Bestbooties reading your posts you and I must have been crossing H4 at about the same time 76/77/ did you ever see the row of oildrums that according to the likes of the Cola Cowboys author we were supposed to follow? I never did.
Also I read Cola Cowboys many years ago and something struck me as odd but I can’t remember exactly what it was. I think it was the author telling about crossing H4 but then stating they went through the what I think was the new border( Jordan / Saudi- Haditha?) any ideas?
Another point in the book he say’s that on Robbos birthday Gavin produced a bottle of Chivas Regal. Well Robbo was my best mate and I ran with him many times but I don’t remember a journalist and definately no Chivas Regal. I always thought it was the other Gavin (GS) I had met him by then, but reading GS’s posts he didn’t start on M/E until after the book was published. Does anyone know if there was another Gavin or is it more jounalistic ‘licence’?
Gavin M
Gavin McArdle:
Bestbooties reading your posts you and I must have been crossing H4 at about the same time 76/77/ did you ever see the row of oildrums that according to the likes of the Cola Cowboys author we were supposed to follow? I never did.
Also I read Cola Cowboys many years ago and something struck me as odd but I can’t remember exactly what it was. I think it was the author telling about crossing H4 but then stating they went through the what I think was the new border( Jordan / Saudi- Haditha?) any ideas?
Another point in the book he say’s that on Robbos birthday Gavin produced a bottle of Chivas Regal. Well Robbo was my best mate and I ran with him many times but I don’t remember a journalist and definately no Chivas Regal. I always thought it was the other Gavin (GS) I had met him by then, but reading GS’s posts he didn’t start on M/E until after the book was published. Does anyone know if there was another Gavin or is it more jounalistic ‘licence’?
Gavin M
Gavin,
Despite all that was said about following the oil drums,it was a case of finding the first one!,which you couldn’t see when leaving H4.If you were lucky enough to find them,I can’t ever remember them going all the way across anyway.
In all the times I crossed,I only found the drums on 2 or 3 occasions.
I have said several times on here that I have not read “Cola Cowboys” because I saw the author travelling with the “Wing commander” and knew he would have his head filled with ■■■■.That’s what i meant when I said that your signature says it all.
If I remember rightly,he went over before the Haditha border had opened,if it was open,why go over H4 anyway?,apart from doing it for the author’s benifit.
I don’t recall having the option,one trip I went over H4,the next time I heard that Haditha was open so that’s the way I went.
I see no oil drums!
Hi guys
Cola cowboys was written by Franklin Wood and no way did they cross H4
and who ever said they did is an outright idiot .I was the first driver on Astrans to be asked by Bob Paul to take him but I declined so did everyone else except Trevor Long ,the Haditha border on Tarmac being not so wide a road was open although a lot of the time it was covered in sand (no road sweepers) I hope that clears that up
Roger
Gavin McArdle:
Hi Dave Thanks for the pic I remember you, it must have been a long time ago I can see Youg Phills school satchel!
Does anyone remember the sing-songs in the Londra with Dirty ■■■■? I think he knew the first verse of every song ever written. Get a couple of Welshmen and everyone running on Effes and ■■■■ would start the singing hoping someone would know the second verse.mean while the Ahbi’s would be lurking in the shadows trying to find something to be offended about! Great nights.
Does anyone know the true story of the 5 Lira note and the card game? I only know it second hand so if anyone knows it first hand lets hear it please.
Gavin, is this a photo of your Dirty ■■■■ ? 
I posted this photo on another thread asking if anybody knew any of these drivers and somebody said that he thought ■■■■ was one of them. Does anybody recognise any more of them ?.
The only time that I ran with Trevor Long, well he did tell me that getting stuck in the sand was staged but in the end they really did get stuck and it took them a few hours to get out.
He also told me that the incident in Austria where the guy broke his false teeth after falling down the stairs coming out of the pub, happened after a fight with ■■■■ Rivers after he had been called a bull @@iter.
Maybe Roger heard something about this as to what really happened. 
guys
Trying to rember this dust up I think it happened at Paulines in Austria he went down the stairs in the direction of the bog I wasnt there so not so sure, anyway Astran drivers were gentlemen one had to learn to speak proper like what I do
Bob Paul and Mike Woodman were uni grads Mike was a qualified dentist so nocking drivers teeth out was not cricket The only bit of teeth smashing I realy knew of was the (■■■ machine Brownie) Drove a MAC for the london turkish mob (forgot name) smacked a yugo in the teeth with a wheel brace bar whe he climbed in his cab trying to steel his wallet the yugo fell back out of the cab hit his head on the floor and was out cold thought he was dead everyone did a runner .when a copper stepped out in front of him 25 kliks from Speilfeld he thought he had been cought but he only wanted coffee.the other bit of bashing was momma in the resturant bogs on the Austrian side of Speilfeld when she cought a driver from Iran sguatting on the toilet seat sht all down the bog inside and out she wacked him with a broom and stood there and made him clean it up I had sore ribs with laughter,I took a pic of her standing there going to search for it enough for now tea time
Roger
■■■■ Alder, affectionatly known as Dirty ■■■■ is the chap at the end of the table in the blue shirt, with the high forehead.
