muhandis89:
I can report that Ian is alive(very much!) and well.He’s based in Soller,Majorca,but spends a lot of time in Iraq and Afghanistan,and is still involved in transport.He sends his best to anyone on this board,who knows him.
He still has some business interests in UK,and still battles HMG.Apparently one of his soldiers was killed on duty in Ulster,many years ago,and because of the nature of the work that both did,his name had not appeared anywhere.The MOD did not want to put his name on a special memorial.Ian spoke to some high powered journos at the Sunday Times,and now MoD seem to have changed their mind! Strange!! He always knew when/where to apply pressure.
He lives with a lovely german lady,whom he met while working in Bosnia.
I used to mend his black pvc truck covers while standing on loads of explosives with a hot air gun welding patches… no health and safety in them days
muhandis89:
I can report that Ian is alive(very much!) and well.He’s based in Soller,Majorca,but spends a lot of time in Iraq and Afghanistan,and is still involved in transport.He sends his best to anyone on this board,who knows him.
He still has some business interests in UK,and still battles HMG.Apparently one of his soldiers was killed on duty in Ulster,many years ago,and because of the nature of the work that both did,his name had not appeared anywhere.The MOD did not want to put his name on a special memorial.Ian spoke to some high powered journos at the Sunday Times,and now MoD seem to have changed their mind! Strange!! He always knew when/where to apply pressure.
He lives with a lovely german lady,whom he met while working in Bosnia.
I used to mend his black pvc truck covers while standing on loads of explosives with a hot air gun welding patches… no health and safety in them days
Just remember that “muhandis89” was Ian’s alter ego, ask Kay, his ex-wife, how he tried to get out of his maintenance obligations when he invented new age rules for his son aged 16!
gazzer:
I thought this was an EC Transport thread? I dont think a Ford ever got a look in at Poole!
Regards to Ian if he ever gets to read this. There was a rather messy divorce in the height of the “troubles”. I trust Hugh is well, Kaye?..
Anyways, a fill in job, a trip to Huelva with a new DAF. All I remember is the ■■■■ thing used to cut out the engine if you changed down when the exhaust brake was on. Good fun coming down Pamplona Hill without power steering. Volvo rules!
After that cylinder was got rid of, some time at the beach. La Linea (Gibraltar) just along from the customs post.
The guy with the FORD (OJY468S or similar) came from Poole too. Him sunning himself with the afro hair do.
Gazza, thats because the exhaust brake was also the stop button, it was on the left side so you couldn’t put your clutch in with your foot on the button. unless!!!
kerbut:
Now I know this is an old thread,and I am behind the times, but is it true Ian Rycroft died in 2010 ?
September 2011 is the time of his death, Kay will never reply to posts about Ian. He tried to stop his maintenance payments when his son turned 16, he ignored the order that said “18 years”, there is no love lost. Yes, I know Kay, I also know her sister and I met her father when he lived on Canford Cliffs Road. Her father put money into ECT but they also put family in there to keep an eye on what was happening.
my dad used to drive for ECT, and i remember as a kid being picked up in the black volvos.
i would much appreciate it if you guys could send me pics of the black trucks and any of my dad you might have (Dave Baker (long blonde hair)) email davybaker26@yahoo.co.uk
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not an idle git at home BUT I do watch a bit of daytime TV at home because it’s my lunchtime and usually it’s too friggin’ hot outside!
What’s it to do with ECT/Rycroft you ask?
I’ve got it in my head that Ian and Kaye had a son…Hugh wasn’t he named?
This is the tenuous link…on one of the afternoon shows…a Hugh Rycroft comes up in the credits for something like “Production team or similar”. So if you watch afternoon TV, on a gameshow type thing, look out for his name.
Coincidence? Maybe but someone may be able to find out.
Doh! I’ll get shot down soon enough!
Further to the above post of mine:
Listening to Radio 4 Extra (DAB dontcha know), there is a comedy sketch progamme called “Whispers”.
Announced at the end was the producer, called…Hugh Rycroft!
Hi Gary
If you google the name there is a game show writer of that name his looks don’t appear that far away also he is on twitter so if you or anyone has an account you could ask him.
Trucknet is about as far as I go with social media.
Cheers
Rich
gazzer:
Thanks for that hint Rich but looking at that geezer he looks older than me! I would think Hugh would be in his 30’s being born in the 80’s!
Hi Mate !! Has anyone thought of asking Kay, I met her on a number of ocations and very nice lady she is.
I recall one day she was showing me this piece of kit called a “fax” machine, size of a small fridge and I thought these people must come from Mars.
Lets all hope she has moved on and enjoying a happy life. Harvey
PS: Go on Mate, whats the temp" down there ■■? -3 here.
Hey Harve, no contact with Kay since the divorce.
The temp. is zero here…in Micheldever! At home it’s cold too, 2deg at night and 15 in the day. Cloudy and rain. If it’s frozen here (UK) we get the rain at home (Spain), we need it. Spain will be heading for a countrywide drought this year. The farmers on “The Plain” are panicking because their rivers and reservoirs are dry!
I drove briefly for this company in Poole in late 70’s.They specialised in moving explosives and other strange things,internationally.Had a small fleet of high spec Volvos-black with white roofs,all LHD(and a K100 Kenworth!).We went all over the place,and seemed to have no problems getting permits(EEC and ECMT).The boss was ex military and a good bloke.I heard that they also did a lot of work for BP at the Wytch Farm oil project in Poole.
On the ferries I remember regulars such as:
F.B.Atkins
Framptons
Speedfreight-GBE-(mainly running Merc rigids on express stuff
TNT-Camberley with Transcons
FCF
E.H.Phillips
Taunton Meat
Central Road Transport
Hardings Avonmouth
Eurohaul
Rawlings
Jamisons
Beresford Stoke
Carmans
Welcome to TN Muhandis, don’t remember EC myself but I do remember some of the others you mention. Especially Atkins of Derby. Before they went all sickly yellow and Renault they were very big on Atkis and made a very expensive mistake in anticipating the extra weight allowed for 3 axle units, re-equipping practically the whole fleet (of Borderers) a long time before the law was actually changed.
EC sounds interesting though, shifting explosives all over Europe? Tell us more.
