Seen at south mimms 1980’s
aeronick:
Seen at south mimms 1980’s
i have just looked at the reg and it is stuart sugdens flying merc,looking very like a very old lady 
looks like it was a yard shunter,someone my tell us,keith
HI i took that photo in about 1986 at south mimms service area, well, beacon cafe as it was then, before the truck stop was built, A ONE transport had an office in the block, opposite the one i worked from, that truck was just back from over the water, i took the photo as it looked like a proper working truck !!!
Sorry I’ve not been on lately, but nice to see that some of you are still keeping in touch, I hope Kieth is getting things back together since his the thieving scum raided his home, I see we have another couple of pictures from South Mimms, I’m not sure who’s Merc it is but it could do with a good wash, looks like it’s just come back from a dirty Hungarian trip, we usualy did come back like that in the winter time.
Don’t know if any-ones worried but I’ve decided to sell up my racing stable, van, and two bikes are for sale, I’ve had no choice, it’s all down to old age, bad health, and poverty, because racing motor-bikes on a state pension just doe’s not work, so I’ve called it a day and selling up, everything is advertised and up to now had a couple of phone calls, so I’ll be back in a car soon but one big enough to pull my caravan, so no more racing and no more record attempts, “unless I win the Euro-lotto this week”, then I’ll be needing my licence to pull my race-trailer, “or am I dreaming”, you never know, or could Kieth get Xroads to sponsor me, just think of the publicity for Volvo and Crossroads, sorry Kieth I’m still dreaming. Kind Regards to you all :-Jack Graham 
Jack Graham:
Sorry I’ve not been on lately, but nice to see that some of you are still keeping in touch, I hope Kieth is getting things back together since his the thieving scum raided his home, I see we have another couple of pictures from South Mimms, I’m not sure who’s Merc it is but it could do with a good wash, looks like it’s just come back from a dirty Hungarian trip, we usualy did come back like that in the winter time.
Don’t know if any-ones worried but I’ve decided to sell up my racing stable, van, and two bikes are for sale, I’ve had no choice, it’s all down to old age, bad health, and poverty, because racing motor-bikes on a state pension just doe’s not work, so I’ve called it a day and selling up, everything is advertised and up to now had a couple of phone calls, so I’ll be back in a car soon but one big enough to pull my caravan, so no more racing and no more record attempts, “unless I win the Euro-lotto this week”, then I’ll be needing my licence to pull my race-trailer, “or am I dreaming”, you never know, or could Kieth get Xroads to sponsor me, just think of the publicity for Volvo and Crossroads, sorry Kieth I’m still dreaming. Kind Regards to you all :-Jack Graham
I would like to wish everyone on the A.ONE site a HAPPY XMAS and a FANTASTIC NEW YEAR.best regards Jeff
Thanks for that Jeff, and a merry Christmas and a great new year to you and your family too, and a great Christmas to all our friends and every-one else too. :- Jack Graham. 
Hope you all are set up for Christmas guy’s, there’s not much conversation going on on Trucknet these days on the A1 page, have you all gone into hibernation, or have you all given up all together, well what ever it is have a happy Christmas and a happy new year to every-one from where ever you are who looks at Trucknet UK. And best regards :-Jack Graham.
hi jack, all went well with the hospital job, just a cancer checkup (diagnosed 11 years ago, now cured)
sorry we never made the reunion, god willing, we will next year.
so have a nice time at christmas and new year (remember every day is a bonus ha-ha)
all the best to all those old TRUCKERS from yesteryear
frank
frankie breslin:
hi jack, all went well with the hospital job, just a cancer checkup (diagnosed 11 years ago, now cured)
sorry we never made the reunion, god willing, we will next year.
so have a nice time at christmas and new year (remember every day is a bonus ha-ha)
all the best to all those old TRUCKERS from yesteryear
frank
Hi Frankie, glad to see your doing well, I know about cancer I had it in 1995 that’s when I last officially worked there, I had the surgery all the chemo and still here to tell the story, so I really do know what your going through, but today things are different and people dont turn there toes up like they did years ago, progress has been made with in the world medicine, I also had a stroke 4 years ago but I caught it soon, had the surgery and still here to tell the tale about that one too, so rather than talk about being ill any more let’s just hope you all have a good Christmas and a better new year to all your family. Kind regards :-Jack
hi jack, should have said it was the wife who had the problems, me? ive had no problems and still going strong at 72 (still smoke and drink--ha-ha) so does that tell you something?? wife says im just a jammy wee pillock !!
