An Astran driver told me back in the mid 70’s that they used to delivered to Philips who had a factory in Karachi and then for their backload would load carpets out of Afghanistan. Perhaps an old Astran driver could confirm (or deny) this. 
I remember Micky Chinook told me that he done India, when he worked for Fred Archer.
Dave.
1 Like
Hi Dave, Micky Chinook sounds like a Red Indian 
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Regards Steve.
bestbooties:
sinbin31:
And just for the record I will be making one last trip this year. I will be at Gaydon next Month on the Sunday hope I will see many of you there.
Roger HaywoodMissed you last year Roger and I doubt if I can make it this year,shame.
I wont see you either Roger, we can only make it on Saturday then having to shoot off for a motorcycle race meeting on the Sunday
Wheel Nut:
bestbooties:
sinbin31:
And just for the record I will be making one last trip this year. I will be at Gaydon next Month on the Sunday hope I will see many of you there.
Roger HaywoodMissed you last year Roger and I doubt if I can make it this year,shame.
I wont see you either Roger, we can only make it on Saturday then having to shoot off for a motorcycle race meeting on the Sunday
Sorry Roger, I am afraid that I am going to have to give it a miss this year. 
Regards Steve.
mushroomman:
Hi Dave, Micky Chinook sounds like a Red IndianRegards Steve.
Yes Steve he certainly was that.
Dave.
davemackie:
mushroomman:
Hi Dave, Micky Chinook sounds like a Red IndianRegards Steve.
Yes Steve he certainly was that.
Dave.
Freshir wrote :- How often do you get back to Blighty then Steve ■■
Hi Fred, I think that last year will probably be the last time but who knows 
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Regards Steve.
I know that Charlie Parsley made at least one trip to Pakistan in the early 70s, but can’t remember who he was on for at the time, possibly when he was an o/d - I saw the photos of the Pakistani side of the Khyber, Landi Kotal I think it was called
Have a look on Ferdys Top Run site, go to 2006 pages, A full section called, Trans UK haulage, The Pakistan route, great photos.
Jerry
I’m sure I saw this on TV
mushroomman:
the flying foden:
bestbooties:
I know Simon International did Pakstan,unfortunately I did not do it when I was on for them.
I know there was a discussion on here some time ago about a Stoke firm,Thor,Comart? who loaded for India,but found on arrival at the border from Pakistan they were not able to enter India and had to tranship the loads.
I’ve been advised to ask Bunchy as he would know about it,but I haven’t seen him for quite some time.phil is recently out of hospital after having a pacemaker fitted so that maybe why you haven’t seen him .it was thor transport that did the trip you mention and as you say they got as far as the border then it had to be transshipped . Steve will fill in the rest when he reads this
Hi Jeff, I hope that you are well and that you are looking after Phil, have you heard anything from Alan
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As you might know I met up with Alan last year at the Dow reunion but the night happened to fly by that fast that I forgot to ask him about his trip to India in the 70’s
According to Alan Morrey and anybody who met Alan would agree with me that Alan never dished out the bullpoo, that sometime in the seventies Alan and another lad who I think was called Les Parkinson who worked for Thor Transport in Stoke on Trent, took twenty ton of copper to India. Alan told me this while we were sitting in a queue at Kapicule sometime in the eighties and I now wish that I would of payed more attention but he did say that they drove through The Kyber Pass and that all the British regiments that had been stationed there had all carved their regimental coat of arms into the sandstone cliffs. Also while they were travelling through, I think that he said Afghanistan they had to park up because of a terrific sandstorm which blew the roof off the trailer.
I hope that The Flying Foden will confirm that the other driver was Les Parkinson.I was telling a mate of mine called Ken Singleton about when I got stuck for two days trying to cross The Fish River in South West Africa back in the seventies and he told me that his mate Ken Corrigan once got stuck crossing a river in Pakistan for two days. This was before I ever met Ken Corrigan so come on Corrigan did you ever go to Pakistan and did you get stuck in a river or was Singo pulling my leg all those years ago
. Maybe John Roberts can ask Ken the next time that they go for a pint
.
Your dead right Wheel Nut, Spardo ( David Marker) did drive a coach to India on the Hippy Trail back in the sixties although I don’t know how many times he did that. What I found really interesting about him was that he also drove cattle Road Trains for Noel Buntine in the Northern Territory in Australia when it was all dirt roads from Katherine to Wyndham in Western Australia. I do know that the last time that I e-mailed David he was writing a book but that must of been about two years ago. I hope that he is O.K. as he had some very good experiences to share with us.
Regards Steve.
yes steve you are correct it was Les Parkinson.that did the trip with alan .and they did lose the roof of the van in a storm so you must of paid more attention than you thought .not spoken to alan for some time now and he hasn’t phone me either .phil was doing ok last time i spoke to him .hope all is well with you and yours
regards jeff
davemackie:
dave.
You boys not know how to drive in snow,thats 70 mph stuff there.lol.
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Your dead right Wheel Nut, Spardo ( David Marker) did drive a coach to India on the Hippy Trail back in the sixties although I don’t know how many times he did that. What I found really interesting about him was that he also drove cattle Road Trains for Noel Buntine in the Northern Territory in Australia when it was all dirt roads from Katherine to Wyndham in Western Australia. I do know that the last time that I e-mailed David he was writing a book but that must of been about two years ago. I hope that he is O.K. as he had some very good experiences to share with us.
Regards Steve.
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Steve
I don’t think Spardo posts here anymore,but he can be found at www.totalfrance.com
Doesn’t anyone read the thread title before they post, this thread is reserved for Astran / Middle East Drivers.
No one else is worthy of posting on it unless you have broken stale ekmek in the desert while sat on a mound of camel dung 
Back on track lads please, we are being invaded by infidels
Wheel Nut:
Doesn’t anyone read the thread title before they post, this thread is reserved for Astran / Middle East Drivers.No one else is worthy of posting on it unless you have broken stale ekmek in the desert while sat on a mound of camel dung
Back on track lads please, we are being invaded by infidels
Ooops…it looks like some of you guys are in trouble again …Any way for those who may be interested I have driven trucks in India albeit not to India and with more than 100,000 people dying on their roads yearly it can be quite challenging…
You boys not know how to drive in snow,thats 70 mph stuff there.lol.
[/quote]
Yep, if only they would of watched Ice Road Truckers In India Part 1, they would of been on the first plane home .
Oh My God , I mentioned The I word again . If JJ72 got a flogging for almost going to Albania then I had better turn up in the local Market Place in Saudi on Friday morning.
(Along with Wheel Nut for posting that picture of The White House)
Reddesertfox:
Ooops…it looks like some of you guys are in trouble again
Red, the next time that you go to India can’t you take a Taxi, I am sure that 100,000 Indians will be relieved .
Regards Steve.
mushroomman:
Reddesertfox:
Ooops…it looks like some of you guys are in trouble againRed, the next time that you go to India can’t you take a Taxi, I am sure that 100,000 Indians will be relieved
Regards Steve.
Well…That’s a thought Steve… However I am confident that there are those who just see it as population control
mushroomman:
Reddesertfox:
Red, the next time that you go to India can’t you take a Taxi, I am sure that 100,000 Indians will be relievedRegards Steve.
What, like Mafikeng?
Oops I mentioned Africa, but I think I got away with it 