jerry truckartist:
Hi
There’s a new batch of 70’s photos on ferdys Toprun site, one of an Astran tilt sticking out of a ditch…Anyone remember who was responsible ?
Just had a look at your website Jerry - fantastic!
Mr. Fox thanks for that story, it may even gee some of the others on here to pen some.
I have with your permission copied this to my Zarafshan Site, under a new page entitled Short Stories, more stories from yourself & anybody that feels they have something to contribute will be welcomed.
Dave.
Biffo/Mr Sheen
Would I be right in thinking. leather driving gloves 
Regards
Ian
Thanks for that Sheeplady 
Jerry
SheepLady:
jerry truckartist:
Hi
There’s a new batch of 70’s photos on ferdys Toprun site, one of an Astran tilt sticking out of a ditch…Anyone remember who was responsible ?Just had a look at your website Jerry - fantastic!
JAWS:
Biffo/Mr SheenWould I be right in thinking. leather driving gloves
Regards
Ian
I thought I was keeping a low profile on here now some one other than r/d/foxie knows my secrets, give me a clue Ian, Hughie
M&C Jamie:
Davenport D can maybe will confirm this, give him my regards. Jaimie.
after a delay caused by me, he sends his back mate - and to your missus. not to make you or anyone else jealous, but he’s just come back from rome and is loading the first of 2 turkish loads he’ll be taking down 
biffo:
JAWS:
Biffo/Mr SheenWould I be right in thinking. leather driving gloves
Regards
IanI thought I was keeping a low profile on here now some one other than r/d/foxie knows my secrets, give me a clue Ian, Hughie
Not to mention the manicure set 
Saudi
I just received this little story and felt I should share it with you guys, as it reminded me of Saudi in the old days.
A professor at a Texas University was giving a lecture on the supernatural.
To get a feel for his audience, he asks, “How many people here believe in Ghosts ■■”
About 90 students raise their hands.
“Well, that’s a good start. Out of those who believe, do any of you think you have seen a ghost ■■”
About 40 students raise their hands.
“That’s really good. I’m really glad you take this seriously. Has anyone here ever talked to or touched a ghost ?”
About 3 students raise their hands.
“That’s fantastic. Now let me ask you one question further…Have any of you ever made love to a ghost ?”
Way in the back, Abdul raises his hand.
The professor takes off his glasses, and says, “Son, in all the years I’ve been giving this lecture, no-one has ever claimed to have made love to a ghost. You’ve got to come up here and tell us about your experience.”
The big student replied with a nod and a grin, and began to make his way up to the podium. When he reached the front of the room, the professor asks, “So Abdul, tell us what it’s like to have ■■■ with a ghost !!”
Abdul replied, "Ah sorry. From way back there, I thought you said ‘Goats’ !!"
I guess nothing is sacred
More pics and stories required people, especially from some of our newer, ex M/E driving members…you know who you are!!
We just slipped onto page 2!!
Cant have that now!!! 
On one occasion whilst tipping in Teheran Customs I Got chatting to Royston Day. He told me about his expierience the previous day after tipping in the customs. He was covered in sweat and dust and looking forward to a shower. Andrew Wilson Young persuaded him to go with him as the showers at the customs left a lot to be desired, so he threw some gear in a bag and climbed into bertha and off they went unit only. Andrew Pulled onto the front of the Teheran Hilton Hotel, jumped out of the truck and threw the keys to the porter. He strode into the reception lent over the desk and helped himself to two sets of keys, told Royston to follow him and marched down the side of the swimming pool, past the guests on their sunloungers and handing one set of keys to Royston used the other set to let himself into a shower cubicle.After showering and changing they made their way back to reception Andrew laid the keys on the desk and strolled out to the truck and they drove back to the customs. Royston told me that he had never been so embarassed in his life as Andrew had never as much as said thank you to the staff. There was only One Andrew Wilson Young.
Regards Jamie.
A Scot Lost in the Valley’s.
