biffo:
Congratulations Ash I look forward to the book release, might it not be an idea to have a release party for ex m/east drivers as well as astran drivers past and present I would imagine a lot of us have not seen each others for years,Regards Biffo
Now that would be a great idea!
If it were anything like the drivers reunion we had in Stoke,it would be a case of “Who’s who?”.
I said at the time,we could all have done with having a name badge on your lapel instesd of asking,“Is so and so here?”,to find out you’re already talking to them!
One person was thoughtful enough to propose a toast for “Absent friends”.of who there must be quite a few.
Hi Ian, I take it that you and Hughie were another two that were not invited to the secret reunion near daventry at christmas. I dont know why it is shrouded in secrecy as there are not that many of us left in the land of the living that can attend. When i posted about this before i was sent a PM telling me that i should put myself forward to certain parties so that i could get an invite. regards Jamie.
M&C Jamie:
Hi Ian, I take it that you and Hughie were another two that were not invited to the secret reunion near daventry at christmas. I dont know why it is shrouded in secrecy as there are not that many of us left in the land of the living that can attend. When i posted about this before i was sent a PM telling me that i should put myself forward to certain parties so that i could get an invite. regards Jamie.
A Scot Lost in the Valley’s.
I was invited, but had to turn it down because I never went past Turkey and am not worthy Although I think the invitee was after some free bed and breakfast!
M&C Jamie:
Hi Ian, I take it that you and Hughie were another two that were not invited to the secret reunion near daventry at christmas. I dont know why it is shrouded in secrecy as there are not that many of us left in the land of the living that can attend. When i posted about this before i was sent a PM telling me that i should put myself forward to certain parties so that i could get an invite. regards Jamie.
A Scot Lost in the Valley’s.
Hi Jamie, may I be struck by lightning but you don’t sound like the kind of fellow who would want to roll up your trouser leg or do a funny handshake .
Wheel Nut:
I was invited, but had to turn it down because I never went past Turkey and am not worthy Although I think the invitee was after some free bed and breakfast!
Hi Malc, it sounds like you might have to rummage around the attic and find that old John Bull junior printing set of yours if you want an invite for next year .
M&C Jamie:
Hi Ian, I take it that you and Hughie were another two that were not invited to the secret reunion near daventry at christmas. I dont know why it is shrouded in secrecy as there are not that many of us left in the land of the living that can attend. When i posted about this before i was sent a PM telling me that i should put myself forward to certain parties so that i could get an invite. regards Jamie.
A Scot Lost in the Valley’s.
Hi Jamie sounds like a great party! Why the secrecy? I would like to add all the best to bob may and wish you a speedy recovery from your christmas in hospital and all the best in 2010 to all the middle east drivers on here posting their stories
colin.f.whitetrans:
I would like to add all the best to bob may and wish you a speedy recovery from your christmas in hospital and all the best in 2010 to all the middle east drivers on here posting their stories
Best Reg Colin
I will try to speak to Bob later and mention this post
Hi Ashley,
love the cover picture, could you let me know if I will be able to buy the book through Amazon.com over here in the U S unless it’s likely to be available through someone like Borders bookshops. You ought to have a proper book launch with an Astran truck in the background; why not even in Astran’s yard with some publicity, it would make a good news story for the local tv station.
Good luck
Regards Charlie Gethin
Wheel Nut:
that old John Bull junior printing set .
Ah the much prized possession of many m/e drivers.
The ownership of one could be an indication of who you drove for,know what I mean?.
I knew some who went one better and had a typewriter!
Hi Ash…i certainly want one…and the re-union sounds a good idea…depending where or when it is…hope my old f88 is in there along with AMY…
regards
trucky
Wheel Nut:
that old John Bull junior printing set .
Ah the much prized possession of many m/e drivers.
The ownership of one could be an indication of who you drove for,know what I mean?.
I knew some who went one better and had a typewriter!
Hi Ian, the one that I had was called something like a Petite Pony Typewriter .
It was pink, it had a little light blue plastic case and I.I.R.C. it had a picture of a pony on it. On the top of it there was a dial with all the letters of the alphabet on it and you turned the dial to the letter that you wanted then pressed the key. It had once belonged to my neice who didn’t use it anymore and it was sometimes a bit of a hassel as you will remember that as you entered Czecho and Rumo they made a note of it on your visa along with you radio and your camera which you had to show when you were leaving the country. In the end I came into Rumo through Giurgiu and they forgot to write it on my visa so I swopped it for fifty litres of diesel .
