Hi Roger
What ever happened to Mike Walker ? I lost touch with him soon after he sold up !
I did hear that he was doing some kind of security work in the Poole area, but that must have been about 18yrs ago !!
Regards
GS
sinbin31:
DeiseldogNot sure on that one needs a technical wheel boffin to come up with the right answer so come guys who knows.
Rita
i’m no boffin (wheel or otherwise) but i know i tried for ages with volvo and georg fischers to try get them fitted
to the steer axle of my newest wagon - no go due to GF’s wheel sizes meaning volvo weren’t then happy with clearance between the tyres and wheelarches 
could do it ourselves retrospectively i suppose, but in these highly regulated times it’d probably cause hassle so i ditched the idea
Gavin
I have no idea but do know a guy who might will check and get back
Roger
Colonel:
Stories, that is all they are, about a period when the UK did an amazing amount of trade with the Middle East. The legends became so because they spent most of their time not doing the job, getting drunk and running in convoy.The drivers that made that run a success were mostly owner drivers, as many of the conmpanies that tried it, suffered with the problem of finding English drivers who had the bottle to do it consistently. If a truck was dumped it was English.
So when you look at all these photos of trucks parked up you will of course realise that they were not moving and doing the job.
Hi Colonel
Having read your posts throughout this forum, I’m glad that I never met up with you !! You sound too miserable to me.
I was an owner driver and made a successful business out of subbie-ing for Astran for the best part of ten years. I ran on my own most of the time, (unless Astran loaded several trucks together,) because I could make good progress and do the borders “my way” but I wasn’t an unsociable person and used to stop at the places that we all stopped at, for a good meal, shower and truckwash, aswell as an oil and filter change and a grease up every trip in Istanbul on my way down, and an Efes Kontrol.
After Ankara it was different anyway, because during my time on the Middle-East, you didn’t see many “white men”, so you ran on your own anyway.But there were only about 12 subbies on for Astran then and a few of Mervyn and Peter kings going east of Ankara anyway.
The ■■■■-ups were mostly when blokes were waiting for days, for visas or to tip in Istanbul or Ankara.
I know that some blokes used to cancel at the National or in Hungary, but the way you go on is like everyone was on the ■■■■ all the time and you were the only bloke who made a business out of it !
Lighten up man!
Did you enjoy the job ?
I did, I used to enjoy visiting the cultural sites and learning about the languages and the countries that I travelled through, and eating in some bloody good restaurants, aswell as having a bit of craic with the lads, all in moderation of course, but I still used to get up at about 5am and drive till late, and get to Doha within the allotted transit time.
That was what the job/way of life was about for me, and I banked some pretty good cheques too over the years, especially during the Gulf War!!
PS how many trips did you do annually ■■
I used to manage 8-10 trips per year!
I will get off my soapbox now,
Regards
GS
1 Like
sinbin31:
IanI don’t think there was anyone quicker than Andrew wilson Young ,but you have to take into account the time behind the wheel was no longer than the average driver ,If andrew took 6 days to reach Doha,the average with rest every day was 12 days .Astrans transit time to Doha ,was 2 weeks.I did one trip with Andrew and never again I just wanted to see if I could keep up ,stupid me.I had to take 3 days off in Doha.
As far as I know Andrew was the onlyone who managed to obtain In and out stamps of Turkey within 24 hrs.some feat in the days when the road was bad after Istanbul, and worse after Ankara.Maybe if Andrew had slowed down a bit eaten some real food, he would be with us now. God bless him.Rita
I left Muscat with Andrew one trip, both of us with the intention of being back home for Christmas.
Only to find on attempting to exit the UAE that Andrews manifest was missing either a stamp or part of his manifest don’t remember which but even after all the sweet talk he still had to turn round and go all the way back to waddi gizzi, with all the messing about it must of added Two days to the trip, or so you would think ■■
On the way back i loaded chairs from Yugo for Allison arriving back in the UK Christmas eve, i called into Astrans yard on the way past and there sat Andrews trailer. I certainly hadn’t been hanging around on my way back yet somewhere not only had Andrew made up his lost time but he had also loaded chairs, passed me but actually arrived back in UK the night before !!!
