any old promotor drivers around

[Efes]

I picked this one for you. John Preece. He's the one with a Promotor T shirt in case there was any doubt. I had one of those once upon a time (T shirt not monkey).

I have no idea where this was taken but I think that one the clubs in Istanbul owned the monkey. Maybe someone knows?

[Efes]

John Preece doing some off-roading. Sadly no idea where this was as John is no longer around to tell us. Looks like Commie bloc somewhere.

The last few images are all the property of John's son Bryn. I have a few more for another day.

[Efes]

The man himself. Looks a bit scary in this one! I wonder would this be the mug shot from his arrest with a certain Brian in France for being drunk and disorderly as previously written up on this blog? A widely recounted story from the annals of Pro-Motor.

John was really a great fellow and is much missed.

[Efes]

John Preece having fun in Iraq.

[Efes]

John Preece's son, Bryn, told me that another tilt was draped over the torn tilt and new cord and special plumb skillfully added by the resourceful driver which allowed the journey to continue... Again, not sure where this was.

[Efes]

One Auto Union 3 cylinder 2/stroke all wheel drive ex-German army "Munga" as rebuilt by David Boulding and sold to John Preece (in photo). This car afforded much pleasure.

[Efes]

One for the ladies!

None other than David Lloyd. I worked with him in Moscow a few times and we shared a room at the National (Moscow not Belgrade).

[sandway]

What a great collection of photos. You have to be praised for your persistence Efes in tracing John and his son Bryn and a special thanks to Bryn for allowing those photos to be posted here on TNUK. I hope there are many more to come. They are a very poignant reminder of past times. Did we consider those exciting days would ever end. I doubt it, yet here we are, almost forty years on, remembering them as if it were yesterday. Its especially handy that Johns son can give some background details behind the photos but they also help jog our own memories, well they certainly do mine.

I hope you don't mind Efes as I'm bumping up the two photos from the previous page. The first one is of John and his wife Annika in the Joiners Arms. Behind a bar was definitely not the place for John. Not if you wanted to stay solvent that was. Joking aside thats a lovely photo of them both though.

I have attached one of the last photos of Johns old lorry. The one with Annika's name painted above the windscreen though he's not in the pic. I think John was on holiday and John 'Welly' Ward was given the lorry for a run down to Baghdad. Unfortunately it was Annika's last trip.

[sandway]

I thought John had a bit of a crafty look on his face. If you look at his right hand it has a glass in it and he's filling it from the Squires Whiskey optic behind Annika.

[sandway]

Well, what can I say. I had forgotten about this photo. When I first viewed it yesterday I thought it was our Iranian agent, Bijan Nabavi and two of his lovely daughters but now I realise I was completely wrong. Yes it is Bijan and I remember exactly the circumstances whereby the photo was taken. I have told this little story before but I will repeat it for those who have forgotten.

It was during the 1986 Tehran International Trade Fair that the Iranian agent for one of our best customers, Lansing Bagnall Fork Lifts, invited a small group of us to his house for an evening get together. Not expecting much excitement we made the effort, tidied ourselves up and off we went to his villa set in the northern suburbs of Tehran. We found the place which appeared to be in darkness. After knocking on the door we were greeted by our host and invited in. The door was firmly locked and we were escorted through to the main living area where a veritable feast was laid out. Wonderful food supplemented by a goodly selection of alcoholic drinks were on display. Both John and I were knocked out but the best was yet to come. The agent after introducing his wife and a couple of other Iranians asked if we would like something to drink. Of course we both said yes and looked at what the other half dozen or so Brits were drinking. I think John had whiskey but not sure whatI had. It was then the agents two young daughters appeared to serve us (with the drinks). One was in a mini skirt and the other was wearing hot pants. Blimey I thought! No wonder the doors firmly locked and the curtains drawn. After that our glasses were kept topped up by these two nubile young things who also helped their equally lovely mother serve up the food.

It was much later in the evening when things were beginning to wind down that I found myself with John looking across the room to the young girls who were sitting on the stairs on the other side of the room. John had that lustful look in his eye and I said to him be careful, they are the daughters of the agent of our best customer. It was then John came out with one of those witty repostes that he was so good at. With that wistful look in his eye he said........ 'You know what Holmsie, next time I'm gonna come back as a step'.

