OK with the current upsurge in interest in the old Middle East runs it can’t have failed to come to ones notice that theres a company called Astran which was fairly central to the whole thing. I bought and read Ash’s book which was entertaining and interesting although I would make the caveat that you didn’t exactly have to leave Europe to experience some of that stuff back then lol dopo domani anyone!
Anyway whats bugging me is this. Why don’t I remember them?
I was around on the continental scene from the mid 1980s and you only have to look through the 80s thread on here to see many a photo that brings back memories and the statement “oh man yeah I remember them!”.
But Astran? nothing. Their livery doesn’t ring any bells, I don’t recall them at Dover in the import or export park, and whats worse is I was actually based in Kent myself at the time. But the name or livery simply didn’t mean anything to me in the same way that Solstor, Peter Roff, AMG Interfreight, ACH, Brit European, GB Traction, Carmen, Laser, UFO, Waters, Chambers and Cook etc etc etc do.
And interestingly, if you go to Truckphotos for sale website, he has some 1000 photos clearly taken at the entrance to Dover Eastern Docks in the early to mid 1980s (including 2 of my trucks lol) theres not one Astran there. Not one.
Did they ship from somewhere else? Why don’t I remember them?
Lonewolf Yorks:
OK with the current upsurge in interest in the old Middle East runs it can’t have failed to come to ones notice that theres a company called Astran which was fairly central to the whole thing. I bought and read Ash’s book which was entertaining and interesting although I would make the caveat that you didn’t exactly have to leave Europe to experience some of that stuff back then lol dopo domani anyone!
Anyway whats bugging me is this. Why don’t I remember them?
I was around on the continental scene from the mid 1980s and you only have to look through the 80s thread on here to see many a photo that brings back memories and the statement “oh man yeah I remember them!”.
But Astran? nothing. Their livery doesn’t ring any bells, I don’t recall them at Dover in the import or export park, and whats worse is I was actually based in Kent myself at the time. But the name or livery simply didn’t mean anything to me in the same way that Solstor, Peter Roff, AMG Interfreight, ACH, Brit European, GB Traction, Carmen, Laser, UFO, Waters, Chambers and Cook etc etc etc do.
And interestingly, if you go to Truckphotos for sale website, he has some 1000 photos clearly taken at the entrance to Dover Eastern Docks in the early to mid 1980s (including 2 of my trucks lol) theres not one Astran there. Not one.
Did they ship from somewhere else? Why don’t I remember them?
Hullo Wolfie,
This has got to be a wind up, has’nt it ■■ Admittedly they were’nt in Dover as frequently as all of those companies that you were so familiar with, but they were there. If you recall, it was mentioned I believe that the Tractor Units were on Private registrations, and by that time most of the Wagon and Drags had been recycled or disposed of, obviously if they spend so much time out of the country it was stupid to tax them any other way, ( in fact a lot of us used to tax our vehicles that way) this of course meant the trailers were left in the Import Park and collected either by another haulier or by their own shunter. So whilst you were perhaps looking for nice shiny Tractors, you would only find fairly dusty old trailers instead. I am very surprised though that you never in all your years as an International Driver ever saw one Shipping out and queing in the Export lines . If you lived in Kent, have you never travelled from Maidstone up the A20 to London ? If you had you would have seen on your left hand side in Addington their large Freight Terminal. Though at that time a lot of their tackle was in that yuckie brown and cream livery, not the striking Red and Yellow.
Cheers, Archie.
Another reason was that they loaded from anywhere in Europe. I used to see Chris Hooper quite often when he was in the workshop in Grays, as I say quite often that could be after three trips from Italy or Holland to Iraq or Saudi. If you read anything Chris wrote, he always mentioned that he had taught himself to speak several languages because he spent so much time in another country.
As we established once Wolfie, we are of a similar age, and my knowledge of Astrans was quite good, probably my first decent foreign trips was loaded from Yalding for Athens and I followed a couple of their trucks down to Dover and picked their brains on the stairs
You must’ve lived a very sheltered life then Wolfie, especially as you worked from Kent, obviously they were away more than they were at home, but if you hit Dover once a week, the law of averages would mean that you would’ve seen one, perhaps it just never registered? Also if you ever queued on the custom’s stairs on the south side of the HMC building for a carnet TIR or a single T-form you would see the M/E men there, they never used to say much, but you could always tell who was who, as soon as Billy Big wheels started gobbing off about his big trip to Dusseldorf, you’d see them grin & shake their heads
Astrans have always been legendary, at least from the days of the Destination Doha TV special on World in Action, I can remember seeing their 1632 Mercs with the stack up the front of the cab & they were around in the 70s, I’ve seen plenty of them in the sealing lanes at Dover & the odd one on the road too & I never ventured further east than Turkey, so I never saw them in their natural habitat
You must’ve lived a very sheltered life then Wolfie, especially as you worked from Kent, obviously they were away more than they were at home, but if you hit Dover once a week, the law of averages would mean that you would’ve seen one, perhaps it just never registered? Also if you ever queued on the custom’s stairs on the south side of the HMC building for a carnet TIR or a single T-form
I am very surprised though that you never in all your years as an International Driver ever saw one Shipping out and queing in the Export lines . If you lived in Kent, have you never travelled from Maidstone up the A20 to London ? If you had you would have seen on your left hand side in Addington their large Freight Terminal. Though at that time a lot of their tackle was in that yuckie brown and cream livery, not the striking Red and Yellow.