GS
Hope you feel better now after your little rant, got to agree with you though.
Thanks for the new email address
dave
1 Like
Well written GS…
GS OVERLAND:
Colonel:
Stories, that is all they are, about a period when the UK did an amazing amount of trade with the Middle East. The legends became so because they spent most of their time not doing the job, getting drunk and running in convoy.The drivers that made that run a success were mostly owner drivers, as many of the conmpanies that tried it, suffered with the problem of finding English drivers who had the bottle to do it consistently. If a truck was dumped it was English.
So when you look at all these photos of trucks parked up you will of course realise that they were not moving and doing the job.
Hi Colonel
Having read your posts throughout this forum, I’m glad that I never met up with you !! You sound too miserable to me.
I was an owner driver and made a successful business out of subbie-ing for Astran for the best part of ten years. I ran on my own most of the time, (unless Astran loaded several trucks together,) because I could make good progress and do the borders “my way” but I wasn’t an unsociable person and used to stop at the places that we all stopped at, for a good meal, shower and truckwash, aswell as an oil and filter change and a grease up every trip in Istanbul on my way down, and an Efes Kontrol.
After Ankara it was different anyway, because during my time on the Middle-East, you didn’t see many “white men”, so you ran on your own anyway.But there were only about 12 subbies on for Astran then and a few of Mervyn and Peter kings going east of Ankara anyway.
The ■■■■-ups were mostly when blokes were waiting for days, for visas or to tip in Istanbul or Ankara.
I know that some blokes used to cancel at the National or in Hungary, but the way you go on is like everyone was on the ■■■■ all the time and you were the only bloke who made a business out of it !
Lighten up man!
Did you enjoy the job ?
I did, I used to enjoy visiting the cultural sites and learning about the languages and the countries that I travelled through, and eating in some bloody good restaurants, aswell as having a bit of craic with the lads, all in moderation of course, but I still used to get up at about 5am and drive till late, and get to Doha within the allotted transit time.
That was what the job/way of life was about for me, and I banked some pretty good cheques too over the years, especially during the Gulf War!!
PS how many trips did you do annually ■■
I used to manage 8-10 trips per year!
I will get off my soapbox now,
Regards
GS
1 Like
what a great thred ive read every bit with a passion an old school freind of mines dad yoused to do the middle east in a volvo f88 it had a black cab and red chassi he was an owner driver but unfortantly he had brake fade comeing down mont blong 3 days before xmas and was killed i carnt remember his name as was a lot of years ago but someone may remember it was a grate shame he was a really nice bloke
This is a forum for an exchange of views and it is not my fault if my views on the Middle East are not to your liking. It is obvious that the truth is getting to some of you. If you wished to spend your time drinking the efes, visiting all the cultural sites and accepting that everything you read is the truth, then be my guest.
Well, John(Colonel) Sounds like you are becoming bitter in your old years. You know all too well that there were good owner drivers and bad useless owner drivers. There were good company drivers and bad useless company drivers. But for you to state that very few company drivers had the bottle to do the job and those that did were continually on the Efes lacks accuracy.
Let us just focus on some old M/E companies
McRay, Funstons,David Duxbury, Hicks, Falcongate, Astran. all of which used decent drivers with plenty of bottle. Let us just name a few of those drivers , Hugh(Mr Sheen) & Noel, ■■■■ Snow, David Poulton, Royston Day, Rick Ellis, Mike Walker, Barry Barnes, Geoff Frost John Williams, Tony Baker …The list could go on and on. I know…These guys did a ■■■■ good Job that was equal to any owner driver and better than some… All of those listed had plenty of bottle and indeed never dumped a truck. Yes they guys would have a drink when the job permitted but the job came first.
An old proverb worth considering “A Man who is wrapped up in his own words and deeds makes a very small package”
Reddesertfox, You have quoted a few names of people whom we all know did this job. A percentage, so small, that a comparison could not possibly be made. I accept that there were many excellent drivers on this run, I employed a few, luckily enough but to bandy the word “Legends” around is taking it a bit too far in my opinion.
