Back in the 1970s l drove a van for a local builder, and as I was also in charge of the wheelbarrow, l was in effect his transport manager. I could, though, see little future in this and after a chat with my Uncle Bert, I decided to go lorry driving, l telephoned Road Transport Industry Training Board, but was told that I needed to be unemployed for six months to qualify, and in any case could only get a Class lll HGV licence with them.
So Uncle Bert lent me £212, and I went on a two-week course with Carlton School of Motoring of Sittingbourne. My instructor was a chap named Wally, and after a spot of reversing around cones at Sittingbourne greyhound track car park, I was out on the A2 with a 1975 Ford D Series, and a 30ft flat trailer.
