Been on the same trail as Alice today, went to pick up a second hand PZ drum mower bought off ebay it was the closest to me and was in Sherbourne in Dorset £440 I paid but it looks ok but will get me mate to give it the once over and grease it up but the proof is in the cutting. Did a little detour to drop of some strawberries in Dorchester at a mates on the way home so that was the day gone.
Off to a suckler sale in Frome tomorrow see if I can buy some more cows and calves just depends what they are like.
Just done the cattle walk round inspection tonight, all is well and you are right them calves have taken off and the cows and the bull are as fat as moles, cant beat a bit if doctor green for condition eh. The weather here is very humid today and I wish we could have a dam good thunder storm and clear the air and we need some wet stuff right now, best send a message to Baldrick and order some up.
DBP im’e not into eating raw food either and you are right about the sources, that’s why the Frogs always use loads of garlic to cover the taste of bad food, and what they eat is the smell in there bogs as well they stink, but I do like France as a country but not so keen on the inhabitants of the place, cheers Buzzer.
peggydeckboy:
OOHH i feel sick just thinking of steak tartar,and all them other gourmet delights,that is one reason i still do not under stand why hundreds of English men sat around a table with lots of French men and others all grabbing stale old bread ,and drinking the house local red ■■■■, and enjoying it ,then they brought you a plate of whatever uncooked ,with lots of sauce gravy,and they then ate it,to keep up appearances ,and thought it was good.
Hi PDB,
When we docked in the morning in Le Havre,most of us went over the road for a coffee at Chantelle’s,and discussed,not where we were going,but where we were going to eat that night,and didn’t matter if you were in a Maggie Deutz 232,or a Volvo F12 by the time you got down to the Macon area you’d only be about 20 minutes apart. I’ve got to say there were some cracking Routiers on the N6 and beyond,I don’t know where you stopped but I can’t remember having stale bread.red ■■■■,and raw food !! and never paid for parking !!. Are you sure you weren’t in Watford Gap,or some old caff in Littlehampton
Regards
Richard
I wholeheartedly agree with you Richard. There were some really great Routiers along the way. I don’t like raw food. So never ordered any! I did have some odd tins with me for emergencies but rarely used them. Most trips no need.Regards Charlie
Charles good morning when you mentioned tins in case of an emergency I thought of “Wee Jock” who worked for me, when he had to move into a new truck which he didn’t want to do as it was too much effort to MT the old one we assisted him. He had a collection of emergency fodder under his bunk in dilapidated card board boxes, I think we only found one with a label on so he would not know if he was opening beef stew or prunes, some folk never change eh Buzzer.
Yes ok Maggie D you were one of the lucky ones…
.as for running with other men ,as rare as hens teeth.and yes i used Pompey- Le Harve too, also port exits from England except Soton. and would be away as soon as i could after parking and papers as you know,“no coffee”.
I had no regular run anywhere in Europe , not always on transit, so i did come across “routers” that others would have not have in the backwoods so to speak. not just the few favourite haunts, Bake house ,Monkey house ect… i also worked for A.C.H. they were restaurant men,except me i learned to keep away …one Saturday was enough to be stuck where you did not want to be. Funny enough while on A.C.H. you were not allowed to park at Cariso [insurance reasons ?] only Santhia for weekends,it loaded with groupage and they made sure if you ever had AVON COSMETICS on board,you either stopped at AOSTA or get to Avons site that was a [i have been here the longest job]… i never had a meal in AOSTA either…
As for paying parking at Cariso ,when i was on Bowkers it was standard practice [fiddle]to have a parking receipt ,same price as a shower ,with parking stamped on them. as i only parked, and never used the restaurant to “eat” i would have a few bevies ,the boss new it.it was never problem i would pay them/him for my tickets for thanks for parking…
I think most cafes are safe in Littlehampton but i do not eat out ,Watford Gap very close to my old home nice and greasy back then put hairs on your chest.
I suspect you might have had a MAGGIE DEUTZ they must have done the job well.pdb.
peggydeckboy:
Yes ok Maggie D you were one of the lucky ones…
.as for running with other men ,as rare as hens teeth.and yes i used Pompey- Le Harve too, also port exits from England except Soton. and would be away as soon as i could after parking and papers as you know,“no coffee”.
