Good afternoon men,sunny greetings from Blackpool.Reading the papers yesterday and found an interesting article that ex continental men could associate with= Our continental neighbours [The ones who have a white flag as their national flag!] Seemingly the French A16 and 26 going south have a dedicated team of traffic police who hide under Motorway Bridges and behind hedges armed with laser guns and very happy to clock Brits who are speeding,if you get zapped you get a pull at the next toll booth and get the full weight of the law=No photographic evidence is produced [The courts believe what the police tell them!] If you are only going 1k over the limit is enough to get a fine, and the fines are on the spot, if you don’t have enough cash on you they will take you to the nearest cash point!Fines = up to 1-19 over £36. 20-39 over £72 25-30 over£108 court deposit and instant 3 day ban followed by a court case, If the driver was deemed to be driving dangerously.the vehicle can be confiscated for ever. Viva La France.
maxhagar:
Good afternoon men,sunny greetings from Blackpool.Reading the papers yesterday and found an interesting article that ex continental men could associate with= Our continental neighbours [The ones who have a white flag as their national flag!] Seemingly the French A16 and 26 going south have a dedicated team of traffic police who hide under Motorway Bridges and behind hedges armed with laser guns and very happy to clock Brits who are speeding,if you get zapped you get a pull at the next toll booth and get the full weight of the law=No photographic evidence is produced [The courts believe what the police tell them!] If you are only going 1k over the limit is enough to get a fine, and the fines are on the spot, if you don’t have enough cash on you they will take you to the nearest cash point!Fines = up to 1-19 over £36. 20-39 over £72 25-30 over£108 court deposit and instant 3 day ban followed by a court case, If the driver was deemed to be driving dangerously.the vehicle can be confiscated for ever. Viva La France.
Last year I got my class one back after jumping through the usual hoop’s and medical’s, passed every one eventually with the intention of going back part time if needed, but after looking at the crap today’s transport system has to put up with it just wasn’t worth it, including doing the CPC another EU load of crap, I decided to hang up my boots for good, except for driving my mates American motorhome which you need an 7 1/2 ton licence to drive it, no wonder no-one wants the job any more. :-Jack 
Is life extinct out there? Q Whats the smallest organisation in the world? A The Russell Hutchinson fan club!!!
maxhagar:
Is life extinct out there? Q Whats the smallest organisation in the world? A The Russell Hutchinson fan club!!!
Just what I was thinking, where is everyone!, I hope all the ones who said they would come to the reunion on 16th August turn up, because if they don’t then it will be the last time I do it, there are only 5 weeks to go I have enough to make it a good night and there’s no doubt everyone will be glad to have a natter about old times again, I’ve even got hold of Jack Tether who said he’ll be there wheel-chair and all, there are a few who cant because of holidays but it should be fine, regarding Russel Hutchinson’s fan club I’m sorry but I don’t agree, not everyone disliked him including myself, he had a problem with not only drivers but with most people, he lacked communication skills with most folks, but as a manager of the best haulage company in the North he did well, and had he had the chance to take over instead of that prat who Magee A1 would have still been trading, he was 100% for A1 no doubt about it and most of us who had been there for many years thought the same, we didn’t always agree with what he said or did but he was all for A1 and you can bet your life that JMR regretted not letting him have it, he was always OK with me except for a few problems now and again, but on the whole I found him a good manager, one thing for sure he didn’t sack anyone for nothing, because he didn’t like anyone leaving A1 and taking there knowlege somewhere else, even JMR was the same. Sorry to go on a bit but I always speak the truth, :-Jack. 
PS See you on 16th August. 
Hi Jack, I must have been “on the mat” a couple of times in front of R Hutch, in my years with A ONE!! And he was always very fair and listened to your side of the story, before giving his judgment. Once, as I was leaving the M62 at jnc 27, I got badly cut up by a car, so gave him a lot of lights and sound,only to find that he had gone straight to our depot to report me. Needless to say, Russell more or less told him to stop wasting his time. Regarding the Reunion, I’m not sure if I will be able to get there as I am having to apply cream to my face, and it has a very nasty effect on it for about a month! 
