Each week as I visit the LRU forum it very nice to see the membership continuing to increase and am certain as more and more hear of the great site John has put together for us , it will just keep getting better and better.
Only today we went to our local library and the librarian spoke with a Lancashire accent , so guess what she will be doing next time on her computer!
Some weeks ago I mentioned a few more adventures of mine would be aired on the blog about my bus /coach driving days.
This week I take you on our Christmas Parade held in 1990 at Masterton .
Road Services Division of New Zealand Railways employed me on their daily service between Masterton and Wellington, a journey taking around 2hours .
We carried mail and freight, as many of the coaches were composites, that being half lorry half bus. The all up weight was around 16 tonnes , and most vehicles were manual 'crash'gear boxes , meaning no syncromesh for low gears. The journey over the Rimutakas slowed the journey time down taking 25 minutes to cross the mountains.
It was decided in late 1990 we would use the Wellington 'ferry' bus in the parade . The ferry bus was a Bedford YRT which had been painted in the Cook Strait ferry colours and all it did was take passengers from Wellington Rail to the terminal and back . a journey of about 2 kilometres.
A trip to Masterton and back in two days would be a good run for it. The Wellington Depot had fitted a large funnel to the roof of the bus, quite novel really, accept they forgot to check the headroom out of the depot and found it too high to drive out, so it went back in for lowering.
Came the day before the parade. I had completed the daily service so jumped in the company car and drove all the way back to Wellington to collect 'HMS Arahura" as pictured. Its along story why nobody else could drive the bus to Masterton but related to both staffing and log book hours.
I got a great deal of 'hoot's from cars and lorries as I drove up the Wellington Motorway and eventually into the backblocks and Rimutakas. Nobody had seen this bus out of Wellington before.
On arrival at Masterton I took the bus home and my family all helped in getting it ready for the parade. We made a cardboard anchor to go on the front and a great big rudder to sit on the back of it.
It looked ever so funny.
On the Saturday we all climbed aboard and meeting up with other Railway staff everyone got a great ride around the town in the procession.
Now one thing my employer had thoughtfully done was inform the council on the height of the bus with the funnel , so as to clear all power , telephone and Christmas bunting lines etc. Flags were often placed across the streets , so they were placed higher as we had the tallest vehicle.
After the parade my family joined me in the return trip to Wellington with the otherwise empty 'ship'.
We would return home in the company car left in Wellington. Travelling south , happy the day had worked out well and everyone was pleased ,.... we had overlooked one thing.
During the same day Masterton had its parade, the next town South -Carterton, had decided to place its Christmas tree, decorations and bunting up . Unaware we were heading through with HMS ARAHURA, and blissfully I never gave it a second thought as we entered the town and proudly drove through at full legal speed taking down every row of bunting along the high street ... PING..... PING..PING... it went.
On stopping safely and realising what had happened. all I could do was take all the bunting off the 'ship' and place it all in the boot. We carried onto Wellington and arrived back home afew hours later with the bunting in the cars boot.
It was delivered back to the Carterton Council on the Monday morning with an explanation that it had been engaged with a ship heading through the town around 4pm on the Saturday. I cannot write or repeat what their Street maintenance department said at the time but we did wish them a Merry Christmas .
Its a very busy month ahead for me so I may not be on the forum much for the next few weeks. should anyone wish to contact me about the paintings there is a email link on an earlier blog.
Thank you very much for all the kind remarks for both the painting images and the book story in the last blog.
I am humbled by the kindness shown and there is always a warm welcome here for anyone who is in this part of the world. Much as I miss Lancs , its just as nice to have lovely friends as everyone is here on the site as well as Southlake's and Talk and Chat.
Remember that hit tune 'Telstar' by the Tornados back in the 60's. Nothing ever seemed to surpass that instrumental did it, it gets played here quite a bit . I was playing a recent cd by 'Enigma' the other week called 'A POSTERIOI ', and one track called ' 'The Alchemist ' grows on you just like Telstar did 40 years ago. If you like that type of Gregorian music its worth a listen.
Until next time, a safe and happy week to you all.
Hello Wallace, thanks for your blog did you say you are writing a book, it will be a great book Wallace i know if and when you get it published put me down for the first order i would love to read it, the story of the decorations i bet you were embarassed too but it was good one though keep em coming. Regards Doris
Thanks Syd and Doris for your messages.
I have alot more funny episodes to tell you. I guess Cartertons decorations were the fastest in recorded history lasting just 5 hours -normally a month.
Yes a book is to be written Doris, but will be put together by a friend of mine who was a military journalist for many years working for well known newsapers and magazines. regards Wallace
Lancashire Re-United offers for sale and exclusive to this website prints of original artwork of Municipal Bus fleets , Railway Locos,Barrow Built ships & Company wagons by WALLACE TRICKETT who has VERY KINDLY given me the selling rights to these prints.Simply click on LANCASHIRE PRINTS to purchase these stunning memories of Lancashire'sroad transport heritage at the AMAZING price of JUST £9.99--each plus P&P -
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Lancashire Folk 
