Dick Snows Astran Pictures

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS OLD TIME LORRIES, COMPANIES AND DRIVERS (INTERACT
121

HI MC Jamie

Yes I must confess I was part of the collapse and decline of Arac I do believe Barnsey was the instigator of many a fine fiddle Tracing the reg of the trucks I think might be extreemly difficult as the Arabs only used numbers on manifest they would of course have the model and year and name of the driver , but who gave a sht not me if I could make extra cash on a trip it was great :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: as much as I was devoted to Astrans the rates could have been better. But it was subtituted by the BF the Barneys Fiddle as it came to be Know, :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: I think Astrans Bob Paul knew what was going on but let it ride, Also I didn’t hear the story of Royston having that problem ,but then u dont hear every thing that happened.Happy days

Roger(Rita) Haywood

122

Hi Gavin McArdle, I like those pictures and thanks for showing them but I dont think that its the one that I mean.
The one that I am thinking about was on the right hand side of the road going east maybe a mile away and looked more like a fort but I suppose it could of been an ancient walled city.If I can find the name of it then hopfully I can do a Google search.
As regards ■■■■ Snow, I only ever spoke to him once, I think that was in 1980/81 at The National Hotel in Belgrade and I think he had that maroon or red Ford Transcontinental rego number MAP something. He was on his way home and had spotted Java John’s truck parked up so he decided to stop and have a mixed grill. He was away very early the next morning and although I did see him quite a few times over the years he was always on the move.
Best regards Steve.

123

Hi Mushroomman

Sorry mate but never Knew ■■■■ Snow was an OD sure was’nt while I was with Astran sure your not thinking of Bob Headley they were like two peas in a pod, Bob had a Red Trani if I remember.Astrans never run any Trani’s only Scania’s and Merc’s in. 80/ 81 only Scania

Roger Haywood

124

Hi Gavin

Yes what a sht part of the journey that was getting out of bed early and leaving before dusk was a must if u parked at Birecik the Kids were not about at that time yes a strange place the Tunnel was up a slope left as u crossed the bridge cut out of the rock face the kids would listen for the trucks comming through the tunnel .in the day time we would get up the arse of a Turk to save u getting a rock at your windscreen happy days.

Roger Haywood

125

mushroomman:
Hi Gavin McArdle, I like those pictures and thanks for showing them but I dont think that its the one that I mean.
The one that I am thinking about was on the right hand side of the road going east maybe a mile away and looked more like a fort but I suppose it could of been an ancient walled city.If I can find the name of it then hopfully I can do a Google search.
As regards ■■■■ Snow, I only ever spoke to him once, I think that was in 1980/81 at The National Hotel in Belgrade and I think he had that maroon or red Ford Transcontinental rego number MAP something. He was on his way home and had spotted Java John’s truck parked up so he decided to stop and have a mixed grill. He was away very early the next morning and although I did see him quite a few times over the years he was always on the move.
Best regards Steve.

If this a pic the same as I have,it’s much better.
The castle I think we are talking about was east of Adana,on the right possibly a mile away from the road,and just before the junction where you turned left for Gaziantep or right for Iskenderun and Cilvegozu.
The other crusader castle I remember but do not have a pic of was at Karak in Jordan.
Going down the Kings Highway out of Amman in the direction of Ma’an and the Saudi border at Al Muddewarra,there was a right turn at Karak that went past the castle then a winding road down to the Dead Sea.I was loading drilling equipment from a Wimpey laboritory site down by the Dead Sea and was glad to get back to somewhere cooler and less humid than the site was.Right next to the castle was a pub that served German beer,boy were we ready for that.Unfortunately,more interested in the beer than taking a pic!

126

Transcon with MAP Reg. That could have been Bob Headley.
Dave.

