Sat down and watched D DO over the Christmas holiday for the umpteenth time over the years and wondered if anyone knew any of the " cameo " drivers ? The ones that spring to mind are the big jovial cockney who warns them about getting stuck at the asphalt plant and tries to direct them into the desert, and the scruffy looking fella with a northern accent who they meet at The National and you see him again later in the film when they are in the customs in Istanbul having spent days trying to clear, and the guy who sounds like he is from the Potteries talking to Dave about remembering fellow drivers names " you meet um ", also the guys in the pub in Austria on the Saturday night drink up with ■■■■ Rivers and Frank Hook.
did ■■■■ Rivers really fall down the stairs or was it Saturday night fight night ? 
R143-500:
Sat down and watched D DO over the Christmas holiday for the umpteenth time over the years and wondered if anyone knew any of the " cameo " drivers ? The ones that spring to mind are the big jovial cockney who warns them about getting stuck at the asphalt plant and tries to direct them into the desert, and the scruffy looking fella with a northern accent who they meet at The National and you see him again later in the film when they are in the customs in Istanbul having spent days trying to clear, and the guy who sounds like he is from the Potteries talking to Dave about remembering fellow drivers names " you meet um ", also the guys in the pub in Austria on the Saturday night drink up with ■■■■ Rivers and Frank Hook.
did ■■■■ Rivers really fall down the stairs or was it Saturday night fight night ?
Where is the oracle Truckash when you need him
Will try to get hold of him
Hi 143 500
The two stoke lads were driving for Chapman and Ball
Gilbert Harding was in his F88 which you don’t see in the program
and Sammy Costa was seen in his Fiat.
R143-500:
Sat down and watched D DO over the Christmas holiday for the umpteenth time over the years and wondered if anyone knew any of the " cameo " drivers ? The ones that spring to mind are the big jovial cockney who warns them about getting stuck at the asphalt plant and tries to direct them into the desert…and did ■■■■ Rivers really fall down the stairs or was it Saturday night fight night ?
The jovial cockney was/is John Frost who worked for Astran and was “Obviously” going the other way.
■■■■ got “a little tipsy” and really DID fall down the stairs…! 
truckerash:
R143-500:
Sat down and watched D DO over the Christmas holiday for the umpteenth time over the years and wondered if anyone knew any of the " cameo " drivers ? The ones that spring to mind are the big jovial cockney who warns them about getting stuck at the asphalt plant and tries to direct them into the desert…and did ■■■■ Rivers really fall down the stairs or was it Saturday night fight night ?
The jovial cockney was/is John Frost who worked for Astran and was “Obviously” going the other way.
■■■■ got “a little tipsy” and really DID fall down the stairs…!
Is it true ■■■■ worked for AEC?
ramone:
truckerash:
R143-500:
Sat down and watched D DO over the Christmas holiday for the umpteenth time over the years and wondered if anyone knew any of the " cameo " drivers ? The ones that spring to mind are the big jovial cockney who warns them about getting stuck at the asphalt plant and tries to direct them into the desert…and did ■■■■ Rivers really fall down the stairs or was it Saturday night fight night ?
The jovial cockney was/is John Frost who worked for Astran and was “Obviously” going the other way.
■■■■ got “a little tipsy” and really DID fall down the stairs…!
Is it true ■■■■ worked for AEC?
Leyland actually, I think he was a demonstrator driver in real life.
gingerfold:
ramone:
truckerash:
R143-500:
Sat down and watched D DO over the Christmas holiday for the umpteenth time over the years and wondered if anyone knew any of the " cameo " drivers ? The ones that spring to mind are the big jovial cockney who warns them about getting stuck at the asphalt plant and tries to direct them into the desert…and did ■■■■ Rivers really fall down the stairs or was it Saturday night fight night ?
The jovial cockney was/is John Frost who worked for Astran and was “Obviously” going the other way.
■■■■ got “a little tipsy” and really DID fall down the stairs…!
Is it true ■■■■ worked for AEC?
Leyland actually, I think he was a demonstrator driver in real life.
