Viking:
Do you have any more Cabmont pics C22?
I worked for Cabmont out of their St Helens, Lancs depot. In the late 70s they sent a Foden up from Sholing to be repaired in our workshops that had supposedly crashed into a canal somewhere in France. Would you, are anyone else know anything about that escapade?
sorry its taking so long to reply hope you still see this
yes it was there then the driver was in a hurry on his way for boat and the swing bridge opened ,he did not stop and in he went .it was a foden Chinese six . eight wheel tipper cut down and a turntable fitted.
driver was ok the fitter went over to inspect and service vehicle if possible ,and to his surprise he changed filters, oil drained derv tank she started first time .
it was during the power strikes here in the uk ,it would have been the only lot of candles to reach England.
you could see candles floating around the French port for month afterwards.
I KNEW MANY DRIVER FROM 1972 TO 1989 CONTINENTAL DAYS
YOU MUST REMEMBER BLUE EE / SEEN MANY TIMES ON THE BOAT SOTON -LEHARVE / TOWNSEND OR P+O / TRUCKLINE / EX POOLE
JIMMY LAMB NICE MAN
cabmount int (there were better trucks )
there were more drivers than most know in the area i have worked in southampton driving industry for 35 years .
and have only seen 2 driver i knew since the early years in the past 18 years
pat scory on 2 acations and fred blair once.
maybe its because ive been in petrochem for 18 years
maybe its because its we are all older and don’t know eash other as we look now.
i liked this crossing so many sean changes .
catch 22 with truck
A fool boasts of those who fear him; a wise man’s pride is those who respect him.
Author: Philip R. Breeze
Do you have any more Cabmont pics C22?
I worked for Cabmont out of their St Helens, Lancs depot. In the late 70s they sent a Foden up from Sholing to be repaired in our workshops that had supposedly crashed into a canal somewhere in France. Would you, are anyone else know anything about that escapade?
CATCH22:
Now thats a SERIOUS pair of lionel`s!!! 
Gotta be early 70`s
Well Viking , Have you got the date right ? Or maybe they wern’t in a hurry to do the repair. Perhaps it was another accident altogether.
Back in November, I think 1971/2 (during the period of powercuts and strikes in UK) I was awaiting a ferry home from Le Havre. It was a cold dark miserable evening and I was sat in the Southampton Bar having a drink with a scottish born driver called Jimmy Carlin. He was telling me about how he had been shipped out in a hurry to pick up a return load of candles that had to be back to catch the British market before the powercuts finished. Jimmy drove a Foden for Cabmont and was moaning about the fact that the drivers window and door didn’t work and was fixed shut. (very relavent later on). The fact that we had been drinking should not have mattered really as we were both getting on a ferry for an all night crossing. I was parked at Townsend Thorenson just across the road but Jimmy had to drive to Normandy Ferries a couple of kilometres away. It was about 9.30 pm when he finally removed himself from the bar stool and we said our cheerio’s. I watched Jimmy walk back to his lorry
with his legs on “back to front” so to speak. I was quite unaware of what was to happen in the next minutes after he left me.
As I said Jimmy had to drive a couple of kilometres through the docks to his ferry and pass over two swing bridges. Well apparently one of the bridges was open and he failed to stop , driving straight into the freezing briny ! Don’t forget about the window and the door and the fact that Jimmy was a non swimmer.
Even today all these years later I find it very hard to believe the two miracles that ensued.
Miracle No. 1. When the lorry hit the water the windscreen popped out.
Miracle No.2. Where else in the world would you find two divers that had been working at night sat on a barge having a smoke just yards away ?
They managed to find him and dragged him out but his lungs were full of water and he had stopped breathing for a matter of minutes. However they resuscitated him and he was rushed off to hospital where he spent the next few weeks.
On one of my subsiquent visits I was shown a French newspaper on the subject and it stated the sea was white with candles. One of the divers saw a black patch and went for it and luckily enough it was Jimmy. Was that miracle No. 3. ? After he recovered I paid him to come on a couple of trips with me double manned and then got him a job with a mate of mine. Last I heard he was living in a flat on his own after his wifes death. Don’t know if he’s still about or not. Anyone know ■■
Lucky or what■■?..Jimmy should have been a cat with luck like that.
It must have been another accident TIR. It was definitely late 70s, thats when Cabmont bought PBC out. I remember getting ready to leave for my night flyer with my Daf 2200 sleeper… there were two PBCs drivers in the yard, one had an AEC and one had a Foden (both day cabs) the pair of them were arguing with each other about who should get the Foden. I asked why they were arguing and the geezer with the AEC said that you get a better sleep in the Foden and he was the longest serving driver of the two so he should have first choice of motor.
Stay lucky, Tom.
Fantastic , TIR original , i know all about that one , candles 1972 , i will tell you all about that when we meet !!!
Southampton Drivers , i would love to hear any news of , Rod Coughtry , Dave Stagg , Bob Nelson ,Alfie Lambert , (towed me from Frankfurt to Le Havre in a transit with an ever decreasing length of rope via Paris ) John Sofley , or anybody else from Trailer Clearance Co , or Hammer International , John Sofley used to run all over europe in an old Leyland FG 350 ,3.5 ton , like the old bakers van , threepenny bit cab !! needs a medal , he lived somewhere near the Peartree pub , Woolston , Ted King , ( Robert Baileys) where are you all ■■?
old trucker:
Southampton Drivers , i would love to hear any news of , Rod Coughtry , Dave Stagg , Bob Nelson ,Alfie Lambert , (towed me from Frankfurt to Le Havre in a transit with an ever decreasing length of rope via Paris ) John Sofley , or anybody else from Trailer Clearance Co , or Hammer International , John Sofley used to run all over europe in an old Leyland FG 350 ,3.5 ton , like the old bakers van , threepenny bit cab !! needs a medal , he lived somewhere near the Peartree pub , Woolston , Ted King , ( Robert Baileys) where are you all ■■?
Was that not Jim Softley?
Regards Pat
Glad you came back “ainacs” , you made me realise it was John Soffe , not Softley , but i do know of Jim Softley , did he not have a serious accident on his way down Lances Hill some years back ■■?
H just spoke to Pat Scorey apparantly John Soffe became a Ministry Man in poole in Dorset he does not know if he is dead or alive though!
Regards Pat
Talking of Ministry men in Poole, does anyone remember when he was doing the usual business at the ferry (putting owner drivers out of work) and someone ordered a mixer load of concrete. Yes thats right, filled his bloody car up with it. I dont think he was best pleased and it only served to make him even more determined against drivers until he contracted cancer and subsiquently died in the early 80’s I believe. I’m sure one of the local drivers will be able to elaborate on the story.
"T.I.R. original " , mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!
Talking of “Old drivers” does anyone remember Nobby Stratton? Lovely man Knew him in the early seventies. He was an owner driver. Spoke French like a native.I believe his mother was French.
Old Trucker, going back to the days of Alex Hamerstien, do you remember a driver called Rod Courtney ?
Do you also remember when Alex gave up transport he opened a company with Transit vans, going round fitting stereos to lorries and cars. I got him to fit a top of the range radio to one of my units then when presented with the bill I told him to use the money he owed me from Trailer Clearance Ltd. and I think it took him a fortnight to come back down to earth. Nice radio !!
