Just heard the sad news that Steve Smith, one of the great characters to have worked for Promotor, passed away this morning in Spain. Rest in peace Stevie boy.
Sad news from Sandway this morning re. Stevie Smith passing away in Spain. I had the dubious pleasure in travelling with Stevie on numerous occasions all over Europe through good and bad times. The bad times never lasted that long because he could always be relied upon to bring a smile back to your face. Not a man to be crossed and built like a brick outhouse in those early days on Promotor, he always said what he thought wether to you or about you but could always be relied upon to help you out if in a tight spot. Many are the weekends I’ve spent at the National in Belgrade with Stevie and some of the others killing time waiting for backload telex’s to arrive(no mobiles back then!). There are too many tales out there to relate to, I have sent a pic to Brian in the hope that it can be reproduced on here of myself along with Stevie,Carl Denherdt and Billy Heath taken at the Mocamp,Istanbul while waiting for the agent to take us to the docks to clear customs and unload. At that time on Promotor I couldn’t have wished to travel with any body better. A definate learning curve for me to work with them but also real privilege . I may add that I am the only survivor from the photo!
Here’s your photo Tony. Unfortunately we don’t have many pics from the early years so grateful you saved this one.
Steve Smith on the left then Carl Denherdt, Billy Heath and you Tony on the right in the Mocamp Istanbul about 75/6.
Efes:
Never fun driving in Romania in the dark in those days… Driving on the cobbled motorway I remember suddenly coming across a completely unlit horse and cart with driver fast asleep (almost certainly drunk) as the horse took him home… I missed him and he would have had a shock had he been awake… I had a shock that’s for sure…Romanian transport cafes were something else, someone’s front room crammed with rather smelly drivers - although for the life of me I can’t remember where the one I have been thinking about was exactly in Romania. I think I was with Bugsy at the time…
I am sorry to hear this sad news about Steve Smith and my condolences go out to his family and friends.
I can’t remember if I ever met him or not but I do remember meeting a few of the Promotor’s drivers over the years in most of the favourite Eastern European watering holes.
One Romanian transport cafe 
that sticks out in my mind was on “The Motorway” (it was actually a duel carriage way) which was not too far from the Bucharest ring road on your way home heading towards Pitesti. Like Efes said, it looked like someone’s front room with a parking area for lorries on the left. It was the usual Eastern European fare, Beifstek, (it could of been horse) Salat, (a gherkin, a tomato and a piece of lettuce) and chips, which were usually served cold for some reason.
R.I.P. Steve, I am sure that Graham B. and Mickey T. will get the Pevo’s in.
Remembering Stevie Smith in photos.
Most of these photos were taken en route to a TV advertisement film shoot in the Negev desert in Israel. Promotor had just been awarded a Ford contract to look after their fleet of promotional vehicles and this was our first major job for them. It was the early 90’s and the Mondeo was about to be launched. This car was looked upon as the saviour of the Ford Motor Company as they had problems. Originally filming was to take place in Nevada in the States but an Israeli Production Company came in with a very good deal and Ford decided to head off to the Negev instead. However, Fords were very jittery about the overland trip and us being the ‘new boys’ they wanted reassurances.
Tony Blackman had to go on the trip as he was our top man on the vehicle(Mondeo) side but I chose Steve and Graham to accompany him as they were our most experienced drivers. To placate Ford even further I went along for the ride to act as shotgun incase of problems. I flew home from Tel Aviv the day after we arrived leaving Steve, Tony and Graham in the capable hands of the Israeli Production Company.
Filming took place mid December and wasn’t finished in time for Christmas so we flew Tony and Graham home but Steve, being Steve, said how about flying my wife out and we’ll spend Christmas here. Which is what we did.
I have attached the last photo I have of Steve together with one of his sons. RIP Steve.
Please click on a photo to enlarge.
robthedog:
NMP Nice motor and great pic definitely belongs here
That Volvo was owned and operated by Jeff Gardner. Jeff drove for Promotor for a number of years before buying his own lorry and having it painted up in our colours. Later I believe he emigrated to the States and still lives there.
