Ur` round i`ll have a caffe sambuca

[mushroomman]

dieseldave:
(I was on for EJ Lucas, Chiaramello, Barco and RJH in that time.)

I do remember a “Joe” on M&B’s, but I’m pretty sure he was Polish. (Polish Joe?? Come on somebody, give me a hand here… )
If it’s the same bloke I’m thinking of, he’s very experienced and spoke about 6 European languages fluently.

Hi Dave, the only Polish Joe that I can think of in the early eighties from the Northampton area was an owner driver with an orange Volvo F12 who did at least one trip to Turkey.
You have mentioned Eric Lucas from Birkenhead a couple of times, can you remember a driver called Bob Matthews in the seventies and a lad called Tommy ?.

[kw]

Speaking of Sambucca,was weekended at Carisio one time in the winter and a few of us were sitting in the cab sharing out a bottle of Sambucca.The only thing we had to put it in was plastic cups (couldn’t be bothered with the coffee,or was too ■■■■■■■ and the Sambucca melted the bottom of the cups!
God knows what it used to do to your stomach.

Novara? We used to leave Weert around 4pm on a Friday and arrive in Novara for 7am Saturday,then straight to bed until midday

[jimcross]

JIMCROSS:

harry:
Did you ever meet German Mick on Rogers? From Chesterfield & a ■■■■ good bloke.

Hi harry the name rings a bell but cant place it at the moment,its really annoying how the memory fades.
I remember mick cockerill who allways did the germany work for rogers and mick vallentine who was motorbike mad,saw the latter recently, just got his licence back after serious heart problem.

Harry the 2guys ive mentioned aint the mick your looking for but as i said the name does ring a bell, ill speack to some rogers drivers im still in touch with so watch this space.

[harry]

He worked for Swiss outfits before coming to Rogers. He was once driving a new Swiss wagon & drag in thick fog on the motorway aproaching ZB & the drawbar broke away from the trailer - big prob, nobody hurt but v. stressfull.
Forgot to say, but I think a bus full of passengers was involved.

[jimcross]

dieseldave:
Hi Jim,

Sorry for the late welcome.

I did a lot of Italy in the 80s.
(I was on for EJ Lucas, Chiaramello, Barco and RJH in that time.)

I do remember a “Joe” on M&B’s, but I’m pretty sure he was Polish. (Polish Joe?? Come on somebody, give me a hand here… )
If it’s the same bloke I’m thinking of, he’s very experienced and spoke about 6 European languages fluently.

I do remember a female driver on M&B’s, but my brain cell doesn’t remember her name or what she looked like.

My path crossed M&B’s and EM Rogers quite frequently, but I’m afraid I don’t remember any of Rogers’ drivers.

Clearance in Novara?? … I’ve lost count of how many times I cleared at Febland’s in Via Bovio, and I also cleared and tipped machinery (diggers and bulldozers) at another customs clearing place near Novara.

You can click the link I’ve provided below… If you do, you be magically taken to a six-page post (with lots of pics ) all about Febland’s…

Re Febland Europa - OLD TIME LORRIES, COMPANIES AND DRIVERS (INTERACT - Trucknet UK

I hope you enjoy reading it!!

Hi dave
german joe, polish joe , austrian joe, all the same guy as i remember. I called him german joe because when i was at M&B thats what i knew him as. as far as i know joe was a P.O.W. whos side he was on i dunno,(rumour has it he was forced to fight for the bosch) didnt matter aynway he was a good old boy.after the war he stayed in england and worked for mick bletso browns dad major B B. on the familly farm. when M&B started up he was obviously the man to put pepole right with driving in europe. Joe took me on my first trip to italy,leave sywell northampton 2pm wednesday- load verona friday -back sywell sun morning, most of that on nationl routes!! i thought sod that, said i wouldnt do italy again,packed it in some 20+ years later.
Joe was a real character he would get 400+ ■■■■ & several bottles of “bells” on the boat (no problem them days especially if lovely les the drivers steward got em for you coz he allways looked after “his boys” but thats another story) joe would chain smoke the ■■■■ then we stopped for coffe & pop …builders size tea mugs 1/4 coffe 3/4 bells get it down yer neck & then it would be come on you vanker we aint got to auxerre yet and still a bit to go!!
Sadly joe passed away several years ago now, but no doubt he`s still smoking them ■■■■ & taking the coffe & pop somewhere up there.

[jimcross]

diesel dan:
hi mr cross , one just for you.

cheers diesel

[dieseldave]

mushroomman:
Hi Dave, the only Polish Joe that I can think of in the early eighties from the Northampton area was an owner driver with an orange Volvo F12 who did at least one trip to Turkey.
You have mentioned Eric Lucas from Birkenhead a couple of times, can you remember a driver called Bob Matthews in the seventies and a lad called Tommy ?.

Hi mushroomman,

I’m not sure whether it’s the same Polish Joe we’re talking about, cos the one I met several times was driving an M&B’s motor at the time.

Yes mate, I did indeed work for EJ Lucas and I’m pretty sure it the one from Birkenhead that you’ve mentioned.

During my time with Eric, which was the last 18 months before he gave it all up, he ran the operation from a wooden shed in his garden and we had parking and a workshop at a farm in Frodsham.

The other staff were:
Les Merton, who drove the LHD 141 ROO 107 W and did mostly Spain with it.
There was another driver called Neville, who was ex-military.
There was myself the Italy man, but Neville and I kind of shared the 111 VEA 245 S, then Neville left, which left Les and I as drivers.
There was also a mechanic from Birkenhead called Stewart.
Sorry, I don’t know the two guys you’ve mentioned.

IIRC, Eric put the 141 down a bank in France, and Stewart ended up having some problems with the police after some kind of party, but my info is second-hand, so I wouldn’t like to speculate as to exactly what happened.

The other thing I remember was that we did quite a lot of work for Pointer Freight, Liverpool and I met one of their staff (Graham??) many years later at Morganfreight when I was doing a bit of weekend agency work on their Hotpoint contract. To the best of my memory, EJ Lucas finished in 1985 and I’ll always say that Eric was a good gaffer to work for.

Here’s VEA 245 S on my way back from Cesena:

Here’s VEA again, this time in Brussels when we cancelled a day. (Do you remember cancelling?? )

This was an urgent job we did for Shell…
Here’s me on my way to Magnetti Marelli in Florence to get a generator rotor re-wound:
Yes, it’s a Ford transit.