Hi Gregg, just spoke to him myself and we both think it might have been Miguel, what neither of us can remember and both of us would love to know is what was the name of the wife of the owner of ‘The Dutchmans’ in Peniscola?
We both think she had a Spanish name and I’m certain she was Belgian but what the heck was her name??
Ross.
Madness, as soon as I posted that I remembered it, Manuela & she was as fit as a butchers dog.
Ross. 
jacko22:
Drove past the Algerians whilst the bulldozers were in Spardo!
that certainly would be a shame - it was possibly the first proper routiers I ever used too, real character to the place and cracking sandwiches jambon 
Anybody know what became of Marie-Ann from Peters at Keratsini. Never forgotten her for looking after me when I was down on my luck. Remember being told that she was married to a Brit O/D, who I think was killed when Wallys blew-up. Last I heard, she was living in Nottingham, but that was several years ago.
the bakehouse and the monkey house.
i used to go to both of them,but i cant remember where they were.
nantua area.
who can enlighten me.
greg50:
the bakehouse and the monkey house.
i used to go to both of them,but i cant remember where they were.
nantua area.
who can enlighten me.
Greg,
The Bakehouse was on the N79 at Saint Cyr between Macon and Bourg-en-Bresse, it was a favorite haunt of most English drivers on there way to Italy in the 70’s,Full day run from Calais - how times change !!!
thks for that willy.
i have the euro atlas out tonite.
i see where the bakehouse is.
i suppose its gone now.
anyone rember where the monkey house is.
i think its a lot nearer the my blanc tunnel.
when they built the new motorways i lost my sense of direction on the national roads.
we used the winding road by the war memorial called the naked lady.
all in nantua area as far as i can recall,when the road to the tunnel was 2 way.
Going back to the early to mid eighties en-route to the Algarve, Lisboa or Oporto, when I was on for Smithy, we would get off the boat in Boulogne and hit the National road down to just Nth of Paris(because we had to save money) and that I used to get to the Routiers on the N10 at Vivonne, the one with the big knife and fork on a tall post, for a shower and great dinner, the sea food selection was fantastic, Oysters, shrimps,salads etc, followed by a nice juicy steak, plenty of Rouge or Rose’, a great selection of deserts and cheeses a small coffee and a Cognac, then retire to the bar for more booze and stagger off to bed.
Those long tables were great and everyone was chatting, never mind where you were from. It just got evermore popular and the place grew larger. The parking area ended up bigger than a football pitch. Then next morning an early start,lunch up on the mountain near San Sebastian and stop at Victors that night in Burgos.That was always good and so was the other bar just along the road.Next morning off early again, and stop for lunch just Nth of Salamanca, a little smokey place but I can’t remember what it was called.That night Park up at the Border and eat on the Portugese side, great Frango Piri Piri and plenty of Vino Tinto.
My memory is fading, someone remind me what the name of the bottom border into Potugal is called, the one that gets you on the road to Lisbon,or turn left for the Algarve.
Next morning a bit of a lay in and then a Leisurely drive down to Faro, and park by the Port, papers in and wait to be cleared.This was mostly a Friday,so Pull the pin and Solo to Albufeira and into the bars and onto the beach for the weekend.
National roads almost all the way because Smithy wouldn’t pay the Peage, but we did have big belly tanks!!
GS
bellytanks.
this brings memories to me.
i had one for about 2 years.
every week tank up in barking and off to italy.
got stopped in dunkerque one day by the douanes.
measured the tank and told me it held 1000ltrs.
they never dipped it
4 fr per ltr fine and 2 fr duty…anyway…6000fr fine.
i had no money,wew ere working for a italian and got our float in italy.
they parked me in the port while i arranged the money.
in the night a friend who was tramping came into the port to pick his trailer and i filled him up to the top.near emptied the bellytank.
in the morning the douanes came to me and i told them there wasnt much fuel in the tank,they dipped it and found 70 ltrs.
result.
ther fine was 420 francs and my friend had given me 2 fr per ltr for the cherry.
happy days all round.
the french are a smart lot,but i caught them out and saved 5,500 francs.
they were lifting the manhole lids to see what i had done with the diesel and couldnt prove anything against me.i still laugh when i think of that night in dunkerke
Just remembered the name of the border, it is Badajoz.
