Referee 
I am with Harry on this one 
, there is nothing written in concrete that you can only mention Astran and Middle East on this thread. It started with a rumour from Ian, I followed it up with a rumour about a tasche, Andy’s tasche or Dave’s beard got us into Albania, Harry only expanded on the subject and in my opinion Roger I think that that there was no need for you to go off on one.
Bullet started the thread so he can be the referee if he wants to but I dont think that it is fair that if you disagree with somebody then you should try and make them out to be an idiot or to belittle them 
.
I agree with Roger, what on earth has Albania got to do with the Middle East. At the time of the Middle East and for many years way beyond that period it was impossible to take a truck into Albania.
I have een to Albania in a truck and I know there are not that many avalable crossings into it, so I would be very pleased to hear the date and route that your friend took to deliver into Albania. Town of delivery would be nice also.
Colonel:
what on earth has Albania got to do with the Middle East.
it’s sort of on the way there 
i humbly apologise for dragging a thread about the sacred astran off course, i shall flog myself forthwith 
Steve
Sorry mate I have every right the thread is ASTRAN/MIDDLE EAST DRIVERS thanks Colonel for your support .I loaded melons in North western greece and thought I would try and transit Albania no such luck even after trying to explain the load was perishable .That was when the Turks uprising in 1980 when all the borders where closed and we took the boat from Latakia in syria to volos .never knew anyone who got into Albania apart from the England Football team ,I HAVE SAID MY BIT AND IN MEMORY OF DRIVERS FROM ASTRANS WHO ARE NO LONGER WITH US I CLOSE AND WILL SAY NO MORE
Roger Haywood
jj72:
Colonel:
what on earth has Albania got to do with the Middle East.it’s sort of on the way there
If you think Albania is on the way to the Middl East, it is agood thing you never attempted to go that way. All threads drift on an off topic, that is to be expected by Roger is right in that he feels that as the thread is about Astrans then anything else is almost irrelevant.
The border you probably had a go at, Roger, was the one just north of Kastoria, that lovely greek town on the lake. I came back to Igoumneitsa through there after tipping in Korce, Albania. On the way in I used the border near to Ionnina. It took 26 hours to drive from Igoumenitsa to Korce a distance of 160 kilometeres in a convoy of aid with inexperienced drivers at the wheel.
hi colonel
The border name dont ring a bell but the load of melons were of a special kind only grown in that part of Greece quiet small and very sweet I was loading about 40 km outside of Kalpaki on the road to Albania I had to return and went back to Igoumenitsa for the ferry hard work and some big hills but the views were breathtaking ,have some pics will dig them out.Thanks again for your support.
Roger Haywood
Hi Roger,
I know Kalapkio as I went throught this little place on the way to the border at Kakavi. It is north of Ionnina and that part of Greece is very mountainous as you probably went over the Ketara pass to get to the loading point. Getting to Igoumenitsa from there is all downhill off the mountain.
I always remember that a fully laden truck from Igoumenitsa would take 2 and1/4 hours for the 96 kilometeres to Ionnina, as it is all up.
Mainland Greece is great to drive the trucks, Evzoni to Athens is boring in comparison.
mushroomman:
…Bullet started the thread so he can be the referee if he wants to…
YEAH…who`s the daddy■■?
This thread is 3 and a half years old and has some great posts, pictures and memories on it…so lets keep it going chaps!!
I, like thousands of other truck drivers,never had the chance to experience what you guys did, but I have a great interest in “The Middle East Run”.
You blokes were a part of driving history, something which is gone now, at least it is in the way you guys used to do it!! If someone mentions about when they went to ******** then so what?..its all part of the great “Long Distance Life” that seems to have dissapeared nowadays.
All I would say is “can we keep it polite and friendly”■■? Lets not get drawn into a game of “who can pee up the wall the highest”!
If you did the run then I take my hat off to you…so lets keep it friendly and please, lets see some Astran and/or Middle east pictures and memories up here 
Well Well
Didnt I mix the cake never mind think i will lay low from now on and keep my memories to my self goodbye all LIVE LONG AND PROSPER
Beam me up with the rest of the good guys(RITA)
good job we don’t all flounce off home with our ball as soon as someone disagrees with us 
jj72:
Colonel:
what on earth has Albania got to do with the Middle East.it’s sort of on the way there
well then did you give yourself a good flogging jj!!!
