Astran / Middle East Drivers

newmercman · 15 March 2012 22:01

I knew him from Medtrans and then met him again when he started on Solstor about a year after me, we became good friends, a real nice bloke was Chris

hutpik · 15 March 2012 23:05

Hi NMM.As you say he was a nice guy,one of the few that always was welcome to stay at my home in Holland.During 1972 we spent 2 months driving for the Glynbourne opera co on tour,that was fun with a capital F.not so long ago his son was posting on here but haven’t heard from him for while.
Hope your getting toward spring.Mike

newmercman · 16 March 2012 00:26

Spring is here already Mike, all the snow at home went while I was away last trip, had plenty out on the road though

Which son of Chris’s? He had a young lad who was 10ish when he passed away, Luke is his name, same one?

hutpik · 16 March 2012 01:02

Hi NMM.I don’t know anything about his son as i never met him.I was told that he was driving a truck with Chris[maybe a stepson,or from another relationship].There was some posting about a year ago so he would have been about driving age then.
We still have about 1mtr snow but now is the best time for snowmobiling and quad driving as the temp is warm,zero to min5.Take care.Mike

keith_the_thief · 16 March 2012 16:14

the fella with the dark hair and glasses worked for dow freight smashin bloke i used to see him in italy all the time the last time i seen him he was working for hako ferries driving a lhd 111 scania i think out of felixstowe lota years ago though ha ha

keith_the_thief · 16 March 2012 16:26

oi fly sheet thats me there next to bob the drugs with me arm sticking out black shirt it was me that took micky basha up for the very good week end

newmercman · 16 March 2012 16:55

Keefy, Bob the drugs, is he also called Acid Bob? Lives around the East End somewhere, usually drives a low loader now I think

germangeezer · 16 March 2012 18:33

mercman you thinking of bobby acid?

newmercman · 16 March 2012 18:48

I don’t know, he used to do a bit of casual for me at weekends, only saw a few times to pay him and I was usually three sheets to the wind by then

freshir · 16 March 2012 20:00

hutpik:
Hi NMM.i’m merely being curious,but how and where did you know Chris Bolt from.I am also from Colchester and worked with Chris in 1972\73 on Seahorse Int,a Harwich based co.I also met him a lot on the ME run when he worked for George the Pole and Oryx.Later during the 80s he stayed at my house in Holland several times.Mike

Hi Mike- As previously mentioned I knew Chris when he was on Oryx and ran and met him many times, he was always welcomed company and a real good chap and I went to his house in Colchester for a party- you are right about his boy and he was about 10 yrs: at the time and as I remember his wife was Irish but I cannot remember her name - it would have been about 78/79, I started M/E in Aug:75 so your info regarding working with him was before my time (Before I was famous) I didn’t know that he worked for George the Pole who was subbing for Grangewood’s when I was there - - Be lucky, Regards Fred

I

altitude · 16 March 2012 20:36

ohn Conee

mushroomman:

Jakdaw:

mushroomman:
Can anybody put any names to any of these photo’s from Jimmy Walker as I recognise only one of the faces.

A black trailer with a yellow tilt cover rings a distant bell, could it of been one of Funstones

Think the guy in the shorts has got a badly twisted right ankle.

I have never noticed that before it looks like his foot is on back to front but you took your chances in those Rumanian hospitals, does anybody know who the guy is .
I have only just noticed the M.A.N. issue briefcase that came with every new truck which usually came with an air line and a few spanners.
The guy holding up the bar was Irish John Conneely which was often a normal position for John .

And yes it could well of been one of Funstones trailers, weren’t they from the East Anglia area.

That’s John Conneely for sure, I’ve held the bar up with him many a time…hic…He made a post on here months ago, then did what he’s good at… disappeared.

hutpik · 16 March 2012 22:06

Hi Fred.As i remember Chris done a couple of trips for George about 74\75 just before he went to Oryx.Who did you work for in 75,we maybe met.It’s no good to put photos of faces as we have all got soooo geriatric.When Roger put a photo of the Astran reunion on here i really didn’t recognise anyone except Dave Poulton. Mike

keith_the_thief · 17 March 2012 15:29

mark in answer to your question i doubt if it is acid bob bob the drugs has been banged up in belguim for 4 years prior to that he worked for cj international charlie wright doing the fifa stuff to all the matches over europe he is now working for wilson heavy haulage he came to see me when he got out from the 4 year aint changed a bit. he aint been with christine (the swed) for years thats me with me arm up in the photo with him at coopers going away do he was only the look out man for a couple of irish mates of mine some thing to to with dutch concrete pumps (leave it) going missing they tied him to it through the mobiles only the joey but he got done for conspirecy did every day of the 4 year poor sod

bradfordlad9999 · 18 March 2012 09:34

John McVey:

240 Gardner:

orientmack:
In Jordan Dessert

That is just magnificent! Do you have any more pics of ancient Britons heading east?