One lunchtime I stopped at a pub in Birstall for a pie and a pint, I got talking to a women at the bar who asked me who I worked for as the wagon was in Hepworths and Grandages livery. I work for A one I told her, Oh you might know my son he works there she said, whats his name I asked Russell Hutchinson she replied Oh I know him I said yes she said everybody knows him the little barsteward,even when he was a kid he was a little barsteward she said! Blood thicker than water??
Hi Jack,will be still coming,maybe more will turn up and your hard work trying to get this up and going again keith
keith 2:
Hi Jack,will be still coming,maybe more will turn up and your hard work trying to get this up and going again
There’s no hard work involved Keith, just frustrated that not many keep in touch any more, it only takes a few phone calls and a few emails on this page to set it up, the biggest problem is finding where everyone is and getting the phone numbers and email addressed, and contact Stuart Broughton to let the pub owners know were going and that’s it, so not too much to do really, I usually leave it to you guy’s to let them know, so I’ll just hope we all turn up. :-Jack
Good afternoon men [ and Les Pullan ] Just found out this weekend that another famous name has been taken over Gilbraiths of Accrington has been bought by Pollock Transport!
This topic has took me a couple of days to read through and i must say that it is the best read on Trucknet.Coincidently, it was A1 Transport which got me wanting to be a lorry driver as a child.During the 80’s, every sunday evening me,my brother and parents would catch the bus back home to Batley from Gildersome after visiting my grandparents, and i was always fascinated by the big red lorries as we drove past the A1 yard.I used to tell my parents when we rode past that i wanted to be a lorry driver when i grew up.
By the way, i knew a driver who said that he worked at A1 doing the continent,though he does tell a few tall tales.He’s called Mick Pitts or Geronimo is his nickname.Lives in Gildersome.
Here’s an old A1 Volvo
LeedsChris:
This topic has took me a couple of days to read through and i must say that it is the best read on Trucknet.Coincidently, it was A1 Transport which got me wanting to be a lorry driver as a child.During the 80’s, every sunday evening me,my brother and parents would catch the bus back home to Batley from Gildersome after visiting my grandparents, and i was always fascinated by the big red lorries as we drove past the A1 yard.I used to tell my parents when we rode past that i wanted to be a lorry driver when i grew up.By the way, i knew a driver who said that he worked at A1 doing the continent,though he does tell a few tall tales.He’s called Mick Pitts or Geronimo is his nickname.Lives in Gildersome.
Hi Chris,this lot must have taken some reading,as for mick pitts I have never heard of him,keith
Alinfrance:
Here’s an old A1 Volvo
I think this one was bought s/hand at some point,due to the beacons and spot light holes in the bumper,2 that I remember came from transflash and bokers,keith 
david jays comes to mind who had this truck
I bought it with my brother from Northern Commercials, had it stripped down rebuilt and painted
Alinfrance:
I bought it with my brother from Northern Commercials, had it stripped down rebuilt and painted
did you paint it red keith
A bit of a long shot here, anyone remember Brian Regan who worked at A1,Henry Longs, Bells,Asquiths back in the 60s,70s,80s, big blokes from Bradford, and his sidekick Peter Carter?? Brian would have been about 78 now.
Bradford1978:
A bit of a long shot here, anyone remember Brian Regan who worked at A1,Henry Longs, Bells,Asquiths back in the 60s,70s,80s, big blokes from Bradford, and his sidekick Peter Carter?? Brian would have been about 78 now.
not some one I remember but jack may know him when he comes back on line,keith
Cheers pal
Bradford1978:
Cheers pal
do you know any one else from a one with been from Bradford,keith
Alright Keith,
Just my grandad Brian Regan, Peter Carter and Malcolm Hogg, don’t think he worked at A1 for that long, more time at Henry Long, Jack bell etc, it’s only come to light because I was on a DCPC on sat and a couple of old boys knew my grandad from the ‘good bradford haulier days’.