As I’ve said many time before on this subject,EVERY driver who did the Middle East run could write a book with as many different tales to tell as any other driver.Even the One Trippers could write a book about why they never went again!
Colonel:
I could recount many stories about that particular run to Tehran, but it is now history and who is really interested anyway.Colonel,
However the M/.E job turned out for you,don’t you feel priveledged to have done the job that the young drivers of today can only dream of?
Unfortunately as you say,there were a lot of tossers doing the job as well,met quite a lot ofthem myself.As an o/d,taking on another driver is always a risk.you will never get anyone to put in the same amount of energy as yourself.
You will find on this BB a lot of young drivers who wish they’d had the opportunity to do what we did,but there’s no way we can turn back the clock,we lived in a window of time that will never occur again,but we can entertain the youger generation with tales of our exploits,that’s who’s interested.
GS OVERLAND:
I thought it was at the “Mirrors” because one of them turned left for Kuwait ! It could have been Dammam though, because you can turn left there for Kuwait too. Cant ya!!
If coming from Syria/Jordan via Haditha, I always took the Hafar al Batin turn off to Ruqi border.
Ruqi is the way I usually went into Kuwait,although on one occasion I transited Iraq and went into Kuwait via Basra.
Hi Guys
There was no turning to Kuwait from the mirrors you had to join the Damman road then turn left ,there was another border into Kuwait from Saudi but did not have customs for loaded manifests you could return to Saudi from Kuwait via this border but only empty having used this border with Barry Barnes it took to long and the road was full of holes till u joined the Tap Line .also there was a Border From Raffa on the Tap line into Iraq but this border had no transit Tax papers as Barry and I found out after loading in Doha ,but we still got through with a rough piece of manifest saying we woud pay an the way out going into Turkey silly Barry said lets stay in the empty lane and act stupid ,we made it but only after a couple of ■■■■ mags were handed over that took years off my life but was funny now I think back on it, great times sadly missed but memories last for ever.
Roger (Rita) Haywood
Hi Steve, you are right in everything you have said in respect of the drivers on the Middle east run, of course the better ones faroutnumbered the poor ones but it is always the ones that give the rest a bad name that anyone remembers and this how the word legends comes into being, because to become one you have to be know by all the others who did the job the same way. That is treating it as an adventure. I have met some great blokes whom I could never have employed or I would have ended up bankrupt.
Did you ever come across an owner driver who used to do the pop tour scene before he came on the Middle East by the name of John Holland, not the young Astran driver by the same name. This guy had swollen legs and was pretty timid, but he had all the bottle in the world. I was traveling back from Tehran with him and his gearbox went on his F89, so we paid a Turk to guard it and I took him to Kapicule where we knew there was a dumped F89. I dropped him off and I caught up with him again about three weeks later and he told me that he had dropped the gearbox at Kapic with the help of a Turk, loaded it into the Turks pickup and went back to Imranliye in the snow and repaired his truck. His truck is in the following link.
bestbooties:
Colonel:
I could recount many stories about that particular run to Tehran, but it is now history and who is really interested anyway.Colonel,
However the M/.E job turned out for you,don’t you feel priveledged to have done the job that the young drivers of today can only dream of?
Unfortunately as you say,there were a lot of tossers doing the job as well,met quite a lot ofthem myself.As an o/d,taking on another driver is always a risk.you will never get anyone to put in the same amount of energy as yourself.
You will find on this BB a lot of young drivers who wish they’d had the opportunity to do what we did,but there’s no way we can turn back the clock,we lived in a window of time that will never occur again,but we can entertain the youger generation with tales of our exploits,that’s who’s interested.
Hi Bestbooties, I had a great time doing the Middle East, met some very nice people and yes I do feel priveleged to have been around at the time all this exciting work this taking place. Even the tem years that I did Greece are times that will never be repated, so yes, I feel we were lucky to be around at the time.
The problem I have, maybe because I am an old ■■■■ is that I just cannot relate to the trucking scene of today where the control has got out of hand. If one had tried to run the Middle East or even Europe legally then the job would not have paid, so it could only be done by those prepared to put themselves about a bit. We all knew what times to hit certain borders, which borders to use when others were congested. In other words we worked at doing the job. Remember Yugoslavia with its cobbled road between Zagreb and Belgrade with very little hope of overtaking and a supposed speed limit of 70 kph. Copppers always pulling you over after their 100 Dinar. The nice shower at the National Hotel and a chat with Branco on reception and occasionally a meal in town at the club 51.
As this is a thread about ■■■■ Snow I will just mention that the last time I met him was in the new lorry park just past the National Hotel. He had lost a tremendous amount of weight and looked much better for it too.
I did not realise that there was general interest in little anecdotes of others times doing the Middle East so perhaps I will offer little titbits for those readers who are genuinely interested in those wonderful days.