I knew ■■■■ very well before and during my time on Lawrabian. ■■■■ worked for Tanker Bill and Roy Bradford for many years and was a very good friend of Jimmy Ellis and Bobby Butler.
He was also known as Diesel ■■■■, because he always stunk of Deisel!!
I remember when he blew himself up in the cab of the Daf that he was driving. He changed the turkish gas bomb in his cab and then lit the full one and the fumes ignited and blew him out through the windscreen, onto the dusty floor of the Londra…he was all right, apart from being a bit singed.
GS
and next to him in the white shirt red coller is John Bruce some of the others I cant rember there names must be the Altzimers Light setting in
Roger
Greedygob Rooka`s looking for you
Just started working with him again at Wrighties
hello greek been a long time. been talking to rooka today 
sinbin31:
guysTrying to rember this dust up I think it happened at Paulines in Austria he went down the stairs in the direction of the bog I wasnt there so not so sure, anyway Astran drivers were gentlemen one had to learn to speak proper like what I do
Bob Paul and Mike Woodman were uni grads Mike was a qualified dentist so nocking drivers teeth out was not cricketRoger
Hopefully Roger, you can answer me a few questions that I have always wanted to know the answer to for all these years.
I heard donkeys years ago that the two guys who founded Asian Transport were two R.A.F. dentists who were stationed at R.A.F. Changi in Singapore.
At the end of their posting they drove back to the U.K. and that was where they got the idea from for an overland transport service to Iran.
Could there be any truth in this or was it a Mocamp myth ?. 
I have asked this next question a couple of times and never received an answer.
Why was Java John called Java ?. Did he have some kind of connection with Indonesia or was it just a bled of tea that he preferred to drink.
And as regards the Gentleman who spoke posh me old sparra, why did some of the Astran drivers drive Scooorniaas, when us people up North was driving Scania’s. 
mushroomman:
sinbin31:
RogerHopefully Roger, you can answer me a few questions that I have always wanted to know the answer to for all these years.
I heard donkeys years ago that the two guys who founded Asian Transport were two R.A.F. dentists who were stationed at R.A.F. Changi in Singapore.
At the end of their posting they drove back to the U.K. and that was where they got the idea from for an overland transport service to Iran.
Could there be any truth in this or was it a Mocamp myth ?.
:
This is also what I heard years ago.Or is it one of the “Old wives tales”■■
GS OVERLAND:
■■■■ Alder, affectionatly known as Dirty ■■■■ is the chap at the end of the table in the blue shirt, with the high forehead.
I knew ■■■■ very well before and during my time on Lawrabian. ■■■■ worked for Tanker Bill and Roy Bradford for many years and was a very good friend of Jimmy Ellis and Bobby Butler.
He was also known as Diesel ■■■■, because he always stunk of Deisel!!
I remember when he blew himself up in the cab of the Daf that he was driving. He changed the turkish gas bomb in his cab and then lit the full one and the fumes ignited and blew him out through the windscreen, onto the dusty floor of the Londra…he was all right, apart from being a bit singed.
GS
■■■■ used to start his singing by "getting in tone " mi mi mi mi mi.
.Kailinka, kailinka !
GS
guys
Hopefully I can set the record straight Java John was so called as far as I know because of his darkish skin and brown eyes his mum was Javanese a place in east some where thats all I know.
Mike woodman who started Asian transport with Bob Paul were both dentist trained Mike was in the RAF they both met at GUYs in London after mike had returned from the far east they then came up with crazy idea of transport to the Middle East.the First load was Tyres from Birmingham in a Skania Vabbis to Karbul the rest is History.
Roger
On the subject of tow bars.When i started on Expo Freight in 1980,I had the latest second hand aquisition,(Apart from the 2 new 142’s),a fully refurbished Scania 111.My first trip just to try it out was Belgrade.Piece of ■■■■,no problems apart from a 500 DM fine at Waidhaus for an uncalibrated tacho!.
Next trip now the motor was proved was Riyahd.Went in from Iraq and met Big Cliff,(Cliff Hanger),driving a Globetrotter for a Funstons on the border.He was tipping just outside Riyahd,so we ran together,and when we split up we exchanged phone numbers of the places we were tipping so we could meet up on the way back.
We duly made contact when we had tipped and agreed to meet up at the “Mirrors”,which we did,and started the run up the tapline.
