Hi all, i,ve found an old photo i dont think i,ve put on before. Apologies if i,m wrong.
On this particular trip to Barcelona i took Brian Paling with me, the guy that used to
paint the Davies motors then.
I think we might have been week-ended , not absolutely sure, but we definitely went
to La Ramblas cos i remember Brian being well impressed and i,m sure he,ll remember
that trip to this day.
Photo was taken on road to Vic, NW of Barcelona.
Mappo
Did you take him in the Loch Ness or The Big Ben ,that would have impressed him !!
Have no fear Kerbut, i took him to all the right bars… In a previous life namely
when i worked for Hayes of Fareham, ( driving an ex middle east marathon ) 
we used to
pull for Interoute out of Poole and for a while i seemed to do nothing but Eastern Spain.
La Junquera , Barcelona , Valencia and Alicante, and i spent as many week - ends in
Barcelona as i did at home. 
That was in the days when you could still drive from the customs
at Zona Franca through the Port and park inside at the dock gates by Columbus column.
As you know Kerbut this was all of a 2 minute walk to La Ramblas. 
( and a 10 minute stagger back )
It is shameful to remember that at the time i was on first name terms with some of the girls
there. 
What was her name that used to go on about Welshmen and sheep ■■?
I had some memorable nights there and more than once i was still there for breakfast if you know what i mean.
I think you are right there Mappo, Interoute did mainly that side, George Eames and Eddie Rogers where always in Zona Franca and they had a Portuguese or Spaniard called Lopez doing Portugal , I remember well parking up by the old entrance to the docks by Columbus and either going to the chicken barbecue or Mason David to eat as when in the late days of Speed freight European and the early days after it changed its name to GB Express (later GBE ) I did nothing but Barcelona for about 2 years solid.
I hope you did not take your mate into the first bar on the left going up the Ramblas,the clientele there where "slightly different ".
One Friday night I went up the Ramblas with Bernie on Framptons and we met an American and his wife,he wanted to see what a club was like ,so we went into the Loch Ness and the girls made a bee line to him,his wife was far from impressed.
It was,nt only the first bar on the left Kerbut, was it. The girls on the that side of the road tended
to have a bulge down below ( pair of ■■■■■■■■ then ) 
as i found out when i first visited the
place which incidently was in about 1977 on my first trip to Spain in a non sleeper ERF.
Rodney Redgrave took me there, so i blame him.
They were also handy at trying to nick yer wallet when in a drunken stupor. ( not that i ever was ) 
Now on the right hand side of La Ramblas was a different story. What a gorgeous line up that was.
Take your pick aye as long as you had enough dosh. ( so someone said anyway )
Course it was all cleaned up for the 92 games if you remember and it changed virtually overnight. :frowning: :frowning: What a fascinating place during the day too aye Kerbut, especially at the week-end with the market stetching almost up to The Plaza De Espanawith its wonderful fountains. In the Zona Franca what was the name of the guy who would do your paperwork if you paid him ■■ and the bloke who would come with yer to the delivery and strip your tilt for you if needed. Brilliant memories of many happy week-ends there, only trouble was that being ontrip money` then
many was the time i had to explain to my missus why after a couple of weeks away i,d gone home
with very little wages.
The guy in Zona Franca was Eddie, he was the Barcelona version of Tony in Irun.
Hi Mappo
hows you ?..still waiting for Jock to organise a night out to wet the babys head (not that i’ll be invited ha ha) did you ever go on the cable car in the port at Barcelona? believe me that was an experience!! and I cant believe nobody’s mentioned the famous Kentucky bar with the midget up la ramblas!! Happy days there and the beach at el prat, I wonder if the Zona Franca has still got that smell ? and the horrible little man trying to sell his dodgy gold chains. You still off the ■■■■ ? 
the girl was maria and she called every brit (sheep shagger)
and eddie was the guy that went with u. and it was carlos that took your papers for you if you left them on display in the windscreen he would knock, he was a taxi driver as well. had many a weekend there myself slso used to go to the beach cant remember name tho
Does anyone remember the restaurant at Casterdefells before they put the truck ban on it ?
