ERF-NGC-European:
0
Ex Carmans maybe ?
sandway:
Is that Ray Scutts?
I believe it is yes. I didn’t know him, but I saw this pic somewhere else & it said it was him. He went on to drive for Astran I think?
adr:
sandway:
Is that Ray Scutts?I believe it is yes. I didn’t know him, but I saw this pic somewhere else & it said it was him. He went on to drive for Astran I think?
Maybe you also saw this photo. Believe it was taken on the Blanc and is part of Ray’s collection. It seems he had many photos. Would love to see them. He worked for many companies including Promotor and Invicta Transport.
Does anyone know of his whereabouts. I know he was last reported to be living in France but that was many years ago.
mushroomman:
0
We’ve learnt a fair about about the Tony Jones operation on here over the last few weeks, as his lorries have popped up variously on the Foden thread, the ERF 1975 thread, the Ancient Brits Head East thread…
It’s clear that he liked his Fodens, both RHD and LHD. It must have been an interesting fleet. It is also evident that he had been doing Middle-East work long before he joined the VIJORE consortium with Eric Vick and Richard Read to fulfill a long-term Baghdad contract in 1975. He ran a Volvo, a DAF, and ERFs as well as Fodens down there. Is there any more info out there?
I have only just noticed that there are a couple of photos of this Thirlock Foden on page one of this thread.
IBIS, STOKE, TRANSCON.
BULGARIAN BEDFORD.
mushroomman:
I have only just noticed that there are a couple of photos of this Thirlock Foden on page one of this thread.2
IBIS, STOKE, TRANSCON.
1
BULGARIAN BEDFORD.
0
I notice the Bulgy Bedford sports Italian flashes on its bumper, so it’s prob an Italian-spec with Detroit 400 and Fuller 9-sp.
I think that these lads on Encounter Overland should get a well deserved mention on this thread.
I met one of their drivers called John Finch Davis in Kano, Nigeria in 1975 when he was driving the orange Bedford in the back ground and I think that it’s the same one that’s on their website.
I remember John referring to his Bedford affectionately as ‘The Araldite Express’.
When he showed me what remained of the radiator I understood why as there was about one quarter of it missing.
encounteroverland.info/trucks-a … -vehicles/
Just seen on a fb site, not my pic, but judging by the script its done M/E work.
Steve
vwvanman0:
0Just seen on a fb site, not my pic, but judging by the script its done M/E work.
Steve
Excellent!! 
Well fair play to whoever drove that shed to the Middle East , ………To be fair , I personally would have been hesitant to have driven a Seddon to the Middle East of Oldham.
> Eddie Heaton:
> Well fair play to whoever drove that shed to the Middle East , ………To be fair , I personally would have been hesitant to have driven a Seddon to the Middle East of Oldham.
I don’t think many made it there and back, there were quite a few shells scattered along the road, along with other medieval British motors like Atkinsons, Guys etc. even the occasional AEC FFS.
There were exceptions though, ‘Granpa’ I think he was called, ran back & forth to Tehran in a Guy Invincible, tho to be fair he had a kind of chicken coop attached to the backof the cab to sleep in.
ERFs & Fodens seem to fair a bit better, and some of them even had sleeper cabs 
whisperingsmith:
> Eddie Heaton:
> Well fair play to whoever drove that shed to the Middle East , ………To be fair , I personally would have been hesitant to have driven a Seddon to the Middle East of Oldham.I don’t think many made it there and back, there were quite a few shells scattered along the road, along with other medieval British motors like Atkinsons, Guys etc. even the occasional AEC FFS.
There were exceptions though, ‘Granpa’ I think he was called, ran back & forth to Tehran in a Guy Invincible, tho to be fair he had a kind of chicken coop attached to the backof the cab to sleep in.ERFs & Fodens seem to fair a bit better, and some of them even had sleeper cabs
Eric Vick used to send a day-cabbed Seddon down to Baghdad and apparently it did the job well. But they sent it with other vehicles with sleeper cabs so the driver could share an upstairs bunk if the going got rough. Steve Little drove it down there and I’ve chatted to him about it - mind you, he was a good spanner man!
I only drove a Seddon once - Orrible Fork*** Thing.
It was a rush job I did as a favour for a bloke I knew ran an agency.
When I got back and filled in the defect book I added that the ‘Driver’s Perch was loose’ - no way could you describe it as a seat.
If the Seddon in your shot is the one that went to Baghdad Ro , then I have to assume that driving jobs must have been extremely scarce during the 70s and 80s in the West Country.
And if the guy that drove the thing still moves amongst us and just happens to be reading this , then I would like to take this opportunity to wish him a most happy retirement , and fear not my friend , be assured that when your time does eventually come, then you’ll go straight to heaven , as it will inevitably become apparent that having been saddled with driving a Seddon, you will already have served your time in the other place.
Eddie Heaton:
If the Seddon in your shot is the one that went to Baghdad Ro , then I have to assume that driving jobs must have been extremely scarce during the 70s and 80s in the West Country.And if the guy that drove the thing still moves amongst us and just happens to be reading this , then I would like to take this opportunity to wish him a most happy retirement , and fear not my friend , be assured that when your time does eventually come, then you’ll go straight to heaven , as it will inevitably become apparent that having been saddled with driving a Seddon, you will already have served your time in the other place.
He’ll go to heaven alright, as he’s a decent bloke. Like I say, he was also a mechanic. He worked for Richard Read and took his turn at the ERF Europeans too.
Just spotted this on fb, a different view of the most famous middle east guy big J. Nmp obviously.
Steve
AEC on M/E work. Gouldens? I think it did Tehran.
