Hello Fred, I seem to remember on a couple of occasions in Prague a barrier being put across the road with the word meaning diversion to the left or the right then that was it, there were never anymore signs to tell you how to get back on to the T.I.R. route.
Archie, wasn’t that low bridge sign posted 3.6 meters with the tram lines under it , you could get under it with a tilt but after Billy (Jock) Macdonald knocked off the power cables with a box trailer I always took a road that ran along the Danube embankment.
If you remember, this was the start of the motorway once you got through Prague in 1980.
Now thats a good un Dave many happy hours spent there. Some times on the way home at night the main restaurant was closed but at the back where we all parked the smaller place would be open,salami and cheese and plenty of Budvar in fact quite a few of us used to buy crates of the lovely stuff to take home 5 Mark deposit on the crate bring it them back with the empties and get your depo back the beer was for next to nothing worked out about a tanner a pint. One event that really stands out that happened there many years ago was John Willy towing a broken down Merc off there some Kent based outfit whose name I ve forgotten any way the guy being towed had nt turned the key on with the result that the steering was locked half way across the road a Czech Mercedes hit the outfit killing the 4 people in the car .Instead of JW and the other fellow being arrested it turned out that the occupants of the car were Czech Mafia and after a grilling they were let go . In later years the Czechs put a 7.5 limit on the road so closing our association with this famous place, thanks for the pic Dave see what else you can trawl up . Regards Crow.
All this mention of the Log Cabin and driving through Prague has given me goose bumps. I really loved Czech and the differences from crossing the German border to Hungary
Whether I paid a fine or went “over the mountain”, Czech just had something romantic about it that Yugoslavia lacked
freshir:
I found the reference to the bridge in Prague interesting and also that there were no signs in the mid 70’s for TIR veh’s and on one occasion when I was getting a visa at the Czech Embassy in Bayswater road and as many of you may remember the elderly lady on the counter spoke perfect English so I raised a point about there being no thru: route signs in the city and adding that the low tram lines were of great concern and soon after that a few TIR signs started to appear ie yellow on blue
and I still wonder to this day if my comments prompted these signs (Could this be my claim to fame? ) Regards Fred
I would not reduce your claim to fame Fred but I remember the first time I went to Prague there were signs that showed a small 4 wheeler, white on a blue background, that I followed slavishly and it brought me to a bridge that was marked, and was, 2.8m. Having managed to turn around I just kept arriving at other bridges that I could not get under and finally did what I should have done in the first place and paid a taxi to show me the way through. However he led me right into the City Center where trucks were banned and when the Federales stopped me he ■■■■■■ off into the distance and left me to pay! I made two or three other attempts at getting through Prague on the next trips which always ended-up in the same mess so I made myself a route turning off at Pilsen and going through Tabor and Pehlrimov and that brought you out on the motorway again about half way to Brno. I was slower but easier on the nerves.
Budapest, I remember, was another mine field of low bridges but if you hit it at night you could go straight up the hill after the bridge to the front of the Parliament and turn right along a broad square which was some big parade ground. Again Plod were less than impressed.
This was us parked-up on the motorway before Prague on my second trip through the City when I had, foolishly, said ‘Follow me lads, I know the way!’
Hi David.If my old eyes are functioning ok They look very much like Oryx Freight motors with a Tug transit behind[can’t remember the yellow one]and a Simon Int[my old boss]at the back Please tell me if i’m wrong.Mike
You are dead right Mike. How’s things in the frozen North?
That was Pat Seal in the Altug motor, then Allan Warner in the next Oryx, an Oryx subbie in the Daf who dumped the motor in Doha, Ken Searle in the third Oryx and a Simon, don’t remember who was driving. Don’t remember all of their names but I got them all lost in Prague!!
Hi David.Are you sure it was Pat Seal in the Alltug motor,i don’t remember Pat working for Alan Alltug but he DID work for Simons for a bit.
