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Thread: Strange cargo, 1 human specimen - "Treat as one of your own"

  1. #1
    Senior Member chasevans's Avatar
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    Talking Strange cargo, 1 human specimen - "Treat as one of your own"

    My family was in the haulage business in the 1970's. We had a contract with a Bermondsey firm to deliver goods all over Merseyside. The London articulated lorry would arrive at 6 am and we would unload it onto our smaller lorries.
    One morning the unloading was disrupted. One of our drivers had spotted a crate with the label "1 human specimen", destination Ireland (via Collingwood dock). The initial reaction was disbelief and laughter. The crate was stacked under a consignment of cheese power and assorted other crates.
    The boss (my mam) went ballistic. She rang up the Bemondsey firm at 8am ( their office hours) and gave them down the banks, mainly wanting to know what was in the crate. The phone lines were hot, and a couple of hours later the mystery was solved. Bermondsey had been duped into relaying the crate by another firm. The crate contained a dead man returning from Australia to his Irish homeland. The story has many twists and turns, but I'll get to the ending.
    My mam put the triplicate consignment sheet for the crate into her Olivetti typewriter and typed boldly;-
    TREAT AS ONE OF YOUR OWN



    My brother, Les, was given the task of delivering the crate to Collingwood dock, his lorry being made as tidy as possible. His arrival at the dock carrying a solitary crate was already expected. A cortege of dockers helped unload the crate and escort it on board the ship.
    Hopefully the Irishman's journey ended peacefully, RIP.
    What happened to the cheese powder? Well, that's a story for another day.
    Regards,
    Chas


    PART 2 A tale of cheese powder in the 1970's summer heat
    Last edited by chasevans; 08-31-2011 at 05:06 PM. Reason: cheese link

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    Came fourth...now what? Oudeis's Avatar
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    For I'll tak the high road
    and you tak the low road
    neither, our duty shall shirk
    but I don't envy you the paper-work.

  3. #3
    Senior Member chasevans's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Oudeis View Post
    For I'll tak the high road
    and you tak the low road
    neither, our duty shall shirk
    but I don't envy you the paper-work.
    How the guy's body was transported from Australia to London then Liverpool is still a mystery me. One small consolation, the dock checker gave us a clean receipt!

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    Senior Member wsteve55's Avatar
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    Bet he was a dead weight,then!

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    Keeping It Real !!!!!!!!! ItsaZappathing's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by chasevans View Post
    My family was in the haulage business in the 1970's. We had a contract with a Bermondsey firm to deliver goods all over Merseyside. The London articulated lorry would arrive at 6 am and we would unload it onto our smaller lorries.
    One morning the unloading was disrupted. One of our drivers had spotted a crate with the label "1 human specimen", destination Ireland (via Collingwood dock). The initial reaction was disbelief and laughter. The crate was stacked under a consignment of cheese power and assorted other crates.
    The boss (my mam) went ballistic. She rang up the Bemondsey firm at 8am ( their office hours) and gave them down the banks, mainly wanting to know what was in the crate. The phone lines were hot, and a couple of hours later the mystery was solved. Bermondsey had been duped into relaying the crate by another firm. The crate contained a dead man returning from Australia to his Irish homeland. The story has many twists and turns, but I'll get to the ending.
    My mam put the triplicate consignment sheet for the crate into her Olivetti typewriter and typed boldly;-
    TREAT AS ONE OF YOUR OWN

    My brother, Les, was given the task of delivering the crate to Collingwood dock, his lorry being made as tidy as possible. His arrival at the dock carrying a solitary crate was already expected. A cortege of dockers helped unload the crate and escort it on board the ship. Hopefully the Irishman's journey ended peacefully, RIP.What happened to the cheese powder? Well, that's a story for another day.
    Regards,
    Chas
    Good one Chas.
    Olivetti - now there's a blast from the past. It vanished like cheese powder.

  6. #6
    Senior Member chasevans's Avatar
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    Ta John,
    I will tell the cheese powder story later, it deserves telling. Hope you're not queasy, it's the gritz, the double gritz!
    Cheers,
    Chas


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