Here is one now, I was traveling to Tehran and at Kapic I met a new driver on for J.B.Worth with a six legger Volvo with trailing axle, by the name of ------Gilbert. He asked if he could tag along and I had to say yes, as everyone has to do their first trip, even though I knew it would slow me down. When we started the climb up the lower slopes of Tahir, the snow had been down but the road itself was just frosty and I looked in my mirror and I could see he had stopped, so I stopped, got out and walked back and he had lost traction. I suggested that he moved his sliding fifth wheel forward as he had plenty of room without cathing the landing legs and also to lift the axle. Unfortunately none of theses worked as theyu were all rusted in, so I said that give it an hour or so and the sun will have burnt off the frost and he would then have no trouble getting over the pass. I pushed on myself and I was just coming down the hill into Eleskirt when I was stopped by the Army and they said that the main street was closed because of “Bayram”, which is the national holiday for children, where they parade up and down the high street, which was also the main road to Iran, so he diverted me left past the Army camp and round the mud huts which they lived in and I ended up stuck up to my axles in mud.
I spoke to the Commandant at the Army camp and we talked about Turkey having just invaded Cyprus, during which I realised that if I wanted help then I would have to be very diplomatic on this point.
I spent two nights there until the army managed to chain up about six vehicles, loaded with villagers for ballast, to be able to pull me out of the mud.
When I got to Tehran I enquired if anyone had seen the J.B.Worth truck and someone piped up that he had arrived as a passenger with another English driver, after leaving the truck on Tahir and then flown home. All because he was frightened to stay with his truck until the road conditions were good enough for him to get traction.
I like reading these stories, very entertaining. I did Europe from 1969 to the '80’s. Furthest I ever went was Yugoslavia, Demark, Portugal. I never got the oppertunity to go ME, and I don’t think I had “the right stuff” to do it. You’ve got to be a “certain type” to have done it. I’m envious of those who did, and respect all of them, those who did it for years, those who did just one trip, all hero’s in my book.
Hi Guys
Its a problem the pic of two drivers one with back to camera who are they its not ■■■■ Snow it looks like Me but I cant recall the pic who is the other guy I must be losing it 
some one help
I keep looking and looking my head hurts
Roger(Rita) Haywood
Must admit i really enjoy reading the stories about the m/e work back then.
Closest i ever got to doing a trip was in about 1983.I got a phone call from an agency asking if i could do a run to the “East end” to which i replied" yes", so armed with my trusty A2Z i reported for duty at Bob Kilbys yard on Hawksworth t/e.
Turned out he urgently needed a driver to go to the Middle East 
and fair play to him, he offered me the chance to go(but not via the agency) . . .and basically i bottled it 
Still kicking meself now !!
Suedehead:
Must admit i really enjoy reading the stories about the m/e work back then.
Closest i ever got to doing a trip was in about 1983.I got a phone call from an agency asking if i could do a run to the “East end” to which i replied" yes", so armed with my trusty A2Z i reported for duty at Bob Kilbys yard on Hawksworth t/e.
Turned out he urgently needed a driver to go to the Middle East
Still kicking meself now !!
Hi Suedehead, there is a lurker on here called Irish John Conneely, he worked for Bob Kilby doing M/E around that time.
He always speaks very highly of Bob and it sounds like he was a good man to work for. ( I bet you are kicking yourself even harder now 
).
Sadly, Bob past away last year and I think John went back to Swindon to attend his funeral.
B.T.W. John, Happy Easter.
Regards Steve.
Roger, that is definitetly you in the photo, cannot see the other person well enough to even hazard a guess, but then I did not encounter Astran boys that often.
Hi colonel
Thanks buddy I think the pic may have been taken by Snowy I going to check with Barry Barnes because I think its him the mirror on the trailer gave it away because I used to have one the same my sanity has been restored ,A well stocked trailer box with grub so cant be Snowys his was normaly empty apart from whisky bottles 
A night out with him aways led to a hangover bless the old bugger RIP all to be revealed later cheers
Roger Haywood
sinbin31:
Hi GuysThere was no turning to Kuwait from the mirrors
Roger (Rita) Haywood
Oh yes there was,been there,done it!1975.
bestbooties:
Colonel:
I could recount many stories about that particular run to Tehran, but it is now history and who is really interested anyway.Colonel,
However the M/.E job turned out for you,don’t you feel privileged to have done the job that the young drivers of today can only dream of?
Unfortunately as you say,there were a lot of tossers doing the job as well,met quite a lot of them myself.As an o/d,taking on another driver is always a risk.you will never get anyone to put in the same amount of energy as yourself.
You will find on this BB a lot of young drivers who wish they’d had the opportunity to do what we did,but there’s no way we can turn back the clock,we lived in a window of time that will never occur again,but we can entertain the youger generation with tales of our exploits,that’s who’s interested.
i think your wright bestbooties i’m28 and been driving since 21…got 5 of my own trucks now and doing well… me and my mate always say wish we were born earlier and we had a chance to do the European work …and of been able… to of had a crack at the middle east… i know and have spoke to a few people who have been… and love to listen to there stories… i always find the poeple who blab round goin on about the middle east have never been and the people who keep themselves to themselves have been and have some good stories…
jody
hey Bestbooties
Dont get your Y fronts in a twist the Turning was past the Mirrors if u turned left at the Mirrors u would have driven through a number of shacks and little stores , but if I remember your driving wasnt that good the sun and sand must have got to the parts the saudi whisky didnt reach
Roger Haywood
sinbin31:
hey BestbootiesDont get your Y fronts in a twist the Turning was past the Mirrors if u turned left at the Mirrors u would have driven through a number of shacks and little stores , but if I remember your driving wasnt that good
Roger Haywood
Roger,
The time I went that way,I turned left at the “Mirrors”,(that was a Tee junction then,not a crossroads),then skirted round to the right of Hafa Al Batin,and the border post was a group of tents in the desert.
