i was in calais, i remember one of ufo`s trucks blocking a linkspan, he got a call from his boss and was told to move it as it was on all the tv news programs, rather than put his job on the line, another lorry took his place and everyone carried on with the blockade.
there were three general express trucks inside the dock when john daniels, the guvnor of ges came over to calais and told the
drivers to break through the blockade and go to ostend, the drivers were tommy conners and mcginty, the other one had the nickname of boots and saddle, thought he was a cowboy, he refused to move the lorry and so daniels sacked him on the spot, the other two tried to move off but found it very difficult with 6 flat super-singles, so they dropped the trls and went bobtail to ostend.
the names i can remember that were there:
myself- bob heath.
baccy bill.
alan kendall.
dicky clements.
harry burness.
bob scott.
john patterson.
and a lot more who i cannot recall, but the point is everyone felt the same way about the situation, we got shipped fairly rapid on the wednesday when the blockade was lifted, but a couple of weeks later we were back to square one, being pushed back in the queue in favour of buses.
Hi, Mr DAF, I thought that me and my wife were the only ones that would have remembered that incident, the red diesel fair covered that car park. I don’t remember anybody else there at the time, who are you Mr DAF?? or is that some sort of secret?? All the best. cheers.
Wheel Nut, so sorry to hear that . Its easy to say he was a nice guy , but he was. I only knew for the few day,s but he was a driver who was happy to pass on all he,d learnt. some very rusty cogs turning but i think he said that was his last run. Please correct me if i,ve got it wrong. Sorry again Regards Alan
toothpick johnny:
Wheel Nut, so sorry to hear that . Its easy to say he was a nice guy , but he was. I only knew for the few day,s but he was a driver who was happy to pass on all he,d learnt. some very rusty cogs turning but i think he said that was his last run. Please correct me if i,ve got it wrong. Sorry again Regards Alan
Definately a nice bloke. Ellerpack disappeared into the Harrison Bellgate family. Paul Oxtoby was the transport clerk and he eventually owned and ran Bellgate.
Not sure whether that was actually his last run but Alan came to us after Ellerpack and worked on the UK tankers around that time. He was a big mate of Grandad Bernard who still plys his trade and needle sharp wit on the P&O ferry from Hull to Europoort. Bernard can still reduce a man to tears
Laneys boy:
i`ll be digging out some pics when i come back of holiday good to see the old mckellers trucks weird to think how long ago that is!
What’s yer dad doing nowday’s give him my regard’s when you see him
and tell him to get along to this year’s reunion in December would be good
to see the old rascal
Laneys boy:
he doing good and he is still driving for mckellers, i will let him know that he needs to get his arse but online!
and im a bloody lorry driver now as well just like the old man . . . .yea
from what i remember of the old man is he`s a bit of a technophobe, tachographs confused him. mobile phones for incoming calls only.
and i like that description of him “a bloody lorry driver”,… suits him!!!
Bernard can still reduce a man to tears 
