Well said Rikki.
i would like to thank you for organising a wonderful evening, where,i am not alone in this, it was nice to put faces to names.
i will certainly be attending again next year
i am just going to hide my wallet from Lucy in a better place 
ill second shuttles statement, great night! will defo be there next year if everything goes to plan!
Simon
The auction gets underway
She won the shirt off Rikki’s back. 
( Mrs Jessica’s Dad or Jessica’s Mum)
Mr Vain gets ‘tattooed’ to show his true love for things Italian.
Jessica’s Dad and Mike-C
Mike getting some ADR training from Diesel Dave?
It was a great night and good to put faces to names.
bugcos:
Apparently mate, ive got to go and clean it out later
teach you 4 being sick in some1 else’s car. 
Some cracking photo’s there Neil (God, I’m an ugly bint… )…Roll on next year! 
Mr Vain with Allikat sat in the background
Rikki just after losing his shirt (again) with Lug84
Jessicas Mum wearing Rikki’s aforementioned shirt (it suits JM better than it did Rikki anyway )
Mr Vain wearing the shirt he had just won in the charity auction, his original shirt had been auctioned off already
Rikki-UK:
Internet forums are a virtual world, an on-line community where real names are rarely known, faces not seen, and friendships forged while never hearing the other person voice. From the comfort of your chair in front of your home PC, in the truck parked up with laptop or Internet enabled phone or in the office you can discuss debate, share worries or good news with people you have never met but who have a shared interest.Every year we organise in February an informal party for the user of the forums, ( A Christmas party, held late, in the best tradition of the transport industry). No tickets or black tie required, we simply announce on the forums the date, ( The Venue is always the same, a lovely pub called The Longford House in Cannock) and hope a couple of the forum members show up.
This years party was held Last Saturday night, Despite the recession members and some of their partners travelled from all over the UK, some by car, others arranging with their Boss to be able to be routed past the area in their trucks.
I would like to say the night was highlighted by some excellent discussion on the state of the industry held in a sober and sombre manner. But If I did I would be lying. The evening was full of laughter and not a little drinking helped along by a donation to the drinking fund by the owners of TruckNet UK. But don’t get the idea that is was simply a get together and excuse to imbibe intoxicating liquor, The party has another function. Thanks to the generosity this year of Renault, Scania and Volvo trucks there is also the annual mayhem and chaos that is the Charity Auction.
The Truck manufacturers kindly provide a multitude of goodies and accessories which we store until later on in the evening, when everyone is mellow enough to be persuaded to part with large amounts of cash. The amount raised was in excess of £1000, an impressive amount which will be given to the Professional Drivers Foundation in memory of Andy Gormanly, a TruckNet UK forum member who was tragically killed in a road accident earlier this year.
TruckNet UK is more than a networking website, behind its virtual front is a real community and it is at times like the annual party or at TruckFest’s where those on-line friendships are cemented. To pick out any individuals to thank for a great evening of fun and fundraising would be unfair as everyone there contributed to the laughter and merriment.
So thanks to all that came, a cracking night,
Rikki,are you ok 
i mean i could actually understand that speech.not your normal xmas rant.
Im still trying to upload the ■■■■ video but my phone doesnt want to talk to my PC 
Anyways,about last night…
I have to say that my wife was more than a bit nervous when she found out the “romantic night” I told her I had booked was actually a truckers night - even more so when I told her that I hadn`t actually met any of the people going!
We arrived at the hotel,checked in, and immediately bumped in to Rikki in the reception.I only knew it was Rikki due to one of the pics on here of him wearing womans clothes!!! Later on we went for a meal in the resturant. I had the most expensive dish on the menu,a lovely fillet steal (mmmm) but they “lost” our order and had to wait 45 mins for it.When they eventually brought our meal,I was told that it was all “on the house” as we had to wait for so long! 
We then went through to brave meeting the Truknet members!
I have to say thanks to Hutchie for pointing out everybody and telling me who they were - I didn`t have a clue!