The attached photo shows Jeff on the right together with John Barclay.
Just got this photo of Steve Smith from his grandson Jake. It was taken in Spain on Steve’s birthday. Jake can’t remember what year but it looks as if it was 6 or 7 years ago maybe more.
I never ran with Stevie - just odd meetings here and there. I once bumped into him in Austria (post-Promotor) coming back from Yugo with a non-sleeper Scania (another story). I think that was the longest chat I had with him.
However, I did several trips with his cousin Slim which were most entertaining (mostly). Slim and I were on the way to Italy and and decided to drop by into Geneva to stop the night with my girlfriend. We pulled the pin on his trailer and headed for the Swiss border at St Julien. I suggested we wouldn’t be able to drive (no trucks allowed to drive after 9pm in Switzerland) and would be turned back. This did not dissuade Slim as he said he didnt intend to stop… We whizzed past the French dozing in their hut - which alerted the Swiss who jumped out of their cabin to stop us… It was clear they meant business so Slim threw a “u-ey” and we headed back towards the French who, by now, had emerged from their hut. Slim accelerated and the French - made of less stern stuff than the Swiss - scattered…
We later walked over the border and took a bus to town. Slim had trouble with my girlfriend’s homemade “fire-water” (rather like Grappa) from her village. Poor Slim was a bit out of sorts after that.
I remember an incident in Italy where the police were called and demanded Slim’s passport and he handed them his TGWU union card. My mouth dropped open and Slim had to turn away he was laughing so much. The policeman carefully noted down the details from his little red book…
Another photo of our old mate Stevie enjoying his retirement.
A party for Steve near his home in Spain. Mainly relatives. He certainly seems to be the centre of attention. Nothing changes.
Just heard that Andy Maclean aka Jazzandy is in hospital. Seems there are pipes and wires coming out of him and he’s not looking 100%. Anyone else got any news.
Wishing you a speedy recovery Andy.
sandway:
Just heard that Andy Maclean aka Jazzandy is in hospital. Seems there are pipes and wires coming out of him and he’s not looking 100%. Anyone else got any news.Wishing you a speedy recovery Andy.
Get well Andy. If I knew which hospital I’d visit (if he’s well enough to receive visitors). Canterbury hospital?
Efes:
sandway:
Just heard that Andy Maclean aka Jazzandy is in hospital. Seems there are pipes and wires coming out of him and he’s not looking 100%. Anyone else got any news.Wishing you a speedy recovery Andy.
Get well Andy. If I knew which hospital I’d visit (if he’s well enough to receive visitors). Canterbury hospital?
Just found out from Andy’s son Ewen the reason why he’s (still) in hospital. Come on Andy, the nurses may be pretty but thats no excuse to hang around in there.
sandway:
Efes:
sandway:
Just heard that Andy Maclean aka Jazzandy is in hospital. Seems there are pipes and wires coming out of him and he’s not looking 100%. Anyone else got any news.Wishing you a speedy recovery Andy.
Get well Andy. If I knew which hospital I’d visit (if he’s well enough to receive visitors). Canterbury hospital?
Just found out from Andy’s son Ewen the reason why he’s (still) in hospital. Come on Andy, the nurses may be pretty but thats no excuse to hang around in there.
So pleased to hear Andy’s on the mend. Ashford hospital? Just down the road…
Efes:
sandway:
Efes:
sandway:
Just heard that Andy Maclean aka Jazzandy is in hospital. Seems there are pipes and wires coming out of him and he’s not looking 100%. Anyone else got any news.Wishing you a speedy recovery Andy.
Get well Andy. If I knew which hospital I’d visit (if he’s well enough to receive visitors). Canterbury hospital?
Just found out from Andy’s son Ewen the reason why he’s (still) in hospital. Come on Andy, the nurses may be pretty but thats no excuse to hang around in there.
So pleased to hear Andy’s on the mend. Ashford hospital? Just down the road…
Just received a message from ‘Jazzandy’. Still in hospital maybe for another couple of weeks.