I know. I dunno why they don’t ring any bells, I must have seen them but it can’t have registered. Thinking about it once they had left they were gone for 2 or 3 weeks and while I saw most of the others almost daily if not in Dover then in Coslada or Prato etc, maybe I only saw an Astran 3 weekly. Also I used Ramsgate a hell of a lot.
Oh maybe younot so blind I thought the same way just seems to be Alan Coggershalls way of reinventing a fetish he had and getting a few bob from it there were in fact lots of firms running over there
Lonewolf Yorks:
PS Malc I passed the MCSA last week!
Well done. I am no closer to getting it the costs have put me off so far and no one seems to want to pay for me to do it, they just say “when you get it come back and see us.”
Hullo All,
(( Oh maybe younot so blind I thought the same way just seems to be Alan Coggershalls way of reinventing a fetish he had and getting a few bob from it there were in fact lots of firms running over there.))
I see the Richard Head is at it again, Ash. Pathetic or what !
As many will know Astran didn’t have the largest fleet, but they certainly had that essential stamp of Quality…
A bit like a diamond…that is not always noticed amongst the crap…
Reddesertfox:
As many will know Astran didn’t have the largest fleet, but they certainly had that essential stamp of Quality…
A bit like a diamond…that is not always noticed amongst the crap…
And the “lots of other firms running over there” beyond the Mocamp were probably working for, err Astran
Reddesertfox:
As many will know Astran didn’t have the largest fleet, but they certainly had that essential stamp of Quality…
A bit like a diamond…that is not always noticed amongst the crap…
And the “lots of other firms running over there” beyond the Mocamp were probably working for, err Astran
Is that a BS rego Malc ?, it’s not from Basel is it ?.
rayluv:
Oh maybe younot so blind I thought the same way just seems to be Alan Coggershalls way of reinventing a fetish he had and getting a few bob from it there were in fact lots of firms running over there
rayluv:
Oh maybe younot so blind I thought the same way just seems to be Alan Coggershalls way of reinventing a fetish he had and getting a few bob from it there were in fact lots of firms running over there
rayluv…I thought this quotation by John Ruskin was very apt for you…Albeit I am sure you have never heard of John Ruskin or indeed understand the meaning of his quote…
> Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words, or your reader will be sure to skip them; and in the clearest possible words or he will certainly misunderstand them.
Raymondo even after reading all your posts and thinking about what you have done and achieved in you 108 years you should learn its better to keep quite and let every one think you a twxt than open you gob and confirm it
Astran and OHS always stood out for me, and lots that I didn’t know went that far, I always wanted to do M/E right from about 74 before I passed my test, but never got round to it, so it was just Spain Italy and near Europe for me, thats why I love these threads, can’t wait to get Ash’s book.
We have only just laid Bob Paul to rest and idiots on this thread say they never heard of Astran ,having been a subbie on Astran for 12 years completed over 90 trips to the ME to every destination including taking the first load into the Oman to Muscat ,I feel offended by some of the remarks ,all Kent hauliers knew of Astran they also shipped out of Sheerness dover east and west ,and Ramsgate so lets get the facts right ,this tread is an insult to a great Man who devoted his life to Transport and opened up the Middle East for Hauliers from the UK who shipped Millions of pounds worth of goods to the Far and Middle East ,Ashleys book was a minute part of over 50 years ,I could ramble on for hours but I am now wound up so I will close
We have only just laid Bob Paul to rest and idiots on this thread say they never heard of Astran ,having been a subbie on Astran for 12 years completed over 90 trips to the ME to every destination including taking the first load into the Oman to Muscat ,I feel offended by some of the remarks ,all Kent hauliers knew of Astran they also shipped out of Sheerness dover east and west ,and Ramsgate so lets get the facts right ,this tread is an insult to a great Man who devoted his life to Transport and opened up the Middle East for Hauliers from the UK who shipped Millions of pounds worth of goods to the Far and Middle East ,Ashleys book was a minute part of over 50 years ,I could ramble on for hours but I am now wound up so I will close
Roger Haywood
hi all
i see the **** is back then.
even i know & remember Astran & i’m only 42, i used to see em when i was in the waggon with me uncle & at the tender age of 12 i read Cola Cowboys, thats what started me being an Astran fan.
