dieseldog6:
Gavin… do you have any pics of your Crusader?
Hi I have some pics of the Scammel and some other proper trucks, they were e-mailed to me by Truckerash. I have e-mailed him to ask if I can use them if I get the OK I will post them. As I have said elsewhere my KW was broken into in Greece (believed to be 2 English drivers- it would be wouldn’t it) and all the good pics I had were nicked.
Gavin
Hi Gavin, you didn’t sell your Crusader to John Elms from Binegar did you? I drove an ex M-E sleeper cabbed Crusader fitted with an air-con unit on the roof for him for a week in 1984. He was in league with a guy called Terry McNally hauling out of Beck & Politzers at Avonmouth. I won’t go into why I only drove it for a week on this forum, I don’t want to be accused of anything nasty. 
HELLO MR MACKIE IS MR MAGOO STILL WORKING OUT OF DENMARK? MR CREWE GAVIN WAS IN LOVE IN PASCANI 
GERRY MAC:
HELLO MR MACKIE IS MR MAGOO STILL WORKING OUT OF DENMARK? MR CREWE GAVIN WAS IN LOVE IN PASCANI
Mr.Magoo,(AKA Alan Jones) was working for an agency in Barnsley doing UK work recently.
I made a posting s few weeks ago to say that he parked up near to my place and gave me a ring and I picked him up and we went for a couple of bevvies.I have spoken to him on th phone since,but not for a week or two.
sinbin31:
Maurice Grey giving you a tow most unlikleyRoger
Now then Sinbin 31 don’t forget Maurice is’nt here to stand his corner, Stuart also has a nosey on here from time to time and is finding this offensive.
Why not reminice about the good times it makes for better reading.
Gavin McArdle:
Hi Roger I think the last part of your post( he didn’t want to remember) covers it especially considering my second post. I actually got to know Maurice very well when I was doing Greece for DT’s, I shared a cabin and a bottle of whisky more time than I can remember (thats the whisky). One night i decided to look in his passport, he had left in on the table while taking a shower,(not something I would normally do) and discovered that the passport office had wrongly read his date of birth by 5 years! Know what I mean? To be quite honest I liked him once you had got past the bluster and although he had been doing international for a few years more than me I could beat him on countries travelled.He was very much in the same mould as Taffy Davies.
Hiya Gavin, On the eve of Maurices funeral I sat in the mans living room with Audrey & Stuart, Audrey gave me a stack of passports as thick as a house brick for me to nosey through, they spanned a long career and with too many countries to list and made ■■■■ good reading, I also saw pictures of his Fathers lorries and his own, a lifelong career in road transport I should say. I doubt very much that 1 peak at his then current passport would be enough to comment on his travels really. Just to let you know Stuart has a nosey on here now & again, he may scan some pictues & a few passports if you wish. Stuart would like to know what the towing charges to Jeddah where and did you pay in full■■?
On another note I find the most of what you’ve put on here absolutely smashing chap keep up the good work and lets see some more please.
I first met Maurice at Kapic one night when there were several lines of truckes moving up the queue and getting around those who’s drivers were asleep.Maurice and I both made a dive for a vacant slot and I beat him to it.Well Maurice was out of his cab and we had a bit of a barny,but as said before,it was all bluster. After that we were the best of mates and it was a priveledge to have known him.RIP
fly sheet:
[.
Hiya Gavin, On the eve of Maurices funeral I sat in the mans living room with Audrey & Stuart, Audrey gave me a stack of passports as thick as a house brick for me to nosey through, they spanned a long career and with too many countries to list and made ■■■■ good reading, I also saw pictures of his Fathers lorries and his own, a lifelong career in road transport I should say. I doubt very much that 1 peak at his then current passport would be enough to comment on his travels really. Just to let you know Stuart has a nosey on here now & again, he may scan some pictues & a few passports if you wish. Stuart would like to know what the towing charges to Jeddah where and did you pay in full■■?
[/quote]
Next time you speak to Stuart,call him one drop and see what he says!
Hi Guys
This is a bit of a shock to my system I had no idea Maurice Gray had passed away ,Maurice and I tollerated each other but werent the best of freinds after he accused me of nobbing him up in Dover when he was drunk as a skunk and was sitting in the drivers seat and he was arrested by the police,it wasnt me I would have taken his keys and thrown him in his bed.I must admit Maurice sometimes was a good laugh but was a bit like Trevor Long who had to be the centre of atraction ,I know if he is now gone he cant reply but Stuart will confirm his dad was very embarrassing when in company of woman as I found on many occasions when I worked my last few Years with Maurice on Intersped Manolesos to Greece on the Ferrys to Patra .I will not tell lies and say Maurice was a great guy we all have our good points and bad we are individuals
Maurice will be remembered for his exploits in the Middle East and Greece.I send my condolences To Stuart and the rest of the family and if he reads this then get in touch you have my number R.I.P
Roger Haywood
Hi flysheet, I am not sure what you are implying in your post. The driver that towed me in, charged me (I can’t remember how much) the other drivers in Jeddah did not think it right for one English driver to charge another.As I said I’m almost sure it was Maurice, I obviously didn’t hold it against him as I became friends with him later and ran with him many times, and Stuart IIRC. We also had enough conversations to know where each of us had travelled, you would not find much looking in my present passport-it’s blank, but it does show my date of birth.Maurice was always telling people that he was about 63/5 in about the 90’s, when I peeked (only to check his DOB)in his passport it gave his date of birth which made him in his late fifties. I also heard his stories about his fathers haulage business and his award of the French Legion D’Honour and I saw no reason to disbelieve any of them.
