Yes I used to like Concorezzo as well. The homely atmosphere and food of Pop’s, the hole-in-the-floor toilets that converted to showers with the addition of a duckboard, and the little electric shop that could fix anything. He made me up a set of heavy duty jumpers as I had flat batteries. One battery was knackered and I had to keep it running or park on a slope or with somebody till I got home.
Handy if you cleared customs too, them being right on the doorstep.
I bought my first CB there and connected it to the magmount antennae I bought ages before at Trucker’s Paradise in London (it was illegal to sell CBs in England). Not having an SWR meter I ran all the way home in the company of a Lancashire lad (an ex-trawler skipper) who worked for Transcontinental. He couldn’t hear a word I said if he got more than 100 metres ahead . I was working for Cheverall’s of Luton at the time and had an old column change MAN. Can’t remember what engine it had, but I couldn’t keep up with his 111.
I’d forgotten about the big disadvantage of Italy David, those awful toilets. You had to be a bl00dy contortionist to keep the back of your legs clear
I’m not sure if it’s OK to post links on here but as Steve was talking about Onatra a few posts back and you live in France David, thought you might like to take a look here for another trip down memory lane (sad ol’ gits aren’t we?) site.voila.fr/picturetruckspassion Sorry, this link is no longer valid, RD
I know what you mean about the column change MAN too. I did a few trips in one of the six that Howells and Reavell had (Ithink they were 16-232’s) What with the column change, crash gearbox and gutless engine you’d be lucky to keep up with a horse! I remember overtaking some other trucks in the dip on the M1 at junction 9 and as I started climbing the other side I changed down, missed the gear because of the awful spring loading on it, couldn’t get the rev’s right (crash box!) and ended up in Georgia overdrive. Only thing to do was flick on the hazards, negotiate my way between the trucks I was overtaking and pull on to the hard shoulder and pretend I’d broken down
I bought a CB for my neighbour from the shop in Concorezzo and the customs found it in Dover, I was thinking Hell, if they confiscate this what am I going to say to my mate? I did get you one but they took it off me in Dover so you can’t have your money back. Anyway, they let me keep it but gave me a caution, any more and I’d loose 'em.
Well, I’ve at last found two old gits who actually liked Concorezzo.
Me? I still think it was a complete rathole!!
I didn’t think Pop’s was “homely”. I remember about the last time I ever went in, I was greeted by a hail of bread rolls being flung at each other by the English drivers. Quite what all the other French, Dutch and German drivers thought about us, I really don’t know.
And as for the “spread axle” toilets, I bet many a wallet has been lost down those.
I do have the odd good memory though. I was in Pop’s one New Year’s Day and sat with three Finnish drivers. Perfect English and all dressed in suits. One of them had driven in the US. As I expressed an interest, he gave me the contact addresses for about four firm’s to contact for a possible job.
I eventually wrote to all of them and, surprisingly, every one took the trouble to reply. No possibility of it happening though, because of the Teamsters union.
As you can probably gather, I was never that keen on the job. It was only the good money and the pals I made.
What would have made the difference was if we hadn’t been under TIR. If I could do it today, I guess I would have really enjoyed it. Straight to the customer and tip with no customs formalities. Reload and go straightaway. No rotten, corrupt customs. No five hours wait at the Blanc with everyone losing their tempers.
My main love was the fishing. Strangely enough though, I made just one good friend there. Too much competition for fish with the others, to become really friendly.
Rattlesnake Dave:
I’d forgotten about the big disadvantage of Italy David, those awful toilets. You had to be a bl00dy contortionist to keep the back of your legs clear
Funny you should say that but I actually like them, providing they are clean. The position you adopt is much more healthy apparently with all your ‘plumbing’ in a straight line . I prefer not to put my bare bum in contact with someone else’s, and as long as you open the door and stand outside before pulling the chain, you don’t get wet feet . My physical weight distribution is such, however, that I do appreciate some wall bars to hang on to .
Living in France I am quite used to them when out and about but what amuses me is that they are mainly only in the ‘mens’. Bearing in mind the differing clothing arrangements of the sexes, you’d think it would be the other way round .
I’m not sure if it’s OK to post links on here
Links are OK providing you don’t have a commercial interest in the site and it is for the information of your fellow members. This one certainly falls into that category, I have seen it before and searched vainly for a forum like this, so I can do a ‘Fred’ on it (only joking Fred ), but have not found one there or elsewhere. Keep meaning to ask my mates. The Onatras pictured are later ones with yellow units. No doubt you remember the bonneted Scanias(?) Volvos(?) or Berliets(?) in that dull plum concoction.
