Hi Tel, you also forgot to tell; them that other long hidden secret, that when you drove your first Scania, we had to put four cushions on the drivers seat so that you could look over the steering wheel. Bill.
william sparrow:
Hi Tel, you also forgot to tell them that other long hidden secret, that when you drove your first Scania, we had to put four cushions on the drivers seat so that you could look over the steering wheel. Bill.
Bill,as you probably know your mate nelson passed on,looking into his passed he formed the terrorist wing of the anc, he was convicted on 163 charges, mainly white people were blown up,he got a lesser sentence than the krays, its a good job he didnt work for Union, mac would have sorted him out.
Hello Bill,terry and any other old drivers looking in.
Had this photo sent to me by my nephew and he says it was taken in Turkey.I can’t recognise the driver but I think it was after my time as the unit has a name painted on it.Bill might know though.
All the best for Xmas and the New Year.Regards,Ted. 
Hi, 900x20, Ted that unit name was UCC INDEFATIGEABLE, or No 823, which was my last motor. I dont recognise the driver although it could be Chris Wilson. During the last month or so of operations a certain shop steward and myself were often to be found at the Brentwood golf course daily along with Ray Smith and the claims man we had at the time.Nick Goodwin was also a golfer. Mike Norris was told that we were at meetings where we were in the deep brown stuff and when we got back in the yard he was told it was serious trouble but we were making headway. Happy Days. Bill,
william sparrow:
Hi, 900x20, Ted that unit name was UCC INDEFATIGEABLE, or No 823, which was my last motor. I dont recognise the driver although it could be Chris Wilson. During the last month or so of operations a certain shop steward and myself were often to be found at the Brentwood golf course daily along with Ray Smith and the claims man we had at the time.Nick Goodwin was also a golfer. Mike Norris was told that we were at meetings where we were in the deep brown stuff and when we got back in the yard he was told it was serious trouble but we were making headway. Happy Days. Bill, thinking back it may have been my other one 811.
Hi all, I dont think that was Chris, Chris done 1 trip to Saudi via Kuwait, Turkey, only 1 lorry in the photo he went out with Charlie Kent, Charlie went ill in Baghdad, I flu out to Kuwait to collect his lorry, I have photos of our lorrys in Kuwait and there is no damage as there is in the your photo, left hand side of the bumper and panel damage. In Istanbul we did not have to go down side streets as in those days it was duel carriageway to the ferry to cross the bosforus into Asia. When I was detained in Bazra, Chris carried on to Istanbul and waited for me for a couple of weeks. Other parts of Turkey you had to go through small villages,so it probably was one of those,this would have been round about 1972. Chris was quite ill in Kuwait,as he was trying to keep the fridge running in the heat,I had to get the doctor in on a couple of occasions,due to a lack of salt,his joints went and he was behaving strange,he was the only one working in the sun,48 degrees,so unless this was him on the way home by himself,and got lost in a village,but dont remember any damage on his lorry. I also noticed in the lorry at the back of the cab a colemans water container which we both bought,I have still got mine,who took the photo? its from high up.
Hi Terry Bill and all the other readers. Condiments of the season to all. Re the Turkish photo we were wondering about the damage to the bumper ETC and who took the pic ■■? Was the truck facing a T junction and was truly knackered trying to turn out in any direction■■? Perhaps we will know the answer one day. Keep it up lovely to hear the comments ,Ted and myself do read them and we only send a single reply but it comes from both of us. keep healthy best wishes Dave.
Dave,nice to hear from you and you brother,I never took many photos,Chris did and sent some on to me,it seems strange that photo, as in Turkey at the time cameras were very expensive,so it seems to me it might have been an English driver up in one of the apartments on the balcony,some of these places were brothels,do you think it could of been Bill slipping over with out our knowledge. lots of the bumper damage was caused by reversing,and not seeing a small post to the left.Also I noticed that on other middle east forums from other company’s they use silly names like desert driver they were driving on tarmac,on Union we did not do that,we had names like dog-■■■■ and Guinness,filthy-luker,boot nose,■■■■■-nose, they were sensible names,ha,ha.
Hi Terry, had a word with my lad who found the photo on facebook don’t ask me where /// just about learnt how to use an abacus. I am waiting for him to give me a name he reckons it was an Astrans driver who took the pick .Will post it on when I know. Regards Dave.