As I've said many times there are still loads of stories and old photographs kicking around out there waiting to be heard and seen.

[sandway]

The photo of John standing by the sign was taken on the road between Damascus and Baghdad in the Syrian desert. It was taken late afternoon, as you can tell by the shadows, as we headed west towards Tartous and the ferry back to Koper. We had delivered three JCB's and spare parts to an Indian company in Sulaymania in Kurdistan. I was leading and I wanted a photo of us with the lorries in the background. I was hoping to find somewhere to set up the camera and take the picture of the two of us together but as there was nowhere to do that and I didn't have my tripod with me we ended up with two separate photos. I'm so glad the photo of John has resurfaced again after all these years even though its not in great condition. I have attached a few more photos, which have been posted on here previously, from that trip which probably took place in 80 or 81.

[Efes]

Are you sure it was the Zenobia? The Zenobia sank on its maiden voyage...

My chum, Chris Taylor (Taytran or Star Transport) was on board at the time and unwell. He woke up with the bed at a very steep angle and his head pressed against the bed-headboard. The RN lifted him out by helicopter to their ship as someone said he had cholera. The ship's doctor gave him some Calomine for chicken pox.

https://www.proscubadiver.net/dive-site ... ck-cyprus/

As an aside - and talking of sinking freight boats - Johnnie Ward was on the ill feted Herald when it sank (but he survived).

[sandway]

Are you sure it was the Zenobia? The Zenobia sank on its maiden voyage...

My chum, Chris Taylor (Taytran or Star Transport) was on board at the time and unwell. He woke up with the bed at a very steep angle and his head pressed against the bed-headboard. The RN lifted him out by helicopter to their ship as someone said he had cholera. The ship's doctor gave him some Calomine for chicken pox.

https://www.proscubadiver.net/dive-site ... ck-cyprus/

As an aside - and talking of sinking freight boats - Johnnie Ward was on the ill feted Herald when it sank (but he survived).

Effes. You can take it from me that the Zenobia did not sink on its maiden voyage with me aboard and I am not down with the mermaids. I posted a while back on this subject. Wikiwatsit and all the others have their facts wrong and I posted the revalent info on here. My problem is I can't remember where in the 49 pages on this thread I put it!!!!!!

[sandway]

Are you sure it was the Zenobia? The Zenobia sank on its maiden voyage...

My chum, Chris Taylor (Taytran or Star Transport) was on board at the time and unwell. He woke up with the bed at a very steep angle and his head pressed against the bed-headboard. The RN lifted him out by helicopter to their ship as someone said he had cholera. The ship's doctor gave him some Calomine for chicken pox.

https://www.proscubadiver.net/dive-site ... ck-cyprus/

As an aside - and talking of sinking freight boats - Johnnie Ward was on the ill feted Herald when it sank (but he survived).

Effes. You can take it from me that the Zenobia did not sink on its maiden voyage with me aboard and I am not down with the mermaids. I posted a while back this point. Wikiwatsit has all its facts wrong and I posted the revalent info on here. My problem is I can't remember where in the 49 pages on this thread I put it!!!!!!

If you look closely you can see the word Zenobia to the right of John and below my arm. I sailed twice on her in total.

[Dirty Dan]

Hi! The Zenobia started to work 30th october 1979 and sank 7th june 1980.

Danne

[sandway]

Hi! The Zenobia started to work 30th october 1979 and sank 7th june 1980.

Danne

Morning Danne. Yes, that would have been a long maiden voyage. Perhaps the captain, when he left Sweden, followed his satnav instead of his charts which took him via the Panama Canal!

[Dirty Dan]

Hi! The Zenobia started to work 30th october 1979 and sank 7th june 1980.

Danne

Morning Danne. Yes, that would have been a long maiden voyage. Perhaps the captain, when he left Sweden, followed his satnav instead of his charts which took him via the Panama Canal!

Sound pretty mutch right there

Danne

[Efes]

The attachment 20180406_160556.jpg is no longer available

Bugsy... Gone but not forgotten.

Here's another of John Preece's photos courtesy of his son Bryn. This is Graham's funeral. He was delivered to Biddenden on the back of a lorry for his burial.

