Colonel
Thanks mate for your kind words I return them 10 fold
Norman,
There was no need for you to grab the bull by the horns and go of into the sand ,great for you if you had that caring feeling for your fellow TIR driver ,yes I would stop for a countryman I did many times ,maybe You should have gone to Africa and become a Missionary 
Roger(Rita) Haywood
Roger & colonel, just stand back and look at what was said, and by someone who signed themself Rita,who I have never heard of, I have great respect for M/E drivers, but I do not make comment about other drivers, that I myself know is not true or a fact. Roger you made a statement I stopped for everyone who had a blow out, I did not write that, colonel you made a comment about thirteen weeks, did you know the facts, no, you just assumed it was the drivers fault, I do not mind comment, or been told when I get something wrong, but I have never made a comment about a M/E driver, to belittle someone, like you two did in your comments. You may have done it first, and for along period time, but I bet you never had to do it with vechicles falling apart every trip you went on, also all the drivers who was regular sandmen, I know of none who did not get their loads delivered, but a lot of work was subbed out, and with our trailers, by all means you are welcome to make a input, but not in a way, that it looks that you are taking the Micky, I always treat people the way I would like to be treated myself, with respect. Sandman Norman
hiya,
Norm i once made a statement on another thread about some terrific looking motors all that i said initially was that i liked a motor to look a bit mucky with a few dents, being an ex-driver who didnāt like cleaning his motor, the stick i got from a couple of sources was unbelievable, my statement was a lighthearted quip and i soon found out how small minded people can read something in a post which isnāt actually written there i was accused of saying the firm didnāt maintain their motors, yes that cropped up in the thread but written by another contributor yes i quite enjoyed my moment of notioriety and it just goes to show some people can see stuff there that isnāt written at all, but got to admit i got a good laugh out of it.i let them have the last word though,i think but canāt remember exactly just got fed up of reading all the drivel, iām actually quite good at drivel.
thanks harry long retired.
Hi boys
Norm I know your a man of your word and respect you for that.I have always kept myself to myself and just got on with the job. You would see the lads with their new trucks, Jackey Stuart racing cap and sun glasses in the cafes but that was not my scene and kept away. I had a taste of ME and are glad I did.I thought I had found a site where fair minded drivers could exchange there experiances but it would appear that there are a few of those Jackey Stuart types on here as well.Lets get rid of the bickering and get back to the harmless banter that we all enjoy.
Got to go to bed now itās taken me all night to wright this becouse I didenāt want to affend anyone, Its worn me outā¦
Regards Keith.
hiya,
Keith causing offence on here impossible, and if you did a good belly laugh will soon put things right some folks can find things offensive without trying, but iāll dare bet they couldnāt rattle me was never rattled when working they certainly canāt upset me now.
thanks harry long retired.
Keep the stories coming Norman. I have an International CPC,but havenāt driven a lorry abroad. I am in my early sixties and enjoy the light hearted banter between Harry,yourself and the rest. Its a pity when some take it too seriously and the sarcasm takes over from the nostalgia.
Let the good times roll again boys,more humour,more laughs.
Cheers Dave.
Norman, respect has to be earned, yet you did yourself no favours in attacking Sinbin in the way you did, when it wa obvious that you never knew him.
The wonderful thing about the Middle East is that one only has to do one trip to know it all and there have been many occasions whilst reading some of the garbage on thio forum that I have felt like butting in, but have declined for the reason you have just given me.
Hi boys
I have just got back from taking my daughter to Whichurch to do some shopping and there at the bottom of the high st was a coloured gentleman on his soap box (very brave man in these parts) spreading the word.This got me thinking of you Norm doing missionary work. then I was thinking of a young lady I saw the other week spread out in an embarassed 
position after a fall, and was thinking mayby that was the position that the missionary was refuring to 
. I was then thinking is there an old clergymen site on the web with a vicers and tarts thread. Iām shore Harry would have something to say about ropes and knotts.
Iāve got to go and have a lie down now, I think iāve managed to affend everyone, been thinking to much
Regards Keith.
Colonel:
Norman, respect has to be earned, yet you did yourself no favours in attacking Sinbin in the way you did, when it wa obvious that you never knew him.The wonderful thing about the Middle East is that one only has to do one trip to know it all and there have been many occasions whilst reading some of the garbage on thio forum that I have felt like butting in, but have declined for the reason you have just given me.
Colonel, some questions for you.
Why are you attacking Norman when itās obvious you donāt even know him?
How can you go to any destination for the first time and say you know it all?
If on many occasions you have been reading garbage ( your words, not mine) why do you keep reading?
Finally whatās a thio forum?
