marcustandy:
What about WARISA from Wigan? They were doing both Bosnia and Kososvo. Some good guys on there one of which I’m still very good friends now.Anyone ever know/see Spider (John) who was with WARISA; he had a spider tattooed on his forehead (mis-spent youth) but used to wear his fringe down over it in his ‘old age’■■ LOL
Sorry to revive an old thread but I believe Spider is no longer with us. Not sure of the details so I won’t speculate. I was at Warisa for a few years and did the odd trip with a semi low loader.
ShiftyBatter:
marcustandy:
What about WARISA from Wigan? They were doing both Bosnia and Kososvo. Some good guys on there one of which I’m still very good friends now.Anyone ever know/see Spider (John) who was with WARISA; he had a spider tattooed on his forehead (mis-spent youth) but used to wear his fringe down over it in his ‘old age’■■ LOL
Sorry to revive an old thread but I believe Spider is no longer with us. Not sure of the details so I won’t speculate. I was at Warisa for a few years and did the odd trip with a semi low loader.
Yes, you’re quite right, Spider did pass away a few years ago.
Hi all i have just clocked this thread on page one, not seen it before and i dont understand the title of Stobarts Hero’s, why are they so called. My name is John Davies and i founded Davies International and have done transport all my life.I have read every entry on this thread to get the picture in my mind,as has been mentioned on here we as a company did both Bosnia and Kosovo as a subbie for JSL. The contact with them was already established a few years before they got to work for the MOD on a direct basis as we used to do one load a month with cheap pottery from Stoke to Jaen in Spain as they did not go there. We had to go through all the exacting MOD rules as a subcontractor for JSL. before we could load anything as there standards were very high, initially we were only involved with the transport of foodstuff as we ran predominately frigo’s but as it got busy we took out general goods as well, such as the post which we picked up in London. We also took out loads of petrol in jerry cans on stillages and oil which loaded in Ferndown which is close to our depot.In the end we were doing so much for JSL they offered to pay us every two weeks which was almost un heard of at the time, we had a good few years doing that job and it was good rates or though insurance was high.In conclusion all the drivers that we sent there did the job sometimes as many as ten running together, not the best senario for smooth running but hey ho you are always going to get one who has a little to much sherbut and lets the side down,but in the time we were doing that job we never thought of our selves as hero’s. It is unfortunate when some one goes to war but for us it was rewarding financially and if we had not done the work some one else would have.When ESL took it over we were a bit gutted as we lost the work but i have to say Carl and Brenda Burgess and there son Jason always treated us well while we worked for them. At the time we ran thirty trucks but half that today and i think JSL had about fifteen, they also had another subby near to them who had about five trucks on the job, sorry to have gone on a bit but this was a part of our company history of which am proud and of most of the drivers who did the work for us because without them you are nothing, regards Buzzer.
Here are a couple of pictures relate to the above one is of the freezer ship we used to tip the food on and itwas called Fort Grange and based in Split. the other is some of ou trucks in convoy on ther way there, cheers Buzzer.
Hello All v. interesting thread for me this, as i was on this job for wm young uttoxeter,(local subby with the green tilt trls) and then JSL direct from 93 to 99 when stobart took over , and have very good memories of a cracking job >always got treated well by Jason Carl and Brenda<, and of your lads John b.t.w.,- all the ones i met were good 'uns !! i only jacked in because i (along with many of the dyed-in-the-wool old time euro and M/E guys at JSL) REALLY did not want to work for ESL I think we didnt like the general ‘cut of their jib’… cheers atvb dave m.
dm61:
Hello All v. interesting thread for me this, as i was on this job for wm young uttoxeter,(local subby with the green tilt trls) and then JSL direct from 93 to 99 when stobart took over , and have very good memories of a cracking job >always got treated well by Jason Carl and Brenda<, and of your lads John b.t.w.,- all the ones i met were good 'uns !! i only jacked in because i (along with many of the dyed-in-the-wool old time euro and M/E men at JSL) REALLY did not want to work for ESL I think it was to do with the fact that we didnt like the general ‘cut of their jib’ --a sentiment i now see is heartily backed by a very sizeable and vociferous number of my fellow forum members, for their own many and various reasons… cheers atvb dave m.