[Efes]

The ladies have had one. And so now a couple of photographs for the gents featuring the one and only John Preece hard at work (probably post Pro-Motor). I doubt he's ever worked so hard.

[Efes]

Here's John Preece working for British Airways as adviser to Lord King and bendy-bus driver. At least he always had suggestions for Lord King on how things should be run

[Efes]

David Lloyd is the little one.

[Efes]

b

[Efes]

John Preece wearing what looks to me to be a Mocamp T shirt and unknown - possibly Swedish - woman.

[Efes]

This is the day John did some off-roading in the truck. Not sure where this is.

[Efes]

Hi! The Zenobia started to work 30th october 1979 and sank 7th june 1980.

Danne

Thanks for putting me right. Just shows how much nonsense there is on the interweb. There's a great magazine article with wonderful photos of the Zenobia on the bottom of the seat with the trucks inside... I think I have it somewhere...

https://aphroditerentals8509.wordpress.com/2015/07/24/fridays-fact-about-zenobia-ship-wreck/

[sandway]

Well done Efes. Our John's certainly got his hands full in a few of those photos.

[sandway]

Of course Graham Bertram was another one of those characters Promotor seemed to attract. I sometimes feel I was the only normal (boring) driver employed by the company. It is sad though that like John Preece he left the party much to early.

It is the first time I have seen the photos of Grahams coffin being transported on the back of his last lorry, E73 GWC, he drove for Promotor. By the time of his death we had very few units left. Much of our work was for rigids. However, enough work was found for Grahams lorry and one other which was driven by my son Christopher and there he is, in the middle of the picture looking at Grahams coffin. As I said, it is the first time I have seen these photos. Thank you John for keeping them in your collection and to you Bryn for allowing Efes to post them here on this Promotor thread.

[sandway]

Been looking at some of the photos again and one that intrigued me was the one of John Preece standing by the ex German army 'Munga'. Nothing untoward in this photo you may think but to me somethings wrong. It's where Efes says the vehicle was rebuilt by a certain David Boulding.

Now Mr Boulding was a Promotor driver who joined the company around 78/9 and if my memory, what there is of it, is correct stayed as a loyal, quiet and unassuming driver with the company for about ten years. Absolutely no way was he a top notch mechanic nor high powered salesman yet Efes tells us he rebuilt the 'Munga' and then flogged it to John. I know John could be a bit gullible at times but I think there must be more to the story than Efes is letting on about. Perhaps John had been on the booze with Mr Boulding before he agreed to buy it but that doesn't stack up as I thought Mr Boulding was teatotal.

Another thing about our Mr Boulding was that he was fluent in French and German. I remember him trying to explain to us how to reply to a frenchman when he greets you with 'Ca Va'. After five minutes of that lesson I think he was muttering something about 'teach and pork' as he walked away from us. I also remember another lesson was how to communicate with 'les mesdemoiselles' when we stepped off the ferry in France. He didn't get very far with that one especially after Graham Bertram told us he just smiled at them and said in english 'hello babe'. And we all know how much success he had with the ladies. None of us were in Graham's league.

No Efes. I really don't think you knew our Mr Boulding at all well.

[Efes]

Mr Boulding had many talents - too numerous to mention here - and he did indeed rebuild the Auto Union Munga (ex-German army two stroke Jeep). He bought 2 wrecks and built the one good one out of the two. The rear lights on the Munga (lorry trailer lights) were purchased in Germany when he reloaded out of a Germany car parts factory. He even went on holiday in it to Cornwall with a lovely Swiss girl and had a most enjoyable time. It didn't break down once. However, he was keen to have a Willys Jeep and this was a step towards owning one. Once the Munga was bought by John he then had the space on his driveway for a new project and bought the parts to build a 1943 Willys Jeep which he also rebuilt and still possesses to this day. And a very fine example of one too.

All this work was done during the rare time off from Promotor with average time out of the UK being more than 260 days a year. Working from Pro's also involved working in the UK too, the drivers had very little time off.

Tea-total? Not our Mr Boulding. I suspect I know him rather better than you Sandway.

[sandway]

Didn't you just hate those passport photos. Wouldn't have looked out of place on a 'Wanted Poster' and no Efes the French police didn't take our pictures. They didn't have the time as they were busy hosing out their police van after I spewed up in it. Just for the record, Johns the ugly one.