Hi Mate. My dad worked with Big Bob for a long time in the 70’s when they were both driving F86’s for John Dee. I don’t know if they worked together at Direct, although my dad worked there for years too.
I remember my dad speaking fondly of your dad a few times, I especially remember him laughing about when your dad decided to go on a diet, eating mostly fruit. He turned up at Ferryhill one Sunday afternoon to run down to London and had a huge sack of oranges with him! My day would be nearly crying with laughter as he remembered driving through a blizzard of orange peel all the way down the A1. when they got to London all the oranges had been eaten!
There were other stories too, I’ll ask him and post again. Sorry to hear Bob passed away, I know he was a real character.
Good Luck
alright now:
Hi Mate. My dad worked with Big Bob for a long time in the 70’s when they were both driving F86’s for John Dee. I don’t know if they worked together at Direct, although my dad worked there for years too.
I remember my dad speaking fondly of your dad a few times, I especially remember him laughing about when your dad decided to go on a diet, eating mostly fruit. He turned up at Ferryhill one Sunday afternoon to run down to London and had a huge sack of oranges with him! My day would be nearly crying with laughter as he remembered driving through a blizzard of orange peel all the way down the A1. when they got to London all the oranges had been eaten!
There were other stories too, I’ll ask him and post again. Sorry to hear Bob passed away, I know he was a real character.
Good Luck
sorry its taken so long to reply been very busy but that is a fantastic story and loved hearing it 
would dearly love to hear the rest
metcalfe181:
he also drove for dinky davison from shildon if anybody can remember him changed company name to direct transport later went on to be direct worktops owned by george reynolds. he then went with john dee and became one of his first drivers he also was one of the first drivers for dee line international
My father in law worked for direct transport many years back sadly passed away now but his daughter Karen would love to hear about her dads days down the road he was called David Hodgson nickname Crocket any info gratefully received
mattnorthway:
metcalfe181:
he also drove for dinky davison from shildon if anybody can remember him changed company name to direct transport later went on to be direct worktops owned by george reynolds. he then went with john dee and became one of his first drivers he also was one of the first drivers for dee line internationalMy father in law worked for direct transport many years back sadly passed away now but his daughter Karen would love to hear about her dads days down the road he was called David Hodgson nickname Crocket any info gratefully received
Hi, my dad knew Cricket well, he used to run the night trunk down to Romford and change over with my dad. I met him a couple of times, I seem to remember he was quite a short bloke (?) I’m sorry to hear he passed away, I’ll let my dad know. I’ll see if I can find out any stories for you. Condolences to you and your family
alright now:
mattnorthway:
metcalfe181:
he also drove for dinky davison from shildon if anybody can remember him changed company name to direct transport later went on to be direct worktops owned by george reynolds. he then went with john dee and became one of his first drivers he also was one of the first drivers for dee line internationalMy father in law worked for direct transport many years back sadly passed away now but his daughter Karen would love to hear about her dads days down the road he was called David Hodgson nickname Crocket any info gratefully received
Hi, my dad knew Cricket well, he used to run the night trunk down to Romford and change over with my dad. I met him a couple of times, I seem to remember he was quite a short bloke (?) I’m sorry to hear he passed away, I’ll let my dad know. I’ll see if I can find out any stories for you. Condolences to you and your family
Thanks for the reply karen remembers her dad doing the Romford trunk what was your dads name
im looking for photos of my dad big bob metcalfe he ran the m/e run in the 70s for taffy davies unfortunately he passed away in the 80s but i would love to hear any stories about him and see any photos that people may have. so if anybody can help i would be very gratefull
he also drove for dinky davison from shildon if anybody can remember him changed company name to direct transport later went on to be direct worktops owned by george reynolds. he then went with john dee and became one of his first drivers he also was one of the first drivers for dee line international
i remember bob, top man, think he went to d.mccune at aycliffe did’nt he, old p’reg 2800 if i remember right.
he worked for mccune for quite a number of years and it was a 2800 he drove pdc 938 r he left mcunes not long after simmons from darlington took over as transport manager and went on to allinsons till he passed away
Hi Young Bob, this photo was taken in Davies Turners compound in Teheran just before the Revolution, we were all stuck there for several weeks due to the customs being on strike. Bob’s bar opened every evening around six thirty in front of Bob’s truck where we all put the world to rights.
Each day after having checked if the customs was working or not we were left to our own devices. One of the jobs that Bob had taken on was to take the orders and the money from the other drivers and go to the liquor store and stock up for that night. He had aquired a large polystyrene cool box and after buying a block of ice he kept all the beer and other drinks in there until Bobs Bar opened in the evening. You can see in the photo a long stick with a length of string attached, on the other end was tied a steel pin from the top bunk of the merc this was his lure. he spent many hours fishing in his imaginery pond in front of his truck. After bollocking several of the hungarian drivers (who were parked in the next yard) for frightening the fish that he was trying to catch in his imaginery pond, they would make a detour round the edge of the pond whilst walking past. Heaven knows what they thought about the mad englishman who sat there day after day casting a steel pin on the end of a piece of string onto a patch of gravel. I often laugh to myself thirty odd years later when i think of big Bob. I heard that he had fallen out with Taffy shortly after which was not difficult to do. R.I.P. Bob. Regards Jamie.
A Scot Lost in the Valley’s.
M&C Jamie:
Hi Young Bob, this photo was taken in Davies Turners compound in Teheran just before the Revolution, we were all stuck there for several weeks due to the customs being on strike. Bob’s bar opened every evening around six thirty in front of Bob’s truck where we all put the world to rights.
Each day after having checked if the customs was working or not we were left to our own devices. One of the jobs that Bob had taken on was to take the orders and the money from the other drivers and go to the liquor store and stock up for that night. He had aquired a large polystyrene cool box and after buying a block of ice he kept all the beer and other drinks in there until Bobs Bar opened in the evening. You can see in the photo a long stick with a length of string attached, on the other end was tied a steel pin from the top bunk of the merc this was his lure. he spent many hours fishing in his imaginery pond in front of his truck. After bollocking several of the hungarian drivers (who were parked in the next yard) for frightening the fish that he was trying to catch in his imaginery pond, they would make a detour round the edge of the pond whilst walking past. Heaven knows what they thought about the mad englishman who sat there day after day casting a steel pin on the end of a piece of string onto a patch of gravel. I often laugh to myself thirty odd years later when i think of big Bob. I heard that he had fallen out with Taffy shortly after which was not difficult to do. R.I.P. Bob. Regards Jamie.
when i read this last night my wife and i sat and had a right good laugh that sounds just like my dad. i dont know why he fell out with taffy but i will ask about and try to find out thanks for this story it was fantastic to readA Scot Lost in the Valley’s.