hello all, deegee here, we all met up last night and had a meal at the lamb and flag in southmoor, 23 turned up, so it was a good night,so nice to see every one, must do it again sooner rather than later, as we are all getting that way… some of the names were …big alex, mr morby, john sollis, pete pryde,micky dunston, mavis, mick shirley, peter posy, fuzzle, gordon smith,kenny dormer,spud, i cant remember any more, been to bed since, senior moment… but a good night, nice to see every one looking so well…
These pics courtesy of – transportphotos.com/road/photos Great pic site
hi all you will find adriver on davies int southmpton MR. DAVE GODARD
chazzer:
Malcolm Coates was another driver who had been on the m/e for a long time and had worked for John ? the man who organised the Angola merceneries as transport manager based on the airfield behind Leigh Delamere services loading trailers for Kuehne and Nagel. Unfortunately Malcolm was in the dark to the fact that his boss was pocketing the upfront money and had been told that they were storing the trailers until there were enough to send probably 100 units in one go. Quite surprised when K & N reps turned up wanting to know why all their loads had’nt shipped but the money had been drawn. Malcolm went to Aus where he died in a trucking accident several years later or so I have been told, if I’m wrong I am sure someone will put me right.
Hello all,
I’m coming in a bit late here but I’ve just discovered this forum.
Malcolm was my dad and yes, our family moved to Australia in 1982 and he was sadly killed in his truck in an accident in 1985 when I was 14.
It’s been great to read through people’s stories on this forum. I have fond childhood memories of time at the Radclive yard in Faringdon and trips in the passenger seat through Europe - unfortunately not the Middle East - in the late 70s with Dad. Dad ended up as operations manager at Radclive in 1980.
I’ve posted some old Middle East photos (most of which I don’t know much about), as well as some scans from passports and diaries from the 70s you can see here: 1970s trucking in England, Europe and the Middle East - Malcolm Coates
I’d like to write something about this time and I’m trying to find out more about dad’s life, Radclive and what it was like being on the road during this time, especially driving the Middle East routes. I’d love to make contact with anyone who can tell me more - please send me a message if you have stories or memories you’d like to share.
Steve
Welcome to the forum Steven and great pictures on your web site. There are a couple of threads about running to m/e on here and im sure some of the chaps who post on here used to work for Radclives and may well have known and worked with your dad. Good stuff! 
stevenjcoates:
chazzer:
Malcolm Coates was another driver who had been on the m/e for a long time and had worked for John ? the man who organised the Angola merceneries as transport manager based on the airfield behind Leigh Delamere services loading trailers for Kuehne and Nagel. Unfortunately Malcolm was in the dark to the fact that his boss was pocketing the upfront money and had been told that they were storing the trailers until there were enough to send probably 100 units in one go. Quite surprised when K & N reps turned up wanting to know why all their loads had’nt shipped but the money had been drawn. Malcolm went to Aus where he died in a trucking accident several years later or so I have been told, if I’m wrong I am sure someone will put me right.Hello all,
I’m coming in a bit late here but I’ve just discovered this forum.
Malcolm was my dad and yes, our family moved to Australia in 1982 and he was sadly killed in his truck in an accident in 1985 when I was 14.
It’s been great to read through people’s stories on this forum. I have fond childhood memories of time at the Radclive yard in Faringdon and trips in the passenger seat through Europe - unfortunately not the Middle East - in the late 70s with Dad. Dad ended up as operations manager at Radclive in 1980.
I’ve posted some old Middle East photos (most of which I don’t know much about), as well as some scans from passports and diaries from the 70s you can see here: 1970s trucking in England, Europe and the Middle East - Malcolm Coates
I’d like to write something about this time and I’m trying to find out more about dad’s life, Radclive and what it was like being on the road during this time, especially driving the Middle East routes. I’d love to make contact with anyone who can tell me more - please send me a message if you have stories or memories you’d like to share.
Steve
I followed that link: it’s excellent, with some great Middle-East ‘run’ pictures. I recommend it! Cheers, Robert 
Hi Steve, just looked at your website, brought back a few memories of Radclive and your dad, I knew him quite well when I was there and one outstanding memory I have was a pleasant evening at a truckstop in germany when we were both going to Z & B in Stuttgart when we had a nice meal and put the world to rights, always remembered him as a very interesting person and was saddened to hear of his death in OZ although it was several years later, I think it was Dave Goddard who told me. I had one of those Radclive brochures for a long time and if I’m not mistaken that was one of three FJO reg 89’s the last before the F12’s, John Sollis and Alec Christie being the other drivers.
Regards
Charlie
Hi bullit, Robert and Charlie,
Thanks for the welcome.
