Feeling old today and need to tell a tale,believe it or believe its down to you.
In the early eighties I used to run to the middle east.
One day crossing the Tarsus mountains in a bloody old straight eight Gardner powered ERF it started to get cold(bout minus 20) and she started to cough,got worse and worse and it finally died.(as an aside Im about 23,long hair and scared).Tilts the cab and the pee wee filter at the side of the pump is totaly screwed.
Thinks Im going to die here because its god dam cold.
Next thing this puegot 505 appears out the snow with 4 Turkish blokes in it.Bloke gets out and starts rabbiting to me in Turkish.Next thing they bundle me and the filter into the car.
They drive me about 30 km down the road and turn up a dirt track.
I thought here it comes,no body will ever find my body,kiss your ■■■ goodbye.
We pull up outside the grey shed and the driver bekons me out,I am ■■■■■■■■ myself.
We walk into this shed and its a truck garage,he takes the filter and speaks to one of the mechanics.
Ten minutes later he appears with a Gardner filter in a Gardner box. Im gobsmacked.
Back in the car and back to the truck,Goes to get out and they tell me to stay where I am.They fit the filter,bleed it and warm the truck before they let me out.
I try to pay these gentlemen and they wont let me.
Their kindness saved my life and I am ashamed that I doubted them,
This was only one of the many times I was overwhelmed by the kindness and hospitality I was shown by the ordinary folk of Turkey ,Iraq,Iran and Eastern Europe.
God bless them
We had problems in cold weather with the Gardner filter behind the fan waxing due to the cold air being drawn onto it from the ‘never ever got warm’ radiator. Gardner engines were exported all over the World (there is probably even one on the Moon!) so believable to me. Now if you had said it had been a Guy Big J with an eight pot ‘percy’ fitted that would be a different matter!
Goldfinger:
Wasn’t the world a different (better?) place back then…?
No it was crap and there is a whole bunch of selective amnesia going on if you think it was good.
+1 I’m dreading the day when I think that 80’s music was good, (saying that the Missus already thinks that but her tastes are questionable at best, she chose to marry me for one example!)
Bking:
believe it or believe its down to you.
Isn’t that Hobsons choice?
On the subject of feeling old though, Yes I am, compounded by the fact it’s my 47th birthday in 2 days and 50 is getting increasingly closer
A good story from the old days that, thanks Bking.
Turks are good blokes generally anyway.
Funny you should mention feeling old, i’ve just changed the engine oil and filter on me car and given the autobox another flush through with new oil, and everything bloody aches.
However i somehow managed to get more oil in the drain cans than on me which must be a first
john lennons song imagine springs to mind after reading one reply,some of the lyrics ie the world can live as one[I think]everytime I hear that I think to myself no chance this world will never live in peace together,there is allways someone threatning world peace,i don’t understand why the superpowers that be cannot sort it out so we can all live in peace,would be nice.
Juddian:
Divide and rule that’s why mate, hence the rush to import alien ideologies and encourage them to live entirely different lives.
The last thing govts who appear despise their own natives want is a united population.
+1 couldnt agree more
Have met so many good people over the years that the powers that be try to portray as my enemy. Most are pure diamonds that will do all they can to help you and will go above and beyond any reasonable level.
People of all colours,races and religions that burn their selves into my memory because of their acts of kindness and friendship with no thought of “payment”
Just good good people who allowed me the honour of knowing them even for a brief moment.
I have been brought to tears by their acts of kindness and all of them have made me humble.
Made me aware of how much good their is in this world.
Juddian:
A good story from the old days that, thanks Bking.
Turks are good blokes generally anyway.
Funny you should mention feeling old, i’ve just changed the engine oil and filter on me car and given the autobox another flush through with new oil, and everything bloody aches.
However i somehow managed to get more oil in the drain cans than on me which must be a first
A couple of months ago I put new brake rotors and pads on me car… could hardly bloody move for about three days. The only good old days were when I could have done that without crippling meself.
Bking:
Feeling old today and need to tell a tale,believe it or believe its down to you.
I try to pay these gentlemen and they wont let me.
Their kindness saved my life and I am ashamed that I doubted them,
This was only one of the many times I was overwhelmed by the kindness and hospitality I was shown by the ordinary folk of Turkey ,Iraq,Iran and Eastern Europe.
God bless them
Things have certainly changed on that front, you certainly wouldn’t want to get into a car these days on your own, you would probably end up crying.
Goldfinger:
Wasn’t the world a different (better?) place back then…?
Far better my friend far better.
Here,here.
Despite all the hardships,had many good times and met many nice people in the middle east 40 years ago,wouldn’t like to be there now!
But such a pity my man. Going to the Kamarno bridge next week on the bikes.
First time I crossed the bridge was full of soldiers black allsatians and machine guns and it was snowing
I will cross that bridge and cry like a baby because it was such an amazing experience years ago.
What I would give to go back.
Goldfinger:
Wasn’t the world a different (better?) place back then…?
Far better my friend far better.
Here,here.
Despite all the hardships,had many good times and met many nice people in the middle east 40 years ago,wouldn’t like to be there now!
If I got the chance I would run tomorrow,Bahgdad was wonderful,Teharan blew my ■■■■■ mind
Eastern Turkey was " amazing"
Just took my breath away
An absolute privelige to experience this.
I consider myself a lucky man
You are a very lucky man Bking and at the time we all just took it for granted. If you ever had a breakdown somebody like this fellow would always stop to see if he could do anything to help you.