I think you will find in those days they were called Asian Transport, Astran came later,I knew 4 of the drivers but can only remember 2 of there names. ■■■■ Snow and John Frost, ■■■■ was a 2nd world war submariner,so I dont think he would still be with us, John would be well into his 70s.
NOW THEN, young Terence, making wild assertions. As tou well know I was never partial to soup or as you put it broth. A happy Christmas to you all. Dave I dont reckon that we will hear again from young Terry until the new year, with car sales falling that little yokel will hibernate until March. Bill.
Hi Ted and Dave, I wont name the driver of ours who was with Doug Hannant and myself in Hamburg, but he was overheard to say to a lady of the night, ( you go down to me and I will go down to you). I thought what a plonker the woman in Question lives in an upstairs appartment. Guess who. Bill.
You are right Bill, I have a KIA PIcanto 1.1 Glamour, full service history, last one at aston martin in brentwood essex, 5 door, 5 seats, air con,silver, rear parking sensors, top of the range stereo, with a multi cd changer wiring in the boot, front fog lamps, all the bills paid out since new,12 months MOT, no dents or dings, Cheap tax,insurance, electric windows,etc, Nice Christmas present for one of your grandchildren. Can sent photos over if needed, come on Bill you cant keep hanging on to that night out money,£1,550. Terry
Hi Tel, I have three grandsons working in Fords, one a foreman, one a toolmaker and the other an electrician. If I wanted a new car they could get me a good deal on one, but I have at the moment a Volvo V70, which does me proud and dont forget what the japs did to our squadies inthe 1940’s. By the way I have some memories to relate about a certain driver when I see that the Sussex branch are looking in. Bill.
Greetings,All.Hope you had a grand Christmas Day and the New Year will be equal to it or better.We,the Sussex Branch,look in every day so don’t have any worries re.us missing anything.It’s always good to see the UCC on the front page as it was a very good job so keep the memories coming.Bill,I think your next post will be interesting,we’re looking forward to it.All the best from Ted and Dave.Happy New year.
Hi Ted and Dave, this is a sad story but very true. An old BCL tractor man asked if we could take his son under our wing as a driver. Mac and I thought that we would ease him gently into the fold, so his first international trip was to pick up beef from Aberdeen. However running through the night he espied a pair of legs with a skirt walking along the pavement. He immediately stopped and helped his new friend into the cab with his hand up the skirt as you do. Then the truth hit him it was a bloke in a kilt, and worse still when he put the cab light on the bloke had a beard down to his waist. The only good thing to come out of that was that it stopp[ed him biting his nails plus he always wore gloves after that.
His next trip was a Basle run, which went well until he reach the Peripherique round Paris, there he saw a young maiden looking for a lift. In true UCC style he carried out an emergency stop. Amid the crashes and tyres skidding with many shouts of ZXZXZXZXZ English CXCXC he extricated himself from the carnage and with his new found friend in the cab, set off once more. She said that she was a Libyan. He found out later that she had a speech impediment and what she really said was that she was a lesbian and it was his turn over the bonnet. He later returned to the yard in floods of tears.He was a mind damaged man after that and we had to give up trying to help.
Even to this day he hasn’t improved and when he strolls down the lanes of Wisbech, the sheep run to the far side of the field Of course he mustn’t be named. Bill.
Good crack Bill just the job to finish xmas day off with.Extreme good wishes to all.Dave
Hi all, Bill do you remember we went to the pictures in Helsinki and watched Last Tango in Paris,very cold in the winter,cant remember who was with us,it was quite a ■■■■■ film,as I remember you lifted that 3/4 length coat,yes that same one I mentioned before,and started playing footsie with me,but because your legs were so long and mine so short you had them under the seat in front,the Finnish man in front was not to pleased,but he did get up and bought you an ice cream, well I thought about time to leave. Happy days.
Hi Tel, it just goes to show how that country air has addled your memory, I wasn’t playing footsie, just trying to rearrange your tookers with my new totector boots. I was going to come and see if you wanted some help with the flooding up your way, but I think i’ll put my bucket away again. I reckon our Sussex branch will soon have to change houses for houseboats if this bloody rain keeps coming. HAPPY NEW YEAR, Bill.