Up here it’s nice and quiet.I work a maximum of 2 weeks each month with a take home of app £2000 so have a very good life.No stress,no traffic,almost no police and only a few criminals[myself included].As its so far away from ‘‘civilisation’’ no-one bothers up here.Just been out in the forest with my quad, saw 1 person and 5 reindeer .We had the first snowfall yesterday so winter aint far away.But with a 4 x 4 and studded tyres at least i dont have to fit chains[happy days].Take care.Mike
Yes definitely it was Pat. He worked on and off for Alan Altug - a holiday from Simon, I don’t know.
I envy your life. I’ve left Sweden and am back in UK though I was there again a couple of weeks ago just picking up a firms vehicle and taking it back to the UK. I’m just sorry that there was never time to visit the far North.
Hi David.It’s strange,I lived for nearly 30yrs in Holland and for a time in Canada[Quebec] but since moving up here it really shows you the difference in quality of life.I took a vacuum truck down to Danmark in April for a mate and really couldn’t come home fast enough.It surprises me a little how so few people see the advantages of Northern Scandinavia.Its so much like Canada but with less problem to move.I presume from your post that you were more in the southern part.Take care.Mike
PS.IF you ever get up this way there’s always a place to doss down.
Jazzandy no get your map out again it was on the Karlovy Vary side of Praha, possibly 15 , 20 kms before Praha airport, nearest oasis to Brno was Devet Krizu or translated nine crosses often referred to as Domosov, stay lucky, Crow.Wheelnut it was well worth the 10 DM back hander to the VB in fact I used to love it , it was a game turn right after the bus station in Bratislava and head for the new bridge over the Danube are they there or not you could cross the bridge thinking you d made it and then he d pop up out of nowhere,10 Marks 3 quid nothing compared to coming off at Malacky and going thru Pernek and over the mountain same in reverse coming back but his brother or cousin would grab you at Malacky knowing that you d come over the bridge , I wonder how many Skoda Favorites we ve bought them over the years but it was all good fun I would nt have missed it for any thing, so long ago what a pity that todays crew do nt have the chance to do it.
Bloody hell Crow Domosov that wierd hotel in the woods, I did two wheel studs coming down that Malaky mountain in Toad Hall. That copper near the zoo must have been the richest mo fo in Chezko I reckon.
You ve got me beat there Dave, you re getting as bad as Archie ,pic won t blow up so can t get more detail. The big bird is it a crow more probably an eagle so we can t call it the crow s nest, let s see if one of our learned brethren can I.D. it Crow. Wheelnut Yugo was ok once you got used to it I ve had some really good times with the Jugs. Did many a load in and out well off the beaten track, you d be the only Brit and I found these people most hospitable and I especially enjoyed their music with the two accordions playing what at times seemed to have an Arabic undertone and some really pretty girl singers , can t get away from the girls can I . regards to all the boy s well we were, elderly gentlemen is more appropriate for most of us now. Crow.
Go on Dave, I shall have a go Was it on the left hand side after Belgrade heading towards Nis .
Dave, I asked you a couple of months ago if you ever stopped at a hotel south of Zinnwald after you crossed into Czech and I couldn’t remember the name of the place. If you remember I said that there were usually a couple of Danes or Swede parked there and I had a couple of good Saturday nights there . After seeing a photo that somebody posted a couple of weeks ago it straight away came to me, The Hotel Sport.
Studied the pic for a while Dave and wonder if you were in the bushes having a wild one, it s too far away to make out much detail, steep roof on building to left indicate Swiss ,Austria or the Fatherland and if it s an Eagle , Deutschland however I can t place it at all maybe I ve been there or maybe not, over to you Poirot.
, you could get under it with a tilt but after Billy (Jock) Macdonald knocked off the power cables with a box trailer I always took a road that ran along the Danube embankment.
They look very much like Oryx Freight motors with a Tug transit behind[can’t remember the yellow one]and a Simon Int[my old boss]at the back 
.We had the first snowfall yesterday so winter aint far away.But with a 4 x 4 and studded tyres at least i dont have to fit chains[happy days].Take care.Mike
