Smithfield Markets, The lorry parking challange.
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- Опубліковано 16 вер 2024
- Smithfield Markets or the London Central Markets lorry Parking challenge.
The smith Field Markets as it is now was designed in 1860, Apparently they didn't have 44 ton Volvos in those days.
Filmed by Mark Pritchard DX57 BYL Ellesmere Oswestry Wrexham.
Really enjoyed your video Mark, it brought back a lot of memories. I used to deliver pork and beef from Ireland all over london in the 70's and 80's. Set off on the 11am ferry from Larne to Stranraer on Sunday morning straight down to Smithfield for midnight where you could have 6 or 8 drops in the market which was a nightmare trying to get parked at 6 or 8 different doors to get the meat off the truck. It was like musical chairs for trucks. Then I had another 12 to 20 drops around the city which you had to get off on Monday as you had to pick up a load of fruit from Covent Garden market on Tuesday morning to be back in Belfast fruit market for Wed morning and then load another load of meat and do it all over again. There were no satnavs or mobile phones in those days so for a young lad from Ballymena it was not easy finding where you were delivering too. There were no speed limiters in those days either so if you had a 141 Scania or an F88 290 Volvo and a fridge with a piece of shit would never start Petter engine on it you were the man. Anyway thanks for putting on the video, cheers.
Thanks buddy, By the sounds of it Smithfield hasn't changed much, still a pain to park. I normally have 2 or three drops there and then i'm off to Covent Garden which i don't find to bad, At least the buildings are all numbered up so you can work out where to go and you can always park outside the place there. I am normaly around 10 drops round London then i will reload out of Purefleet or Hatfield.Then its a nice easy drive back or maybe with purefleet a delivery followed by another reload back to the yard. I've been stuck in London for most of this year unfortnatly we've got protesters holding us up and people panic buying fuel making a right mess of the traffic so i've not been able to get my loads off, been making a right mess of my runs but what can you do? Had a week out of the place last week and was up to Scotland, Mad a quick video to upload and i'm just working on a bit of editing and with any luck it will be up soon. A nice and tight delivery down a single track lane up North.
You must remember John the shunter in Smithfield, you just gave him a tenner ,your paperwork and keys and he took care of everything.
Done this in 1967 and the early 70 s in all the markets all over the the UK and Europe it is what it is
Very true, That said there are a few more cars vans and lorries on the road now making it slightly busier and harder to park. I came out of central London on Thursday and it took me two and a half hours to reach the M25. To much traffic.
Great video, it so reminds me of the agro at the old Spitalfields market, one gets late due to people not wanting to tip you elsewhere, by the time you get to Spitalfields, all the greengrocers were arriving, everytime you stopped you had the familiar speech you can't park there driver,! One kinda gets that sinking feeling arriving at places like that, you did well there Mark, and at least you were going on to Nine elms, a lot easier, Borough market was manor agro as well, parked cars, and trying to turn into Winchester walk was major agro, I can't say I miss it !
I was there on Thursday and unfortnatly i was late. The fork lift driver had to drive about 5 miles to come and get his pallet, made him very happy. Which of course made me so late for the next drop in Barking. i missed that one as they closed at 6am. the day just got worse and worse from there on in. All well. London will allways be the worst drops i go to. I think outside central London Tottenham has to be the worst drops ever. Every single one of them is down a tight road and if you can get it down there you can't park and no matter where you stop in in some one's way. Of course you try and make life easy for yourself by having the pallet nice and handy on the back but the fork lift drive has allways just gone for his lunch, Even though its 8:30am. And they only opened at 7, Nothing makes sence to me in that place and i always hate it when i look down the load manifest and i see tottenham. I just know i'll have fun at that one even if its a drop i've never been to before.
I bet it's a great feeling leaving that place.
Hell yes, Not as nice a feel going though. Sorry for the long time to reply, For some reason UA-cam has been putting your messages in the spam message folder so I haven't seen it. Mark.
I used to deliver there some years ago and it was always a nightmare parking. The old market cafe always did a good breakfast/meal...
+Arthur Dale I did it on Turkey day once Christmas. I got there no problems then did about ten laps trying to park and went over my 4 and a half hours driving buy the time I'd parked. Right nightmare that was.
