Any old promotor drivers around

Hugh Ashton aka Biffo, on the left in the photo above, has not posted here on TNUK for a few years. Mushroomman put a link on fairly recently relating to a trip Hugh did to Tehran where he was arrested as he was about to leave the country. It seems he was doing a favour to some Iranian by bringing a tea set to the UK for this guys relative. The story, albeit short, was spread over a few postings but I can’t find the final one, the punch line, the climax anywhere. Come back Hugh and finish the story!!!

I had many replies when I showed the above photo on Facebook and some interesting recollections of past times. One such story was from Ian Taylor aka bestbooties. Ian told this story on TNUK about ten years ago with photos taken at the time but those photos have been ruined by Photophucket printing their name across them. So I hope you don’t mind Ian if I copy the photos from Facebook and repeat those extraordinary exploits again for us all to see and marvel at.

Ian wrote that he met Big Cliff who was on Funstons going into Saudi. Ian was tipping in Buradah whilst Cliff was tipping in Riyadh. They agreed to meet up a few days later at the mirrors which they did. A couple of hours north of the mirrors on the tapline as they made their way home Ian’s motor dropped a valve and couldn’t continue. Obviously repairs couldn’t be done there so Cliff agreed to tow Ian back to somewhere where repairs could be carried out. Ian had a bar and his trailer had an eye welded on the back, Cliff’s didn’t so they swapped trailers and got hooked up. They drove like that over a thousand miles back to the old Oryx yard in Incirlic just before Adana where they stripped down Ian’s tilt and loaded the lot on Cliffs stripped down trailer. An agreement by their respective bosses saw them set off again for another thousand mile stint to Belgrade where, in a railway yard, Ian’s crippled lorry and trailer were unloaded. It was then towed to the National. Ian’s boss at Expo Freight had the necessary spare parts shipped out with another of his lorries. Once they arrived Ian spent the next three days carrying out the necessary repairs before reloading out of Belgrade and making his way home.

This story epitomises the spirit and resolve of (most) men who did the job back then. When you left the yard it was up to you to get it done and see it through. The boss didn’t want you ringing him with problems. Drivers took a pride in getting the job done.

I hope I’ve repeated your story faithfully Ian. Please put it right if need be. One thing I would like to know is the date of your escapade especially when you were back in the National as I was there with a small group of drivers drinking beer when a couple of guys arrived and told a story almost identical to yours. That may have been you and Cliff.