The Iraq/Iran war during the 80’s gave British exporters a massive boost. One only has to think of Matrix Churchill and their machine tools, admittedly an Iraqi owned company but 100’s if not 1,000’s of other British companies took the opportunity to get involved in the Iraqi market. Certainly it boosted the Promotor business as exhibitions gave many British companies the opening needed. We rarely got involved in general haulage. JCB and Coles Cranes were an exception but Cimex Cleaning Machines, Amstrad Computers and a few others also found their way onto our trailers all because of their participation at the Baghdad Fair. But it wasn’t only the Baghdad International Trade Fair that we were involved with.
Because of the very nature of war a growth market was formed in the supply of handicap equipment for the injured and prosthesis for those who lost limbs in the fighting. Five or six years into the war and it was noticeable on the streets of Baghdad that wheelchairs and crutches were more prevalent than before but many veterans were also sporting false legs even though most, if not all of these were very basic, nothing high tech about them. I remember on one occasion jumping in a taxi outside the fairground to find the driver only had one arm. That was an interesting ride back to the hotel.
It was about this time that the Iraqi High Command decided something had to be done, especially as the number of injured and handicapped were increasing massively on a daily basis and they couldn’t be ignored or hidden away any more. In the first few years of the war those who had died would be brought into Baghdad in fridge boxes in the middle of the night as Sadaam’s lot thought it best to keep the awful truth hidden. The same went for those badly injured but once the top brass knew something had to be done an ‘Exhibition of Handicapped Equipment’ was organised in October 86 and companies from around the world took part.
We of course had an inside track to these exhibitions as we handled work for both the British Healthcare Exporting Council (BHEC) and Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries (ABHI). We had worked for both of those trade associations throughout North Africa and the Middle East and it was Promotor they came to when they saw the opportunity to expand into the growth market that was Iraq. We had been handling a couple of small pharmacutical exhibitions a year in Baghdad and Mosul during the early 80’s. The stands we used were constructed using a lightweight wooden frame with cloth stretched over it but we realised something more robust was needed. We finally found a lightweight system that slotted together and was strong enough to withstand the rigours of a six day exhibition. It wasn’t cheap, costing in the region of £26K, but as we were appointed by the trade associations we could charge ‘top dollar’ and were hoping to use the stands for at least the next five years. Our biggest headache was looking after the stands whilst in the back of the trailer. Being chucked around during a 5,000 mile trip to Baghdad meant packing them well before they left the UK and upon their return.
I would like to point out that at this time we had an Exhibition Standfitting manager. His job was primarily to look after the Philips contract and it was he who found and purchased the new stands that I was to use in Iraq. He was in his mid 30’s but unfortunately suffered from a debilitating condition known today as ‘essential tremor’. This is a condition, often hereditary, that is caused when the part of the brain that controls and coordinate movement of limbs etc gets a bit out of kilter. You will all have heard of ‘Parkinson’s disease’ well ‘essential tremor’ is very similar but 8 times more common than Parkinson’s yet hardly gets a mention nor little funding for research. I know a bit about this subject as I also suffer from it and have done for the past 30 years having first noticed it in the early 90’s. It affects your everyday living in many ways and for me has steadily got worse. I now have difficulty signing my signature and its impossible to join friends in a bar or restaurant. Luckily I can still drive. There is a treatment now using ‘focussed ultrasound’ whereby the problem area in your brain is zapped. Within the past six months the NHS has agreed to fund this treatment but of course there are other constraints on their budget right now.
Getting back to our Handicap Equipment exhibition in Baghdad, our driver Tommy Birch was chosen to make the trip as being an electrician he could handle all the electrics on site as he had done on a number of exhibitions in the past. I could also rely on my Kurdish friend Awat to give me a hand if we were really pushed. As it so happened the stands were a doddle to erect and the trade associations were over the moon.
We organised a few more medical shows in the following couple of years. We certainly got our monies worth out of the stands finally selling them just after we picked up the Ford contract in the early 90’s.
Some of the photos I’ve attached are maybe from the later shows. Please click on an image to enlarge.