i love all the old truckin photos, it don`t half bring back the old memories.
cheers jack
frank
frankie breslin:
hi jack, should have said it was the wife who had the problems, me? i’ve had no problems and still going strong
at 72 (still smoke and drink–ha-ha) so does that tell you something?? wife says im just a jammy wee pillock !! i love all the old trucking photos, it dont half bring back the old memories.
cheers jack
frank
Sorry for the mistake Frankie, but I still hope she’s doing well, and also glad you’ve no health problems, we are the same age I’m 73 in a couple of weeks, and my only problem now is getting too fat and trying to shake off the side effects of all the pills and things I take, which is harder than you think, I’ve had to give up my racing, I’ve just sold my van, classic car, and one of my race bikes, but it had to come eventually, it’s a young guy’s sport and I’ve been trying to keep up with the young guy’s for too long, and apart from health issues it’s the cost of racing on a state pension, and it dont work, I just hope you keep well and as fit as you can and whats the point of stopping smoking and drinking if you’ve done it all your life, I stopped smoking over 25 years ago, but you wont ever stop me enjoying a jar or 2 or 3 or 4 when I want, I’ll be out Friday evening, and I can guarantee I wont get home untill Sat morning, so have a good Christmas and new year
:-Jack
thats what i like to hear jack, keep your “spirits” up !!! we dont have much left to enjoy, i think most of us old truckers are just on the state pension, and that does not go far now a days. sorry to hear you have had to sell your bikes etc. i am selling my touring caravan this spring, just cannot afford the fuel now to travel around. ill miss it, but it`s a sign of the times i suppose.
anyway jack, you have a nice new year (■■■■-up) and enjoy.
catch you in the new year
all the best
frank
frankie breslin:
that’s what i like to hear jack, keep your “spirits” up !!! we dont have much left to enjoy, i think most of us old truckers are just on the state pension, and that does not go far now a days. sorry to hear you have had to sell your bikes etc. i am selling my touring caravan this spring, just cannot afford the fuel now to travel around. ill miss it, but it`s a sign of the times i suppose.
anyway jack, you have a nice new year (■■■■-up) and enjoy.
catch you in the new year
all the best
frank
Kept my promise Frank, it’s now mid-day and just got home from last night, it’s a good job I’ve a few mates who live closer to the pub than me and have spare bedrooms, I have a good thing going at my pub, the landlord used to sub for A1 and I leave my caravan behind the pub, could have slept in it last night, but it was too cold so went to a mates instead, “well we did get ■■■■■■ together”, and he did have a spare double bed going free, and it would have been rude to refuse. :-Jack 
Happy new year and good health to you all cheers paul!
collycoltas:
Happy new year and good health to you all
And a happy new year to you too Paul, and to every one who’s looking at this site. :-Jack.
Jack Graham:
dreva:
Cheers Dreva, I’ll get the hang of it eventually, these pic’s in the snow are my last trip to Hungary, Trevor Nussy was the other driver who went with me, it was his first time out there, the weather was fine until we woke up on the services South of Prague, he said what do we do now, I said go back to bed, because you remember they hadn’t invented road salt in the Eastern block, and the road was like an ice rink, so we waited until after breakfast, bacon, sausage, black pudding, mushrooms,and egg, tea toast and butter, “a real continental breakfast”, English style.
As you can see on the others, as we got to Bratislava it was really bad, but we were used to it, Trevor wasn’t but we managed, but he was a good lad to run with, the load was plastic bottles from Sherburn for the new Pepsi Cola factory near the border of Sopron, but we had to come out the long way round, because they’d stopped lorries going out from Sopron, a good trip but a cold one.:-Jack
looks like the weather today as i look outside my front door,not looking forward to work tomorrow,getting a bit to old for the cold
Memories, I have this picture on my wall at home, it was fine when we went to bed on the services, but about 1ft deep in snow when we woke up, so it was kettle on and a fry-up, then set off when the roads had been used and moved some of the snow, things will never be the same any more. :-Jack
keith 2:
Jack Graham:
dreva:
Cheers Dreva, I’ll get the hang of it eventually, these pic’s in the snow are my last trip to Hungary, Trevor Nussy was the other driver who went with me, it was his first time out there, the weather was fine until we woke up on the services South of Prague, he said what do we do now, I said go back to bed, because you remember they hadn’t invented road salt in the Eastern block, and the road was like an ice rink, so we waited until after breakfast, bacon, sausage, black pudding, mushrooms,and egg, tea toast and butter, “a real continental breakfast”, English style.