Sorry dm61 when i was writing that story i just could not remember the name WM.Young. this is the company i was referring to in my story.We also did some back loads for them when the fruit return loads went quiet. was not sure how many motors they ran but i know we transhipped loads into your trailers in our yard. Like you say i liked working with JSL.and they were good times for us as a company, once ESL took over i did not have much to do with the work, but they were desperate to get direct government work and i reckon old Carl would have made them pay heavy to get in on the action and good luck to him. The only thing is do ESL make any money cos from what i see on telly it does not look like it, it just makes life harder for the ones left in the game, and BIG is not always a good thing, regards Buzzer.
Buzzer know what you mean that programme is laughable
Any small/medium haulier ran like that would be skint by now
gettin-on and Buzzer : exactly, couldnt agree more cheers d
dm61:
gettin-on and Buzzer : exactly, couldnt agree more cheers d
Hi again Dave.M do you know if WM.Young are still going.
Buzzer:
dm61:
gettin-on and Buzzer : exactly, couldnt agree more cheers dHi again Dave.M do you know if WM.Young are still going.
no mate he packed in not so long ago .think he just runs one himself now 
Hi Dave.M got any pics of WM.Young if so stick them on here mate, cheers Buzzer.
Hi John, I spoke to Mark a couple of weeks ago, he’s doing fine. He doesn’t run any trucks now, rents his old office out to two companies, the garage to a truck mechanic called Zeb and is going to extend his yard for truck parking (Brit european). Here’s some pictures for you.
Thanks for the pictures Baz, keep forgetting it was twenty years or more ago we started doing that job and it brings back loadsa memories,i dont surpose you were a heroe for doing the job as i dont think any of the others did , it all gets dramatised when ESL get involved and i dont know if they still have the MOD work, cheers again for the pics his trucks did’nt look half bad either did they.
It was a well paid job and like you say he ran nice looking wagons, which was a bonus. I really enjoyed working for Mark, a real down to earth guy and his transport manager Tim who sadly passed away about ten years ago. I’d go back in a heartbeat if he started again, but that’ll never happen unfortunatly.
dm61:
Hello All v. interesting thread for me this, as i was on this job for wm young uttoxeter,(local subby with the green tilt trls) and then JSL direct from 93 to 99 when stobart took over , and have very good memories of a cracking job >always got treated well by Jason Carl and Brenda<, and of your lads John b.t.w.,- all the ones i met were good 'uns !! i only jacked in because i (along with many of the dyed-in-the-wool old time euro and M/E men at JSL) REALLY did not want to work for ESL I think it was to do with the fact that we didnt like the general ‘cut of their jib’ --a sentiment i now see is heartily backed by a very sizeable and vociferous number of my fellow forum members, for their own many and various reasons… cheers atvb dave m.
Dave Birch…Cyril…Pete Magreavy…Chris Butters…Whistling trev…Gerry Gillie…Pughie…Dave Corbett
and at least another 5 whos names I canna remember all ex JSL worked for ESL for many years and one or two
are still there.
Oh and did Jason share any of the money he got from selling you all down the river to Stobarts?
Cyril barker is my uncle…I used to do can work for stobarts at weekends.WIth a wagon and drag i,d take a load up from stoke to Carlisle .the run a couple of shuttle runs from crown at Carlisle into stobarts… Then take a load back to stoke…good money earner on agency…anyhow you,d always queue to unload in stobarts…and many a time my uncle seg would be in the queue…Now it was very vary rare for any full time stobart driver would talk to an agency driver…but you should see there faces when I,d be sitting in my uncles FH with him ,with his kettle on making me a brew !!.lol…As for JSL and MARK YOUNG my first job from school was for a motor factors doing brake reclines…Any of you boys going over the water with any of there vehicles or trailers…I did the brake shoes for,em…and my mate Carl was a mechanic for mark so I,d spend many a weekend up marks garage with my mate greasing and adjusting trailer brakes…can’t knock Carl …he got my uncle Cyril home from bos when his throat closed up…I,ll always be grateful to him…
I would love to have seen Judders reaction when he was told he would have a chance on ESL complete with uniform.
I dare say the air was a bit blue.
Hi all,
Interesting thread, all I’ll say is don’t tar everybody with the same brush because of a badge 
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just to evoke conversation - anybody remeber this guy ■■
and a few more
photos courtesy of Lee Durose & Jason burgess
Regards
Ant
Bigantbarker999:
and my mate Carl was a mechanic for mark so I,d spend many a weekend up marks garage with my mate greasing and adjusting trailer brakes…can’t knock Carl …he got my uncle Cyril home from bos when his throat closed up…I,ll always be grateful to him…
Where is Beans these days, cracking lad and great mechanic.