Sorry Brian, I used the word legend jokingly, I was unaware that you might also had a bonk in Baghdad.
The point that I was trying to make was that the English guy who had the White Road Commander doing internals in the early eighties also had a ■■■ Machine name plate on the front of his truck. He probably told me his name but after thirty five years we can’t remember everybody who we met. Maybe if Pedro 2 reads this he can remember who drove that truck.
In a recent post mushroomman mentioned a few words of Serbo Croat that he picked up whilst working in Yugo. Of course most of us learnt a few words that were useful when working abroad. I was and still am hopeless with any foreign language but I still managed the very basic stuff to enable me to find my way around. ‘Left, right, straight on and customs’ in French German and Arabic helped me in many countries whilst ‘bar, grand house or filling station’ also found their way into my vocabulary. However, in Yugo there was one word I learnt that almost always caused displeasure and that was ‘sutra’. If I heard it uttered at the border, at a queue at a filling station, at a factory where I was to tip or reload or in the Iraqi embassy in Belgrade the word "sutra’ would always cause annoyance and irritate, gall, vex, or provoke me to the point where I felt like punching somebody on the nose.
Aaah ‘sutra’… Oh, haven’t I told you what it means!
I always enjoy reading your posts Sandway and Steve you always have interesting tales to tell… but it’s getting late now so I’ll have to get back to you domani… yarin… ghedda… and one for Mike RIP 3abtpa ( eabtra ) … Or even worse when it’s combined with the wobbly hand gesture and a grimace smile…
Jelliot:
I always enjoy reading your posts Sandway and Steve you always have interesting tales to tell… but it’s getting late now so I’ll have to get back to you domani… yarin… ghedda… and one for Mike RIP 3abtpa ( eabtra ) … Or even worse when it’s combined with the wobbly hand gesture and a grimace smile…
Jeff…
Glad you sussed it Jeff. Was it because there are a lot of Yugo’s in Oz. I wish you a good night and see you ‘demain’. Must admit I’m at a complete loss with the latter part of you post.
mushroomman. Steve. You mentioned the Irish nurses in Baghdad. They were employed by the Park Group from Dublin. I have attached a photo taken at the end of the Baghdad International Trade Fair about 87/88 in which I am serving one of the lovely ladies. We always had the final of the Promotor darts tournament, a world famous event, at the close of the fair. Any booze left over was brought out and we had a big party to accompany the tournament. Everyone looked forward to the event including expats, i.e. Irish nurses.
Imagine someone like an agent or customs guy saying "domani " or similar but he’s doing a bit of slow jazz hands gesture, with a sad grimace look on his face… You become aware that "domani " just might become plural and you should find something to do that would occupy yourself for quite some time … Tunisia 8 days… Genoa docks 5 days… Astrakhan 6 days Horgos 4 days…That gesture and look that says " Sorry Abbi "… but you know that he doesn’t actually care…
Jelliot:
Imagine someone like an agent or customs guy saying "domani " or similar but he’s doing a bit of slow jazz hands gesture, with a sad grimace look on his face… You become aware that "domani " just might become plural and you should find something to do that would occupy yourself for quite some time … Tunisia 8 days… Genoa docks 5 days… Astrakhan 6 days Horgos 4 days…That gesture and look that says " Sorry Abbi "… but you know that he doesn’t actually care…
SEMAINE BRITANNIQUE au MAROC
Casablanca
12-16 Mars 1990
The build up.
Once most of the material, both stand fitting and exhibits, had arrived it was time to start building the stands. George our Greek Cypriot standfitter didn’t need any supervision but I made sure I was there if he needed help of any kind. Little Dave and I were to concentrate on building the stands out of scaffolding on the outside area which would have been a nice job if it hadn’t rained. The job had to be done though and we got stuck in. We had a bit of a problem with exhibits as some were to come from local stock and we couldn’t build the stands until they were in position but we managed to work around that one. Another little problem was that the light boxes had to be craned onto the scaffold towers. The only place to site the crane was in the road which caused a few tailbacks.
The attached photos are all to do with the construction of the stands on the outside area. If that job had become a complete disaster we both reckoned we could turn our hands to scaffolding if the company gave us the big ‘heave ho’.
Plse click on the photos to see the full effect.
SEMAINE BRITANNIQUE au MAROC
Casablanca
12-16 Mars 1990
The build up (continuation).
This posting shows the outside being completed. We had some large exhibits, such as a JCB, AWD lorry and the BBC London bus but we mustn’t forget the scaffolding itself was also an exhibit. Certainly glad it came pre-painted.
SEMAIN BRITANNIQUE au MAROC
Casablanca
12-16 Mars 1990
The build up (continuation).
