Nice picture of Haditha Robert. That prompts some memories I’ll tell you - was rummaged there more often than the average choirboy but the best was always when we had the icecream contract on Grangewood. I have always wondered what is the exact translation of “If you unload it, you keep it Chief” Always managed to get the meaning over though even without the translation!
David
I wonder how many cameras were liberated at borders. I lost 2, not actually using them at the time, Colin F White Trans lost a couple but managed to nick one back in Kaz. Claud Ray Mermet ( Ferdirici ) spent 9 days in jail in Afghanistan, just for having one in his truck, they gave it back to him still with the film in it, and told him to be on his way.
One of our guys that was on with us for Trans Mondo went on a trip to China and the inside of his truck looked like a film studio and they never said anything
Jeff…
Jelliot:
I wonder how many cameras were liberated at borders. I lost 2, not actually using them at the time, Colin F White Trans lost a couple but managed to nick one back in Kaz. Claud Ray Mermet ( Ferdirici ) spent 9 days in jail in Afghanistan, just for having one in his truck, they gave it back to him still with the film in it, and told him to be on his way.
One of our guys that was on with us for Trans Mondo went on a trip to China and the inside of his truck looked like a film studio and they never said anythingJeff…
Yep. Robert Hutchinson, who wrote ‘Juggernaut’, had his liberated by the Saudi police. Mine was confiscated at the Georgia/Azerbaijan border. Quite an amusing incident. One of the other Brit drivers said, ‘Get your camera Robert and we’ll have a picture with these young border guards’ - (they all looked about 15 and probably were!). At first I wouldn’t and reminded them that the golden rule is never get your camera out at dodgy borders! However, I eventually relented and took a happy snap of the drivers and soldiers. Immediately, a senior official swooped on me and took my camera into his office. Once we had cleared customs and finished the paper work, one of Patrick White’s drivers - a young New Zealander called Hamish Carmichael - bravely sneaked into the customs office when it was empty, snatched back my camera and hid it in his own truck. Miraculous, when I look back. You couldn’t make it up, could you! Robert 
Sorry about the secret code but I have a new pewter and I am having probs: filing my pic’s- watch this space -
regards Fred
freshir:
Out of the archives - the ol’gel
Secret code perhaps? 
Robert 
Our Fred is the master of the cryptic comment. 
David
I was last there 12 years ago and I’m sure it was a bit more civilised than when you last saw it, Roger. Nonetheless, it was strewn with sheep limbs, being the Eid al-Adhar season. Whoever took the picture was a braver man than me (Gungadin!), but I wish I had taken a picture there when I was parked next to Graham Ball’s Astran Scania 143, piloted by Trevor Dodwell. But there: I’ve had cameras confiscated from me at more interesting borders than Haditha! To compensate, here’s a pic I took at the crossroads near Ceyhan in southern Turkey, of a Fiat parked outside a mosque! Robert 
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Well you have to get your prayers in when you can Robert,lol … Like the one down the road from us at ■■■■■■■ 3.30 in the morning 
blip 
postman paul:
I was last there 12 years ago and I’m sure it was a bit more civilised than when you last saw it, Roger. Nonetheless, it was strewn with sheep limbs, being the Eid al-Adhar season. Whoever took the picture was a braver man than me (Gungadin!), but I wish I had taken a picture there when I was parked next to Graham Ball’s Astran Scania 143, piloted by Trevor Dodwell. But there: I’ve had cameras confiscated from me at more interesting borders than Haditha!0
Well you have to get your prays in when you can Robert,lol … Like the one down the road from us at [zb] 3.30 in the morning
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I’m back in UK at the moment and I have to say I rather miss the sound of the muezzin (or ezan hocasi - sedilla on that c and no dot on that i - as it’s called in your neck of the woods)! Robert
Yes Robert, I don’t mind really it’s just the early one that’s…well need I say more,also if it bothered me too much I should not have moved here.The most interesting thing is my Turkish Cypriot friend hates it,does not matter what time of the day or night it is,it bothers him.
Here is an interesting view off it at Xmas and you must not forget this is a mixed religion country(North Cyprus),but you would never get away with this in the UK.
Yes, even in Cairo Santa and his Christmas trees sit happily alongside the mosques. All the fundamentalists have moved to Britain, you see. A lot of Muslims find the din of broadcast calls to prayer irritating: there’s nothing in the Qur’an to say they have to be amplified! And of course they weren’t until about 50 years ago (still aren’t in many villages). Robert 
Good afternoon gents. I thought I’d do a little vignette today on Bob Poggiani’s ‘Scud’. ‘The Scud’ was the nickname, allegedly given to it by the Turk drivers, for Bob’s Scammell S26 with which he subbied for Astran. The Scud even managed trips during the Gulf war in the early '90s. It had double-drive and a ■■■■■■■ 400 lump. Those Scammells usually came with a 15-speed Fuller 'box, so I’d be interested to know whether that’s what The Scud had, or whether it had some other transmission. It was certainly a strong tool for Middle-East work and would have come in handy for off-road deliveries in the desert. Here are some nice pictures of it, that I’ve pillaged from various sources, starting with a pic of the driver himself. The 1st and last photos are by Lawrence Kiely and the 3rd one down is by John Williams. I hope nobody minds. Enjoy! Robert
He looks a cool dude,did those aircon pods on the roof work when the truck was parked up on rest like the ones nowadays or just when the truck was running ,i bet they were a absolute godsend in the desert either way
does anyone know what the scud was like on the mid east run, how was the reliability, handling & comfort through the harsh terrain.
thanks
gaz
robert1952:
Yes, even in Cairo Santa and his Christmas trees sit happily alongside the mosques. All the fundamentalists have moved to Britain, you see.
I think that’s right Robert,how did they shout that loud back then and Yes they have all moved to Britain.
tetragaz:
does anyone know what the scud was like on the mid east run, how was the reliability, handling & comfort through the harsh terrain.
thanks
gaz
Here here! That’s precisely the info I was hoping to elicit with my pictures. Perhaps Bob himself is familiar with TNUK… Robert
T/N member GS Overland could well help you with some of your questions. I think that’s him standing on the left in the second pic down. 
bullitt:
T/N member GS Overland could well help you with some of your questions. I think that’s him standing on the left in the second pic down.
Cheers, Bullitt!
Incidentally , did you know that there was an Interstate high cab version of the LHD Scammell S26 6x4 - I kid you not: here’ the picture. Robert
This is why I like truck net learn something new everyday
When I was running out of Aylesbury in the mid 90’s there was (occasionally) a guy with an Astran tilt parked up opposite Dominoes Pizzas near the town centre, there were also a load of Scammall/ Leyland Road Trains and older MAN’s in the same yard. I was only back in Aylesburry every month or so and sometimes it wasn’t there, I never got to meet the guy. Was that Bob Pogg ■■ if not who was it.
Jeff…
