Is it all in the past?

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS EURO DRIVING FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Hi all I am in the UK at the moment and like so many of you out there,
I am unable to find work. I am lucky enough to have been able to spend a
lot of time living, working and travelling in Asia and it has been my driving
career that made this possible.
Most of my employment has involved European work, and as a result of having a lot of free time I started to remember some of the highlights in my
20 year love/hate relationship with haulage.
I also wondered if I will ever get to see the likes of what I am about to share
with you again.

So if you have the time and would like a trip down my memory lane then
read on, if not well done on getting this far.

Sitting in the sun at The Hole in the Wall Patra and sharing a drink with fellow
drivers. I never was much for the Fish bar.

Getting stuck at Frieburg for 3 days because of the holidays and my office
had not booked me on the train, but there was a beer festival right next door
and myself and an Italian and 2 Dutch drivers set about cementing EU
relations with lots of beer and even more laughter.

The job I had when I was in Madrid most weekends and was spending my
time with a lovely Cuban girl named Anna, Freds was fun but this was better.

When I would take the 10 to 12 collections of wine over the 1 hit straight back
and work my way around the beautifull south of France, staying in the smallest
of towns and villages and watching the sunsets with a glass of van rouge.

The 5 days that I was stuck at the Karawanken tunnel in Austria with 2 good
mates, and we spent the time going to Slovenia, and returning to Austria over
some of the most spectactular roads ever, the little van we had with us was
perfect for our tour bus.

I have lost count of the Spanish villages that I loaded in and all the fiestas
I attended.

The weekends in Benidorm or Lloret del mar, when we would get our best
togs on and head into town, and of course Las Ramblas.

The times I went to the Balkans and had pride in my work, to see things that could break your heart and lift your spirit.

All the times I have parked and stared at the scenery which some people pay
money to see.

The meals that I have had when the drink flowed and I shared the table with
people from all over the place and nobody started a fight.

And finally to friends and colleages past and present,
Derek Parkes ESL RIP
J.D. ESL RIP
Old Bill and young Mick Astrans
Coca cola John ESL RIP
Lee Durose
Dennis and Jayne
Teapot
Chris Butters

There are more but I think I have bored you enough hope you enjoyed reading
this and please feel free to post some of your own memorys.
Will I see days like these again? I doubt it,
Will I give up trying? NEVER!!!
Cheers Paul

2

Teapot, now there’s a character, surprised there ain’t a film about him, all the stunts in Skopje and swimming in the docks at Patra just for starters.

I know what you mean though…

3

Yeh, lots of respect for teapot for the support he gave to Rick.

4

thanks 4 that its great how the mind works ive now got thought about times i aint thought of for years & let hope them good times come back some day ?

5

I’ve been to Lloret De Mar once as a holiday. Loved it. Beach is cool. Hotel staff were really friendly. Nightlight is mayhem though. 3 o’clock in the morning your woken to drunken people. Someone nearly died. Riots. Fights with baseball bats. Police. But the holiday, overall, was great.

6

hi oatcake1967,you could be right about the routiers ,since the east eu drivers have been let free in the west ,cafes have suffered,it makes me sick last time was at macon had a prob to park because of the cheapscate underpaid rate cutting parasites parking up but not using truckstop,dont care what anybody says they are screwing up the wests transport industry,they are not better drivers than us :imp: just dirt cheap and its also the routiers who are suffering,i can see more cafes going in the future,how can they survive??. and they are not expensive.

7

“Routiers” closing down all over France,due to trailers fitted with fridge and food storage boxes,and gas cookers.Shop at Lidl or Aldi,then no need to spend money at the restaurant.Hence why Barbeziuex truckstop,near Angouleme,in France,now charge to park up.To stop parkers,who would fill the place,and not use to the restaurant.You cant beat a small family run restaurant,in a small village.One day they will be gone too.Meat or fish cooked on the grill for you.Log fires in the Winter months,when your night heater has packed up.