i take it this pd was not a nice guy am i right
Itâs probably better if I keep any more comments to myself,those who know of him know what I mean.
Met up with my Uncle Barry at a family funeral just before Xmas, hadnt seen him for about 20 years.
I knew he had done a few M/E trips for Mavetons but didnt know before that he was on for Cantrells as a driver.
He is hoping he still has some photoâs hidden away somewhere and is going to send them over to me to post.
David Miller:
In fact it was one of the big draw-backs of the Volos Tartous ferry, which was certainly a lot easier than driving it and great fun in the right company - though the hang-over from that Italian beer they had, Nastro Azzuro or as Pat Seal translated it âBlue Nastyâ, was a shocker by any standards.
David
David, the beer may have been rough but the Polish vodka was pretty good. The only problem was Tony Baker could not get enough of it and we used to get woken by the crew asking for help to get Tony to bed so that they could lay the tables for breakfast 
rward:
i take it this pd was not a nice guy am i right
Compare him to a mosquito,after 5 minutes you wanted to slap him!
Rikki-UK:
Met up with my Uncle Barry at a family funeral just before Xmas, hadnt seen him for about 20 years.
I knew he had done a few M/E trips for Mavetons but didnt know before that he was on for Cantrells as a driver.
He is hoping he still has some photoâs hidden away somewhere and is going to send them over to me to post.
Hi Rikki - re your uncle Barry who was on Cantrellâs, was he from Luton ? I am talking of the 1975âs time, and if it is the same slimline Barry than I knew then I have got a few photoâs of him, would be interesting to know if it is the same person as there was only one Barry on Cantrellâs. Regards Fred
Hi All.No doubt someone will correct me if my memory is at fault,but iâm sure the poison dwarf worked for Cantrells in the early 70s.I met him on various ocassions[lucky me]. 
Not to be negative about any company as we all done our jobs as best we could.We all talk about Astran.[who i was fortunate enough to sub for]but there were many other companies who had a serious imput into M.E. 
Seeing Rikkiâs post reminded me of companies like Mavertons,Cantrells,Bill Bailey,Tug Transit,Oryx,Wilkes,Simons,Collintors,Johnny Ellingham,Charlies Chocolate cowboys,J and T.These are only companies from the south.Thoughout the UK there were dozens more,each of which had a good percentage of very professional drivers.Lets make no mistake,you had to be good at some of these companies to survive. 
I remember when i went for a job at Afghan International in Holland and mentioned i had worked for Simons everyone immediately took a step backwards and looked around to check everything was nailed down.Such is fame. 
There are hundreds of stories still waiting to be told,come on before we all pop off.Mike
hutpik:
Hi All.No doubt someone will correct me if my memory is at fault,but iâm sure the poison dwarf worked for Cantrells in the early 70s.I met him on various ocassions[lucky me].
Not to be negative about any company as we all done our jobs as best we could.We all talk about Astran.[who i was fortunate enough to sub for]but there were many other companies who had a serious imput into M.E.
Seeing Rikkiâs post reminded me of companies like Mavertons,Cantrells,Bill Bailey,Tug Transit,Oryx,Wilkes,Simons,Collintors,Johnny Ellingham,Charlies Chocolate cowboys,J and T.These are only companies from the south.Thoughout the UK there were dozens more,each of which had a good percentage of very professional drivers.Lets make no mistake,you had to be good at some of these companies to survive.
I remember when i went for a job at Afghan International in Holland and mentioned i had worked for Simons everyone immediately took a step backwards and looked around to check everything was nailed down.Such is fame.
Hi Mike
I worked for Simon Int from early 1976 and you have mentioned some companies that were all about the same calibre
Oh the memories⌠A brand new 3300 Daf + Fruehauf fridge in the Afghan International livery left Holland en route to Afghanistan it made it as far as Kapikula Turkey and the Turks impounded it (did they need a reason?) the Turks kept this vehicle for a number of years untill they sold it to a turkish firm⌠Quick service⌠through the truck wash⌠and send it out⌠first trip⌠Holland⌠the Dutch then grabbed it⌠apparently it still belonged to IT Holland⌠The Dutch Government⌠bet there was one cheesed off turk
Tamam Alkadash Problem Yok Arbie Chok Gazel John
bestbooties:
Itâs probably better if I keep any more comments to myself,those who know of him know what I mean.
Bestbooties I think we have all done too many miles to be easily offended⌠After so many years I had to suffer the dwarf for an hour and half on a channel crossing⌠Working for some outfit in the midlands still doing Turkey
You really needed to know that⌠I can hear the excitement from here lol John
Hi John.I moved to Holland at the start of 76 so had left Simons before you started maybe. 
As you say Afghan Int and I.T.Holland were the same company and were owned by Van Gend and Loos which was the Dutch equivalentof B.R.S.As a company it was brilliant.It was a joint venture between the Dutch and Afghan governments so was exceptionally well organised.The Dutch bought the trucks and trailers and supplied 3 drivers,2 Dutch guys and me.The Afghans supplied 12 drivers for the other trucks.They were sent to Holland to have courses in mechanics,driving and international documentation.They all had to speak,read and write good English.At the time this was considered THE job in Afghanistan.We had drivers who were previously diplomats chauffeurs,schoolteachers,translators and a general from the Afghan army.After they had completed the courses in Holland for the first trip they had to go in convoy,4 of them and i of us as we all had previous experience overland.
I think the 3 of us Europeans almost had nervous breakdowns during the first trip ââshepherdingââ the flock.Almost every hour we stopped along the way for conferences,''Mr Mike,what is this for,Mr Mike,what does this do,Mr Mike we must stop to ''eat,pray â â â â ,discuss,check,repair,pray again,â â â â again.It took us more than 4 weeks to get to Kabul,i had been previously been doing round trips in 5 weeks from London.
