I kinda miss The Wheelhouse, it used to be a good place for bumping into old mates before we all got too busy for that socialising malarkey… I´m sure I can´t be the only one to remember and miss it.
i remember but cant remember what i did the night before the next morning 
one eye on the led scoreboard to see when your truck number came up??
If you cared 
The bit that sticks in my mind were the very erratic opening times and the fact that just as the diesel started flowing, the beer stopped, by then it was too late to nip over to the Albion.
And the ones who actually miss it, think again, think hard, did you really miss it?
The food was disgusting, the coffee was tepid and the shop was too expensive and much too small to spend 24 hours walking round it
Wheel Nut:
The bit that sticks in my mind were the very erratic opening times and the fact that just as the diesel started flowing, the beer stopped, by then it was too late to nip over to the Albion.And the ones who actually miss it, think again, think hard, did you really miss it?
The food was disgusting, the coffee was tepid and the shop was too expensive and much too small to spend 24 hours walking round it
I have got to agree with you Malc but it was a vast improvement on the old place with it’s tiled walls, no windows, shortage of tables and chairs, stacks of dirty plates on the floor and having to keep going back to, was it D.C.S. or D.F.G. every hour to see if you were cleared or if they wanted you on the bay for inspection. 
I am a bit confused here, was The Albion that little old pub in a little narrow back street just across the road. 
Or what was the name of that big hotel across the road from the Docks which was run by a Hungarian woman called Vicky. 
I remember having a load of " lock in’s " there, the funniest one was one Monday morning at 1am when the place was still full of drivers, in walked two uniformed policemen and asked to speak to the manager about serving drinks after time. Vicky said that she was the manager but that she was busy at that moment and the police said that they would wait. Her next words had the place in uproar as she turned around to the policemen and said very sincerely " vould you like adrink vile you are vaiting " 
Aaaahhhh the good old days, when Peter the Platers wife to be would keep serving pints in the wheelhouse for as long as you could stay upright !!
And wasn’t it funny that DFG and DCS could always find you for a turn out but they couldn’t find you when you were cleared !!!
The times when you had just “had enough” and you went to bed, only to find out at 8am the next day, that you had cleared 30minutes after you went to bed !..
And then the night time driving permit had expired and you had to wait until dark to run up the road …oops ! Am I allowed to mention that in these days of political correctness ?
Ha ha, who cares anyway…
By the way have you all heard that the birds in Czech and Hungary accept Credit and Debit cards now, but they charge VAT !!! Vaer and Tear …Boom Boom …GS
The Wheelhouse gone? Next you’ll be telling me there’s no more queueing on the stairs with T forms. 
.
I always tried to time my arrival in Dover when a daily break was due, put my papers into DFG etc. and went straight to bed for my 9 hours. Even if I was cleared quickly it made no difference, I would still have had the kip.
Of course there was a slight risk of wasting all that time when they wanted a turnout.
I do still enjoy a pint in Cinque Ports but the crack has gone with the brits, the pubs custom is normally from Dutch or German drivers drinking VISKY by the pint.
Wheel Nut:
I do still enjoy a pint in Cinque Ports but the crack has gone with the brits, the pubs custom is normally from Dutch or German drivers drinking VISKY by the pint.
Back in April, i met 2 American birds who were on one of the Cruise Liners docked in Dover, they thought the Cinque Port was “Quaint”!!! I have heard it called lots of things but quaint isnt one of them!!!
Ended up getting ■■■■■■ with them and then getting a tour round a Cruise Liner at 0430 on a Saturday morning!!! LOL!!
When I was on Solstor the rule was 11hrs off when you hit Dover, that was in the days before you could be prosecuted in England for being a naughty boy abroad, as long as we had our 11 the ministry were ok with us.
This however meant a lot of time in the Wheelhouse, it was a dump for sure, but it was a good place to bump into old mates & make new ones, or find out who to give a wide berth in the future, they also did a mean cheese on toast & the tea was at least drinkable, just a shame about the dirty cups!
Just remembered the name of the hotel across the road from Dover Eastern Docks which was run by Vicky the Hungarian women. I am fairly sure that it was The Westcliff ( or was it The Eastcliff ? ).
B.T.W. I received a P.M. from Terry Smith yesterday, welcome to the TruckNet site Terry. ( I hope that R.O.G. can put up one of his special welcomes for him. )
Terry told me that he and Ronnie Royle are going to a Middle East reunion on the 27th December at The Chello ? Hotel, Sedgemoor Way Daventry.
I don’t know why it’s in Daventry, maybe it’s because it’s not too far away from Burton on Trent so hopefully they wont run out of beer.
To the Fine People of Daventry, lock up your daughter’s ( and your grandmother’s )
Hi All,
Who remebers watching the same film 4 times through the night !!!
Know every word to Die Hard from the wheelhouse !!
And yes the tea was dreadful and the breakfast not much better.
Lasting memory - all the turk drivers sitting around with wide eyes and twitching from to much speed !!!
Wonderful days - boy I miss the Albion.
Regards
Ant
anybody remember the cartoon that hung next to the bar in the albion, of the TT ferry setting sail but one of the crew still being “in the albion”? boy i’d offer good money to get hold of that for nostalgia’s sake 
and remember if you started to swing one of the lights in the wheelhouse hard enough, all 20 or so would start too as they were on a sort of frame suspended from the ceiling?
I much preferred the old greasy spoon day’s had one of the best looking waitress’s in the country well she was after ten pint’s of lager anyway,
anybody remember her name?
BuzzardBoy:
Wheel Nut:
I do still enjoy a pint in Cinque Ports but the crack has gone with the brits, the pubs custom is normally from Dutch or German drivers drinking VISKY by the pint.Back in April, i met 2 American birds who were on one of the Cruise Liners docked in Dover, they thought the Cinque Port was “Quaint”!!! I have heard it called lots of things but quaint isnt one of them!!!
Ended up getting ■■■■■■ with them and then getting a tour round a Cruise Liner at 0430 on a Saturday morning!!! LOL!!
There must be more of a story then that 
or was it one of those Saga Ships? Wrinkly stockings and cabins that smell of ■■■■
Wheel Nut:
There must be more of a story then that
You seem to be very well informed !! Are you speaking from experience Wheel Nut ■■? Sounds like you are…ha ha.
GS
GS OVERLAND:
Wheel Nut:
There must be more of a story then thatYou seem to be very well informed !! Are you speaking from experience Wheel Nut ■■? Sounds like you are…ha ha.
GS
I keep getting the special offers through the post, you do when you get to our age
Insurance, incontinence pants and funeral plans