Hi Sandway, if you go onto Google Earth and search for Hotel Zagreb you will see how the area has changed over the years. It looks like they have finally patched up the car park 
There used to be a large supermarket called The Sava Centre in walking distance that doesnât appear to be there any more, I wonder if it got bombed out during the war, maybe Bullet knows. 
sandway:
Not sure where the pics were taken. Could be Paris.
Love these pictures from back in the day, they all bring back good memories. Keep them coming! 
Looks like the plate on the van in the middle pic is from Rome.
Sandway, if you go on Google Earth again and search for 38 Via Liguria, Latzio, Rome, you will find out where the last photo was taken. I bet that the driver might struggle a bit if he goes down there now.
Regards Steve.
mushroomman:
⌠There used to be a large supermarket called The Sava Centre in walking distance that doesnât appear to be there any more, I wonder if it got bombed out during the war, maybe Bullet knows.
Hi Steve. Im not familiar with the Hotel or the Sava Centre, a bit before my time! Im guessing from the name that it was close to the Sava River. It may well have got bombed out in the war as there was a lot of fighting along the River Sava length, particularly the stretch that borders Northern Bosnia Herzegovina.
I crossed the Sava once on an old chain pulled raft / ferry thing!! Bottomed out the under run bar on the rear of the trailer, completely bent up and out as I drove off this raft thing and up the river bank, it caught on the end of the raft and the bank surface. The old boys on the raft werenât best pleased as it ripped up the wooden planking floor! Lots of shouting and waving of AK47`s 
Apparently I was a âKuuratzâ!! Maybe that was slang for â â â â Englishman!!.. or maybe it wasnât!
I have just heard that Liz Calderwood has passed away. I know there are some old Promotor drivers on this forum from the early 70âs who will remember her. Peter Calderwood founded the company in or about 1970 ably assisted by Liz from their home in Shawfield Park, Bromley. They split up a few years later but Liz remained involved in one capacity or another with the company for many years after that. She was a lovely lady who I am pleased to say was my friend.
Another link to the past lost. RIP Liz.
sandway:
I have just heard that Liz Calderwood has passed away. I know there are some old Promotor drivers on this forum from the early 70âs who will remember her. Peter Calderwood founded the company in or about 1970 ably assisted by Liz from their home in Shawfield Park, Bromley. They split up a few years later but Liz remained involved in one capacity or another with the company for many years after that. She was a lovely lady who I am pleased to say was my friend.
Another link to the past lost. RIP Liz.
RIP Liz, it was good knowing you.
I mentioned a few days ago that one of our Scania units was resprayed for a Midland Bank job. However, it wasnât one but five that were resprayed. I have found an old sales brochure showing them all as well as one set up and ready for business. The picture quality is very poor. To do with my scanner not the brochure. Apologies for that. The picture of all five was taken in 1988 on the, yet to be opened, new Pembury bypass south of Tonbridge. Promotors depot was just off this road in Longfield Road, Tunbridge Wells. As I said the photos were taken from one of our old sales brochures and if I have infringed any copyrights please let me know and I will remove them. Canât remember all the drivers names. But Trevor Thayer and Clive Newman were certainly there.
I notice you had Scania 112 reg B268 DHK on Promotors. We had B267 DHK at Harrier Express. Did that come from you? Robert
sandway:
Promotor supplied and ran many Promotional Display Units for clients during the 80âs and early 90âs. The photos show one such trailer which toured Europe in the mid 80âs. It was used for promoting the Trident Vector 432 music mixer console. The driver and operator of the trailer was David Lloyd known to most of us as Little Dave due to his diminished stature (e werenât tall). I think he may have gone to Kepstowe to work in Russia when he left Promotor.
In the photo of Little Dave on the roof of the Scania you can just see the head of Trevor Thayer, another Promotor driver. He didnât go on this job but later toured, first Morocco and then Russia driving an old red London Transport double decker bus. Promotor were working for the BBC on this job who owned the bus.
The Scania unit shown was originally in Promotor colours and then resprayed for a Midland Bank staff training job. It was used on this tour as it kinda matched the trailer and Trident didnât want to pay for a respray. I have a few more photos which I will post later.
When Dave Lloyd left Pro-Motor he went to work for Barry Martin. Also on Barry Martin was Paul Cantwell. In 1990 all three of us were part of the 10 English driver group, from various companies that ran permanently to Russia. Even more interesting was that in 1968 the three of us were all stationed in Hohne, West Germany. Paul and I with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment and Lloydie with 32 Armoured Engineers. However, by late 91 I was the only one of that group who was still working in Russia. I can remember being in Poland with Dave and Pete Newlyn from Kepstoweâs in the winter of 93. Dave must have gone onto Kepstoweâs from B.Mâs, at some stage. Mick Packham and Gordon Jones went onto Barryâs from Pro-Motor and then they too joined Kepstowe, as did John Mantle. Mick P took over Paul Cantwellâs truck on B.M. and rolled it in Poland, having driven off of the road and ending up with it on itâs side. At the time it was loaded with footballs that he had loaded in Lithuania. I asked him whether the balls had been blown up at the time and he said âNoâ.
