Don’t get the wrong idea Backsplice the land is not mine ! But it is a beautiful area where we live ,Ron
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Talking about gardens Ron and paddle wheels … not as big as that one but went to a place along way off the Asphalt that had a few of the one cyl lister pumps that were chuffing away 24/7 it was a green spot away in the desert and hot !!! but in the evening you could smell the fragrance of spearmint and nearly forget where you were ■■?
A couple of your shots could well have been on the Moon !! But i can’t think how you smelt Spearmint in that OAsis ? Here are some shots from the top of Saudi to the bottom kept apart by thousands & thousands of miles of that red hot sand , Ron
would,nt want to change to many of these tyres Ron …or even fix a flat ■■?.. as for the spearmint there was a of it the smell hung about especially at night
Mah salahms
Backsplice , That photo was happening all over the KSA , tyres where a big problem for Trans Arabia , over loading on long hauls in that heat !! And it took some effort to brake the wheel nuts, manhandling the wheels from on top of the trailers . One spare was not enough ,Bloody hell we where fit in those days Ron
I saw a Jimmy Carr concert on youtube where he challenged a member of the audience who appeared to be falling asleep ‘Oh no, he’s woken up. I was going to teabag him!’ Since I hadn’t a clue what he was on about I googled it! You may have to as well!
As everyone knows, the English love their tea, and we got used to it even with powdered milk. One day, somewhere in the Arabian desert I put the kettle on, soon 4 or 5 other Brits had pulled up and were demanding a cup. A disgusting habit we have inherited from the Americans is to put a ‘tea bag’ in a cup and make a single brew. This wouldn’t do for Major Butler back at Prep School. It was made in a huge teapot back then, and he would tilt it back before pouring, so no (well, very few) tea leaves would escape into the cup… One day he announced that an American friend had given him a ‘tea bag!’ (I remember the curl of the lip - this was a man who had been a tank commander in World War 1) He let the American make it ‘It was pink in the cup! I couldn’t even waste the milk on it!!’ He assured us boys it would never catch on.
Anyway, back to Saudi. After I made Ted Thomas’s cup, I took the Lipton’s bag (Yes, Tommy Lipton was English, traitor.) Anyway this traitor took the teabag from the cup and dropped it out of the cab window. There was a scream of agony! Poor old Ted had an early taste of his tea, but it was on his bare back - as you know, most Brits drove in flip flops and shorts!
So, that was my version of teabagging!
Happy days,
John
S Jones reunion today !! Sadly I did not attend owing to the Rain rain rain so much that it came through the roof tiles above the bay window ! But charity begins at home , but I have been thinking of all the lads that I had the pleasure of working with at Trans Arabia and all associated with this thread past and present , not forgetting Backsplice from that land down under Ron
Ronnie there should be an age limit for climbing ladders …you,re nearly as high as an F89 cab up there …glad to see you active our thread has gone quiet not many lads left now from the good times down there in the KSA… so keep on keepin on
Mah Salahms my old Sadiq
Coming back from holiday ,I Phoned up my local garage for an MOT , Roy Taylor said I thought you would be at the funeral today Ron! Who’s that I said ? The next name I heard was JONA I could not believe it , and still can’t .it is With deepest sympathy I send this to all his family .and friends What a wonderful man he was . God Bless you Jona , Ron
@Ronald…I hope you keep up the good memories to your colleague and manager.
I adressed quite some emails to Jones Aldridge to keep in touch with you, unfortunately.
Jona…RIP and I guess your family made Britain moving!
ERF-Continental:
@Ronald…I hope you keep up the good memories to your colleague and manager.I adressed quite some emails to Jones Aldridge to keep in touch with you, unfortunately.
Jona…RIP and I guess your family made Britain moving!
Hello ERF continental it’s good to hear from you , like the ■■■■■■■ you are dependable in times of trouble ,sorry to have misled you ! Jona had the same name of Michael Jones , He was an X employer of S Jones he kept all the flock together at the S Jones Reunion a larger than life caricature he was a shining light a really lovely man ! I only wished you could have met him ? Then you would say Ron he was "Special "
Ron - Welcome home from your holidays to a cold wet UK…
Sorry to hear the news of Jona - I didn’t know him but envied his skills of truck renovation - I understand he sold both his ERFs in January. wonder where the TA one has ended up?
Here’s a picture of a truck in Aus - I was taking to the driver at some length, he was on route from Canberra to Brisbane, about a 2 day run. A Kenworth with a 600bhp ■■■■■■■■ running at 64tons - very smart truck and sounds super.
Regards Ken B
I was very sorry to hear of Jona’s passing. A gifted man indeed. I met him once at Gaydon; and he was incredibly helpful when I was putting together the books. RIP mate. Ro
Hey R.F. Hawkeye 
Good to be in touch again and I will try to scan an article on Jones Training School, you’ll remember the ERF though.
To see the trucks of today ! That KW with 600 horses under the Bonnet pulling 64 ton on tarmac roads is a million miles away from what we did in Saudi they must be in heaven .Trans Arabia With grossly overloaded trailers , mountains to climb with second handed ERFs it was survival for the men as well as the trucks , in that heat with flies and Rucker dust sleeping in the desert for days on end ,eating out of a mess tin , no cafes no toilets , no phone ,sweat pouring out of our tanned bodies ,was like tripping through a scrap yard with a grave stone on your back with death crashes all over the place , waiting for a blow out or breakdown ment Big trouble , I must admit we where in our prime . Coming on leave people would say ? You look well ! Have you been away , Ron
ERF-Continental:
Here the ERF from Jones’ Training School…with the first female graduate in octobre 1969
ERF continental !! You amaze me with the history of all things that appeal to me and others. You have the most Inquisitive mind that can trigger off memories that flash by in my mind ? I remember ■■■■ Jones and Ray Tams vividly , ■■■■ Jones would stamp on his hat at times when the trainee who was reversing the artic into the training bay knocking down the markers , S Jones certainly had forthought in there Venture,s Training did involve me personally," GOLDEN SPANNER " training mechanics in depth on ■■■■■■■ engines using the same school building that was used for driver training . This was the old paint shop kitted out with desks and chairs , , thanks for the Memories Ron
