Cheers for taking the time to share the memories RDF, I read them with great interest.
Just a quick question though, what exactly were you out in Saudi to do??
Keep em coming, its all good stuff. 
bullitt:
Cheers for taking the time to share the memories RDF, I read them with great interest.Just a quick question though, what exactly were you out in Saudi to do??
Keep em coming, its all good stuff.
Thanks Bullitt, it is where it began. I got my HGV license mid 70’s and flew out to Saudi less than 12 months later to drive internals, so basically did my learning there 
before starting on overland.
Reddesertfox:
…Thanks Bullitt, it is where it began. I got my HGV license mid 70’s and flew out to Saudi less than 12 months later to drive internals, so basically did my learning there
Sounds like yet another book in the making then!!!
Reddesertfox:
Mmmm. The Afghan hound probably died after contracting a nasty disease…….
Jamie, do you remember the story of Tony allegedly breaking into Mervyn’s house one Sunday afternoon and went upstairs to find Mervyn in bed with his lady… Which prompted lots of WTF is happening from both sides….
Tony promptly locked himself in the wardrobe and refused to come out until Mervyn agreed to put winter tyres on the truck.
That story is very true, i remember it well, I had to order the tyres in and fitted them the very next morning, Bridgestone VSX.
That made Tony very happy, but it was still about 3 days before he was finally sober enough to drive out of the yard !!
Steve.
I received this e-mail to-day, thought it may interest some of you.
Hello Dave,
Probably you don’t know me by name. I am Ger Van Rens and I am from Holland.
The reason that I write you is that I am looking for George Gin(n).
Why?
I am a "old " Middle East driver and I did many tours the the Middle East from 1973 till 1984.
Probably we met each other somewhere Dave. Londra, Ferry from Volos or Saloniki to Tartous or on de parking in Tehran.
Those times we Dutch drivers did drive many times with our English truck drivers to the Middle East and we could cooperate very well.
One of the trips I did a trip together with George Gin(n) To Saoedi. I believe I saw George on one of the pictures. And if I am not mistaken Roger Hayward too.
I will ad a picture at this mail where you can see the truck of George when he worked for GT International.
Also I looked to the Pictures of the funeral of Pat Seal. ( his brother Des gave me your mail address) It’s a pity that Pat died. I know him from the Dutch company Altrex where I also worked for.
We had a very good time together. I also worked for Hermann Ludwig during the Middle East time.
The reason of the whole story is that I was looking for English truck drivers who did worked for Dutch companies during the Middle East time from 1965 - 1985 or later.
After I tried to reach Pat several times by phone I wrote him a letter and this letter arrived a few days after that terrible moment in January.
I would invite him for our big reunion of "OLD " Middle East truck drivers on June 26th this year.
It is the first time that this is taking place in Holland. I found many truck drivers who liked the idea and all of them are waiting for that day.
Now, the 1ste time we will keep this only for English truck drivers who did worked for a Dutch company that time.
If this reunion is a success than we will ask also the English truck drivers after 2 years to join us and celebrate together.
The reason is that we, the English and Dutch truck drivers had very good times together during all the hauls we made to the Middle East.
I know also Andrew Wilson Young who also passed away. I did help him when he had a terrible accident to I believe Pakistan ( or Kabul) near Neyshabur close to Mashhad in Iran.
His Mercedes was damaged a lot and his friend George was still in the cabin when I arrived. It was very cold. So I stayed because I thought it was needed. I was on a trip to Pakistan. I do not remember the name of THAT George.
Later when my wife and I made a holiday trip to Scotland I tried to find George Gin(n) in Gairloch but he moved to London they told me.
So Dave this is a little story and I hope that you can find George Gin(n) for me.
I also have some other names of English Middle East truck drivers in my address book. I will write them down. Maybe you did know them.
Jack Evans lived in Newport Gwent.
