I’m a bit partial to some winter sun myself
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Have now arrived, set up and adorned the correct attire for the next few months hopefully staying until early spring.
Like your photo of the little hippo Alan. Reminds me of a young Staggie.
One who escaped Bugsy’s attentions 
Looks like you got out just in time Brian, have a good Xmas
Recent pictures of M20 remind me of the “old days”.
Days on end at borders.
5/6 days Basargan waiting to get into Iran, then a month at customs in Tehran.
A week on Jordanian border on the way to Saudi Arabia.
Plus chasing ferries to get home for Xmas.
Ah!! the wonderful life of the International Trucker 
All just seemed normal for the job back then.
Alan Grant:
Recent pictures of M20 remind me of the “old days”.
Days on end at borders.
5/6 days Basargan waiting to get into Iran, then a month at customs in Tehran.
A week on Jordanian border on the way to Saudi Arabia.
Plus chasing ferries to get home for Xmas.
Ah!! the wonderful life of the International Trucker
All just seemed normal for the job back then.
Exactly Alan but we mustn’t forget that many of the reports we have read and seen lately are produced purely for sensationalism. Reading the reports on ‘Mail online’ must have people bewildered by events on the M20 and Manston but to us it was all part of the business of International Haulage.
I have attached a photo of my lorry just after I joined Pro’s. The photo was taken in Italy in 78. I had waited seven days for my return load. When I rang Staggie to tell him the load wasn’t ready his reply was ‘enjoy your holiday’ so I did.
‘Merry Christmas’ one and all.
Have cheekily borrowed the attached pics from Jazzandy’s F/B page. Hope you don’t mind Andy. I believe the photo of our old mate George Fardell was included in your book ‘Fifty Shades of Tarmac’. Have also added a bit of your text.
Am really looking forward to seeing the photos in your new book, something to do with a trip to Tehran I believe. Seems you’re not sure if you’re coming or going by the title Andy! Don’t worry my little grey cells been going that way for a long time. I understand it should be released this coming week.
Thanks Sandway. The book should be available next week by the way. Just waiting for Amazon to confirm the pricing. ‘Me, My Mack, Tehran and Back!’
Morning Alan. I understand you pulled for the Lamberhurst meat company for a few years. Did you still have FOO then? Do you have any photos from back then?
The man behind the mask!! Yes, its me of course on water procurement duty. Weather has been fine with a few frosty mornings but a bit windy. This area of Spain has drought conditions but some rain and cooler weather forecast next week. In other words nothing out the ordinary.
Good Afternoon Brian, Happy New Year.
I first started at LST with FOO doing the odd load between Promotor jobs.
After a while I found I was doing more for them than for Pro’s, (the advantage of the meat trade is there is no quiet period).
When LST decided to get rid of an old truck from their fleet, rather than replace it, they asked if I would be prepared to to paint up in their colours and work for them full time.
It was good regular work which I enjoyed so it was a “no brainer” but by that time in her life it was hardly worth re-painting FOO so I went to Rawson’s the Renault Dealer in Tunbridge Wells ( a couple of sites down from Pro’s Longfield Road Depot) and traded her in for an ex demo 310 Turboliner.
I later added an Iveco from Stormont up near Sevenoaks and I also had a 4 wheeler which I worked out of the Mill at Robertsbridge, as I tried to diversify.
Hello Alan. A ‘Happy New Year’ to you also although I see the UK’s perhaps not the happiest place to be at present. I assume you don’t have any photos of FOO but its interesting to see the one that replaced her. I read some of LST’s deliveries weren’t straightforward! Where did you deliver to mainly?
Found another photo of an LST trailer Alan. Whats the letter d in the green box denote and do you know the haulier?
No idea to be honest. I don’t recognise the unit, or the Scania in your first post, LST sub-contracted out a lot of work back then as they only had a couple of Volvos of their own. There was an outfit from up Bromley way who did a lot but I can’t remember their name.
It was good work I’m not sure what you mean by not “straight forward” much easier than a lot of Promotor work in fact, very little loading and unloading (public health issues), of course there was always a time factor with fresh produce that could sometimes make for long hours.
One of our runs was: Sunday evening out to Rungis Market Paris ( we could get away early and beat the ques in Dover as there was no Sunday ban on fridges) couple of hours kip, tip part load, then on down to Lyon.
By the time you were unloaded and washed out you were often well over your time, but as an owner driver you couldn’t park up, as back loads from farms around Provence would come out of the fields for evening loading. So you would lose a day if you didn’t get there for that day.
I’ll plead the 5th Amendment on Tacho issues
Most other runs were pretty straight forward, Hyeres in the South of France, Italy, over near the Lido de Jesolo, Spain a little place just outside Madrid and Alicante, the Northern Europe ones were a bit of a doddle, Courtrai Belgium, Koln area and Frankfurt Germany, they were all regular customers.
Because the customer in Italy was in a bit of an out of the way place, and we would arrive Sunday morning (usually after Paris Friday night) he would leave a car with the keys in for our use whist we waited 'til Monday early am to unload.
Yes long hours, but that was how it was back then. I still to this day can never get a full nights sleep without waking up.
On a different note, where are you staying in Spain? On the mainland obviously.
I regularly visit my sister in Mallorca she has been out there for nearly 60yrs. But that’s another story.
Any pictures of your Iveco Alan ?