Cimex International, makers of industrial vacuum cleaners, were good customers of ours no doubt due to the fact our Peter Calderwood and their top salesman, David Faulkner, were good friends. Also their factory in Orpington wasn’t to far from where Promotor originated in Bromley. Cimex moved down to Christchurch on the south coast in the early to mid 80’s. I visited them on one occasion but I don’t think they lasted long after that as I never heard from them again.
The photos were taken at the Baghdad Fair in the early 80’s and at that fair they picked up a contract to supply all the cleaning equipment to the new ‘Conference Palace’ which was under construction opposite the Al Rasheed hotel on the western outskirts of Baghdad. The fairground was also in that area but a bit further out. David asked Peter to transport the machines out for this contract and although it was only half a load David paid for the trailer as he didn’t want any problems being caused by other goods being aboard.
The Baghdad Fair took place in November and it was early next spring that I was given the job of delivering the vacuum cleaners and other gear to the Conference Palace. Must admit it was one of the easiest jobs I had. After registering at Fallujah I was taken immediately to the site where the finished palace was looking great. I think the Swedish ‘Skanska’ group may have built it as they did the Al Rasheed hotel opposite. I believe the Conference Palace was one of Saddam’s pet projects and thats why things ran so smoothly.
I was unloaded by a group of workers from the Philippines whose company they worked for had the cleaning contract. It took about thirty minutes to unload and after running back to Fallujah to pick up my passport I was homeward bound.
However, a few years later this same Philippino company got the job of cleaning the British Pavilion at the Baghdad Fair and guess what! there wasn’t one Cimex machine to be seen!
Please click on the photos to enlarge.