Ken Graham lived in
George Gin(n) lived in Gairloch
Roger Gerard lived in Allestree Derby
David Walker Holmes lived in Braunstone Leicester
F.J. Higgins lived in Leyland Lancs
Derek Robertson lived in Bowdon Cheshire
Maurice Watson lived in Clifton Estate Nottingham
I met these guys on several places during the Middle East truck driving time
Dave, I hope that you can find George Gin(n) for me.
Take care and the Best regards from,
Ger Van Rens
PS: Our reunion website (in Dutch language ) is middenoostenchauffeursnederland.nl
I have already put Henri in touch with George & Roger.
Dave.
davemackie:
I received this e-mail to-day, thought it may interest some of you.I met these guys on several places during the Middle East truck driving time
Dave, I hope that you can find George Gin(n) for me.
Take care and the Best regards from,Ger Van Rens
PS: Our reunion website (in Dutch language ) is middenoostenchauffeursnederland.nl
I have already put Henri in touch with George & Roger.
Dave.
What an amazing site, the tales that will be remembered through that reunion
derek robinson (robbo)last heard of was night manager for eastenders at calais 
sinbin31:
Jamie HiI have to return to add my story of Tony Baker I was saddened when he became ill and only managed to speak to him over the phone. I was traveling along past the salt flats heading for Ankara it was the turn of winter and the snow was melting ,and the roads were slushy ,when I spotted a MC trailer in one of the water hole laybys next to the lake I pulled up and there was Tony on his hands and Knees in 2ft of mud at the back of his unit what you doing I said ,lost my snow chains he said ,he had driven in to get some fresh water got stuck tryed to fit his chains but lost them.I turned round backed in with my trailer and pulled him out.We spent the next hour looking for the chains we looked like a couple of tramps covered in mud, and never found the snow chains ,but spent the rest of the day in fits telling other drivers.God bless him a nicer guy you could not meet.
Roger (Rita) Haywood
Tony Baker was the best and all the storys are true Ray Usher.remember me Rita ?
Ray Usher (NTC)…A blast from the past
The tale that Ray Usher told the most, was the one of travelling through Iraq with Tony Baker and I think one of Astran’s guys. apparently they were all giving it big licks, without any thought for Ray, who was without an AC. 
When they eventually stopped for a break at the roadside Ray accused them of attempted murder. I am sure that Ray could write the full story and his reasons for the accusation.
Reddesertfox:
Ray Usher (NTC)…A blast from the past
The tale that Ray Usher told the most, was the one of travelling through Iraq with Tony Baker and I think one of Astran’s guys. apparently they were all giving it big licks, without any thought for Ray, who was without an AC.
When they eventually stopped for a break at the roadside Ray accused them of attempted murder. I am sure that Ray could write the full story and his reasons for the accusation.
Also it would be good for Ray/Norman to write about the very first trip he done abroad for Mervyn, having his lower leg in plaster etc…
Oh, and there is also a good tale of one day when he was buying a bottle of his favourite tipple, Remy Martin, but i am not sure whether he wants to recall that story ■■
Come on Mr. Usher, we are waiting for you to tell all.
Steve, M & C Spannerman.
hi rdf , nice to read about mr baker, give my love to GRANNY BONES , you should be the one to start a thread on MR BAKER ,its just been suggested that you write a book , after all the rusty nails you drank get a ghost writer!!! keep putting pics on here of my travels never get good response over and out ■■■■■■ in lima,
Yes good old Tony, gone but never forgotten, I will pass on your regards to Granny Bones. I haven’t seen any pics apart from the Buffalo haulage ones, where are they 
So you are on the “P” in Lima, surprise… surprise… Name somewhere where you have not been on the “P”
Me write a book…. 
I struggle to write my name………
M&C steve:
Reddesertfox:
Ray Usher (NTC)…A blast from the past
The tale that Ray Usher told the most, was the one of travelling through Iraq with Tony Baker and I think one of Astran’s guys. apparently they were all giving it big licks, without any thought for Ray, who was without an AC.
