It is with great sadness that I have to report that my long time friend JJ, John Jenkinson, mentioned in many threads on this site, passed away in the early hours of last Thursday morning (28th August). He was 76 and had been in a hospice for quite a while. He was a long surviving Harefield Hospital heart transplant patient having had the operation in 1990 or 91.
As a teenager JJ was in the Merchant Navy for a couple of years and when he left he took up driving. He worked for Pritchett Brothers in Brentford, Express Dairy Milk Tankers, Waitrose Supermarkets (where JJ and I first met in about 1968), Lyons Maid/Eskimo Frozen Foods and then in the early to mid 70s he moved to Dorset for a short time and drove a tipper. At the time he returned to live in West London I was driving for Landa Express Freight Carriers and they were looking for 10 drivers to take 10 artics down to the Middle East and fly home. JJ got one of those jobs (and the ME driving bug) and continued doing mostly Middle East, with the exception of a short stint on low loader work to Italy for Plant & Engineering in Colnbrook, and on fridge work for MJ Swallows Transport from Buckinghamshire.
His Middle East work was mostly for PIE, Essex Transport, Pan Express and probably a run here and there for other outfits. I seem to remember him driving for Whittles from the North West for a while too, but I may be wrong there. JJ had a reputation for personalizing his trucks and that became his trademark. He would spend hours cleaning and tidying up his rig and fitting extra lights etc. I’m told he also had a bit of a reputation of being a good trailer chef although I never actually tasted his wares. During his time in the hospice I’m proud to say he had many visits, and phone calls from those living further afield, from ex work colleagues (especially from Pan Express), which I know pleased him no end. It’s good to know that there’s still a strong support network amongst drivers.
After recuperating from his heart transplant JJ did voluntary car driving for the ambulance service and he made lots of friends, both from his clients and his volunteer driver colleagues. Although not quite the same excitement that he got from Trucking, he was still out on the road and still got the same pleasures from personalising his cars as he was renowned for with his trucks, and also this gave him time to spend with his beloved cats Sasha, Harry and George. I think he volunteered for about 12 years or so, and, as with his trucking friends, had many visits to the hospice from his Ambulance Service colleagues.
I’d like to give a special thanks to his good friends Helen, Melanie and Steve for looking after JJ over the last few years, and sorting much of his business out for him.
Rest in Peace Bruv
Dave
Funeral Arrangements
Friday August the 5th at 11.00 am
Breakspear Crematorium,
Breakspear Road,
Ruislip HA4 7SJ
Made sticky by dd.