I bought a CB for my neighbour from the shop in Concorezzo and the customs found it in Dover
You were lucky, although they never found mine, my brother had his confiscated and heard no more about it afterwards. He was pig sick.
I’d forgotten about the burgundy/plum coloured livery on the earlier Onatra fleet David. All these memories, I’ll have steam coming out of my ears before long
As for the toilets, you’ve been living in France too long David and I dont have a problem with our loo’s I always stand on the seat
Weren’t the fish a bit rotton by the time you got home Steve or did you have a fry up by the river?
The tunel du chat on the N504 brings back some memories. On one occasion when I was going down to Italy I went through no problem ,after I had tipped and reloaded and was coming home arrived at the chat but hit the bar at the entrance to the tunnel,as luck would have standing by the entrance happened to be a Gendarme,I explained I only came through 3 days ago with no problem, he relived me of neuf cent franc and then proceaded to wind a handle to raise the hight of the bar.
Which resturant was(is) Concorezzo, was it the one above Rome with a resturant each side of the autoroute and a few small shops? If I rember the son in one was a transvestite
Concorezzo was the main customs clearing compound on the outskirts of Milan. Particularly busy during the TIR days. Always loads of trucks from all over Europe.
never had that much to do with concorezzo, what i did have i didn’t particularly like - loading leather jackets out of bond, then of course via via to at least cluses or chiasso without stopping
anyone remember sommacampagna customs near verona, that was always much more civilised (at least one very good restaurant) - probably my memory but i seem to remember it was set out amongst flower dotted fields? probably just the premature senility combined with nostalgic rose-tinted specs again
Rexyu
Thanks for that,I knew the name rang a bell,we used to clear at Navarra. I think the resturant I was thinking about was at Orte or somthing like that .We used to stop there if weekended,on way to Rome to clear centeral customs
I remember them well howells and reavell…i also remember Howe freight when they had a depot in enfield…john ellingham i met a few times in the londra along with Kamal (kemal) the turk…
Cantralls…and the hose pipe…ha ha and on the subject of old firms…i`ve seen a few new trucks recently from R&J…roger and john who were running Dow freight… iknow they went through a period where they were using O/Drivers and only had their own trailers…hope its the same firm…
David Chinnery…i too worked for SAS in bromley when Russell was the yard boy…he now runs his own truck and works with me at Solstor…and sas is still going but down in thamesmead…
Is that the Dow Freight truckyboy who were also the Main Truck Dealers for MAN or someone and they got nicked for using a vehicle with false number plates, or am I confusing them with another company.
Rattlesnake Dave:
Is that the Dow Freight truckyboy who were also the Main Truck Dealers for MAN or someone and they got nicked for using a vehicle with false number plates, or am I confusing them with another company.
that’s them dave, stockport and swindon - roger has now retired from day to day business and they have 2 units of their own, rest are eastern bloc
Oops, sorry about that Roger and John, wished I hadn’t asked now. Not quite the thing one would want to be remembered for, still, I’m sure worst things happened at sea! (or in our case, out on the road).
Remember Dow Frieght well, for years I thought they were something to do with Dow Chemicals .
Thanks for the info truckyboy.
I left SCA, very reluctantly I might add, when they bought the changeover thingy in, so I can’t remember the name of the Routier either. We’d been double manning for quite a while up until then. Teamed with Johnny Edwards from Sudbury, Suffolk.
I went on to KwikasAir at their Paris branch. Was only there about 6 weeks at the end of which nobody ahd given me any money, so I walked out on the ferry and went back to the fishing out of Newhaven. They later became TNT.
I remember “Bernie the Bolt” very well. Came out of Southwark, I think, and could get you anything at the right price. Smashing bloke.
Do you remember the Etherington brothers, theGilham brothers? What about Ivor “the driver” Woods. His grandma was the Romany Queen of Southend and was another lovely man.
So many memories of good old friends. Wonder where they all are now? Hope they’re all OK. I lost 5 fishing friends at sea. Still pains me.
Where has all the time gone?
Best
Steve
Got a bit of catching up to do here.
Johnny Ethrington was from Kings Lynne. Last heard of on Croomes.
I worked with Ivor on Eurocross . The story was that he started a new carreer in Newmarket ,training horses.
The last I saw of Johnny Edwards he was working for Young Bros in Kent . But that was many years ago…
I knew the Gilhams but the brain needs a nudge.