I was not slagging Maurice off and did not mention the towing charge until someone else said that ‘he would not have stopped’
Gavin
Hi Roger, I’ve always heard you refered to as Rita Hayworth but I’ve no idea why. I always thought it was because of your figure 
Now a sensible question, when did you start working for Astran? In 1975 a friend of mine Alan Ball bought a LHD dutch spec 1923 Merc reg HXG466H that was used on M/E. Years later I met a driver doing, I think ,a one off Italy. We were weekended and during out conversations he said that he used to do M/E for Astrans running to Afghanistan, then he mentioned the reg. of his truck and said that he thought it went to Somerset, I was able to tell him where it was and I think still is (refurbished and in a warehouse). I am sure his name was John Mellor from Rugely does that mean anything to you ,or anyone else on here?
Why except for the odd Astran pics are there no posts on here relating to pre1975? There were other firms going out there then.
Gavin Mc
Hi Gavin
Most of the original Astran Drivers have now passed on I was in the Middle east from 1963 to 1966 Driving between Libya and syria when I came home I hated it so I took a job a local job driving wasnt till 1976 that I discovered Astran I did my first load with Trevor Long to Damascus then on to Doha the Picture of Trevor In BL at the begining of this thread was taken by me in 1978 on a trip to Dammam in my brand new volvo PWM116T there were other companies doing ME then but before 1976 I wasnt involved from UK I know Trevor and Kim Belcher Who was shot in Austria 3days after I had had dinner with him in bulgy,Jonny holland ■■■■ Snow TonY Keirl (Astran Fitter)John Willie were around before that Im trying to dig out pics that I had but I have moved a couple of times and as you know things get lost ,YES Rita was given to me by George Hall IN 1978 as he thought my name was Hayworth .I get very depressed when writing on here as most of my realy old buddies have passed on but we all have to go sometime so I am hoping all the stories in Truckerash’s book give’s a true reflection of what a great time it was ,I wish I could have continued into the 90’s but health and long hours took its toll John Bruce was in touch a couple of weeks ago and said he had some real old pics,but I think he wanted to save them for the book R.I.P to all the good old guys and good health to the good old guys still with us lets all get together before we all vanish.
Roger(Rita) Haywood
Hi Roger,
You mentioned George Hall. (Peter Pan) What is he doing now? the last time I saw him he had painted his Scania Black, with IIRC Red and White stripes on it, and was pulling a posh Fridge Trailer. Is he still at, was it Aylesford or Larkfield. If you do still see him will you please pass on my regards.
Hi Archie
Sorry havnt seen George Hall For donkeys ages last time was in a layby near Swanley he was pulling a Fridge then I think to Poland with Cooking fat and returning with bacon,tried to ring his number after that but nothing maybe John Bruce might Know have his number will ring lives not to far from me will Post if I hear anything
Roger Haywood
Can I put a name forward on this site, I haven’t seen it mentioned before, a old close friend who got killed many years ago working for Astran’s,….Steve Goodman, I new him working for Roger Nicholls on W & M Woods, then with Tony Bradfield subbing for Howe European, and Martintrux then on to Astran, a true gentleman, any comments.
my oldman john ball used to work for w m woods from harlow was right good mates with steve goodman i was reading on one of the earlier posts some one mentioned about one of astrans drivers getting shot thay got the name wrong it was steve goodman spoke to barrie barns last night on his way down to doha and he recovered steves truck from linz in austria after the death of steve.have got pictures of steve and my old man when thay were on for woods also harry the hat ill dig them out and stick them on when i get to doha. regards graham
Hi OssieD, i too am surprised that Steve Goodman has not been mentioned before on this post. He was a a really nice guy and i met up with him on a few trips, if i remember correctly he was either engaged or going out with an air hostess called Jane. When he was shot in Austria Rick Ellis was sent out to bring his truck home. I remember him telling me that on the way back he switched on the truck radio and the cassette that was playing was Lady Jane by Rod Stewart, that sent shivers up his spine. RIP Steve. regards Jamie.
A Scot Lost in the Valley’s
Hi Graham, i must have posted just after you and seem to have put the cat among the pigeons regarding who brought steves truck home. I was sure it was Rick Ellis that told me that story, but it could have been Barry on one of our many chat’s together, tell him that i am asking after him and that Fred is still looking for the 400 litres of diesel that he lost in Belgium one winter. regards Jamie.
A Scot Lost in the Valley’s.
hi jamie sorry mate it was ricky ellis that pulled steves truck back just called barnsy to make sure woke him up bless him hes just at cilvagazu on syrian convoy tommorrow. cheers graham
Hi GUys
I did mention the story on Steve Goodman a while back Steve was called back by Bob Paul after he had retired from driving after getting Married Steve was a Diamond he always helped in any way poss and could not say no to Bob Paul.Steve was on his way home and was loading in Chemi Linz In Austria I spoke to him in Bulgy on my way out and on my way back I was flaged down and told the bad news .Steve had gone to a bar to eat and have a beer,he was approached my this girl and started chatting Steve spoke good German later the girl said do u want ■■■ steve declined and as he left and was walking accross the car park this guy shouted hey Englishman Steve turned and the Guy shot him in the chest.It turned out he was the pimp.later Pauline at golling showed us the news paper clipping he was cought and got 25years the girl got 2years not enough I say ,It was one memory of Astrans I will never forget…R.I.P STEVE
Roger(Rita)Haywood