good bloke freddie he showed me how to knock all the italian tolls on the way down, do you remember two lads who were on for brinor a bloke named mike he ran an old white road commander and bob he had a white m.a.n. 2 good lads showed me a lot of the tricks, another one you may remember mickey wigley always drank glenfiddich and smoked big cigars,there was another fella named jerry he was a west country lad he had a bad accident in greece im sure he fell of a balconey had terrible trouble with his legs for a long time after a real nice geezer.
Germangeezer, my memory is not what it used to be, although I must have known the two lads on Brinor. MIcky Wigley, just cannot place the face although the name is right there in my forehead. Could the Jerry be Jerry Holmes from Lacock. He drove for me for a while. Do I know you or vice versa, do you know me.
i dont think i know you colonel i was only on greece for a year spent the rest of my time tramping back and forth to italy/spain/germany ect, met some really nice guys on the greek work, jerry was a slightly built lad had long hair and a tache and wore glasses he was on for reeves freight services at the time doing a lot of changeovers at the pub at bourge.
I drove for Anglo Greek, so was a regular on that run. We all have our own way of doing the job and although we meet lots of other drivers, putting names to faces becomes rather difficult as one gets older. I don’t remember Reeves but I do know the Pub at Bourg, but it was not one of my regular stopping places as I used to push on to Epierre to the Routiers there, run by Bernard. A great five/six course meal with free wine for about 60 francs IIRC. I used to like the old road up to the Frejus.
Knocking the tolls all the way from Milan to Brindisi (last peage at Bari) was worth at least £50 each way back in the eighties quite a saving in those days, I dread to think what it costs now. Never had a problem doing it either as they could’nt ever get my name right off the passport it was always mr Charlie and then they would ask me to fill in my address, lived in a lot of different places over the years and if you did the tolls from Paris to Macon by swopping cards at Auxerre and coming off one junction earlier there was another 100 francs each way, a good meal in a routiers somewhere, as they say in Tesco" every little helps ".
chazzer
germangeezer:
colonel did cooperman used to run a dirty navy blue F12 around 95/96 doing the greek run? he was of scouse origin if i remember correctly, i shipped over from brindisi with him and freddie noble a few times when i was on for assured freight out of thurrock.
Fairly clean F12 I reckon “germangeezer” in Finland heading east this picture.
Dirty wheels on this shot, I’ll find a filthy shot of it later!
germangeezer:
good bloke freddie he showed me how to knock all the italian tolls on the way down, do you remember two lads who were on for brinor a bloke named mike he ran an old white road commander and bob he had a white m.a.n. 2 good lads showed me a lot of the tricks, another one you may remember mickey wigley always drank glenfiddich and smoked big cigars,there was another fella named jerry he was a west country lad he had a bad accident in greece im sure he fell of a balconey had terrible trouble with his legs for a long time after a real nice geezer.
I know the Jerry your on about chap can’t remember his full title but his nickname on John Manns was “Cornish” thats the last time I saw him when he worked for Manno.
I remember him falling off Theo the fitters roof way back when, it was a bad accident, he was having a radiator fitted in a White Road Commander at the time, I think he was hospitalized for a bit in Athens.
Regards
Colonel:
Correct Toddster, affectionately know as Cooperman.I saw him a few years ago just north of Beilin, Spain. He was on his way to Morocco doing the garment run.
How are you John? I’ve not seen you for a good while. I’ve been reading your posts with interest, I liked those pictures of your lorries on the other thread they looked smashing particularly the Transcon with its matching boxvan.
Do you still hear from Ron? I often wonder what he’s up to with no lorries to tinker with!
Regards
Cooperman
Hi John, what a surprise, that was the last time I saw you when I was on for Davies’s.
I hear from Ron on a regular basis and usually see him at least once a year at his place in Tolon. Free accommodation on the beach cannot be sneezed at. He does not do any work for the Brit drivers as they are pretty thin on the ground now. I used to love that Greek run.
The transcon with the York Box trailer was used solely on the Baghdad run for carrying the aluminium foil which was used to wrap chewing gum. This was critical stuff as it was prone to deterioration if too long in transit, hence the seven day service tht I provided to my customer.
The 110 Scania was my truck which I bought new in 1974 from Unit Commercials, Salisbury.
Are you still pounding the highways? since I saw you I have been back to the USA for another stint on the big rigs, but health problems cut that short after only ten weeks. Big heart problem.
Thats right you where piloting a Davies motor I remember now.
Ron always reckoned Tolon was a terrific place, I never got to visit unfortunately but maybe 1 day.
Your Ford picture made mine look like a real old nail!!