I had no regular run anywhere in Europe , not always on transit, so i did come across “routers” that others would have not have in the backwoods so to speak. not just the few favourite haunts, Bake house ,Monkey house ect… i also worked for A.C.H. they were restaurant men,except me i learned to keep away …one Saturday was enough to be stuck where you did not want to be. Funny enough while on A.C.H. you were not allowed to park at Cariso [insurance reasons ?] only Santhia for weekends,it loaded with groupage and they made sure if you ever had AVON COSMETICS on board,you either stopped at AOSTA or get to Avons site that was a [i have been here the longest job]… i never had a meal in AOSTA either…
As for paying parking at Cariso ,when i was on Bowkers it was standard practice [fiddle]to have a parking receipt ,same price as a shower ,with parking stamped on them. as i only parked, and never used the restaurant to “eat” i would have a few bevies ,the boss new it.it was never problem i would pay them/him for my tickets for thanks for parking…
I think most cafes are safe in Littlehampton but i do not eat out ,Watford Gap very close to my old home nice and greasy back then put hairs on your chest.
I suspect you might have had a MAGGIE DEUTZ they must have done the job well.pdb.
I feel quite sorry fo you mate.You obviously are a loner and prefer your own company. Fair enough. However as you have never eaten in a Routiers I don’t think that you are in a position to rubbish them.Regards Charlie
Evening Charlie did you ever stop at the routier’s on the way to the Blanc on the S bend by the timber yards, I cant remember the name of the villarge but they used to potato gratain in little terracotta oval dishes and always remember how dam hot they were but very tasty. You could park by the front of the place or if you were going on a bit the other side of the road where there were gigantic concrete bollards , Buzzer.
Charlie one ,how do you think i found out for myself about the routers eating dives, i used them for a very short time ,a learning curve.
many men used the same ones all the time, so they would be good!!!, if you could not cook something yourself, you should have got yourself a pressure cooker then you would have know what was the best…if you were in the arse end of POLAND ,OR YUGO ,even GREECE you needed to feed your self proply not just tins…
yes i was a loner and preferred it ,however i could ,and would go on the ■■■■ on my own or with others,the less people you got involved with ,easier life was i absolutely enjoyed 99% of my EUROPEAN DRIVING TIME without needing anyone ,especially someone else to feed me. i rest my case .i cannot comment anymore i am pleased you enjoyed what you did and where you ate.pdb.
This is not an ‘either / or’ issue. I did some serious long-haul work and carried the wherewithal for completely independent cuisine at all times. I was happy to negotiate fresh meat and veg in local roadside shops in Romania or Morocco. However, the camaraderie to be found in Les Routiers in France or the Hostal truck stops in Spain and elsewhere in western Europe were second to none. They had brilliant food at astonishingly good prices. In France the rule was that they sat you next to whoever was there: BRILLIANT idea, because you always ended making friends with French, Portuguese, Spanish, German etc drivers. It improved your foreign language acquisition, your European manners and almost always ended in happiness at the bar where you made foreign friends who would help you (or you them) down the road, perhaps several months later.
I would say that my happy memories of driving in France - and they’re definitely happy - are probably 50% enjoyment of their excellent road systems (especially when most of it was les routes nationale; and 50% sheer pleasure of enjoying the institution of les routiers / les realais de France. I used to buy the Les Routiers ‘bible’ and find them wherever they were. This was a superb institution - possibly the best in the world - that I defy any trucker worth his salt to eschew! It was completely affordable, always well within a British driver’s ■■■■■. You could roll into the parking area and have a pre-prandial kia or whatever you fancied. If you were on a regular route with drivers you knew well, it was better than turning up at your local pub because you knew everyone! Bloody hell, I still miss that the French Routiers even now. Robert
Robert I do agree with your input on French routiers always found good food at reasonable money as for the wine that was part of it all but less nowadays I am told. Most of us back in the day always carried a backup of tinned and dried food reserves for emergencies but after a hard day at the wheel most enjoyed the evening gathering for refreshment and if you did say regular trips to Italy you nearly always had your favourite place to dine, it was not just that but a chance to be out of the cab for a couple of hours and as you say as was in my case a lot of us were on traction out of Southampton and later Portsmouth we all knew each other. Remember those crossings well especially coming home on the Saturday night ferry, you used to get issued with a dinner and breakfast voucher and we all used to give up the brekky one and eat in the posh waiter service bit, quite often a dozen or more of us and when we landed in the morning all went round to a café near the dock gate and had our breakfasts there so as not to disturb the wives too early on the Sunday morning. Most shipped out on Sunday night, Monday & Tuesday so it was like home from home back then knowing most of the other drivers. Also real camaraderie then all helping each other especially with blow outs and wheel changing sadly not like that today for one thing there are hardly any of us left doing the job, we have been overtaken.