As you can see on the others, as we got to Bratislava it was really bad, but we were used to it, Trevor wasn’t but we managed, but he was a good lad to run with, the load was plastic bottles from Sherburn for the new Pepsi Cola factory near the border of Sopron, but we had to come out the long way round, because they’d stopped lorries going out from Sopron, a good trip but a cold one.:-Jacklooks like the weather today as i look outside my front door,not looking forward to work tomorrow,getting a bit to old for the cold
Jack Graham:
Memories, I have this picture on my wall at home, it was fine when we went to bed on the services, but about 1ft deep in snow when we woke up, so it was kettle on and a fry-up, then set off when the roads had been used and moved some of the snow, things will never be the same any more. :-Jackkeith 2:
Jack Graham:
dreva:
Cheers Dreva, I’ll get the hang of it eventually, these pic’s in the snow are my last trip to Hungary, Trevor Nussy was the other driver who went with me, it was his first time out there, the weather was fine until we woke up on the services South of Prague, he said what do we do now, I said go back to bed, because you remember they hadn’t invented road salt in the Eastern block, and the road was like an ice rink, so we waited until after breakfast, bacon, sausage, black pudding, mushrooms,and egg, tea toast and butter, “a real continental breakfast”, English style.
As you can see on the others, as we got to Bratislava it was really bad, but we were used to it, Trevor wasn’t but we managed, but he was a good lad to run with, the load was plastic bottles from Sherburn for the new Pepsi Cola factory near the border of Sopron, but we had to come out the long way round, because they’d stopped lorries going out from Sopron, a good trip but a cold one.:-Jacklooks like the weather today as i look outside my front door,not looking forward to work tomorrow,getting a bit to old for the cold
Jack Graham:
Memories, I have this picture on my wall at home, it was fine when we went to bed on the services, but about 1ft deep in snow when we woke up, so it was kettle on and a fry-up, then set off when the roads had been used and moved some of the snow, things will never be the same any more. :-Jackkeith 2:
Jack Graham:
dreva:
Cheers Dreva, I’ll get the hang of it eventually, these pic’s in the snow are my last trip to Hungary, Trevor Nussy was the other driver who went with me, it was his first time out there, the weather was fine until we woke up on the services South of Prague, he said what do we do now, I said go back to bed, because you remember they hadn’t invented road salt in the Eastern block, and the road was like an ice rink, so we waited until after breakfast, bacon, sausage, black pudding, mushrooms,and egg, tea toast and butter, “a real continental breakfast”, English style.
As you can see on the others, as we got to Bratislava it was really bad, but we were used to it, Trevor wasn’t but we managed, but he was a good lad to run with, the load was plastic bottles from Sherburn for the new Pepsi Cola factory near the border of Sopron, but we had to come out the long way round, because they’d stopped lorries going out from Sopron, a good trip but a cold one.:-Jacklooks like the weather today as i look outside my front door,not looking forward to work tomorrow,getting a bit to old for the cold
Hi Jack,did you have a night heater ,forgot when the blood things came out as standerd fitments 
Hi Keith, yes it was the first one I’d had, I think that F10 was one of the first to have night heaters as standard, it’s a shame we didnt have them years before because it would have saved some diesel instead of having to keep the engine running sometimes all night, and it would have made the job worth while instead of freezing our balls off while other drivers from other firms had the luxury of the night heaters, but as you know we never got anything unless it was law. :- Jack
Jack Graham:
Hi Keith, yes it was the first one I’d had, I think that F10 was one of the first to have night heaters as standard, it’s a shame we didnt have them years before because it would have saved some diesel instead of having to keep the engine running sometimes all night, and it would have made the job worth while instead of freezing our balls off while other drivers from other firms had the luxury of the night heaters, but as you know we never got anything unless it was law. :- Jack
remember ian scollick having a f10 with out one ,i had a spare one from another truck and asked if i would put it in his moter[few cases of beer involved]got it half fitted and got a right bollking from wilkie,told to take it out because others would complain,■■■■■■■ beers keith