Do you remember that at alot of the places in the Commie Block typewriters in some offices were on chains or they were locked in a cupboard until they were needed.
Steve…How selfish, only 50 litres, I bet some of those old Astran boys would have paid you loads more than that, to help them fiddle their Iraqi transit tax with more success Albeit not too sure about the colours “Pink, with little light blue plastic case” I do think that may have created a question mark regarding the drivers ■■■■■■■■■. I bet Ash didn’t use a Pink Petite Pony Typewriter with a Blue Plastic Case to write the book.
Reddesertfox:
Steve…How selfish, only 50 litres, I bet some of those old Astran boys would have paid you loads more than that, to help them fiddle their Iraqi transit tax with more success Albeit not too sure about the colours “Pink, with little light blue plastic case” I do think that may have created a question mark regarding the drivers ■■■■■■■■■. I bet Ash didn’t use a Pink Petite Pony Typewriter with a Blue Plastic Case to write the book.
All the best…Red
Good morning Red, no daubt that you are just waking up after sleeping off the after effects of the two Efes that you had at Istanbul Airport a couple of days ago .
Your mention of the airport always reminds me of that scary scene in Midnight Express when they find the drugs on that American guy . Also do you remember at The Harem and at Kapic those kids who used to sell the carpets that we would hang inside the back of the cab to keep it a bit warmer or cooler ?. Some of the kids also sold poster size photos of a panoramic view of Istanbul which had a Turkish Airlines plane that was obviously superimposed on it as the plane appeared to be larger than The Bospherous Bridge.
I was reminiscing on why I carried the toy typewriter in the first place and then remembered it was because of a fairly drunken customs man at Nadlac one night.
I loaded somewhere on the way home and I had written out my C.M.R. out by hand, this according to the Rumanian customs man was not an acceptable official document according to him . He had obviously been sampling some cheap plonk by the smell of it and I had to go and wake up the bloke in the Romtrans office to get him to type one out for me. I learn’t then that this was one of those situations which could of easily been rectified by a packet of Kent cigarettes instead of the twenty Deutsch Marks that Romtrans charged.
And no, I don’t think that Ashley would of used a Petite Typewriter to write his book as it took long enough to type out a C.M.R. . Doing a Carnet T.I.R. would of been possible but it might of taken a couple of hours .
kevchalluk:
also Ash, just a thought but would it be possible for Old Pond to maybe do a deal on buying your book and the Destination Doha DVD together??
Thanks!
Sounds like a bit of bartering in Istanbul Grand Bazaar…… Buy one get one free Arbi
kevchalluk:
also Ash, just a thought but would it be possible for Old Pond to maybe do a deal on buying your book and the Destination Doha DVD together?? Thanks!
Hi Kev. Got your e mail ta. Good idea re DVD/book. I’ll have a word.
BTW: First run of Dest Doha DVD’s has already sold out proving just how popular the film was/is. Put it up against todays modern eqivalent of Ice Road Truckers…I know which one is more interesting…but then again I am bias
colin.f.whitetrans:
I would like to add all the best to bob may and wish you a speedy recovery from your christmas in hospital and all the best in 2010 to all the middle east drivers on here posting their stories
Best Reg Colin
I will try to speak to Bob later and mention this post
I rang Bob May yesterday and passed on your wishes, then got a run down of his operation, cut by cut He must have been a bit flippant with nursy on Christmas day as she rolled him over with his catheter still inserted, brings tears to your eyes, it really does
Anyway he is up and running again, not literally, but said he felt a 400% improvement.
I mentioned driving again and he is going to look into the other issue of taking insulin.
Hopefully this may help, although the decision is still to be made.
Although I think the invitee was after some free bed and breakfast!
.
.
Albeit not too sure about the colours “Pink, with little light blue plastic case” 
I do think that may have created a question mark regarding the drivers ■■■■■■■■■. 
I bet Ash didn’t use a Pink Petite Pony Typewriter with a Blue Plastic Case to write the book.
He must have been a bit flippant with nursy on Christmas day as she rolled him over with his catheter still inserted, brings tears to your eyes, it really does