I said, âThere was your problem. If they had been blown up it would have bounced back up againâ.
I donât remember what he actually said about that but think that it was something like âYou Canâtâ
sandway:
I have just heard that Liz Calderwood has passed away. I know there are some old Promotor drivers on this forum from the early 70âs who will remember her. Peter Calderwood founded the company in or about 1970 ably assisted by Liz from their home in Shawfield Park, Bromley. They split up a few years later but Liz remained involved in one capacity or another with the company for many years after that. She was a lovely lady who I am pleased to say was my friend.
Another link to the past lost. RIP Liz.
I remember Liz from when I started on Proâs.
R.I.P. Liz
robert1952:
I notice you had Scania 112 reg B268 DHK on Promotors. We had B267 DHK at Harrier Express. Did that come from you? Robert
I doubt if that was one of ours Robert. We couldnât afford to buy two units at once to get follow on number plates.
sandway:
robert1952:
I notice you had Scania 112 reg B268 DHK on Promotors. We had B267 DHK at Harrier Express. Did that come from you? RobertI doubt if that was one of ours Robert. We couldnât afford to buy two units at once to get follow on number plates.
OK. Cheers! Robert
We often worked for Pye Unicam exhibition department in Cambridge. They were part of the Philips group of companies from Holland. Because they had their own stand material and expertise they handled most of the groups exhibitions mainly in Eastern Europe but also North Africa. Although we did a lot of work for them it was rare to have a full load, most times half a trailer at best. This was fine by us as we always had smaller consignments for all the trade fairs in the old commie block.
Sometime in the mid 80âs, and I canât remember when but I do remember it was March or April as most of the snow had melted, we were asked to do a full load to Moscow. This included all the stand material as well as the exhibits. It was a fair amount of gear so one of our supercubes was used. The Moscow exhibition was solely a Philips Group show put on in a small venue.
I was given the job and set off Sunday evening. It was a very straightforward run. Only two things come to mind. First as I did customs in Dover I met an Intercity Transport chap whom I met often but didnât know his name. He shouted across to me, âhello Mr Promotor man and where are you off to now, Baghdad, Damascus?â. I just shouted back âno, Iâm off to Moscowâ. There must have been twenty other drivers waiting and they all stopped talking. It must be remembered at that time very few British lorries went to Moscow. There was a deathly silence. Mr Intercity man said something like âcrikey, and how longs that going to take youâ. I said four or five days after which murmurings started to be heard around the room before normality returned.
The other thing I remember is meeting up with a Dutch driver between Minsk and Smolensk late afternoon. I was thinking of where I was going to park up for the night. We had a cup of coffee together and he told me he had done quite a few trips. He also said he was going to push on through the night to be in Moscow next morning. Even though I preferred driving alone I always knew when it was âtime to goâ. This was one of those times. He and I pushed on through the night. Once we got to So and So Prospect on the edge of town he pointed me in the direction of the Cosmos Hotel where Promotor director Dave Stagg was ensconced. I arrived in the hotel car park just before seven on the Thursday morning, went to reception and rang his room. When I told him I was downstairs I didnât need the phone. Even though he was on the top floor Iâm sure half of Moscow could hear him whooping and hollering. Dave was that kinda fella. It had taken me three days as well as some nights to get there.
As soon as I arrived in Moscow I booked into the Cosmos Hotel sharing a room with Dave Stagg. Now Dave could be a most obstropolis person at times but that hotel room was much more comfortable than Hotel Scania so it was a no brainer. The hotel was off Prospect Mira (Peace Avenue) and opposite the Sputnik Park where the impressive âMonument to the Conquerers of Spaceâ was erected in 1964.
The food at the hotel was not great. When we went down for breakfast the hot topic of conversation was always, are there any eggs this morning. Most times not but sometimes they would arrive during breakfast and then everyone made a wild dash to grab what they could. That restaurant became known to us as the âsmash and grabâ. We also had our evening meals there which again was nothing to write home about. The only thing going for it was the Russian Champagne that we bought from the waiters using black market roubles. It was nothing to have 8 or 10 bottles on our table (there were sometimes ten of us at the table) and there were maybe 50 tables in the restaurant all told. It sometimes sounded like WW3 had started in that restaurant when all the bottles were opened. I could never fathom out the security on the main doors into the hotel. Even we were stopped from entering sometimes and when you were in and went up to your room and came out of the lift there was a âfemale floor dragonâ sitting at a desk watching you. It did make it difficult to get a girl up to your room (or so Iâm told).