GS
bigr250:
Talking of old haunts, how many drivers doing Spanish work in the 80’s went to ‘Tillys’ at Puig?? she was another one who got us Brit drivers to bring her UK supplies.I heard a driver moaning once that he’d been to a ‘Cash & Carry’ in England bringing her a cab full of beans & brown sauce and she didn’t even give him a free breakfast, I wasn’t regular enough to get asked which was just as well but plenty of others seemed only too willing to.
Ross.
PS, anyone remember that “THING” on her back
I remember tilly well. She was from manchester way, married to Miguel. Remember their son Miguel junior, last I knew living with his german girlfrend Claudia. Well fit !!! Not forgetting Marissa, her niece who worked behind the bar. Used to go to the OK disco with her when I was weekended. Also the belgian woman who worked there, Fina.
That THING on Tillys back was a horrible great wart! She did have it cut out at some time. I remember her scratching the scar with the big fork she cooked the steaks with when it itched her, generaly when she was cooking a steak!!! 
. Oh happy days. 
Niko:
bigr250:
That THING on Tillys back was a horrible great wart! She did have it cut out at some time. I remember her scratching the scar with the big fork she cooked the steaks with when it itched her, generaly when she was cooking a steak!!!
glad i never ate in there too often.
i used the other restaurants in el puig as well.i cant remember the names.
one for beattune
myself and your father had a night in puig many years ago.
we drank a little too much wine,unusual really for us.
i had to carry him back to his truck.
my back still isnt right after that night.
george was a big man.
i remember him tripping on the steps outside the monastry in puig.
i had to enrol help to lift him.
there was plenty of english drivers,so i just called one of them and he did the honors for me.
greg50. Do you remember when the monastery used to cook up the big pots of noodle soup in the car park. It was done once a year to feed all the homeless and down and outs. All the town would come out in thier best sunday clothes, dripping in the bling, for a pot of free soup. 
Yes , I remember the fork and the wart,also remember Fina and Marissa. If I was weekended there ,I used to rent a room opposite where we used to park ( along aside the slip road where we reversed in ) ,luxery ,a room with a shower .
kerbut:
Yes , I remember the fork and the wart,also remember Fina and Marissa. If I was weekended there ,I used to rent a room opposite where we used to park ( along aside the slip road where we reversed in ) ,luxery ,a room with a shower .
Yes. was that the new hotel next to the filling station? I used to go into the back of the town to the hostal run by the woman with the limp, one leg shorter than the other. Could rent a room for the night real cheap or for 200 ptas just use aroom for a shower.
Niko:
greg50. Do you remember when the monastery used to cook up the big pots of noodle soup in the car park. It was done once a year to feed all the homeless and down and outs. All the town would come out in thier best sunday clothes, dripping in the bling, for a pot of free soup.
Strange, I’d never heard of that, I’m always up for a free bowl of soup.
My favorite yearly event was the town festival at La Pobla de Valbona where we usually loaded onions. Loads of free food and wine and a fantastic friendly atmosphere. I happened to be there for it two years on the trot, I’d love to be there to see it this year, I think it was around early September.
Kerbut, I also used to park on the piece of wasteland by the slip road, I had to move back to let someone out and backed right over my two ring cooker on which I was boiling some water to make a cuppa for me and a mate. (was it you Carl?) I was flippin livid with myself, should’ve just walked down the road but you know what it’s like
Ross.
I remember Tilly’s before the bypass .Her place was on the main road.I used to pass it on the way home but there was no place to park , v.busy road in them days.
I stopped at The Pub, near Bourg-en-Bresse on Monday night.
It was quite busy, but the lorry park still had a few spaces at 9-o-clock at night, when I got there, so not that busy.