Ray
dessert driver:
Hi boys
I have just got back from taking my daughter to Whichurch to do some shopping and there at the bottom of the high st was a coloured gentleman on his soap box (very brave man in these parts) spreading the word.This got me thinking of you Norm doing missionary work. then I was thinking of a young lady I saw the other week spread out in an embarassedIāve got to go and have a lie down now, I think iāve managed to affend everyone, been thinking to much
Regards Keith.
do you mind me asking Keith aka dessert driver what kind of dessert do you drive? flan, tart, crumble or custard?
welshboyinspain:
dessert driver:
Hi boys
I have just got back from taking my daughter to Whichurch to do some shopping and there at the bottom of the high st was a coloured gentleman on his soap box (very brave man in these parts) spreading the word.This got me thinking of you Norm doing missionary work. then I was thinking of a young lady I saw the other week spread out in an embarassedIāve got to go and have a lie down now, I think iāve managed to affend everyone, been thinking to much
Regards Keith.
do you mind me asking Keith aka dessert driver what kind of dessert do you drive? flan, tart, crumble or custard?
Banana nut cheesecake,without the kernal.
ooh that sounds nice i like cheesecake
Hi boys
Anything with nuts onā¦
Regards Keith
hiya,
Colonel when a person signs a post Rita one assumes that person is a woman, why do people hide behind a non de plume (spelling) use one by all means but let us know your proper name at some point so that one can reply in the right manner, yourself having done M/E would have found the British fairer ā ā ā as rare as chickens teeth no doubt, were there any?? by the way i donāt use or need to call myself by any other name, i was a lorry driver all my working life and have worked for over twenty companies some of them a couple or more times and have nothing to hide, i know Norman comes into the same category as does Chris, Keith and others, you know who we are, let us know who you are.
thanks harry long retired.
Colonel, some questions for you.
Why are you attacking Norman when itās obvious you donāt even know him?
I know who he worked for and I know their record doing the Middle East.
How can you go to any destination for the first time and say you know it all?
I happen to know someone who only worked as the workshop manager for a turkish company doing the Middle East and he would be able to hold his own in any conversation with drivers about the Middle East, yet he never set foot anywhewre near it.
If on many occasions you have been reading garbage ( your words, not mine) why do you keep reading?
One can only read what is placed before them,
Finally whatās a thio forum?
THat is a typo and I am only sorry that you were unable to recognise it as such, pathetic springs to mind, although I will forgive you for the missing comma after the word āFinallyā.
hiya,
over to you now Keith, the ropes and knots thing do you think i should introduce it into my ropeing and sheeting course at extra cost of course, iād have to enrol on Normās knot tieing course first, oh how iād hate having to pay him, it would only add to his vast coffers, could also add āhow to maltreat a trailer boy without leaving a markā might even make my money equal to old Normās and then iād have to move to Chrisās island and become a tax exile,iām feeling a bit better today so am hoping to get to the show at Barnard Castle tomorrow should see a few old workmates, if iām up to it that is, but would love to go if only for an hour or two, donāt live far from Barnie so i should be OK for that distance there is a bus though and that would cost me nowt.God iām getting as tight as old Norm.
thanks harry long retired,
Harry, you seem to me to be a nice old guy who has driven all his life, like me. I too worked for BRS in the 60ās.
As you have never done the Middle East it is easy to fall into the trap of believing everything you will have seen written about this period on this forum and when anyone questions certain things, throwing the spanner in the works, so to speak, it seems to bring out all the other supporters in an effort to make a defence, but of course, without the knowledge it becomes impossible.
As we all know stories start off pretty basic butover time become embellished and I hve no doubt we have all been guilty of this.
Now to Rita. Roger Haywood seemed to acquire the name of Rita Hayworth early on in his career as an owner driver sub-contracting to Astran in the days of John William, Geoff Ruggins, Johnny Holland and of course the most famous Andrew Wilson-Young. As he was one of the early starters on this job and really never finished he became one of thos drivers who was well known by everyone who considered themselves a Middle East driver. I really am surprised that Norman had never heard of him or his nickname.
My name is John Pettitt and I owned Stockport Machinery Installations Ltd from 1970 till 1980 when I sold it to Swains of Stretton. I started doing Iran and Kabul, but after three winters in Eastern Turkey I changed to doing Baghdads, although my trucks and sub-contractors went as far afield as Dubai and Jedda.
hiya,
thanks for that colonel nice to know who iām speaking to, remember your machinery moving and installation company i worked for a company called Parkin & Hall of Leeds for a short time in the early 70s but only UK work doing machinery moving and installation, got the job because i had experience in the heavy haulage business some of my BRS time was for Blackburn depot that was in the 60s.
thanks harry long retired.
Harry, this is the problem with forums, very few sign in with their real name these days. One forum I belong to insists on real names and not nicknames, much better I feel. My BRS days were at Spring St and Days road depots, Bristol, then on the Philblack contract out of Avonmouth. A good job then as it always paid 15% above the rate. I believe then it was Ā£12, 16 shillings and three pence.
Like you I am now 72 with only my golf to look forward to.
hiya,
been into Spring St many times but when doing the carbon black it was all handball used to finish up a bit like the crowman hated the stuff, by the way iām 73, used to like a round of golf still tooled up but not allowed to play anymore, medical direction,
thanks harry long retired.