Hi Chris, check out what’s left of a “Big J” I took this June 1977 Syria/Jordan border, quite sad really, I always liked the big J with the Eagle Diesel, highly underrated.

am pretty shore thats a 240 8 pot gardener

john_mcvey · 18 March 2012 17:45

bradfordlad9999:

John McVey:

240 Gardner:

orientmack:
In Jordan Dessert

That is just magnificent! Do you have any more pics of ancient Britons heading east?

Hi Chris, check out what’s left of a “Big J” I took this June 1977 Syria/Jordan border, quite sad really, I always liked the big J with the Eagle Diesel, highly underrated.

am pretty shore thats a 240 8 pot gardener

It may well be but when I said I liked the big J with the RR Eagle, I was not referring to the the poor old thing in the photo, incidentally there’s some argument on this forum that the big J ever was powered by the 8 cylinder Gardner but if anybody knows for sure it will be Mr 240 Gardner himself. Over to you Chris!

hlb · 19 March 2012 22:43

Cola Cowboys.

Bought the book and I’m about half way through it. The story is riveting and hard to put down.
However I was disappointed to find that it was written by a journalist and most of the information seems to be second hand and like all second hand stories, tend to exaggerated. But never mind, why let the truth spoil a good tale.

The most glaring and obvious mistake is on his map of Saudi, and where he says that H4 is the only way into Saudi Arabia.

This is blatantly untrue, any reference to a map of Saudi, would show a perfecty good road from Jordan and down the red sea coast, I cant remember the name of the border now, but the road lead past Madina and on to Jeddah, about a 1000 miles away. This border was there by at least 1976 and possibly much sooner, as I used it the very first time I went to Saudi in 1976.

H4 also stopped being used around 1980, because Jordan by that time had made a new tarmac road straight to the Saudi boarder. Yet the book says it was written in 1982.

But like I said, pity to spoil a good story.

gs_overland · 19 March 2012 23:06

hlb:
Cola Cowboys.

The most glaring and obvious mistake is on his map of Saudi, and where he says that H4 is the only way into Saudi Arabia.

This is blatantly untrue, any reference to a map of Saudi, would show a perfecty good road from Jordan and down the red sea coast, I cant remember the name of the border now, but the road lead past Madina and on to Jeddah, about a 1000 miles away. This border was there by at least 1976 and possibly much sooner, as I used it the very first time I went to Saudi in 1976.

The border is Halat Amar.
GS

reddesertfox · 20 March 2012 05:13

hlb:
Cola Cowboys.

However I was disappointed to find that it was written by a journalist and most of the information seems to be second hand and like all second hand stories, tend to exaggerated. But never mind, why let the truth spoil a good tale.

Of course it is full of exaggerations; the author was travelling with the late Trevor Long. R.I.P.
Remember; Wing Commander Long, was the greatest story teller of them all……

ATVB - RDF

backsplice · 20 March 2012 08:21

GS overland you,re right about that road down the Red sea coast from the Jordan border I was with SARAMAT in Jeddah 77/78 and used that road often to Yambu and other smnall places up the coast it was always busy with Jordanian trucks often used to have a cup of chai with Jordanian drivers on the Christian by pass at Medina … enjoyed my stint in Saudi never had any bother except for a couple of days in Taif nick after a German run under my trailer in a Datsun pick up but that was,nt too bad could have been worse
At our depot in Jeddah we would get the odd overlander in but not much we had a pranged Scania and fridge in the yard for ages must look out the photo of it its around here someplace

never envied you lads though !!!

jazzandy · 20 March 2012 08:25

I’ve just started reading “Long Haul Pioneers.” by Aahley Coghill.

This looks a brilliant read and has more than a smack of authenticity and I say this as someone who was on the Middle East in those days.