I think he took the Marathon 001 on another Astran run that was J reg so 73/74
Again Ash will confirm
melandmel:
Hi 143 500
The two stoke lads were driving for Chapman and Ball
Gilbert Harding was in his F88 which you don’t see in the program
and Sammy Costa was seen in his Fiat.
Gilbert Harding died some years ago, but his son turned up at a reunion a few years ago just to meet up with some of the guys who knew his old man.
I have not heard anything about Sam Costa for a good while, no news is good news, so I suppose he is still with us.
Last time I did see him at a reunion, he had not changed one bit in all these years, unlike the rest of us, who like me, thought we had wandered into an old folks home!
■■■■ Rivers didn’t take Marathon 001 to Tehran.
It was “co-driven” by Astran men Jeff Ruggins and ■■■■ Snow.
You can just make out ■■■■ sitting in the cab, giving his “traditional” 2 fingered salute 
And if you look closely at the bottom of the white grille, you can make out their names in the dirt.
truckerash:
■■■■ Rivers didn’t take Marathon 001 to Tehran.
It was “co-driven” by Astran men Jeff Ruggins and ■■■■ Snow.You can just make out ■■■■ sitting in the cab, giving his “traditional” 2 fingered salute
‘It’s been a long, long time… Drink up lads!’
■■■■ appeared in that Leyland promo film about the Marathon 2 co-driving to Italy. There were two films: This is the Marathon and The New Europeans. I can’t remember which ■■■■ Rivers was in (both perhaps). Robert
truckerash:
■■■■ Rivers didn’t take Marathon 001 to Tehran.
It was “co-driven” by Astran men Jeff Ruggins and ■■■■ Snow.You can just make out ■■■■ sitting in the cab, giving his “traditional” 2 fingered salute
And if you look closely at the bottom of the white grille, you can make out their names in the dirt.
The Marathon now owned by Conod’s of Leominster,seen at Gaydon with another that they own.
Sorry double post .
Thanks for the all replies guys, I watched the original World about us program on it’s first showing as a lad, my dad had spoken about it for months before it was shown on BBC 2, in two parts if memory serves, I think this is what finally gave my old man the push to give the Middle East a try for himself, we had quite a few company’s near us in West London that ran the Middle East like Pie, Concorde Express, Pan Arabian, my dad has long since retired but I know he loved his time running down to Saudi as it was considered the ultimate test for uk distance drivers back then,
Here’s a pic of Gilbert Harding with his trusty Scania 110 - the only one in the fleet of Carmas/Brit European at the time.
This is the one he drove when he did the fiorst trip to the Middle East carrrying I believe toilets, etc from Twyfords.
One rumour has it someone made a number plate and stuck it to the back of the trailer which said “Bogs for the w**s!”
R143-500:
Thanks for the all replies guys, I watched the original World about us program on it’s first showing as a lad, my dad had spoken about it for months before it was shown on BBC 2, in two parts if memory serves, I think this is what finally gave my old man the push to give the Middle East a try for himself, we had quite a few company’s near us in West London that ran the Middle East like Pie, Concorde Express, Pan Arabian, my dad has long since retired but I know he loved his time running down to Saudi as it was considered the ultimate test for uk distance drivers back then,
The great thing about the original showing of “Destination Doha” as part of “The World About Us” series is that it captured the interest of people who weren’t remotely interested in trucks or road transport and it got them talking about it. It was probably the best ever promotional event and PR for this industry and its drivers ever.
About 5 years ago I met a bloke from Birmingham on a Greek ferry ,he was watching the Destination Doha over and over and said he’s going to do a Middle East trip even if it bankrupts him .going by the rates he was doing Italy & Greece for he wasn’t far off !!
SSPROS1965:
Here’s a pic of Gilbert Harding with his trusty Scania 110 - the only one in the fleet of Carmas/Brit European at the time.
This is the one he drove when he did the fiorst trip to the Middle East carrrying I believe toilets, etc from Twyfords.One rumour has it someone made a number plate and stuck it to the back of the trailer which said “Bogs for the w**s!”
Most of the original work Brit European did to start off with was bathroom furniture from Twyfords at Alsager.
I did loads of toilets for Baghdad, Teheran, Doha, and other destinations.
