Went via Poole a few times in 1975 when I was driving Pete Robbins Scania 140, subbing from Barbour European, Glasgow. Usually the Bordeaux area, whisky out and brandy back. Then Kellogs Manchester back up to Glasgow.
I hadn’t used my schoolboy French - well, since school. I found the French outside Paris couldn’t speak English and the Parisians wouldn’t! So I found it very useful. Pete said the only French he understood was ‘Demain matin’ when you arrived anywhere to tip.
‘Truckline’ to Cherbourg sometimes. Small ship, but more ‘homely’ than the Channel lines.
Remember having dinner with a French driver. Again, his English was nil. He looked at the overcooked roast spuds and said ‘Ha, patates Senegalese.’
Had great pleasure driving up the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans and singing ‘sur le pont d’avignon’ on my travels and found that I was constantly trying to translate all my thoughts into French.
First trip I went into Le Havre, across the TancarVille bridge. Cleared in Paris, where the customs officer took a bottle of whisky for himself - and gave me a bottle! I’d already bought a bottle of gin on the boat and agonised about whether to declare it on the way back.
Down to Bordeaux, tipped the whisky and loaded brandy, then back up to Cherbourg & back to Poole.
At Poole, I did declare that whisky and explained how it happened. He just shrugged & gave it me back. We do sometimes worry about inconsequential things don’t we!
All in all, enjoyed the ‘little boys TIR’ before setting off on the real thing in 1976.
John.