Trying to post some pics,this is me terry keating and chris wilson with our ucc lorries in kuwait in 1971,this is outside the goldern beach hotel,now demolished 
ed
Top left pic, my self and chris wilson,top right,middle man was a mechanic who waited at the turkish border for work,got most out of trouble,on the right of pic 2 asian transport drivers and a dutch driver these pics were taken in 1971 at the londra mocamp,just after it opened,we used to stop at the shell garage on the same side a little way from the mocamp.Working for ucc was a dream,if you notice we had no sleeper cabs as the boss backed by lord vesty wanted us to sleep in hotels,but as you know not to many hotels in the dessert,so we had couchett fitted,we were paid by the hour,8 hours 16 hours overtime,time and halve sat,double sunday,we a day off for every week away plus our holidays.This was a very stong union firm and all terms were made by them,we had a basic of £100.00 per week sent home.But as you can gess other firms came in cut the rates and we lost the contracts,this happend then and today.On another point I dont seem to here about a dutch firm rynart,I saw them still in harwich docks all east european drivers,they did a lot of pakistan. Terry
keating@makita:
Top left pic, my self and chris wilson,top right,middle man was a mechanic who waited at the turkish border for work,got most out of trouble,on the right of pic 2 asian transport drivers and a dutch driver these pics were taken in 1971 at the londra mocamp,just after it opened,we used to stop at the shell garage on the same side a little way from the mocamp.Working for ucc was a dream,if you notice we had no sleeper cabs as the boss backed by lord vesty wanted us to sleep in hotels,but as you know not to many hotels in the dessert,so we had couchett fitted,we were paid by the hour,8 hours 16 hours overtime,time and halve sat,double sunday,we a day off for every week away plus our holidays.This was a very stong union firm and all terms were made by them,we had a basic of £100.00 per week sent home.But as you can gess other firms came in cut the rates and we lost the contracts,this happend then and today.On another point I dont seem to here about a dutch firm rynart,I saw them still in harwich docks all east european drivers,they did a lot of pakistan. Terry
Excellent stuff Terry, your input has brought new life to this thread. You were well ahead of many who post their comments including me.
I worked with the Rynart boys back in the 70’s when they were doing internals in Dammam, most of those guys were Turkish and a ■■■■ good bunch of boys.
Reddesertfox:
Excellent stuff Terry, your input has brought new life to this thread. You were well ahead of many who post their comments including me.
Welcome to the thread Terry it’s always good to hear storys from The Pathfinders especially if they have any old photos to show as well.
I loved the joke about the goat Red Fox . Here is a little anecdote about one of your old running mates , I don’t suppose that he ever mentioned this one to you did he ?.
Here is a story that my mate Alan told me about in the middle eighties and as The Flying Foden knows that this lad never bull—ts, I found it to be one those unusual stories that certainly made me chuckle. I might have one or two minor details wrong but when Alan reads this then he will hopefully correct me. No names, no pack drill as they say but I have a feeling that Pat Duffy, The Red Desert Fox, M. & C. Jamie and anybody else who met him might know the lad who was sat in the back .
I.I.R.C. Alan was on his way back from somewhere in Turkey, he had reloaded in Yugoslavia and had made his way up to the Windmill near Kecskemet where he met a young owner driver from Rochdale . They travelled back through the Commie Block together and along the way they met up with another British driver who was also going to Zeebrugge.
As I.I.R.C. it was the day before Good Friday the three of them didn’t fancy the idea of having to sit for four days in Dover as they all lived in The North. All their loads were for London and The South so they decided that it might be a good idea to hire a car for the long weekend. As soon as they arrived in Dover they all put their paperwork in to be cleared with their agents, grabbed their overnight bags with all their dirty washing and their duty frees and set off to the Avis or Hertz car hire office.
It was decided that as Alan lived south west of Manchester he would hire the car in his name, use it for the weekend and the other two would share the costs. I can’t remember if he said that the other driver lived in the East Midlands or in the West Yorkshire area but the plan was for them to travel up the M1 and then west on the M62 to Rochdale and for Alan to use the car for the next few days. I am not really sure if he had arranged to pick them up again on the Monday afternoon to take them back to Dover but I do remember how pleased he was when the hire car turned out to be near enough a brand new one with very little miles on the clock. I can’t even be sure if the hitch hiker who was stood near the dock gates was Dutch or Swedish but they did have a vote if they should give her a lift and the majority decided that they would all like to give her one.
I think that he said it was still early morning by the time that they had gone through The Blackwall Tunnel and by then the driver in the front passenger seat had fallen asleep. He glanced into the back and it appeared that the other two passengers were nodding off as she had slumped down with her head on the young owner drivers lap.
As they joined the M1 and Alan put his foot down he was really pleased with the car but if there was anything that he had to complain about it was that the windscreen kept misting up. He put the demisters on full blast for a couple of minutes and that seemed to clear it but then they starting misting up again.