Don’t believe you guy’s, you’ve shocked me no end.Boy i must 'ave lead a sheltered life,my innocent eye’s will have to find somewhere else to look.
Anyway nice to know the world still goes round
Gary the fitter
Hi Mate, i,m fine thanks, how are you ?
I,ve just spoke to Wee Jock on the phone and his missus had a baby boy two weeks ago.
Gonna arrange wetting the babys head sometime soon.
I never did go on that cable car in Barcelona Gary, too bloody high for me.
Kerbut and rik
Thanks for the info, of course it was Eddie ( not that i ever used him ) and Carlos.( did use him sometimes )
I remember Maria now Kerbut and was,nt there an Anna Marie as well, slightly older i think.
Great memories anyway.
Shady
Sheltered life indeed. Who you trying to kid Steve ■■
Here,s another photo, courtesy of Horrie. I,m guessing it was taken in somewhere in Bosnia
mappo:
Nice pics there retiredladytrucker of an old Davies motor, parked incidently in the top pic i see next to a
BKG lorry.
I,ve been absent for a while but to revive this thread here,s a couple of photos Mr Davies would probably
not want to be reminded of.
Not sure of the circumstances or whereabouts of accident but by my failing eyesight that looks to be a
French road sign in bottom photo. ( pic kindly supplied by Horrie )Squeeky from Avialink wasnt driving for davies when that happen lol
Kwozzy
If you,re reading this i,ve found pic of you, my Bro. Keith and Tutty.
mappo:
Gary the fitter
Hi Mate, i,m fine thanks, how are you ?
I,ve just spoke to Wee Jock on the phone and his missus had a baby boy two weeks ago.
Gonna arrange wetting the babys head sometime soon.
I never did go on that cable car in Barcelona Gary, too bloody high for me.Kerbut and rik
Thanks for the info, of course it was Eddie ( not that i ever used him ) and Carlos.( did use him sometimes )
I remember Maria now Kerbut and was,nt there an Anna Marie as well, slightly older i think.
Great memories anyway.Shady
Sheltered life indeed. Who you trying to kid Steve ■■Here,s another photo, courtesy of Horrie. I,m guessing it was taken in somewhere in Bosnia
Tone…That looks like it’s outside Copra’s,just before the tunnel at the top of the mountain matey Shame it was a Cloggie and not a Swede.
hi all, does anybody know if tony mappo is still alive?
been trying to ring him, but no answer. i only want to
know so i can take his number off my phone. other than that
i dont really care.
Watcha Kwoz…If i didn’t know better i’d 'ave thought you were being a bit friendly there,but no silly me you don’t even care about your self.Shame really 'cos if it wasn’t for the fact that you breath you could be OK.
Kwozzy
Bloody hell, here we go again, if you paid any attention when i phoned you,
you would have realised that for last 6 months or so i,ve had a new phone no.
Perhaps when i,ve got the time i,ll give you a ring ( i suppose ) and then you,ll have my new no. Easy innit. 
K.Adams
Hello mate, no it was,nt Squeaky, but i do remember on one occasion driving up the coast road to
Cherbourg when one of Avialinks wanted more than his share of the road and wandered onto my side and smashed my
mirror ( on one of Davies left hookers ) and i got showered with the shattered glass a piece of which missed my eye by
a fraction of an inch. I ended up with a bloody face and had to get it looked at by the Doc. on the ferry.
Have still got a small scar to this day, and i never did find out who the driver was. 
Hi Tony
y do you get all the stick you seem such a nice chap
I dunno Rich, i give up mate. I reckon it,s probably jealousy.
I mean here am i , a hard working regular guy, just keeping myself to myself,i never slag anyone off
and yet every Tom,■■■■ and Harry, Oh and Kwozzy ( and a few more,too many to mention in fact ) seem to take
pleasure in insulting me at every opportunity. Am i bovvered ■■? Nah. 
i would love to say something nice about u tony,
but i was raised not to lie.ive heard that slagging u off
is a new national sport thats gonna be the 2012 olympics,
would u mind very much if i entered, i might get gold.
J.F.G.O.P.
Hiya Guys…Don’t s’pose any of you remember this little boat…You were all drunk…Superfast …
Shes being re-fueled in Ancona… 
