I thought it was a thing of the past - at least in this country. However, journeying up the M1 on Monday I was surprised to see smog above J29 near Bolsover. I was further surprised to see the whole of the Rother/Don valleys near Sheffield filled with the stuff!

Yesterday I was near Melbourne in S. Derbys and took this shot towards Derby and environs; overlooking the Trent/Derwent valleys. The thick 'nicotine stain' brown line between the green stuff and the blue stuff, stretching from left to right, is smog.

Smog is an indicator of bad industrial pollution associated with certain weather conditions. In the 1960s smog was produced by the combination of heavy industrial and domestic coal use with valley fog. The name is even a combination of the words 'smoke' and 'fog'. On the other hand, 'modern' smog is the result of more complex chemical reactions - typified by the Los Angeles smogs of the 1970s. So why are we getting something similar here now?

Minor problems

First there was the faulty power socket for the tail lift which meant a change of truck. Next was the bolt that sheared on the trailer legs - fortunately just as i finished with it. Last so far is that transport office seems shut to report previous problem...

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Loan trailer.

Its not just a Somerfield trailer, its an m&s Somerfield trailer! :-)

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Slow start to the year.

Is it just me or is this year very much slower to get working after xmas than anything previous? Hardly any work about atm. Still, at least i am getting plenty done at home:-)

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Breakdowns.

2 in just over a week!? The first was my fault. Mostly. Doing a trailer separation the yellow airline got tangled somehow and snapped - or rather shattered. We couldn't find all the pieces and as it was white rather than yellow, consensus was it was time expired. Today though, all i may have done wrong was turn the key too fast? Either way the starter seems to have jammed and i'm waiting for the green flag cavalry...

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Lots of strange police cars...

Originally to be posted 8-2-11!

On Saturday, I went to do a trailer swap at Stoke on Trent. Along the A50, just before Uttoxeter, I was overtaken by a black Lexus 'blue-lighting' at speed. This was immediately followed by a black Vauxhall and a black BMW. A few minutes later there was another pair of black cars 'blue-lighting'. Reaching Stoke there was even more police activity. Is this what happens when somebody 'important' passes along the way? Or just coincidence?

Dirty linen....

This is what happens when an M&S (or Next?) 'loose load' goes over speed humps (or similar) - so check what you are buying and moan like the blazes if its grubby!  Its not the store's or the driver's fault, its just a naff system :-)