Thurrock is about the last place you come to before you cross the Thames on the M25. It's right on the edge of the river and a pretty big transport and distribution hub. And I've got to go there twice on Sunday.
The image above is of chalk quarries at West Thurrock in the 1920's. There may well be a few truck drivers who recognise those chalk cliffs. They'll know that today, in 2010, those chalk cliffs overlook the massive Tesco distribution centre in Thurrock. The one where you drive under a railway bridge, and basically end up in what used to be the chalk quarry back before the war.
But enough of Tesco distribution centres. (Although most truckers hate them, I don't have any problems there.... apart from the fact it takes too long to tip your load; I normally enjoy a quick cat-nap once I've reversed onto my allotted dock.)
The point of this post was not actually Thurrock, or Tesco, or even Easter Sunday. It was the fact that I really enjoy driving on an early spring Sunday morning. There's very little traffic at that time, the air is crisp, often there's a few rays of sunshine to give everything a warm feel and as the early morning dew starts to burn off the fields, there's a slightly hazy look to the surrounding countryside.
It's one of those all too rare moments when I really love driving trucks.
Of course, it all turns to ratshit later in the day when the weekend drivers find their car keys, but for a brief moment in time, Early Sunday mornings are all mine and simply amazing.
So whenever you read this, think of me trunking along the A11, M11, M25 down to the place on the edge of the Thames where they used to quarry chalk back in the day.
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