Whilst Little Dave and I were working on the outside area George Stavaros and his happy band of Cypriot standfitters were working in the banqueting hall on the first floor of the hotel constructing the stands. They were built from Octanorm and soon took shape, however during this time we couldn’t bring any exhibits up apart from small amounts of literature and posters. Trevor Thayre had arrived with the BBC bus but there was little for him to do until we could position it on the end of the outside area.
Attached is another pictorial record of the build up to ‘British Week in Morocco’. Plse click on the photos for full effect.
SEMAINE BRITANNIQUE au MAROC
Casablanca
12-16 Mars 1990
The build up (continuation).
Once George and his men had finished building the stands we were able to bring up the exhibits. Being that most of them were small and light they gave us no problem, however, there was one large exhibit, a railway engine!. Well to be precise, a model railway engine. It was still big though. We had plenty of labour thanks to our agent but it wasn’t just brawn that was required. Halfway up the stairs was a mirror that the guys working for the hotel told us cost in the region of ten thousand pounds. Hmmm. Certainly didn’t want to upset the King by putting some cracks in it so I joined the labourers hauling it up the stairs. Whats known as leading from the front or was it just being foolhardy. Anyway, we got it up the stairs and onto the stand without incident and none of us were thrown in the Kings dungeons. I did wonder later if the company exhibiting it sold any trains to Morocco.
Dave Stagg had arrived and the build up and finishing off continued over the weekend. It was during this time that most off the large exhibits were delivered from local stock for the open area outside. We had to dismantle bits of the scaffolding here and there but as it was interlocking it didn’t take long. Trevor had to prepare the BBC London bus but because the weather was a bit iffy he couldn’t take the cover off the top deck which spoilt the effect somewhat. By Sunday evening all of the exhibitors had arrived. The stands were dressed and we breathed a sigh of relief. Roll on Monday morning and the opening ceremony.
SEMAINE BRITANNIQUE au MAROC
Casablanca
12-16 Mars 1990
The opening ceremony.
It was only a short stroll from our hotel to the venue where the opening ceremony was to take place at 1000hrs. However we had an early breakfast and were there at 0800hrs to make sure that if there were any problems we had time to put them right. George had gone back to Cyprus leaving just two of his men, Dino and Fary, to maintain the stands. As everything was in order we returned to our hotel to change. Promotor men knew what was expected and always had their suits with them.
Dave had flown in a Scot to play the bagpipes during the opening ceremony and he caused quite a stir. Certainly looked and sounded good. However, the most important person there was Lord Trethgarne. He was there in an official capacity as Head of the Ministry of Trade and it was his job to perform the opening ceremony in company with the British Ambassador and other dignitaries. There were Moroccan counterparts from their Ministry of Trade of course and Moroccan TV.
A little story I read recently whilst googling Lord Trethgarne was that in 2015 he was done for speeding, for the fifth time in three and a half years. He was on the embankment and on his way to the house of Lords. His excuse was that he was taken short and was in a hurry to get to the Lords toilets before he wet himself. He produced a doctors letter to say he had a problem with his waterworks. The judge, a woman, didn’t want to know and fined him £1,500 and banned him from driving for four months and left nine points on his license and told him next time to stop at a pub or restaurant to use their toilets. Looks like drink driving next time for him!.
SEMAINE BRITTANIQUE au MAROC
Casablanca
12-16 Mars 1990
The end of the show.
The Britain in Morocco Exhibition was a great success especially for Promotor but even more so for Dave Stagg. Although he went on to organise other events this one would prove to be the pinnacle of his career. Within a few short years though Dave would lose his wife, his job and his will and finally his life. It was a terrible end for such a talented person.
The exhibition closed on Friday the 16 March and we had thirty hours to be out of the hotel. Dino and Fary were to dismantle the stands and Trevor Thayre, once he had packed up the BBC bus, helped Dave Lloyd and myself repack the exhibits. We had help from our agent who supplied labour to move the gear outside and into the two trailers that were to head across to Tunis where the second event was to take place a few weeks later. However, Trevor wouldn’t be joining us. The BBC were staying in Morocco and he drove the bus to BBC organised events in many locations around the country. Trevor did a great job for them and six months later the BBC asked him if he would like to work for them direct. He took the job and for the next three years did many trips for them including one memorable trip which stretched from Moscow down to the Iranian border.
Dave Stagg flew home the day after the event closed. Dino and Fary stayed on for another couple of days before flying back to Cyprus but not before Fary and I did some shopping for a leather jacket. Unfortunately the jacket would be stolen along with my passport from my vehicle whilst I was in Antibes in the south of France a year or so later. Dave Lloyd and I finally returned to the UK once everything had been cleared away from the hotel. I remember the flight home as it was with GB Airways and we landed in Gibraltar where they were based. Those lorry drivers who have driven to Gibraltar will know the road crosses the runway so every time a plane lands or takes off the road is closed.