I had a spell doing the Canadian/US thing for a while myself back in 2007 it was a great experience, I kind of miss the bedroom bit & the facilities across the Atlantic still & I’ve been back 2 years this month. I’d left my heart with a young lady back here so had to cut it short.
I’m still the proud owner of a strange lorry its an old Norwegian FH12 on steel with a semi extender behind it, I work solely for a drilling company & am confined to this island with the odd hop over to Eire now & again. Its dirty work & I have to wear Guantanamo style overalls but it earns me a living & I really enjoy it.
I still look back with great fondness at my time away & growing up around some great old characters yourself included Sir.
I’m sad to hear about your ticker John, I hope its nothing too serious & may I suggest a meditarrean diet!!! 
John, make the effort to get to Tolon, it is fantastic. Everything is on the beach. He also has a nice speedboat for thrashing around in and visiting different places for lunch.
I have given up worrying about the old ticker, one day it will stop and I will have finally run out of diesel.
I am off to Turkey in October for a couple of weeks, so will have to brush up on the old turkish.
I still keep in touch with Graham Soper, he is still doing the continent with a removals firm I believe, but mainly depot to depot.
It is only the memories that keep us going, John.
I’ll give it a go when I get a chance, I’ve been over to San Francisco in June so I’m not due a break yet!
I used to see Graham a bit when I was doing the North Africa thing he was often around Malaga but time flies & its probably been a few years since now. Give him my regards when you speak please.
I still speak to a few of the old Greek men now & again, but I don’t think many of them get on here much.
Stuart “Son of Maurice” has a look on now & again. He has carrier bags full of photos from god knows when that belonged to his Dad I’ll have to try & get him to put some on when he can.
John, I like San Francisco.
I did hear that Maurice passed away, I think the whiskey finally took its toll.
Yes Sir he’s up with the others now.
San Fran is great I’ve only been twice but I really like that side of the US, I only got to do the central states when I was working over that way unfortunately.
Have you retired now then or are you just resting for a while?
germangeezer:
colonel did cooperman used to run a dirty navy blue F12 around 95/96 doing the greek run? he was of scouse origin if i remember correctly, i shipped over from brindisi with him and freddie noble a few times when i was on for assured freight out of thurrock.
Heres the dirty blue F12 Germangeezer. Please note I am from the north west but I’m not of scouse origin Sir.
germangeezer:
good bloke freddie he showed me how to knock all the italian tolls on the way down, do you remember two lads who were on for brinor a bloke named mike he ran an old white road commander and bob he had a white m.a.n. 2 good lads showed me a lot of the tricks, another one you may remember mickey wigley always drank glenfiddich and smoked big cigars,there was another fella named jerry he was a west country lad he had a bad accident in greece im sure he fell of a balconey had terrible trouble with his legs for a long time after a real nice geezer.
This is “Cornish Jerry” that had the fall germangeezer.
germangeezer:
good bloke freddie he showed me how to knock all the italian tolls on the way down, do you remember two lads who were on for brinor a bloke named mike he ran an old white road commander and bob he had a white m.a.n. 2 good lads showed me a lot of the tricks, another one you may remember mickey wigley always drank glenfiddich and smoked big cigars,there was another fella named jerry he was a west country lad he had a bad accident in greece im sure he fell of a balconey had terrible trouble with his legs for a long time after a real nice geezer.
Fred giving me a lesson on something or nothing last year. Do we still look the same germangeezer?
Hullo Germangeezer,
Some good photos mate, who’s that bloke in the blue shirt ? I knew a bloke that looked very much like him 20 years ago, but he had darker hair that that and was a little bit slimmer, always happy and smiling, it must have been his son. Wow! When you see Fred again please give him my regards, good to see him again.
Cheers, Archie.
hyah john last time i saw you was in patras we were booking on the ferry and simon hassan wouldn,t give the girl in the office his last name igot all my diesel nicked in italy. didn,t reconise you from your photo after that last greek trip i worked ror roy bradford for 18 years mainley doing turkey,bulgaria, and romania last trip sept.2001 i am now driving ror ttx oldham reg.r100 ttx will look out for you
blimey john those photos bring back a few memories of you and fred, the last time i shipped over with you to patras was about nov 95 if i remember correctly you wanted to do some turkish work but you only had a 12m tilt which wasnt big enough, i was running a white magnum then with a blue 13.6 supercube for that ■■■■ peter hunt at assured freight, sorry to here about maurice he pulled the wiskey trick with me on the superfast back to ancona boy could he drink that ■■■■!!!, the f12 is exactly how i remember it when it was dirty, sorry about the scouse bit it was a long time ago mate, regards paul