It’s ironic that I transported toilets to Iran, but after I finished middle east driving I went into engineering with my brother, we were building kilns for firing anything from tiles, pottery, bricks,sanitaryware.
The Last job I did before I retired was to fly out to Qazvin to commission, (Light and set up), a sanitary ware kiln for a firm to fire their own bogs!
Twyfords, as with most other firms round here have closed down and are now housing estates!,next thing you know they’ll be importing bogs from Iran!
gingerfold:
R143-500:
Thanks for the all replies guys, I watched the original World about us program on it’s first showing as a lad, my dad had spoken about it for months before it was shown on BBC 2, in two parts if memory serves, I think this is what finally gave my old man the push to give the Middle East a try for himself, we had quite a few company’s near us in West London that ran the Middle East like Pie, Concorde Express, Pan Arabian, my dad has long since retired but I know he loved his time running down to Saudi as it was considered the ultimate test for uk distance drivers back then,The great thing about the original showing of “Destination Doha” as part of “The World About Us” series is that it captured the interest of people who weren’t remotely interested in trucks or road transport and it got them talking about it. It was probably the best ever promotional event and PR for this industry and its drivers ever.
Very good point! I was teaching when it first came out and I can remember it being the talk of the staffroom:
‘Don’t forget your’e on playground duty tomorrow; and make sure you watch The World About Us on BBC2 tonight because the second part of that truckers doing Middle-East thing is on…’
Robert
bestbooties:
SSPROS1965:
Here’s a pic of Gilbert Harding with his trusty Scania 110 - the only one in the fleet of Carmas/Brit European at the time.
This is the one he drove when he did the fiorst trip to the Middle East carrrying I believe toilets, etc from Twyfords.One rumour has it someone made a number plate and stuck it to the back of the trailer which said “Bogs for the w**s!”
Most of the original work Brit European did to start off with was bathroom furniture from Twyfords at Alsager.
I did loads of toilets for Baghdad, Teheran, Doha, and other destinations.
It’s ironic that I transported toilets to Iran, but after I finished middle east driving I went into engineering with my brother, we were building kilns for firing anything from tiles, pottery, bricks,sanitaryware.
The Last job I did before I retired was to fly out to Qazvin to commission, (Light and set up), a sanitary ware kiln for a firm to fire their own bogs!
Twyfords, as with most other firms round here have closed down and are now housing estates!,next thing you know they’ll be importing bogs from Iran!
Were they a stronger model than the European toilet due to the fact that they hadnt mastered the art of sitting on them ,some still haven`t , I think I was about 2 when I conquered the task 
on a more serious note whats happened to the drivers are they all still with us ?
ramone:
bestbooties:
SSPROS1965:
Here’s a pic of Gilbert Harding with his trusty Scania 110 - the only one in the fleet of Carmas/Brit European at the time.
This is the one he drove when he did the fiorst trip to the Middle East carrrying I believe toilets, etc from Twyfords.One rumour has it someone made a number plate and stuck it to the back of the trailer which said “Bogs for the w**s!”
Most of the original work Brit European did to start off with was bathroom furniture from Twyfords at Alsager.
I did loads of toilets for Baghdad, Teheran, Doha, and other destinations.
It’s ironic that I transported toilets to Iran, but after I finished middle east driving I went into engineering with my brother, we were building kilns for firing anything from tiles, pottery, bricks,sanitaryware.
The Last job I did before I retired was to fly out to Qazvin to commission, (Light and set up), a sanitary ware kiln for a firm to fire their own bogs!
Twyfords, as with most other firms round here have closed down and are now housing estates!,next thing you know they’ll be importing bogs from Iran!We
re they a stronger model than the European toilet due to the fact that they hadnt mastered the art of sitting on them ,some still haven`t , I think I was about 2 when I conquered the task
I know that on my first Baghdad trip in '75 with20 ton of bogs on, when I arrived at the builders stock yard in the town I was longing for a civilised dump after mastering the art of the “Spread” on the way down.
There were bogs stacked sky high in the yard, and when I asked for the toilet I was directed to a small hut in the corner of the yard, and inside? a ■■■■■■■ hole in the floor!
These European bogs were for the hotels and these guys had no idea how to use one so had no use for one in their yard.