Morning Steve and Efes.
I’m pleased you found my recollection of the 83 trip I did to Tehran of interest. I hope you weren’t the only ones. There were many other little anecdotes I could have added to the piece, such as standing outside the American Embassy, which had been sacked by the Iranians in 79 and the staff taken hostage, or I could have told the story of being driven around the back streets of Tehran by a lady at two in the morning who was trying to get me back to my hotel but if readers are like me their eyes will start to glaze over if the article is to long.
I like the picture of the fishermen Steve. Looks like two brothers on the left. Not sure if H & S would like to see the barbecue on the boat and why are the brothers holding chop sticks or are they tuning forks!!
As for Sevenoaks High Street. I have driven down there many times as I am sure Efes has but Promotor moved to Tunbridge Wells in the early 80’s so that was possibly the last time I was there. In fact I was away during the move and had to ring the office upon my return to find out where they were. Loved the Crimewatch, Lorry highjacks. I was waiting for Jack Regan of the Sweeney to rush up to one of the lorries, yank open the drivers door, grab the driver and utter those immortal words, ‘You’re nicked’.
As for the guy by the Mack. As Efes has said that was Bobby Keen. Bobby must have been on Pro’s for ten years but I rarely saw him. I did a Baghdad with him in 82 via the Koper/Tartous ferry which stopped running soon after. I also remember running back overnight from Stuttgart at the close of an exhibition with him in 89. I had a little Toyota Celica sports car and was out there to run the show. There were four of us crammed in the car. Bobby, Chic Steadman, a guy from down in Sussex and myself. The idea (a bad one) was we would take it in turns to drive. I did the first stint then Chic, both of us driving steadily, but as soon as Bobby got behind the wheel it was flat out all the way. I’ve never known ex marine tough guy Chic to be so quiet. He was a big guy so had to sit in the front with Bobby but I could tell he wasn’t happy. The last time I worked with Bobby was in Tehran in 91 or 92. I flew out and he, and I believe, brought out the lorry. However, when the show was on there wasn’t much for us to do. Unfortunately he got in with another guy in our hotel who was able to get plenty of locally produced Vodka. I remember on one occasion, it was midday, I had to send Bobby back to the hotel as the Vodka fumes emanating from him were almost visible. I’ve attached a couple of photos of Bobby which I have aired before. I think it was Nottsnortherner who commented that Bobby could always be found if ‘birds or booze’ were involved.
As for the other subject you mentioned Steve about Biffo. I posted, a couple of years back, that I was in Volos waiting for the ferry to Syria and met Jeff Stringfellow driving then for David Duxbury. Jeff told me he was the last British driver, or one of the last, to get out of Tehran as the Revolution kicked off. I have attached the photos which have also been aired before.