We used the lorry as our taxi to the exhibition most days and we both worked onsite. When the show was on I was given the job of looking after the booze and distributing it to the various stands. Well, what else can I say about that job, hic, hic!!!
The return journey back to the UK was unremarkable except for an incident at the border as I left Russia. For some reason Dave had to give me 600 dollars running money before I left Moscow. I didnât have a declaration for these dollars and although I had hidden them in the ceiling lining behind the light they were discovered and confiscated. You can collect them next time you come to Russia I was told! Oh yeah!!! Anyway, that was that. I crossed into Poland with very little diesel wondering how I could get across to West Germany where I could use my Shell card or UTA voucher. I thought I will try selling the spare wheel as I didnât fancy selling my body. The first, and only western person at the border was a Danish driver. I explained my predicament and guess what! yes he gave me enough diesel and some money to transit Poland and East Germany. I promised the company would reimburse him once I got home.
I must admit Moscow was one of those places you either loved or hated. It was, or could be, wine, women and song every night and for some it was but it wasnât my scene. I returned to Moscow about a year later and that was my last trip. I didnât want to go again.
I have mentioned Promotor driver Trevor Thayer in an earlier post. Trevor did a Moscow trip a couple of years after I was there for the Philips Exhibition. I think his load was a British Embassy job. Anyway, he was between Smolensk and Moscow when he parked up for the night in a lay-by well off the main road. It was a bitterly cold night and next morning he couldnât get the truck started or even have a hot drink as it was to cold for the gas stove to work. He told me he put on all the heavy clothes he had with him to try and keep warm. Nobody else used this lay-by and he was in the middle of nowhere so couldnât ask for help. If you knew Trevor you would realise immediately he was not the most fit or athletic of drivers. He ended up in that lay-by all of the next day and into the third day. I said to him later when he recounted the story âbut what were you going to do. You would have died if you did nothingâ. He said that the cold was unbelievable and it numbed him. Not just his body but his brain as well. He said it was almost like being in a comatose state. He said he didnât think he was going to survive.
But on the third day a dutch lorry pulled into the lay-by and stopped further down the road. Trevor jumped down from the cab and ran to him. I never knew Trevor could run so that must have been a first and quite some sight. They got Trevorâs truck started and they continued on to Moscow together. Trevor told me that on the return trip he didnât turn the engine off until he was back in Poland.
A few years later, early 90âs I think, Trevor toured a large part of Russia and ex USSR countries to the south in the London double decker bus the BBC World Service were running at that time.
Sandway, thanks for taking the time to post the photos and memories, this is one of the best threads on this forum! good stuff from back in the day. Im from South London and remember, in the 80`s, seeing the Promoter trucks out and about. With hindsight (donât we all love it?) I should have approached them for a job! They certainly got about a bit. Great stuff, keep em coming please!
bullitt:
Sandway, thanks for taking the time to post the photos and memories, this is one of the best threads on this forum! good stuff from back in the day. Im from South London and remember, in the 80`s, seeing the Promoter trucks out and about. With hindsight (donât we all love it?) I should have approached them for a job!
Thanks bullitt. I still have some photos and many memories. I hope to post them all whilst the little grey cells are still functioning.
sandway:
As soon as I arrived in Moscow I booked into the Cosmos Hotel sharing a room with Dave Stagg. Now Dave could be a most obstropolis person at times but that hotel room was much more comfortable than Hotel Scania so it was a no brainer. The hotel was off Prospect Mira (Peace Avenue) and opposite the Sputnik Park where the impressive âMonument to the Conquerers of Spaceâ was erected in 1964.The food at the hotel was not great. When we went down for breakfast the hot topic of conversation was always, are there any eggs this morning. Most times not but sometimes they would arrive during breakfast and then everyone made a wild dash to grab what they could. That restaurant became known to us as the âsmash and grabâ. We also had our evening meals there which again was nothing to write home about. The only thing going for it was the Russian Champagne that we bought from the waiters using black market roubles. It was nothing to have 8 or 10 bottles on our table (there were sometimes ten of us at the table) and there were maybe 50 tables in the restaurant all told. It sometimes sounded like WW3 had started in that restaurant when all the bottles were opened. I could never fathom out the security on the main doors into the hotel. Even we were stopped from entering sometimes and when you were in and went up to your room and came out of the lift there was a âfemale floor dragonâ sitting at a desk watching you. It did make it difficult to get a girl up to your room (or so Iâm told).
We used the lorry as our taxi to the exhibition most days and we both worked onsite. When the show was on I was given the job of looking after the booze and distributing it to the various stands. Well, what else can I say about that job, hic, hic!!!
