Wattie Weir - Knight of the Road

Thought for a change I might write about a really nice bloke, a "Knight of the Road" who worked tirelessly during the recent winter storms to keep the roads in Edinburgh City passable.

I spotted his photo on the front cover of the recent Issue of the UNISON magazine and knowing Wattie fairly well was delighted to read his story.
Wattie Weir has worked as a driver with Edinburgh City Council for the past thirty years since leaving the army (Cpl Weir - a fearsome sight with a fixed bayonet !!). However for the past weeks he has been dealing with the worst snows he can remember and driving his snow plough, weighing twenty tons, working night and day. Being in hospital most of the time I missed the worst and did not realise that there had been a special exemption / relaxation of the drivers hours so that there could be enough qualified drivers out in their snow ploughs.
I did have a word with him re Health and Safety with him standing posing on his plough blade but he did assure me that the motor was switched off !!! and he was not at risk - other than from the pen of the journalist or the flash of the photographer.
Well done to Wattie and his driver colleagues, they deserved the standing ovations from the public.