Before I sign off I can see PDB’s outlook on the subject, I also knew drivers who fended for themselves with the old “camion stew” and preferred to be on there todd each to there own every one makes there own choice but as I have said before the only thing dished up for me in France I could not face was tripe, just had more fresh bread and charcuterie with cheese for after done me well and I survived Buzzer.
My first trip over in late 63 I took a primus stove and single tent!..(.I was used to the appalling digs in the UK)…That lasted for a couple of trips, then having discovered Les Routiers, the primus stayed for Tea making, (and emergencies)…but eating out, (at affordable prices), and meeting people became the normal.
To me it was a pleasure at the days end, following lots of hours grinding along, to enter establishments as good as the average UK Hotel, and be greeted, and treated as if your business, (however modest), was of importance to the owners. It was a big culture shock…as, sometimes were my “adventurous” choices from the menu!
Good morning
This is my type of subject got really into the end of the day side of the job well it did get to the stage that it could be the midday meal as well if I had plenty of time, or met the right people at that time of day . I remember following a Transport services trailer with flatish tyre on the trailer pulling into the bakehouse I pulled in behind to tell the driver, Pat Scoury said we will deal with that after we have had our lunch sounds good to me. I also remember my first visit to a routier back in 1974 accompanied by a good friend working for Central Road Transport, he assured me he knew what he was ordering so we both had the steak , surprise we were served rognons which I looked at a bit strange but went on to eat it and it became one of my favourite dishes. We had the same thing as you Buzzer only going through Poole meeting the same drivers every week.
Cheers cliff.
Cliff luxton:
Good morning
This is my type of subject got really into the end of the day side of the job well it did get to the stage that it could be the midday meal as well if I had plenty of time, or met the right people at that time of day . I remember following a Transport services trailer with flatish tyre on the trailer pulling into the bakehouse I pulled in behind to tell the driver, Pat Scoury said we will deal with that after we have had our lunch sounds good to me. I also remember my first visit to a routier back in 1974 accompanied by a good friend working for Central Road Transport, he assured me he knew what he was ordering so we both had the steak , surprise we were served rognons which I looked at a bit strange but went on to eat it and it became one of my favourite dishes. We had the same thing as you Buzzer only going through Poole meeting the same drivers every week.
Cheers cliff.
Cliff did you mean rugnions (spelling) if you did I think it was kidneys, when waiting for the ship to sail in Cherbourg back in the early 70’s we used to get 3 or 4 drivers in a tractor unit to a little restaurant on he N13 a few Kms out on top of one of those big dippers all bypassed now run by a family dad who was the chef mum preparer and 3 daughters who served and there younger brother who did not a lot but this was his specialty dish done in a creamy sauce, very tasty and this was by far better than the crap they served in the early days on Truckline, MH memories again Buzzer.
Buzzer ,cliff,robert1952, saviem.,maggie,charlie one obliviously you all enjoyed the foreign food,maybe the jobs i had were a bit to serious and fresh meat was one .That is where i went wrong .unless i worked for the wrong outfits…and learned from the wrong drivers.
i could think of nothing worse than sitting around a table with a load of drivers after a shift , ROBERT as for speaking a foreign languages we all did not have the aptitude to do that that was way beyond me, like a thousand other drivers,drivers speaking in pigeon/patwah,home made, was most embarrassing i would hear them at agents offices ,anyway we all survived food or no food.