I did poultry early to mid sixties every night and sporadic nights in the early to mid seventies and still miss it.At that time there were four wheel trailers parked everywhere such fun ha! I know it sounds odd but I liked the night trunk. Nice film hope your still doing the same I dont know my way in there now wouldnt attempt it! ttfn.
Hi William, I don't do the London markets very often but I still do it every now and then. We have a regular driver who loves the place so he dose it most of the time however when he's off for whatever reason Pentons only have around 10 trucks that can go in and I have one of them. That said its becoming a lot quieter now and the last time I went in I parked up really easily right outside the place I was delivering to. So its not like my video any more things have become easier there.
I used to deliver there and I do not miss it one bit! I also used to deliver to Covent Garden afterwards...Much better, Always took my break there and refilled my coffee flask.
Funnly enough, I did it Monday. Smithfield then to Covent Garden. I allways get my break in there as i'm around 4 hours driving and although you pay £5 to get in you can park up and go get your breakfast stress free then. That said Christmas turkey day I wnet over my 4 and a half hours driving around Smithfield trying to find somewhere to park up and unload.
Interesting one that mate,always enjoy your videos wish you did them more regular.be safe.
+mick higgy Thanks, Been trying to do a vid every week but some weeks is hard to think of what to do. Also I never know where I'm going one day to the next so I can't exactly plan what I'm going to do.
Thanks for the video I am delivering to Smithfield market tomorrow night. Really not looking forward to it at all. According to my work the fork lift drivers charge £60 to unload the trailer although I will get that back again.
Thanks Jim, I've never paid anything to unload but I'm normally only unloading three or four pallets and I take them directly to whoever I'm delivering to. I'm guessing the full load will be for Smithfield and one fork lift driver will off load and take them to all the different market company's for you. If you think about it there taking the micky really because the forklift driver is getting paid any how plus what ever he can get out of the drivers he's unloading, which you can bet your life he won't be paying any tax on. By the way, you can't get in from the A1 any more. Go in from the A201 into Charter house street. Good news is though, its a lot quieter since I filmed this video. I find as long as I'm there 2am ish I can park no problems these days.
@@markpritchard it's a full load going to all different places in the market. It's a joke they charge the £60 but will save me a lot of hassle delivering each pallet. Thanks for that I will use the a201. I have a drop in Didcot in the morning and then to Smithfield tomorrow night. Great that it's not as busy in your video it looks like a disaster.
When I was doing my class 1 I watched your videos on reversing they really were a great help. A huge thankyou from me for posting them.
You welcome Jim, Thanks for watching. If your in the Market early enough you might see a Pentons lorry in there. Also if your there long enough don't forget there's a few decent cafes around the place doing tea and a bacon buttys. Its very important to keep hydrated and to keep the strength up pump trucking all them pallets to the back of the trailer you know.
@@markpritchard oh a bacon butty and a mug of tea will be great. That's dinner sorted. Not sure what time I will be there will know tonight when I get my manifest. Once I leave Didcot I will travel down and park as close as I can and take my break. 1 load after that and I will be heading for the boat back to Ireland. Back on Thursday to do it all over again. I will be in an Agro lorry.
Good luck, Always a good plan to have a break before you go into London as parking is never easy so if you can go in wit a full four and a half hours drive time available. That said at the markets you shouldn't have to much trouble.
I used to deliver there 3 nights a week from our depot in Boulogne sur Mer then off round butchers shop in London. It was really fun in a left hand drive truck.
I'm there most weeks now. On the good side its not a busy these days. On the bad side there doing some building work and have fenced off alot of the road i used to park on. So its not as busy, but still fun trying to park. They are moving the market to Barking at some point. Not sure when.
lorrys have grown roads havent
Your not wrong there buddy.
Fuck that.........you guys really earn your cash........I'll stick to my bin wagon :-)
Fun isn't it. One of those places i wish i didn't go to.
I wouldnt fancy that job ....oh no!! When was the last time you went there ??
Hi James, I was there late last year. Think I was there all week and I was sleeping in South Mimms services where I'd do a trailer change then go back in. Luckly its not as bad now as they are moving it so its getting a bit quieter. I was actually able to do a legal park and get my drops off. Even went for a cuppa tea.
smith no wat not doing that lol
I did it on Turkey day once just before Christmas. It took me so long to find some where to stop and unload I went over my 4:30 driving time. Never doing that again.
horrible place
Yep, If I'm honest, these days I prefer to stay out side the M25.