any one going this weekend… i will be there sunday… 
Sunday!!!
Me too!!!
I will be draging the wife and son with me!!!
But me can meet if you let me know where!!
Oh yeh for the people that don’t know Barnard Castle truck show is a old fashoned truck show!!! …a proper truck show!!
Good day out
hope Lucy and Rikki dont mind here’s the url
Gladly meet up with anyone who is thinking of going
give me a bell 078 30208060(mobile)
ian, i,ll give you a ring sunday m8, c u there
Terry, will have a ride up sunday if me left hip clears up. It got shagged this week M8, but fingers crossed. Will bell you sat to confirm.
nee botha mal hope to see you then m8… same to tc i will ring you when there…
John Toulson has kindly donated a stand for Justice for Drivers and the Blue Ribbon Campaign which will be “manned” by Mary, myself and John and anyone else who would like to help.
You might even get a beer. 
Ken Vasey
no one else from the north east contingent going then??
i will be going
possibaly on both days
It was a good day out with some very nice Trucks on display!
Guess who forgot his Telephone? 
Sorry for the bods who tryed to phone me! I had 12 missed calls! 
aye two of them missed calls were from me … what happened to you… 
had a good chat with john and his family… really nice people… ange ur a funny un…lol…some belting loking motors there… bit small but enjoyed the day…
PMSL @ tc some of the missed calls were from me
sorry to have missed you and nice to meet Terry
just had a call from dad so far 360 sigs for JfD and Blue Ribbon
oh by the way cheers for the beers ken…
Sorry again
I did speak to your Mam & Dad, Angela while they we’re doing a stirling Job collecting Signitures for the Blue Ribbon and JforD appeal!
They should be thanked by all drivers for all the work they do for all drivers imprisoned abroad! after all it could be anyone of us next!
i,ll second that tc, after speaking to them today it is amazing to hear the true events of there struggle to keep up to speed with johns predicament and the hardship they have endured over the 14 months john was locked up… yet it hasnt ended just because john is now free. if every one had parents like them i tell you the world would be a better place. what a wonderfull couple, and so devoted to a cause they would have been justified in leaving for some one else to fight…the very best of luck to all the vasey family from me.
Lorry driver John Vasey plans to write a book about his 14-month ordeal in a French prison on a drug smuggling charge.
Profits from sales will go to support the awareness campaign which his family set up in their fight to free the 43-year-old.
The Blue Ribbon Campaign was backed by Justice for Drivers, an initiative to get changes in foreign laws which keep putting innocent truckers in prison all over Europe.
Since Mr Vasey was freed in May after a surprise decision by three judges, the campaign has become a major project and was being highlighted at a national truckers’ event this weekend.
He had protested his innocence since he was arrested and charged with smuggling £2.5m of cannabis over the border from Spain. But he was expecting to be jailed for five years because French law says a driver has legal responsibility for every package on his lorry.
But after questioning him for two hours, three judges in Perpignan freed him on payment of £3,500 bail.
While in jail Mr Vasey lost his home and business. His marriage also broke down as his parents, Ken, 73, and Mary, 68, of Lambton, Washington, and other family campaigned relentlessly for his freedom.
Since his release he has moved into his own flat in Rickleton Village, Washington, has a job as a driver and has regular contact with his nine-year-old son David who now lives with his mother in Scotland.
He said today: "I want to write the book and tell my story. If it makes any money it will go to the Blue Ribbon Campaign.
"Everyone keeps asking me about it. They all want to know what it was like, the conditions and what actually went on in the prison.
" I thought the easiest way would be to write it down. I did actually start it in prison but once a month they came to search the cell and took away my notes, which were in longhand, and I never got them back. At least now I can do it on a computer."
Mr Vasey said he’d had no word from the French court.
He said: "I don’t really expect to hear from the court now but as far as I aware the investigation is still going on.
“I was in prison for 14 months and they found no evidence against me. I don’t expect them to now.”
His Newcastle lawyer Clive McKeag claims Mr Vasey was the fall-guy for drug barons.
Mr Vasey, his parents, relatives and friends are attending a Truckfest 2004 event in Barnard Castle, County Durham, this weekend.
sorce icnewcastle.co.uk
Despite the cold, rain, high winds, there was just a little bit sun we did manage to beat our target of 300 signatures by 151
a grand total of 451
Thanks to those who came and gave us support, it was good to put names to faces, and thanks to John Toulson for the free site.
We hope to be at Haydock Park 18/19 Sept
TC and ohterry555, while John was away opting out was never an option, not that you have suggested it was.
We can understand those that have been there, got the T-shirt etc saying “That’s it let’s forget it”
France is a leading player in the EC and Mary and I have seen first hand what they think of The Human Rights Act.
One case, a driver, his wife, 2 children under 8 yrs of age ALL SEPARATED unable to communicate with each other for at least 4 months.
We will carry on with JforD untill it goes to the European Court or someone younger feels they can take it over but we will always give support to families who need help.
As John says guilty or not no one deserves the treatment he had.
Ken and Mary Vasey
We had a very enjoyable and profitable weekend despite what Dad says about the weather. We gained alot more signitures for the petition and surprised some people that we were still working for J4D and Blue Ribbon Campaign, Many thought it had died when I was released or hadn’t realised the extent to which the problem runs. We also got some good publicity in the local press who wouldn’t normally cover such an event.
We hope to do the same at Haydock Park if Live Promotions can be persuaded to donate stand space ( many thanks to John Toulson for this weekend) and as we now have a ‘proper’ stand, we can attend plenty more events untill May next year when the petition is to be handed in.
Thanks to those who came and introduced themselves. It’s always nice to put a face to the name and I’m sorry if we missed anybody but the stand was manned almost ALL weekend. There is still some beers left for next time though!!!
Best Regards to all
John Vasey
I have today offered Justice for Drivers some space on my stand, ( Driver & Families Help Line & Lady Truckers Club ) and will be happy to collect signatures etc I have sent details and ticket for John
Danneke ( Driver & Families Help Line )