Firstly a very happy New Year to one and all.
As I mentioned in my last post I was, a few years back, a regular member of this excellent forum but then a combination of work and getting rather disheartened by a heavy bought of squabbling that all got pretty nasty I sort of stopped visiting. Fortunately Kenny Ward reminded me of its existence so I am back to plague you all.
I have spent 2 happy days reading this section of the board from the beginning — it had not started when I was last here — and am now much better informed but I have noticed a few points that were very interesting and, although they are now old threads, they bear comment. Please let us be clear that I am not having a go at anyone at all just commenting on things that have been written and I did not make a note of who the posters were so I apologise for not giving them the credit due.
The first thing, I suppose, is the whole Astran question. They were, without doubt, a great firm and they were probably — I say probably because I am not 100% convinced — the first British hauliers to do the Middle East but they weren’t the first by a long way. In Ashleigh’s excellent book there is a photo of the first trip in the Big J parked alongside 2 wagons from Iran — those old Volvos and Vabis’s with short trailers and the whole lot on 24” wheels and tyres, Shams Express and so on — that had been regular visitors to Germany since the early 60’s until the time that the Shah was deposed. You could always find them clustered like swallows around the customs in Munich waiting for back loads. Also it is stated in a thread that “Bottom line — If Astran sent you out on a trip paperwork would not be a problem” Now I know that was true because I worked for an Astran subbie as my first Middle East job but does it justify their present Saintly status? I worked for 3 ‘fleet’ companies in my time — Oryx, Altrex and Grangewood — and it was equally true of all of them; never a problem of any kind. But do not get me wrong, I think that Ash was dead write to write his book about them simply because basing it on the records of one company gives it a consistency that stories of any or all of us would not have had — you have only to look at how peoples recollections of the same subject vary here.
Another Astran question was raised here as well. Just why did Astran and their subbies have so many accidents? There was a time when the wrecks seemed to be everywhere — even one in the middle of H4 though what in the World he found to hit there I have no idea. Also they seemed to have a lot of mechanical issues, even on the Destination Doha they were messing around with trailer brakes first day out. That never happened on any of the 3 big ‘uns that I worked for and neither were there any accidents at all on any of them.
Picture of the H4 one — whatever he hit he did a good job. Anybody know the details?
There was a question about the truth of the’ St Michael label in underpants in Saudi’ rumour. There was certainly a rumour around at the same time that the Saudis made us produce a Baptism Certificate with our Visa applications to prove that we were not of a Jewish persuasion (and that is definitely true). Those of us, like me, that had not been Baptised had to get a letter from a Vicar stating that we were OK. It did not last long but it certainly was the case at one time and I cut the labels out of my M&S shreddies just to be on the safe side though they were never inspected!
There are various comments about spot lights being smashed by Saudi Soldiers that are also dead true but the object of their objection was not the lamps as such but the Halogen bulbs they contained. I was on Altrex the first time it happened to me; I was somewhere between Jeddah and Riyadh (multi-drop load, lucky me) when I was stopped in a control. The Soldiers disappeared down in front of the motor and then appeared again holding up their small fingers and gibbering. I got out and went round the front and they were crouched down shading their eyes with their hands, peering into the headlights and then making this gesture with their little fingers. I was at a complete loss to understand what they were on about so one Soldier made it easy for me and smashed the glass of both headlights and triumphantly indicated the Halogen bulbs within. I was told that one of the Royal Princelets had been killed on a motorcycle when he crashed dazzled by oncoming headlights that turned out to contain Halogen bulbs so the Palace banned both Motorcycles and Halogen bulbs, instructing the Soldiers to confiscate them when found. All well and good but there I was 7,000 kilometres from home with no head lights or spotlights. Handy!
In another thread it is stated that someone called Tony Baker was the original ‘Animal’. That is definitely not true. The first, and for me the only, Animal was my dear friend Pat Seal so named when he worked for Simon International driving a red MAN with column change which he loathed. I met him on my first trip at the Mocamp when I was driving the yellow and blue Scammel Crusader for John Ellingham and we were friends thereafter. I am happy to say that I made it to his funeral although I could not stay for the wake because I was required in Holland on a job. Really great turnout and at least we gave him a good send-off on his last trip. RIP Pat.
Nice story about Pat. I was on Altrex and they needed a driver and Pat was trying to get the money together to make roadworthy the Volvo that he had brought from Comart so I told them that I had the right bloke for the job. I had to go to the UK so I set about finding him and, by luck, he had just, that afternoon, got back from a trip with Simons so he simply chucked his gear in my motor and came back to Holland with me. We had to go to the office so that the 2 bosses could meet their new driver and Altrex was a very smart outfit indeed with million dollar offices near Rotterdam Airport full of pot plants and film start secretaries. So we stroll in to this rarefied atmosphere and only then did it occur to me that the last shower that Pat had had was in the National in Beograd! The 2 bosses had all glass offices and they looked like a pair of goldfish with their mouths open looking at Pat. Finally they sent for me and asked “who is this that you have brought to our Office?” I told them that it was the best driver that they would ever employ and so they did but on the basis that if he were no good then I went as well. Needless to say I kept my job and we even managed to nick the back axle from the wrecked F88 at Hofar Al Batin on the tapline and get it home under an Altrex trailer to replace the dead diff in the Comart motor!
In another thread there is a photo of a young lady who is said to be the wife of Tyrone Jarvis from Collumpton. Now I don’t think that was right but it reminded me of Tyrone who was an owner driver who was around for a while with a blue Daf 2200. He was a truly weird beggar who had been in one of the more extreme regiments of the British Army and, as such, fancied himself as bit of a scrapper. At that time John E had obtained some dodgy German Permits which turned out to be Road / Rail permits so, for a couple of trips, I had to go on the train and on one occasion shared a sleeper compartment with 2 blokes plus this Tyrone Jarvis. Anyway we took a few beers aboard, eventually got to bed and when we arrived — Fredrichshaven wasn’t it? — the Jarvis fella was still asleep so I gave him a shake. Well I can only describe it like a Tom and Gerry cartoon; he launched himself out of the top bunk swinging punches, landed face down still swinging punches, leapt up and smacked one of these two other blokes right in the mouth. A small altercation ensued and when the dust had settled and apologies had been given and received he informed us that we had to be very careful how we woke him up because he was a trained killer of men and he always dreamt of being in battle and therefore woke up wanting a fight! I took good care never to share a cabin with him ever again and took off out of the train station like a scalded Meerkat and did not stop till I got to the National! Who needs that problem?
Anyhow I have wittered on for long enough and I apologise if it has been too long but I just wanted to comment on what I had read.
All the best to everybody.
David.
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