I was following Cliff when my engine gave a bang and a clatter and I pulled over onto the desert.Cliff was obviously not looking in his mirror all the time,but by the time had missed me and turned back it was half an hour.
Cliff got a camion stew going while I tipped the cab and got my tools out.
Problem was a dropped valve on the rear cylinder head.Nothing we could do here.
I had a towing eye on my trailer and a straight bar,Cliff had neither,so we changed trailers so he was pulling my trailer,towing me,pulling his trailer.
We had an air line connection so I could use the brakes if needed.
We bombed up out of Saudi,into Jordan but got knobbled at Derra and Cliff had to pay for being"Loaded"!
We were fined on the dual carriageway out of Damascus for overtaking a police car at 60 mph!,cost me 100 DM!
Got up into Turkey and stopped at the Oryx garage at Incirlic as it was the first real place to phone home.That was 1,000 miles on a bar!
I spoke to my boss and Cliff spoke to his,and it was agreed that we “Top” my motor on Cliff’s back to Belgrade.This we did,and my boss had another driver shipping out who brought a new cylinder head,gaskets,torque wrench and workshop manual and he met us at “The National”.
We went round to Belgrade railway station to use a platform as a ramp to drop my motor,then towed it round to the National.I spent 3 days rebuilding the engine,and when running sweetly,I loaded tractor tyres out of the “Record” factory then started home.
Up through the Commie bloc,across Germany and into Belgium no problem,but when I was on the Ostende motorway,there was another bang and clatter.Yes,a valve had dropped on the front cylinder head.
Within 5 minutes,an Irish lad I knew driving a Mack for OHS stopped and asked what he could do.I explained about having a towing eye on my trailer which he didn’t have either,and it was not safe to do a trailer swap on the hard shoulder, so Paddy said,“■■■■ it,I’ll push you!” So he did.It went well,the only hairy bit being when we got to the roundabout at the end of the motorway just before Ostende docks,Paddy forgot I was in front and kept on pushing me,traffic was flying in all directions.
On the docks,got a Tugmaster to put my trailer on board,then tow my unit on.Same getting off in Dover.Ray Phillips had a fitter come down to Dover with another unit to tow mine back to Loughton for my dead 111 to have a new engine.
Good trip that!
Coupled up!.
We have a road train!.
Unloading at Belgrade railway station.
Another cracking tale and great photo’s, keep “em” coming Ian,
thanks
Jerry
sinbin31:
guysHopefully I can set the record straight Java John was so called as far as I know because of his darkish skin and brown eyes his mum was Javanese a place in east some where thats all I know.
Mike woodman who started Asian transport with Bob Paul were both dentist trained Mike was in the RAF they both met at GUYs in London after mike had returned from the far east they then came up with crazy idea of transport to the Middle East.the First load was Tyres from Birmingham in a Skania Vabbis to Karbul the rest is History.Roger
I did read an article on either here or Toprun that the first trip was done in a Guy Invinceble, (spelling) so which is right!!! the article did have a pic of a Guy, pulling a trailer with Asian Transport on it.
Met Cliff on Algeria .He was going thru a divorce & had to call UK from all the pay phones in Algeria ,France &Spain . Not a happy man. How did Ray Phillips get into the mix ? took a MD to Italy for him once ,broke down & repaired myself about 40 times. Needed a ■■■■■■ every morning to get started , I also dragged a loaded Scania with a wagon & drag from Macon to Calais. Poor old Tony in the Scanny aged 20 yrs. coming around Paris!
Hi mushrooman, I’ve seen your pic before and while I recognize some of the faces I can’t put a name to any of them. I vaguely recognize ■■■■ but I would not have known him if GS had not named him. Old age I think it’s called!
Gavin
Hi All I did say that it was some time ago that I read it I think it must about 25 years or more. I also said that some things didn’t add up and mentioned H4 / Haditha there were other odd bits and it left me wondering if 2 trips were done a couple of years apart and then put together as one.
Gavin
dieseldog6:
sinbin31:
guysMike woodman who started Asian transport with Bob Paul were both dentist trained Mike was in the RAF they both met at GUYs in London after mike had returned from the far east they then came up with crazy idea of transport to the Middle East.the First load was Tyres from Birmingham in a Skania Vabbis to Karbul the rest is History.
Roger
I did read an article on either here or Toprun that the first trip was done in a Guy Invinceble, (spelling) so which is right!!! the article did have a pic of a Guy, pulling a trailer with Asian Transport on it.
Hi guys: You are both on the right track, but not quite correct
The book which I’m writing about Asian Transport/Astran is not far away now and all will be revealed. I have everything from the horses’ mouth but can’t give anything away just yet
Maybe a sneeky preview soon 
Do no despair. I will keep everyone fully up to date as to when it will be launched