Charlie that’s great to hear, he was always up for a chat and putting the world to rights! I did a few runs to Stuttgart with dad I think in 79/80/81 as a wide-eyed nine or ten year old and have a vague memory of that truckstop. I thought those F89s were the best thing ever at the time - I think they ended up getting right hand drive MANs later and they never seemed as cool.
Steve
HI ALL
BOTH MY DAD JIM STEVENS AND MY UNCLE DES TOWNSEND DROVE FOR RADCLIVE WHEN I WAS A LAD.
I HAD SOME GREAT TRIPS OUT WITH BOTH OF THEM AND SOME GOOD NIGHTS !!!
Hi all, This site has gone very quiet, let me add a bit.
I am Harvey Scorey, Salesman for Volvo trucks, Princes commercials Southampton. "Back then " 1975 t0 1986.
Dealt with Martin when he flew over and on one occation bringing up a F89 unit for him to look at ( special deal) a Welsh jocky took the offside wheel off cutting a corner coming at me at speed, bugger never stoped either.
Think Mick recovered me, 3 miles down the road, repaired it and one of you nice chaps became the driver of it.
Had the p…s taken out of me at the BBQ in the crown two weeks later, what a bash that was. ( my wife was with me, what an education she had )
Great bunch of blokes.
Happy, Happy days
Harvey
Bobbydog:
Yes, the name of the pub was The Crown, and it was Bart, but Alex always preferred the pub on the corner (cant remember the name) There was Roger Maull another driver, Colin (The pope) who tried his best to manage the accounts. and we had a Canadian called Dan Baldock in the office for a while. If ever there was a company held together by its drivers/fitters, I will always hold them in the highest respect. We had so many really good subbies as well who came from the same mould.Ray
Hi Ray, Its been a long time. I was the subbie with the Atkinson Borderer came from Great Missenden Bucks. I was involved with Eddie at Eurotrucks Lokeren thats how I was introduced to Radclives. The Atkinson was finally written off on the A417 near Faringdon on a return trip from Edinburgh with your box trailer, your Scammel recovery truck came out and pulled it in to your yard.
I went on and finished up with 7 trucks doing International Heavy Haulage and finally retired 6 years ago. Im currently living in Kent, and enjoying retirement travelling around Europe in our Motorhome.
All the best to all of you
Best Regards Dennis Jones
hi thought Radclive drivers could be interested in these photos of the F89 Volvo’s life after Radclive sold that motor, did M/E work with Van Hee transport
Canx.
sandway:
SUPERCUBE:
i seem to recall mama at spielfeld having a black eye one day and insisting she did it on the kitchen door, a real nice lady, but her husband, i cant remember his name. did have a drink problem. maybe running a bar is not a good job for an alki.
Was trying to put this on the Promotor site but as you can see without success.
I know that theres probably already a thread on here somewhere(buggered if i can find it)but has anybody got any pics/stories of said firm?
They used to run out of Faringdon and done a lot of M/E
Haven’t got any good photo’s of Radclives but the the topic I wrote about here
trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15072
also applies to Radclives as they were regulars on what we used to call the bomber run. Theres also another thread here
trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=24492
This photo was taken on the Autostrada crossing Genoa, Italy in 1976. The vehicle at the front is a Radclive Volvo and was en route from Frosinone, south of Rome, to Copenhagen in Denmark.
Parked up at Paulines in Austria while coming or going to the Middle East.Three of Radclives and my German Atki!
Thanks for that. Must have been in the early 70s when i saw one of thier split screen Dafs, having never see one before - was quite a sight to a lorry mad teenager 
.
Seems sad now that firms like that have long gone.
In this area alone, there were quite a few doing European and further afield.Anybody remember, Rex Trotman,Bob Kilby,James Nicholas international,Newpark tpt to name a few. Leggett freightways and Dow freight had depots around here but i see that they
are already mentioned on other threads.
Suedehead, I believe that Irish John Conneely used to work for Bob Kilby doing Middle East. Rattlesnake Dave posted a picture of Big Alex who worked for Dow Freight after Radclives had finished. As far as I can remember the Radclive men were all very experienced Middle East drivers and I bet that they would have some interesting storys to share. A few of the Radclive drivers ended up working for Dow when they opened their Swindon depot and there were some really good lads. The names that seem to ring a distant bell are Big Alex, Farmer, Mickey Dunston, Dave Mayor ( Mavis ) The Minnow ? and Colin Winslow.
Uncle Plug ( Sean ) will probably know a bit more about Radclive’s as he worked with most of their old drivers.
I am sure that Irish John has also got some fascinating tales about Radclive’s men. ( It’s the way that he tell’s em.) 