Few people could rival Louis Graham’s enthusiasm for transport. His fascination with everything from trains to trucks has led him to launch a YouTube channel.
So carers at our 65a Valley Road short break service in Northallerton, where Louis, 26, has frequent breaks, hatched a plan for a special treat – with help from the Biker Group, a construction company with heavy vehicles frequently seen on the roads around the county.
Quality improvement officer Vicky Wareham realised there was an opportunity to create a memorable day for Louis and the Biker Group was delighted to help.
That resulted in a visit for Louis and his father, Robbie, to see vehicles in the Biker Group’s fleet, including concrete delivery trucks and JCB diggers, at a depot in Dalton.
Louis has learning disabilities and autism, but his enthusiasm for transport has earned him more than 350 followers for his YouTube channel.
His visit to the Biker Group provided a treasure trove of material to keep his audience entertained, including the answer to a question that must have puzzled road users through the generations – how concrete mixers are cleaned out after delivering their load?
The visit allowed Louis to put his camera skills to the test and Daniel Moore, the Biker Group’s concrete manager, even turned up with a company T-shirt to help Louis get into the mood.
Vicky said: “Louis stays at 65a quite regularly and the staff make an effort to make sure he can go trainspotting at Northallerton, because there isn’t a station where he lives.
“I wondered if we could do something a bit different and asked the Biker Group, because I see their trucks on the road so often. They couldn’t have been happier to help.
“They worked with us to make sure the visit was done safely and that meant a real treat for Louis, including a ride around the industrial estate in a concrete truck, watching a demonstration of horns and warning lights and even seeing how they clean out the concrete truck.
“Biker Group staff understood entirely why the visit was so special to Louis and they went out of their way to indulge his interest.”
The 65a Valley Road Service provides short breaks for people with learning disabilities. Staff are always looking at new ways of helping people to participate in activities and outings according to their interests and hobbies, especially now a full service is again being provided following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Daniel Moore added: “It was an absolute pleasure for us to help with this and a delight to see how much Louis enjoyed his visit, I think we all enjoyed it just as much. We are very much part of the community and were very pleased to be able to provide this tour, for someone with just as much enthusiasm for our vehicles as we have.”
Louis’s channel can be found at on YouTube as Louisthetravelspotter.