Semaine Britannique au Maroc was over. It had been a fantastic experience and one I still look back on with pride. Considering it was put together by a small company and basically four lorry drivers or ex lorry drivers it was quite some achievement.
OK Brian, sorry for the delay but in answer to your questions I can offer these tasty morsels of info !!.. The photo depicting the guys sitting round the campfire in front of KKP I am now more than ever convinced that the guy on the left looking away from the camera is Roger Oakley. KKP was a two axle long wheelbase single-car transporter but with a platform that could also be used for carrying a long palletised item which I suspect is what it was doing on this trip, maybe part of an exhibition load that was too much to go on an existing trailer or something like that. I am not sure whether this D series had a sleeper tacked onto the back or not, truth is I cant remember!, but this truck is definately not the same as the one in the next photo. The first photo shows the front of KKP with round headlights whereas the second photo shows the facelift square headlight front. Also you can just make out Rogers name painted on the drivers door just below the window. I have been thinking long and hard as to the trucks/drivers that were there when I started and came up with the following, Chick Steadman/Brian Allgate,both ex Ford men were involved mainly on exhibition work and so shared the driving duties on Scania 110,SUC 19 N which became my regular drive after Brian left and chick came off regular driving. Then there was Johnny Bishop, Bobby Heath,Billy Heath(no relation), Stevie Smith,Mick Mitchell,Dave Clark,Terry Weeks who all drove Scanias. There was a guy called Barry Chandler from Rochester way whose permanent drive was a hideous D series ,long wheelbase non sleeper pantech with a “Luton” over the cab with a false panel in front which you had to lift up in order to tilt the cab! There was a guy called Pierre(surname unknown to me) who drove a small single car Early D series transporter, also there was Geoff Douglas, and Bobby Keen who, like me drove whatever was thrown at us. In the yard also was a non sleeper Scania 80 which I drove down to Greece behind Chick and then returned to the wrath of all the other drivers because I had driven a non sleeper on such a long distance trip. Also in the yard on my arrival were 3 Transit"A" series non sleepers, one small box and two tilts and in fact my very first trip was in one of those tilts to Poznan and back(not the most memorable start to my driving career!Most of the hire work at that time was DAF 2600 split screens or big 2800s and then Peter did a deal with Brighton Van Hire. The DAFs were from Penfolds at St. Mary Cray I think. Anyhow, I think thats enough to keep you busy! I,m sure I,ve missed someone out and no doubt will be reminded of it later. Just before he passed, I had several phone chats with Bobby Heath and he kept on about an Australian driver who he was sure must have been there when I started but I dont remember him which is strange seeing as I had only just returned from a 4 year spell of living in Sydney!
P.S., There was at the time at least two regular subbies, Roy"Cannonhaul" Clokes with his Volvo 88 and “Big” John McFall with an ex Pro,s Scania 110. I,m interested to know of or hear from anyone I,ve missed !!
Great stuff Tony. We know the two photos of the D Series were taken in Tehran in 74 and with your knowledge of the company have, almost certainly, identified the driver as the late Roger Oakley. Supercube did post that Promotor did its first trip to Iran in 72 but I doubt we will ever know anything about that trip. He also said a young Australian driver did a trip to Moscow in January 72 in a D Series 1000. Unfortunately I believe we have now come to the end of this topic of conversation but I know there are still old Promotor men around who prefer not to post even though they pop in now and again. A great pity as there’s definitely still interesting information out there of the companies early days. One man who could shed some light on the early days is the irrepressible Stevie Smith. I am going to be staying very close to the village where he lives in Southern Spain for the next four months. I will try and track him down.
You mentioned the hideous old Pantech. It was, I am sure, still on the company in 78 when you and I, John Barclay and another driver called Skippy went down to Bucharest for Bannons. We collected the Pantech in Zeebrugge and I remember the false panel over the cab because we had to get to the engine as it wouldn’t start.
I hope you have success in tracking down Stevie, give him my regards and remind him of the time he and I plus Bobby Keen and I think Billy Heath got chased out of Poznan at 70mph whilst driving bobtail in the BVH Transcon ! It was Stevie,s mount at the time and we had been into town using it as the company car to seek refreshment !! I had some amusing episodes with Mr Smith usually at the limit of legallity ! Enjoy your stay in Spain.
Thanks Nottsnortherner. Hope to get away in about a weeks time after a family friend moves into our house to keep an eye on it. I have attached two more photos concerning early Promotor men. You mentioned subbies in a recent post. Was Ray Scutts an OD at any time. In the first photo, courtesy of Ray Scutts, he is parked up, I think, in Austria. Just wondered if he was pulling one of our trailers? I would date it early 70’s. In the second photo, which looks kinda like the same location but next day, Johny Barclays name is mentioned. Can’t understand why unless Johny took the pic. It looks like Ray with the shovel though.