127

Hi Dave

Yer sure I was right about the Red Trani cheers mate

Roger Haywood

128

Hi I think mushroomman got his spelling wrong (all that sun in Oz) he was asking earlier on if Bob Headley came from Manchester area as he had been introduced to someone of that name from there. I did not know where he came from but thought Steve might have recognized his truck. Hope that clears things up.
I wondered if this was the fort that bestbooties meant in Jordan but now I have loaded it I think it is just a village on a hill. I had a Jordanian copper chase me for taking the pic but he couldn’t catch a Crusader :smiley:

129

Hi Roger and Dave, obviously a senior moment there, I have only had one this year, it started on the 1st January and I have still got it :blush: .
I know ■■■■ drove a Scania and at the time that I was thinking of John and myself travelled down to Nis together where I turned right for Athens.
Which reminds me, I am very surprised that nobody can remember seeing the white wooden policeman :open_mouth: who stood by the narrow tunnel near Pirot where the road followed the river through the valley. Somebody must remember reloading from Tiger Tyres near Pirot or am I also getting confused about that :confused: .
I thought the name Bob Headley a.k.a. The Animal rang a distant bell, thats why I asked a while ago if he was from the Manchester area and I had a reply from Rocky 7 who said that the " Animal " from Manchester was actually called Derek Morley.

B.T.W. Ben, how is the Scania coming along ? I didn’t realise that you were a relation of ■■■■’s so I wonder why you didn’t paint it in Astran colours ?.
I hope that you are still looking after the Trans Arabian Freight sticker that I sent you, I wonder if you could put a photo of it on here as Roger should remember seeing it :slight_smile: .
Best regards Steve.

Now, has anybody seen my marbles :laughing: .

130

Hi Steve, just to refresh your memory, as far as I know Bob comes from Kent.

Dave.

131

Hi Dave, yes that was the Transcon that I was thinking about and for some reason the MAP rego number always stuck in my mind. I am still fairly sure that it was ■■■■ who joined us for a mix grill that night and wasn’t there an Astran driver who owned a Jaguar at one time in the early eighties.
Best regards Steve.

132

Hi Steve

Of course I remember Tiger Tyres loaded there quite a few times as for the polis man I stuck a union Jack flag on it but next trip down it had gone ,there u go big Bobs Trani ,cooked everything in his pressure cooker he used to carry made some good meals but u needed a few hours kip after one of his large meals, Happy Days

Roger Haywood

133

Hi Roger :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: , I am really pleased that somebody remembered the white wooden policeman, he always looked a bit out of place to me. He looked more like the type who should of been on point duty on the Dalmation Coast or on some Mediterranean Island, although it did cross my mind on a couple of occasions that he would of looked even better outside The Wheelhouse in Dover :wink: .
Best regards Steve.

134

Hi Fellahs
I’m writing this from Bob “The Animal” Hedley’s house, where I’m staying for a few days, burning some diesel and kicking some sand about!! Any Messages for the old scroat?
Regards
GS

135

yea ask him if hes gonna pay the money he still owes me graham

136

hi guys

o dear no answer to that one nevermind ,has he still got the pressure cooker and has he opened my tin of beans

Roger Haywood

137

Yes !
And he’s got an Taspinar trailer box lid bolted to the wall in his living room, where he sits in his folding chair and prepares his meals and coffee, and a couple of 1000 x 20’s leaning up either side of the karzy !!
We’ve kicked a bit of dust about and pumped a few litres of red around to…but he wont go near the computer.
GS

138

GS OVERLAND:
Yes !
And he’s got an Taspinar trailer box lid bolted to the wall in his living room, where he sits in his folding chair and prepares his meals and coffee, and a couple of 1000 x 20’s leaning up either side of the karzy !!
We’ve kicked a bit of dust about and pumped a few litres of red around to…but he wont go near the computer.
GS

When i came off the m/e,that’s where my other half drew the line,no wheels in the karzi!
Took me ages to adapt!

139

yep it was the end of an exciting days visit to the spread axle when the Tri axle came poor Bob no getting his arse between the wheels how di he manage on his supercube the mind boggles :blush: :blush: :blush: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Roger Haywood

140

One of my mates went home the day he retired to find a 22.5 wheel and tyre partialy burried in his back garden when he asked WTF the answer was you ****** up the wheel that long we did this to make you feel at home :smiling_imp: