin . . . tastes not much different, too, I'll bet Coast road is narrower than I remember it . . this overhang takes a bit of watching on both sides. Never mind, soon be there . . takes a hit of finding, too, this place . . nobody seems to have heard of it.
Well, of all the luck! Old Joe out here. Whoa, mare I Why weren't you on last Sunday's picket, Joe? What, transferred here? 'What for? These ruddy things I'm carrying. Whale. Howlong for? Don't know 'Well, you would be a riveter. Soon have it, off now . . back under the jib . Up she goes. The old bus ,fairly wriggles her back with relief.
Yes, it was a simple enough job once we got settled down . . weather wasn't too had, really . . plenty of fog and rain, but very little ice and snow. Got a bit out of our stride when we had to rush some of them up to Stranraer . . it was a long drag up Shap with 12 ft, overhang; The job stopped very suddenly, too, about Easter, just when the scenery was looking a lot more interesting.
I couldn't help thinking some months after D-Day that the old Whale might be something like this Mulberry ' the papers talk such a lot about—only smaller, of course. I wonder whether it had anything to do with. it?