This shift on the Flying Crane was Monday to Friday, so it was evenings only.
I thought it was going to start off easily. “How busy can a Monday night be” I thought to myself. I was fully expecting to be relaxing in front of the telly with mug of tea and a custard cream by 10 o’clock, but it turns out Monday nights can be very busy indeed.

First I was off to the Royal United Hospital in Bath to pick us some medication, which needed to go to a patient’s home in Wells. After this it was off to Paulton Hospital to pick up a blood sample that had to go to the pathology laboratory at the RUH. So far so good. I thought I was done for the night and went to bed, but the phone rang again at 11:30 and I had to go to the pharmacy at Southmead Hospital & pick up some medication that was needed at the Bristol Royal Infirmary.
Apparently I wasn’t the only one having a late night. I got to the pharmacy at midnight & the pharmacist was waiting outside with the bag of medication in her hand. She was standing next to a car with the engine running, so I think she was in a hurry to get back to bed!

I saw a fox on the way out of Southmead Hospital. It ran across the road in front of me, but thankfully it was quick. By the time my hand had started pulling the brake lever, it had whizzed past my front wheel & disappeared. Phew!

I was heading home after delivering the medication, and the phone went again. I was sent back to Southmead hospital to pick up a box of fluids that were needed urgently at the intensive care unit at Frenchay Hospital. I got there tired & red eyed at about 1:30am, and was rewarded with big smile from the ward sister who said “thank you ever so much for this, we really appreciate it”. I didn’t feel so tired after that. I finally got back to bed at about 2:00am. Ahhh....

Tuesday night was quieter. The first call was to take some medication from the RUH in Bath to a nursing home a couple of miles away. After that I went to Warminster hospital to pick up a blood sample which had to go to the RUH pathology lab. It wasn’t an urgent call, but it was certainly important. Apparently a blood test was needed to see if the patient would be able to have a blood transfusion the next morning. I was finished by 10:30 and went straight to bed to catch up on some of the sleep I’d missed the night before!

Wednesday night was also quiet. Only 2 calls – the first was taking a blood sample from Paulton hospital to the RUH, and the other was taking some medication from the RUH to St Martin’s hospital which is about 3 miles away from the RUH. I was back home & putting my feet up by 10 o’clock. Easy peasy!

Thursday night started off quietly, but ended up being another late finish. I only had 2 calls, but the second one came in at midnight. The first call was a nice easy ride from the RUH in Bath to pick up some medication & take it to a nursing home in Radstock.
The second call was to pick up a blood sample from Callington Road hospital in Bristol and take it to the pathology lab at the BRI.  I saw another fox on the way home. I was stopped at some traffic lights & it walked calmly across the road in front of me. It was almost as though it had been waiting for the lights to change so it could cross!

I got home about 1:00am, and that was the end of my shift. The Flying Crane had performed perfectly, and was a pleasure to ride.

Miles ridden                       306
Calls completed               10
Foxes seen                         2
Big smiles from nurses   1

Nick Archer