The job was not difficult, although some seemed to make it so.
I read stuff on this thread that I could really argue about, but don’t bother to, because it ends up with me being attacked, like now, because I have a viewpoint that does not coincide with yours.
You do realise that to cross Turkey in 24 hours requires an average speed of over 50 miles per hour. In my days doing the middle East, this kind of average speed was impossible.
GS mentioned the big cheques he earned during the Gulf War. That was 1990 and a time that I had long forgotten the Middle East and was doing Greece.
I am now 72 and the Middle East was a period in my life that I enjoyed immensely, met some very nice people, whom I still maintain contact with but I get pretty angry when I read a load of waffle, knowing that is is exactly that, waffle.
John, Pleased you are still plodding on, I did only mention a few names but as we know there were many more that could be mentioned, both good and bad. I guess we are better sometimes to agree to disagree.
I do however agree with your statement regarding crossing Turkey in 24hrs (that I did not quote) It was a pointless Ball Breaker and even IF it were possible and left Kapic at 00.01 hrs and managed to get into Babelhawa(Syrian Border) in the same day before the border closed, you going nowhere till the next day as they only got the D9 completed by around 13.00 - 14.00hrs as you will know all too well… So whilst we all know Andrew was quick it was sometimes all in vain…
hey Guys
I made the statement about Andrew and I asure you it is true I asure you it is poss to transit turkey in 24 hrs so please dont call me a liar ,and down grade a wonderful man who was better than most of the ■■■■■■■■■ I encountered.and who is no longer with us .Andrews passport was photographed and pinned on the wall in Peter Cannons office so stick that up your exhaust 
.
Rita
Ah, so this famous record was only kapic to babel hawa. I would not call that crossing Turkey, would you? Try Kapic to Bazargan with all that unmade and graded road.
Not calling you a liar Roger, just stating that claiming that he crossed Turkey in 24 hours when in actual fact he has done the shortest possible crossing is a little bit iffy.
We have all been guilty in doing silly things that are not considered normal, especially when running on ones own. I too have crossed from the Bazargan to Kapic in one hit, it took much longer than 24 hours I can tell you. To do a fast time is not difficult if you don’t sleep, but those of us who liked to sleep at night meant that we had to be persistent in the daytime.
Hey Colonel ( sry Lord Major General )
I made a statement You claimed it was not poss I didnt say which borders now you a claiming to have done it, your just as stupid .drivers like YOU were a danger on the roads good job you have retired.Who gives a sht who did what ,there is always some ■■■■■■■■ who has done it better or gone longer Im supprised your still alive .I only answered a question that was asked .Lets leave it at that.
Roger
You are getting senile, Roger, I never claimed to cross Turkey in 24 hours, impossible to the Iran border or the Iraq border.
Your attack is unwarranted and I am surprised by it, as I did have a high regard for you.
To become a legend you have to be in the company of others long enough for them to get to know you and we all know what happens when drivers congregate.
Come on !! This is getting ridiculous !! He said – he said it first – no it was him !!
Call it a day and let’s all get back on thread please !!
You are right, Big Leggy, this whole thread is ridiculous, pat each other on the back is the name of this game apparently.
What a bunch of children! where are the moderators?!? 
What i dont understand is why every other thread on here is turning into some petty play ground type i’m better that you.
This thread is supposed to be enjoyable for those who never had the chance to do the M/E and a place where people who did can tell all us unfortunate ones what we missed out on. If it was all about being 1 up on the next driver, i’m glad i wasn’t involved. As a goor driver once said “All drivers like to make their own way”
How about we get back to the stories and enjoyment and leave the squabbling outside.
I’ll await the backlash of those who can’t help but bite!!! 
Ok
I will be the man and say sorry to all I have a regard for all but there is one thing I dont do is tell stories that are not true I will stay off line for a bit now till this cools off ,GL to all.
Rita