Yes i knew of some of the well known BRITISH /English drivers,from regular firms who would hold court at the various customs compounds, especially at Aosta and love the eating and drinking .it was not for me.pdb
Good times, nowadays I have a bit of regular work to poland a Czech and from when I leave home I doubt if I speak to another English man until I do passport control in Calais on my way home. Last week customs lady said “English lorry with an English driver, how unusual but nice”
It breaks my heart because I remember how good it was
ERF MAN:
Good times, nowadays I have a bit of regular work to poland a Czech and from when I leave home I doubt if I speak to another English man until I do passport control in Calais on my way home. Last week customs lady said “English lorry with an English driver, how unusual but nice”
It breaks my heart because I remember how good it was
How right you are ERF MAN not many left nowadays doing the job, when you think back every man and his dog were at it especially when they did away with the permits. have said before I spent thousands acquiring them then over night they were useless. The other thing today is you cant get blokes who want to do International any more, ive not been in a truck abroad since 1988 as I graduated to driving a desk but used to get three or four a week ask for a start, how times have changed Buzzer.
Yep I agree with the above. I have just come back from a motorbike holiday to Liguano de Sabiadora in North Eastern Italy. Brought some good memories back. Went out Dover Calais and because of the fuel crisis we changed our route to go Belguim and back into our First stay in Givet France, we then went to stay Germany Bavaria, Cortina before arriving on the Monday. Coming home on the Friday we stayed in Santhia ( I know some of you will know this place). The following day we went through the Balnc, we were going to do Cenis but the weather was atrocious. We then came through Nantua, Lons le Saunier etc for our next night in Beaune. The following day we came across country through Bourges, Chartes and Blois for our last night in Le Mans. last night slap-up before coming up the old road through Alencon, Sees, Bernay and onto the boat from Le Havre. Once we got on the boat it was good to reminisce whilst looking over to the old link span and remembering arriving in the early hours of the morning and parking in the street on opposite Chantelles and Peter’s until the gate’s opened.
It was a lovely trip to jog the old memory however, I could count on two hands how many Brit boys/trucks I saw on the whole trip, shame!! I loved that job as did all of us I know !! I wasn’t an Italy regular like some of you boys were, normally doing Spain and Portugal but did enough over the years to be able to read and enjoy all your stories.
Sorry for going on but hey you know, as Buzzer would say a ‘Mary Hopkins Moment’
Peter 1961:
Yep I agree with the above. I have just come back from a motorbike holiday to Liguano de Sabiadora in North Eastern Italy. Brought some good memories back. Went out Dover Calais and because of the fuel crisis we changed our route to go Belguim and back into our First stay in Givet France, we then went to stay Germany Bavaria, Cortina before arriving on the Monday. Coming home on the Friday we stayed in Santhia ( I know some of you will know this place). The following day we went through the Balnc, we were going to do Cenis but the weather was atrocious. We then came through Nantua, Lons le Saunier etc for our next night in Beaune. The following day we came across country through Bourges, Chartes and Blois for our last night in Le Mans. last night slap-up before coming up the old road through Alencon, Sees, Bernay and onto the boat from Le Havre. Once we got on the boat it was good to reminisce whilst looking over to the old link span and remembering arriving in the early hours of the morning and parking in the street on opposite Chantelles and Peter’s until the gate’s opened.
It was a lovely trip to jog the old memory however, I could count on two hands how many Brit boys/trucks I saw on the whole trip, shame!! I loved that job as did all of us I know !! I wasn’t an Italy regular like some of you boys were, normally doing Spain and Portugal but did enough over the years to be able to read and enjoy all your stories.
Sorry for going on but hey you know, as Buzzer would say a ‘Mary Hopkins Moment’
Hope you took some pictures of this trip and if you did you can stick them up on here, every one would like that Buzzer.
dosser:
On todays BBC news page , theres a thing about the old M F 135 and MF 65 tractors it might interest you farming lads . Regards Geoff
Good old tractors those Massey’s simple to operate and easy to fix,we have a 65mk2 currently undergoing restoration. Originally purchased by Alice’s father, it’s still capable of a days work with an haybob.
Once took four old Massey’s from Dobson’s of Levens down to Chrystal palace, pulled up outside what just looked like a shop but behind it was a large workshop where they refurbed them for export to Africa. A fella came out jumped into the truck and we went down to Chrystal palace running track and unloaded them on the car park, he then drove one back to the shop and signed my paperwork happy days.