It was not long after this that he felt the steering wobble a bit, not much at first but the car did seem like it was swaying a bit and he didn’t think that it was all that windy outside. It did cross his mind that maybe he was getting a flat tyre, he looked at the guy in the front seat to ask if he could feel it but he was still fast asleep.
He turned around to see if anybody in the back was awake and to ask if they could feel it but what he saw came a bit of a surprise. In Alan’s words they were half stripped off and about join the M1 equivalent of the One Mile High Club .
Best regards Steve.
Excellent stories and pics again chaps, as stated by MM, just what this thread needs, some fresh air, new contributors and pics, great stuff.
Terry, look forward to seeing anymore pics you may have and any tales to tell, especially from the Pakistan run!!
Hi terry here,some of the drivers dont believe the stories as they started after the trail had been set,I am going back 40 years,chris wilson in the photo would be 90 now as he had his 50 birthday in kuwait,I never new astran as it was asian transport on the lorries,before the londra mocamp was built,we stopped at the shell garage,which only held 4 lorries,showes how many english drivers were there in those days,dutch,swiss,and a double maned swedish lorry,and eastern block who ran in convoys,in bulgaria we had to run in a convoy,istambul had no bridges 2 days wait to get on the ferry,zhako the border of iraq a soldier was put in the cab to mozul to clear customs,we then ran past baghdad to safwan the border of kuwait,into an old caravan to have injections,as they did not believe you had them in england,then into the goldern beach hotel 4 star for a nice rest,before going to the saudi embassy for a visa,iraq visa could be obtaind in london like iran,but saudi visas had to be got in the country before entry.We regarded turkey as a problem,with the bandits in the mountains,wolves in the winter when they had no food,and those bears,when you went to the toilet in the forest,one chased me with my trousers round my knees.But it was afganistan when the real problems started,it made the turkes look tame.Sorry I dont reconise some of the drivers,if you are not 68 or in your 70s I would not know you.Terry
Terry
Did you not have a nickname something to do with a filmstar and a black yankee sports car tearing around the country being chased by a fat copper if its not you im sorry if it is I do know you.
look on the Astran pages Alison put my pic up and someone commented was I born old ,Im just waiting to run them over ewhen I see them
Roger
sinbin31:
TerryDid you not have a nickname something to do with a filmstar and a black yankee sports car tearing around the country being chased by a fat copper if its not you im sorry if it is I do know you.
look on the Astran pages Alison put my pic up and someone commented was I born old ,Im just waiting to run them over ewhen I see themRoger
Roger, I thought Fox hunting had been outlawed
Love a bit of road kill Red it makes a fine camion stu
Roger
The Early Weeks
Weeks had passed since my first arrival in Saudi Arabia, I had still not become accustomed to the dirty surroundings, the cockroaches, mosquitoes and geckos, there was no air conditioning in the trucks per say, and the one’s which had air conditioning only worked intermittently.
The dust, the searing heat was at times unbearable, being woken at night by the sweat running down your face which felt like a fly crawling on your skin, and the constant diarrhoea and the lack of facilities to shower, yet there was something unique about this place. I was learning more and more each day about myself and the culture of the people. I was also earning as much each month as a GP back home, which was unbelievable! I had the drive and the determination to succeed and replace all I had lost in my divorce with something better.
The contrast in the way the Saudi’s went about their lives was unbelievable. The “inshallah” relaxed attitude of tomorrow/ bukra will be soon enough, compared to the “no time to wait or give way” when they were on the roads, this is something that has not changed even today as I write.
The constant sounding of the horn, the impatience of the drivers made me crazy, the stupidity of the drivers with their inability to recognise danger and the constant knowledge that if I became involved in an accident it would be my fault for being here, the mentality at that time was, “if you as a foreigner had not been there, then the accident would not have happened” but my will to achieve and survive never faltered.
Apart from being on the roads there was no real dangers in Saudi Arabia, we never locked the vehicles, we never even locked the doors to the villa. Away from the villa and on the road, we slept at night with the truck doors open or on top of the load, some of the guys even rigged up a hammock under the trailer and the braver ones even slept on the desert floor, 
but not me.
My system had now become more accustomed to the change in diet and the diarrhoea was not so frequent, and my weight had reduced by more than 8kg in less than a month.
I had started to learn a few words of Arabic, the numbers, the greetings and niceties etc.
It was time to brave the road side cafés, as I was confident that I could order my food in Arabic.
The waiter came to the table and I ordered an omelette in what I considered was good Arabic, only to receive liver and onions. Oops here comes the diarrhoea again… 
still got a lot to learn and many more mistakes to make” 