BUT even with the first trip i can honestly say that i have never worked with more dedicated,polite, hardworking and just nice guys.
After it all went â â â â up in 79 i moved out to Afghanistan and lived for almost 2 years in Masar i Sharif.During my time there i met most of the guys and was treated like one of the family. Wonderful people,marvellous country.Shame itâs buggered up now. 
Mike
Morning Mike,
Howâs the weather in the frozen North?
One of the great things about this little corner of the web is the way that names that you hadnât thought of for years come popping up from time to time - Mavertons for instance. I remember you on Afghan International, I was on Altrex by then - another super professional company. It was a shame about the gutless Mercedes we had but I always figured âwhat the hell. Iâm on day pay!â Mind you, the Macks, when they arrived, were a âBridge too Farâ as far as I was concerned. But when you think there were huge contrasts between the top companies - top gear and blokes, loads of work, dead legal and others that, it seemed, could only survive by cheating the drivers and issueing them with a bit of plastic hose in place of a credit card. I can only imagine that some fortunes were made in deviating rates before they got to the guys at the bottom.
I donât know if you noticed it but there is a âdoâ being organised in Holland in the summer for old ME drivers including the non-Dutch drivers who worked there. Iâve got the blokes mail if you are interested.
Take care and mind the Moose!
David
freshir:
Hi Rikki - re your uncle Barry who was on Cantrellâs, was he from Luton ? I am talking of the 1975âs time, and if it is the same slimline Barry than I knew then I have got a few photoâs of him, would be interesting to know if it is the same person as there was only one Barry on Cantrellâs. Regards Fred
It is possible as I had little contact with my Mums (Barryâs sister) side of the family until the very late 70âs/ early 80âs when he was at Mavetons and living in Loughton so dont know where he was living before that
Slimline would adequatly describe him ⌠short, wirey and feisty also works⌠
edit: in fact at that time he was living in Woodford Green not Loughton, that was where the yard wasâŚ
He also told me a few things about what really happened when Mavetons/D W Burns/Hopepeak disappeared overnight, but those are definatly not tales to be told on here
Just watched âWorlds Toughest Truckerâ
What a bunch of wooses. Most of the drivers on here would knock spots of them.
They canât drive trucks thats for sure⌠maybe theyâre bus drivers
Was this toxic short arse any relation to the bloke who came on here last year? His name was John Pettit aka The Colonel. Golfing Chap donât you know;
He certainly had some strange ideas of camaraderieâŚ
Wonder where The Colonels gone? I liked John a bit contraversial but it takes all types in life & He was always spot on with Me when I met Him on the roadâŚ
electriclips:
Just watched âWorlds Toughest Truckerâ
What a bunch of wooses. Most of the drivers on here would knock spots of them.
They canât drive trucks thats for sure⌠maybe theyâre bus drivers
freshir wrote ;- perhaps they are Stobbart rejects
As promised DESSERT DRIVER
TEHRAN CUSTOMS 1975 not sure if old or new customs but the chapman and ball driver is the ginger one on left i am 3rd from right(14yrs old) and my dad is the one on the end right Trev Jones also included are a few drivers from the MEDCO TRUCKING VILLA IN JEDDAH
does anbody recognize them,my dad passed away in 2005 but he would have loved this forum, the stories,the photos the memories so keep it going lads will post more photos soon!!! cheers.
Hi Boys
Glynn thanks for that as I said in my PM there are not many C and B photos around so to see another one is a great treat
I donât recognize the driver but I like his shirt real 70âs
Thanks again Keith
Hi David.Sorry for not replying earlier but iâve been in Gällivare doing odd jobs on the mining truck which i share with 2 other guys.At this time of year it quietens down a bit so our boss usually tells us to stay at home for a couple of months[on half pay]so we drive snowmobiles,quads and go ice fishing.In between we usually go and do a bit of work 'âpreppingâ'the trucks so we can crack on in the spring.
I think we may have met in the early 70s when i was subbing for Astran as that was almost the only times i turned right at Ankara,the majority of my M.E, work has always been Iran and Afghan.The driver i met on a few occasions was 'âniceâ'Nigel who i met 2 or 3 times in Sammi Sirisiâs in Damascus whilst waiting for Saudi visas.If i remember wernât you based at Bergschenhoek.I remember because one of my later employers[Stolk]was also there.Re the Dutch M.E. reunion,Ron Davies also notified me of this.The secretary contacted me about 2 yrs ago asking if i was interested.Not wishing to sound negative but i really have no interest to go and listen to everyone being bigger and better than each other.Ivâe been there,done that,and for me itâs nicer just to keep the memories and share them on here,but a reunion nah.Also i am so relaxed up here in Lappland i have no incentive to travel anymore.Now i can just relax,work a little,and enjoy the free time and the nature.
Why are you living in the 'âtropicalâ'south of Sweden,is it for work,romance etc.You must come up here sometime to drive scooter\quad,yourâe always welcome.Take care.Mike
regarding the middle east minerals 142 scania it was i geoff taylor aka the crow who brought it back in jan or feb 1985 i picked it up from marias near ipsala on my way home from istanbul apart from damage to the chassis where the steering box is mounted there was nothing wrong with it it was operated by arran transport who took for ever to pay us i dropped it off at scanias brussels not gent as someone else said my brother tony and me called our co eastern european freight we had 4 f89s and 2 f88s the f89 iwas driving reg no svt 953n was ex comart stoke on trent bought from malcom harrison ihave loads of photos and when i learn how to dop it will post them regards to all the old boys the crow