We sat down and couldnt have been made to feel more welcome. I have to say another big "thanks" to Mike C and his lovely wife Maurreen and Coffeeholic for getting my wife blind drunk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. She had 12 ,yes,12 pints of Fosters! Shes only a small lass and the previously mentioned members made sure that we always had full glasses from the FREE BAR! Coffeeholic seemed a nice guy-until we found out he is a Hearts supporter! I didn`t think they were allowed out on their own after dark…
I also have to say a big thank you to Rikki. He did a fantastic job of the Auction. He managed to persuade,sorry bully, my wife into buying a model T cab Scania tanker-just what she always wanted!We spent about £70 and I know other people spent more but, as it was a free bar and the money was all going to a very worthwhile cause,we had no regrets about doing! The only downside was that somebody bought the shirt off Rikkis back and he was ■■■■■■■ for a short while!!!
Still having flash backs about that… 
We all met up again in the morning for a breakfast at The Truckers Rest which was once again FREE!
To anyone who didnt go-you missed an excellent night! We had a round trip of about 600 miles but it was well worth the effort! Im sure other members will post their experiences of the night but I just thought I would post a few of mine.
Also,thanks for the invite to Liverpool Mike-As soon as I get my Kevlar vest and wheels welded to the car,we will definetly take you up on it! 
Stevie
haha you are all a drunken mess 
Not all of us Josh…I’m teetotal. 
I wasn’t actually too bad,i was drunk but not as bad as i have been in the past,
Mike-C, Mrs Mike-C and Mrs Joemaxi, she’s doing well with the giving up smoking thing but the straws are taking a hell of a chewing. Joemaxi is one lucky guy, he is married to a great woman, she can drink 12 pints and knows the offside rule.
Hutchie, Farmer and Rikki. Hang on, an Englishman getting money out of a Scotsman, something is not right here. I don’t even want to consider what Hutchie is doing or thinking here.
Hutchie and Mrs JD.
Simon making beer disappear.
picking a burn on the side of my arm mate, burnt it on an exhaust
hutchie seems to have a big grin talking to mrs.jd then again i dont blame him
where is JD * tin hat, coat, taxi *
Well,I’ve just got home and found a missed call from Lucy. I’ve read the post from Rikki and think I know why now
There will be an official thankyou from all off the Trustees of the Professional Drivers Foundation BUT this is from me personally.
I wanted to catch each and every one of you on this thread while you’re still on the Alka Seltzers
I want to thank you ALL from the bottom of my heart. It really has raised a tear to my eye, that in times as hard as these, lorry drivers will give so generously to look after their own.
I promise you all faithfuly that every penny will go to looking after lorry drivers in times of need and that I, and indeed we all, as Trustees will work as hard as we can to achieve this.
What a wonderful start you have given us and it is our biggest donation yet.
You should all be very proud of yourselves.
I would also like to thank everyone who donated items to be auctioned and to RBI for their part in this as well.
At times we’ve wondered if we’ve done the right thing, but you lot have made me sure we have
Pat
what a brilliant night i had, well we both had 
i was a bit nervous and excited before hand not meeting everybody before but everybody was as freindley as expected in fact i suppose everyone was the same.
really ive made a boat load of freinds on here over the years and it was exactly what it was… a night down the pub with my mates.
the best bit was clare had a fantastic time as well and is now looking forwards to another meet up at truckfest 
bloody hell she will want her own lorry next.
i had good chats with everyone last night including mike, bug, fairycakes, shuttle, simon and diesal dave. for some unknown reason ive had a flashback off wiggling fairycakes cheeks on her face.
i missed the breakfast in the morning cos i didnt get out of bed till 9.40 and plus i had the biggest headache ive ever had.
stick it in your diarys everyone truckfest peterboro.
before i finish quote of the night goes to hutchie for " im phissed "
ohh ■■■■ peterburough is ages away!
so i wont see anyone again nearest to me is truck show in haydock in september ill be going to that
Coffeeholic:
Mike-C, Mrs Mike-C and Mrs Joemaxi, she’s doing well with the giving up smoking thing but the straws are taking a hell of a chewing.
My missus is mortified!!!
She has pledged never to drink again after that pic!!!
joemaxi:
My missus is mortified!!!
She has pledged never to drink again after that pic!!!
What about this one then, the straw is still taking a chewing.
Lucy:
Not all of us Josh…I’m teetotal.
exactly, some of us can be a mess without getting drunk
Denis
Proud owner of the most expensive ECT hat …(Clarkson mode) In the world (/Clarkson)
