Truck & Driver UK – July 2019

Truck & Driver July 2019^87

RETRO TRUCK

down onto the A69 and return to

the cut and thrust as we head

south down the A1 to Birtley. We

lose count of how many flashes

and waves Les gets from guys

going the other way; they’re

probably conscious that this is

one of the last paid-for trips that

Les will be undertaking. But don’t

despair, Les has no intention of

selling the Sed Atki; he intends to

give it another year or two doing

the rounds of the show circuit.

Les says many people have

helped him along his way – he

still misses Raymond Jobson, in

particular – but although it’s a

certainty in this life that no one is

irreplaceable, it’s also a given

that Les, and his Seddon

Atkinson, will be missed more

than some. ‘Gan canny hinny’, as

we say in the North East.

close to T&D’s heart. “I was

really pleased when they let us

drive up to 50mph on two-way

roads – that’s made a big

difference – but now I’m really

worried about where lads are

being allowed to park. I hate

motorway service areas as I

think they are a total rip-off.

Free parking

“Why can’t we have free stopping

areas, with only modest facilities,

up and down the country like

they have all over the Continent?

“I’ve never had many nights

out but all we ask is for

somewhere quiet to park for a

few hours and not be charged

£31 for the privilege.”

Suitably refreshed, and with a

small collection of seven cages

to pick up for Northern, we drop

Amble no more? “L C’ stands for Leslie Charles

Extra Granning axle, prompted by a change in the

law, was added by Haverton Truck Engineering

Nine-speed range-change Fuller ’box