bestbooties:
Ash,
Am I to take it that your book,as well as your own input,will be from the information collected by Nick garlick for his book?
And is it based purely on Asian Transport/Astran, with added anecdotes and pics?
hi Ian,
My book is all my own work, research, info and photos. I’ve been collecting Astran “stuff” for many years so had something to go on before I started writing.There were 1 or 2 men who Nick and I spoke to who worked for Asian/Astran so I have re-contacted them.
It is based purely on Asian/Astran although there are other companies mentioned, but only in passing and when relevant.
I don’t just want photos of Astran trucks in the desert, so there are lots of other “interseting” pics going in the book which add to the flavour and illustrate different sides to the company and the men who worked there.
Good luck with yours. See you at the finish line Ash
brookie:
Here’s an interesting site, this is a link to a page regarding Astran beginnings, also on the site (if you register) are some pics of the M/E run, some with astran, which I’ve not seen before, hope it works!
Hi truckerash,
The book sounds great can’t wait for it’s release,sad day today went past Gerry Whelan’s(RIP) old house in Fordingbridge many an evening spent there listening to his tales and sharing a bottle of gin I seem to recall his wife passing away in Austria on a trip with him is this true ?
Regards MaggieD
Ah! thanks nianiamh, job done. An interesting read for anyone who’s not seen it yet. Hope it puts a few Astran queries straight! Click on “the hard way” for details of the first run.
Ah! thanks nianiamh, job done. An interesting read for anyone who’s not seen it yet. Hope it puts a few Astran queries straight! Click on “the hard way” for details of the first run.
brookie.
Indeed, just been reading it, Guy Warrior carrying letterpress machines.
Hi All some more pics from Saudi
a strangely deserted roadside cafe, perhaps they had lost their Michelin rating?
can anyone see any thing of interest out there? … Nor me! I had just pulled off the Dammam Riyadh road for a brew when over a period of about half an hour about 6 or 8 pickups turned off the road and disappeared into the distance. There were no markings on the road and the only tracks in the sand were what they made!
Gavin
Hi Norman (sandman) I’ve noticed you mention your accident near Istanbul a couple of times. I came past in the opposite direction not long after it happened, I can vouch for the fact that the cab was along way from the chassis! I think I was towing someone to Aydins and the police would not let us stop. When we got to Aydins he told us you had been killed and there did not seem much point in going back just to gawp. Do’es this mean you are not dead? Just goes to show -don’t believe a Turk!!
Gavin
Gavin,
Those Toyota pickup trucks and Mercedes tankers,(Still on Zed playes), would appear out of the desert,cross the tapline and disappear back into the desert again as you know.Running from one Bedouin camp to another,usually driven by some 12 year old.
My greatest fear was being involved in an accident with them,as you know,it would be the Englishman’s fault for being there!
Any of you Ex-Middle East guys know what happened to a bloke called Laurence Kiely? I got old copies of Truck & Driver from 1986 following him on a 3 part run to Doha, he was driving a DAF 2800 for PRIOR (white with orange/black band round the cab), pulling a fridge. In the 80s he did a run in Truck mag I think it was to Kuwait for Peterlee Trucking in a F12 Globetrotter, during a part of that trip he was running with Bob Poggiani & his Scammell Scud. Last time I saw him covered was Truck mag in 1994 when he took another Peterlee F12 to Abu Dhabi. I do not know him but he wrote a good story & obviously new his stuff, just wondered what happened to him?
Was that the Prior from Folkestone way didnt they do Mars and Eggs to Kuwait I hope im wrong but I heard that Laurence Kiely was killed in Turkey Down Between Adana and the Irac border but it could be tales
Hi sinbin31,
Do not know where Priors from, no lettering on wagon other than Prior across front of cab, although milk & eggs sounds right with a fridge on. I remember in 1 article he said he lived down Brighton way. He did a few interesting articles/trips, but then all of a sudden seemed to disappear, if you are right then its a shame & hope he is happy wherever he is now!
I was with Jag Joe on the Caen to Portsmouth ferry on Friday night, and he was saying he is retireing in April when his licence is due but Eric is trying to persuade him to get it renewed and do a bit of part time work.
For those who do not know Brian he is a character, 74 years old, and he has worked for Eric Howell (now GEH) since 1968 i think, so thats 41 years, someone should do a article about him as he always has a story to tell.
He was telling the one, when he was in Bagdhad when Sadham invaded Kuwait, so they ended up at the british club for a number of weeks, and the bar bills where getting a bit heavy, so a few bed sheets were tied together to escape the bills, does anyone know the full story, as he said quite a few were there including Bob Hedley.
hi guys, just something abut laurance keighly (sorry about the spelling!) as anyone who read the truck mags in the 90s will know he was brilliant with his storys and as far as i know thats the job he went into, photograph etc. The peterlea driver who was killed was a long time middle east driver that was on his last trip before moving to canada with his family when a turk hit him ,the turk was on the wrong side of the road, tragic.there was a half page story about it in one of the mags. Id love to know what did happen to laurance and also phil lewellen (again spelling!) he was my god in the 70s & 80s with his travel wrighting as i was just a kid.
Phil Llewellin wrote a great book about his various travels called “The Road To Mucckle Flugga”. I read in one of the truck mags that he died, must be 2-3 years ago.
It`s sad no one knows what happened to laurance keighly he kept all us kids transfixed for years with his wrighting. Do any of you originals remember him? his tales had too much detail for him not to have been the real deal… on another point, my uncle drove for Daysons of southwaite (bill currie,he ran out of a wood mill in Ft William with a scania 111) with an ex middle east motor. i was with him when it blew up outside barliney (barlinie) nick in 1988 they brought another one up on a low loader puled by a 142. i wll try post pics of the trucks and reg numbers to see if any of you guys drove them in there prime to the middle east.
Ash
I seem to recall his wife passing away in Austria on a trip with him is this true ?