Come on now Rita, stop throwing your toys out of the pram and calm down. If albania has nothing to do with the astrans thread then why did you bring it up with the load of mellons from greece. There is hardly a thread in this forum that does not wander of course at some stage or the other so why get yourself worked up about it, just change it back to what subject it should be. So getting back to the subject, which astran driver often said Where did Britain get where it is today without standards. regards Jamie.
A Scot Lost in the Valley’s
Hi Jamie, like the bloke in the film ■■■■■■ said " I think I will have a stab at this ".
I think that the answer to your question might be Andrew Wilson Young but it’s only a guess…
All these threads are a bit like T.I.R. driving, eventually you are bound to come to a bit of a diversion but it’s always good to get back on track, we always did.
I now know that there might be one or two people who dont like to see photos of Middle East trucks parked up so here are a couple taken on a T.I.R. road while on the move.
The first one is for Roger , it’s a photo of another Astran driver John Bruce on the ferry in Istanbul going over to the Harem. John is over on the left and the guy looking at the camera is Dennis McGrath ( R.I.P.) from Hick’s Transport in South Wales. This photo was taken by Peter The Plater who also drove for Hick’s.
I know that the next two are not very clear but come on you lot I know that some of you did drive on this road many times and I do know that there is one person who knows where they were taken somebody else must recognise them, have a go and I shall give the answer in a weeks time.
We nearly all like to see a good old photo so come on Rita show us your melons .
Best regards Steve.
P.S. Andy, if you do start a flogging thread, please let Colin and me know .
Go on Mushroomman I will be the first idiot to guess at the two photos the first one looks like s church of the old road from Sofia to Plovdiv before the motorway and the second with the tunnel could also be in Bulgaria at VelikoTarnovo. still with a Sat Nav from ToysRus what can you expect
Velika Tarnovo gets my vote, used to turn off here to load wine at Suhindul.
Dave.
JAWS:
Go on Mushroomman I will be the first idiot to guess at the two photos the first one looks like s church of the old road from Sofia to Plovdiv before the motorway and the second with the tunnel could also be in Bulgaria at VelikoTarnovo. still with a Sat Nav from ToysRus what can you expect
Hi Jaws, delete the word idiot and insert the word clever clogs .
The second photo is indeed near Velico Tarnovo while heading south but I dont know what the connection is with the sat nav 
The first photo of the church is not on the Sofia to Plovdiv road so have another bite.
davemackie:
Velika Tarnovo gets my vote, used to turn off here to load wine at Suhindul.
Dave.
Hi Dave, yer dead right mate, the photo of the tunnel is on the road near Velico Tarnovo in Bulgaria. I can remember loading wine at Suhindal Winery and clearing customs in Sofia but I cant remember exactly where it was, so can you give me a few more details to refresh my memory. I do remember crossing a very small ancient bridge that was probably built by the Romans for their chariots on the way there and thinking will it take my weight as I was empty. It was even more worrying on the way back with eighteen ton of wine on on the back but it carried it .
Any body know anything about the first photo.
Best regards Steve.
Hi Steve, If my memories are correct, If north bound after the tunnel turn left on the Sofia road take the first road on the right after the KAT post (Police) follow that for a bit then branch left for the Village, pass through the Village & the Winery was on the right.
I used to follow the signs for CYXNHAON which was local for Suhindul if you missed the turn you finished up in Pavlikeni.
Dave.
Hi Mushroomman
Ref Sat Nav see page 7 this thread. I told Rabbit not to get his Sat Nav from the same place that I got my left hand driving kit from, but I just could not resist the Astrans colour scheme, and just to prove me right the Sat Nav still has s black screen, also when did the second carriageway get laid on the T/line?
Schindol. I think Dave is right but I remember it this way perhaps Dave can tell me if I have got it mixed up with some were else?
V/Tarnovo to Sofia road approx 5 to 10 Ks out side V/T road on right with a small building on far corner (electric sub station?) and on near corner a small religious shrine that is all I can remember but I am sure I could find the last bit by smell from the Winery alone.
Regards Ian