Hi Bestbooties
I have to Question your statment that u turned left at the Mirrors and went into Kuwait if u did u were not loaded from the UK as the border as it was had no customs for foreign trucks ,this road took u to Ar-ragai border then into al-jahra Kuwait normal route was annu-ayriyah left to Kuwait right to uryirah left to Doha,dont get me wrong but the turning at the Mirrors wasnt a road but a dirt track into Hafar-al batin if this is the road u took then it would have taken u to that border but u must be the only driver I have heard say he had passage into Kuwait ,I have stated that Barry Barnes and I used that border thinking it would be quicker than al-kafji but not so on returning to Saudi ,I know u are a man of your word so I have to believe what u have said ,maybe someone else can verify if there is now a road there,what I can say is that at the Mirrors it was a T juction Right for Riyhad straight on for Ayri-yah.
Roger Haywood
sinbin31:
Hi BestbootiesI have to Question your statment that u turned left at the Mirrors and went into Kuwait if u did u were not loaded from the UK as the border as it was had no customs for foreign trucks ,this road took u to Ar-ragai border then into al-jahra Kuwait normal route was annu-ayriyah left to Kuwait right to uryirah left to Doha,dont get me wrong but the turning at the Mirrors wasnt a road but a dirt track into Hafar-al batin if this is the road u took then it would have taken u to that border but u must be the only driver I have heard say he had passage into Kuwait ,I have stated that Barry Barnes and I used that border thinking it would be quicker than al-kafji but not so on returning to Saudi ,I know u are a man of your word so I have to believe what u have said ,maybe someone else can verify if there is now a road there,what I can say is that at the Mirrors it was a T juction Right for Riyhad straight on for Ayri-yah.
Roger Haywood
As remember it,The junction at “The Mirrors”,was a Tee juncion left into Hafar Al Batin.It became a crossroads when the new road to Riyhad opened.
As we all did on our first trip to a destination we hadn’t done before,one always asked the help of an of the “Old sweats”,like “Pop” Warner,the best way.I distinctly remember that two of us from Brit European did as advised and turned left at “The Mirrors” then skirt around to the right of Hafar Al Batin and continue until you see the tents of the border post.
That particular trip,we were told we had just missed the convoy and told to go and catch up with it!By the time we caught up,it was just outside Kuwait customs!
Hi Bestbooties
U said u were on convoy, from where to where I know convoys came in Saudi in later years I had to suffer them all charging up and down the Tapline like luni’s trying to get to the front same in Jordon and Syria
was your convoy from saudi into Kuwait I never had to suffer that ,and what year was it ,and what year did the Junction change to a X road the turning to Riyhad was always there but was only partial tarmac I went to Riyhad many times but aways went down the 100km more to the better road but all to his own .
cheers Roger Haywood
sinbin31:
Hi BestbootiesU said u were on convoy, from where to where I know convoys came in Saudi in later years I had to suffer them all charging up and down the Tapline like luni’s trying to get to the front same in Jordon and Syria
was your convoy from saudi into Kuwait I never had to suffer that ,and what year was it ,and what year did the Junction change to a X road the turning to Riyhad was always there but was only partial tarmac I went to Riyhad many times but aways went down the 100km more to the better road but all to his own .cheers Roger Haywood
Roger,
This would be in 1975.It was the first time I had seen a convoy,this was from the Kuwait border into Kuwait customs.The only other convoy I took part in was the Syrian one which came in a few years later.
As I said,because of the time of day we arrived at the Kuwait border,we were cleared but told the convoy for Kuwait had just left and we were let through and told to catch up with the convoy.
I’m not sure when the road ran right through from The Mirrors to Riyhad,the first time I had to use it was when I came into Saudi from Iraq after meeting up with big Cliff on Funstons at the border.We koined the tapline at A’rar and ran down to The Mirrors where we turned right.This would be about 1981. It was obvious by the tarmac that this was a new road.Cliff and I were tipping at different sites on opposite sides of Riyhad,so we exchanged phone numbers of our clients so we could contact each other when tipped to arrange meeting up to run back.
We met up back at the new garage on the Riyhad road at The Mirrors,and started back up the tapline.It was after a few hours along the tapline that my 111 dropped a valve,and so started another tale of being towed for 1,000 miles by Cliff up to the Oryx garage at Incerlic where Cliff topped me back to Belgrade where I rebuilt the engine to reload and drive back home.
Syrian convoy.
The “Golden Beach Hotel”,Kuwait,1975.
Set up for a long tow with cliff on Funstons.