I was one the unlucky berks that drove that old Maggi road train. Afterwards they gave me an Italian reg R/H FIAT wagon & drag with six axles . The idea was that I would do the Italian, come back & a shunter would do Uk. So I had no control over the UK loading. Left UK ,got on a down slope aproaching Mont Blanc ,Look in the mirror and the drag was coming sideways down the road. Next thing its going sideways on the nearside. It was a mountain on the left & a steep ravine on the right. I stabbed on/off the footbrake & managed to stop with no damage & had my moment( Found out later that Italian trucks had no spring brakes.So when you were out of air you were out of luck. It had a transmission handbrake. Could only be aplied when stationary.).Cut to the chase -got to Italy; the three axle truck was loaded with one+half tons of plastic garden furniture.The jumbo trailer with the silly little wheels ( Three axles;Front & rear steer ! ) was freighted with 12 tons of groupage, piled to the roof.
Got back/Jacked in. Lived happily ever after…
Georgie Wells was another SCA man. Lived in Wells By the Sea. I was with SCA the same time as Tanker Bill. Also Bernie from Sudbury. He left home married an Irish girl . Started a firm hauling meat from Dublin & of course lived there…
Ivor the driver training horses. Good luck to him. Looked like a jockey, now I come to think about it .He was a cracking good mate.
Johnny Edwards would be in his mid-seventies now. Lats I heard from him was 15 or so years ago and he had his own 7.5 tonner on UK parcel distribution.
Did SCA go back to Maggies then? Didn’t know that. The only roadtrain I remember on there was a 110 Scanny. One of the drivers was a Laplander called Joe Rotvik. Lived in Dover. Another great fellah.
You might have known me. My name is Steve Holman.
Also happily retired. Spend my time chub and tench fishing in Sussex and Kent and earning a little extra daytrading.
Seeing as how we started off this thread with Howell’s and Reavell I have just been sent a picture by Keith Greenfield, who later done M.E. and so maybe some of you know him. He’s agreed to let me post it on here and Keith is the silly beggar climbing up the front of the truck using Gordon Knight as a crutch!
I think it may have been taken in Concorrezzo.
They look a right likely looking pair don’t they?
well what a suprise, the old boys net, just joined, my name is Bev Wyatt, i worked out of southampton for jimmy squibb running italy and potugal in the sixtys/70. i can only rememer one drivers name on howells revell and that was brian,dont remember his surname smashing guy, squibby had only two f88 in them days and i had one of them and yourselves and squibby used seagull ferries in those days.i was squibby for about six to eight years and had the only fridge motor on there woking out of ireland for MAT FRIGO rotterdam, then jim let his son barry take over the company and it just went down hill from there,so i left and went to the famouse SCA iland road london, this was the best job i ever had and what a great bunch of lads on there, ralphy was the road forman,wonder if he is still alive or drank himself to an early grave, the gillams i remember also the jones brother from southampton, ivor,and of course my old long lost mate Johnny Edwards, last time i heard from jhonny was when he was over at amersham working for swallow international(i was living in SALISBURY THEN)i also remember the wing commander from i belive Cornwall some were like Redruth, i cant for the life of me remember who the pilot of the SCAcamero was though, may be you might help on that one,some of the sca boys may remember me by the fact that i was the only driver with a six legger scania unit,and my co driver was Bob Drake also from SALISBURY, i left SCA due to bob having problems at home, but i stayed on for a while as an only driver,thats the days when we used to do the change overs in vale zara on the plazz,if my memory serves me well the last couple of runs i did for SCA were to belgium,SCA were just getting into tanker work, they then shut the milan and london depots and moved everything out there but i think chambilen kept dussledorf going, im not sure!! well ive got to sign out now the misses thinks she has become a PC widow, can you tell me if there is a page just for SCA,im now 63 and still driving,im on containers now out of felistowe,it was hanbury davies but now bought out by wincanton(BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE WERE WITH SCA) KEEP IN TOUCH OLD FRIENDS, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL, AND LETS NOT FORGET THE ONES WHO ARE NOT WITH US, THEIR ALL A PART OF OUR LIVES,) BEV WYATT.
There’s only one Brian I can think of at the moment Bev and that was Brian Knight who was the brother of Gordon in the photo on the previous post to yours. Could well have been him, he was a right nice bloke, would always help you out.
As you’re new to the site Bev don’t forget to use the Search facility at the top of the page. This is a massive site and I’m sure there are a lot of posts that mention some of the names you’ve mentioned.
. I was working for Cheverall’s of Luton at the time and had an old column change MAN. Can’t remember what engine it had, but I couldn’t keep up with his 111.
. I prefer not to put my bare bum in contact with someone else’s, and as long as you open the door and stand outside before pulling the chain, you don’t get wet feet 
. My physical weight distribution is such, however, that I do appreciate some wall bars to hang on to 
.
), but have not found one there or elsewhere. Keep meaning to ask my mates. The Onatras pictured are later ones with yellow units. No doubt you remember the bonneted Scanias(?) Volvos(?) or Berliets(?) in that dull plum concoction.