The return journey back to the UK was unremarkable except for an incident at the border as I left Russia. For some reason Dave had to give me 600 dollars running money before I left Moscow. I didnât have a declaration for these dollars and although I had hidden them in the ceiling lining behind the light they were discovered and confiscated. You can collect them next time you come to Russia I was told! Oh yeah!!! Anyway, that was that. I crossed into Poland with very little diesel wondering how I could get across to West Germany where I could use my Shell card or UTA voucher. I thought I will try selling the spare wheel as I didnât fancy selling my body. The first, and only western person at the border was a Danish driver. I explained my predicament and guess what! yes he gave me enough diesel and some money to transit Poland and East Germany. I promised the company would reimburse him once I got home.
I must admit Moscow was one of those places you either loved or hated. It was, or could be, wine, women and song every night and for some it was but it wasnât my scene. I returned to Moscow about a year later and that was my last trip. I didnât want to go again.
I stayed at the Cosmos for a week in 81, while I was there for Proâs. On my last day I had a 2 hour row with the receptionist, because I told her that I needed the room for another night. And she told me that I had to leave. When I told them not to bother I would sleep in the truck they soon changed their attitude and found me a room. Little did I know then that I would end up living in Moscow from 90 until 95 and operating my own truck from there. Regarding VDNK, the sputnik park, I used to shunt trailers into there when I was Kepstoweâs Moscow shunter. There was a very good kebab stall on site.
You must have loads of stories to tell of your time in Moscow Micky T. Or are they all being saved for your book.
I have mentioned a few people on here recently. Attached is a photo showing some of them. From right to left front row is Trevor Thayer, Dave Lloyd, Brian Holmes and Promotor Director Dave Stagg who is next to the man in the kilt. The picture was taken in the Royal Mansour Hotel in Casablanca mid to late 80âs where Promotor had just set up an all British Trade Fair. The second photo taken outside the hotel shows the BBC bus Trevor was in charge of. He loved that job so much that a year or so later he went to work for the BBC direct taking the work away from us. No grudges were ever held and Trevor and his wife Maive, who lived in Crawley, visited and stayed at our house on a number of occasions.
As a driver for the company you could never be sure where you would be going next or what the job would entail. I remember one morning I was in the office, chinwagging and drinking coffee when I was told an urgent job had just come up. It seems we had three lorries in St Lary Soulon in the Pyrenees on a Ford photo shoot and they needed some gear out there asap. It was only a few name boards and I think a rear light. A flight was booked and I was off. First to London City airport where, after I parked the car, I ran into the terminal to find two Air France staff waving and calling out to me to hurry as the flight was just leaving. I deposited the name boards and box of spares at checkin and raced to the plane. I had to change in Paris for a Toulouse flight which arrived about three in the afternoon. I went to the carousel to collect my valuable cargo but it never turned up. I thought after all this chasing around Air France screw the job up. So I thought, I must report it missing and so found the lost baggage office. Ah yes you are the Englishman who has name boards and a box of spares. Yes, yes they are here. And the items were handed over. It seems because I was so late getting onboard the flight from London the pilot had personally taken them on board himself and handed them over to the next pilot going to Toulouse. After that I hired a car and shot off to deliver the goods. It was only then, I realised I hadnât taken a map with me. Anyway, I found my way to St Lary and met up with Graham Bertram, one of our drivers. The weather was great and I said how lucky he was. Donât you believe it he said. We have to get up about three in the morning to get the cars up into the mountains so the film crew get the best light. I left him still muttering and shot back to Toulouse, but this time I was too late and missed the last flight. So booked into an hotel and went home the next day.
Another job I got involved in was driving Jim, one of our paint sprayers, down to Nice overnight. Again a Ford photo shoot job. Stevie Smith and two other Promotor drivers were down there but a little damage had been done to a car on the way down and it needed attention. We left mid evening in Peter Calderwoods (Mr Promotor) BMW M5 souped up batmobile. 100mph a lot of the way got us there for about 10 next morning. We found Stevie and I went back to his hotel room to freshen up whilst Jim did the repair. It was finished and we were on our way mid afternoon getting back to Lyon that evening where we checked into a hotel and grabbed a meal. 3.30 next morning saw us back on the road again. There was no traffic and I was holding my speed at about 125 to 130 mph. Around seven oâclock we were doing really well when suddenly a gendarme was in the road ahead of me waving his arms for me to stop which I did. I said to Jim they are going to throw the book at us for driving so fast. There were six or seven gendarmes one of which spoke some English. I tried the usual ânix factura mateâ but he said couldnât be done as they had the big chief with them. The fine was 1,000ff which it turned out was not for speeding but for driving in the outside lane when the inside lane was free.
As Iâve said before, if you wanted to do something a bit different, other that pointing your lorry in the general direction of you destination, then Promotor was the company for you.