When they eventually stopped for a break at the roadside Ray accused them of attempted murder. I am sure that Ray could write the full story and his reasons for the accusation.Also it would be good for Ray/Norman to write about the very first trip he done abroad for Mervyn, having his lower leg in plaster etc…
Oh, and there is also a good tale of one day when he was buying a bottle of his favourite tipple, Remy Martin, but i am not sure whether he wants to recall that story ■■
Come on Mr. Usher, we are waiting for you to tell al
Steve, M & C Spannerman.
Yes well here it is as best i can recall.Tony Baker, Rick Ellis (who was on his first trip for Astran i think) and myself were travelling en route to Basrah with 60 ft pipes on ext-trls( open tir). As you can imagine with those two as running mates and leaving via Sheerness-Flushing i already had enough experiences to last a life time being moderately green. but they are for a later date. My a/c had failed and we had been going for several hours and i was getting hotter and hotter.Rick was busy combing his hair in his travelling salon ,and Bunny as we called Tony was grinning maliciously in his mirror.In the end i had to overtake and force them to a halt and then scream bloody murderers at them in my demented state. I can remember Bunny getting out of his truck ambling over to me and saying “coo ush i got a sweat on then walking over to you” and if i could have broke ricks comb i would have but it was too big
Later that evening when we parked up Bunny offered to let me sleep upstairs in his truck. I accepted gratefully only to find myself on top OUTSIDE OF HIS CAB WRAPPED ROUND HIS A/C hence i spent most of the night sitting on top of his cab devouring melons.The next morning he woke up surrounded by half eaten melons. What a great bloke Tony was and the dog Steve is right Rick looked after Bunny well in his last years.
There was a second attempt of murder in my life when Dog and his buddys (and mine or so i thought ) succeeded in loading me in a tescos trolley and pushing me down a street in braintree at high speed and overturning by clutching at a tree on the side of the road.Back to dogs flat all suitably ■■■■■■ and i went of to hospital with bruised ribs they carried on drinking telling me i would be alright in the morning.I know this bit is not m/e but shows working for m & c along side tony baker ,john mclunn, and jamie ,mervyn ,dog one wonders how i am still here when a lot of the real characters are not with us now. More to follow if you wish later. Ray Usher
Welcome Ray,
What a picture your story paints, the funniest posting I have read for a while on this site.
I find it difficult to understand how one human can treat another so badly….
Tell us more about the size of Rick’s comb; I would also like to know about the bottle of Reme Martin that Steve the Dog mentioned, was there a supermarket involved in the same story 
Reddesertfox:
Welcome Ray,
What a picture your story paints, the funniest posting I have read for a while on this site.
I find it difficult to understand how one human can treat another so badly….
Tell us more about the size of Rick’s comb;
I have a feeling you know about the Remy and supermarket so less said. As for Ricks comb if you can remember the size of his Tommy Steel hair it was moe of a rake without the handle. Ray
F–king Poseur, 
did you not carry a comb for yourself
Reddesertfox:
F–king Poseur,
even then i did not really need a comb
m & c ntc:
Reddesertfox:
F–king Poseur,even then i did not really need a comb
Mmmm… were you really NTC … As if my memory serves me correct, you were you a dead ringer for Leonard Rossiter of Rising Damp.
Tony B, if I remember was a dead ringer for Jack Elam from the old western movies with that sleepy eye of his.
I have a photo somewhere, of you both, I will try to dig it out and post it on here.
Either way, two very likeable characters who I had the pleasure of meeting.
Shame you will not tell us about the Reme Martin………Better get Steve to tell the story with full details as you choose NOT to remember and I cannot. 
hi everybody
is it right what i`ve heard, that davies turner are looking for subbies to go to tehran■■?
GERRY MAC:
derek robinson (robbo)last heard of was night manager for eastenders at calais
Ex DOW freight ?