Did danny mcauliffe go on to do zarafshan? the name rings a bell. I was with frank when we met a guy mamed danny who had a low loader or flat step frame and we passed into poland with him in 96!
No I’m pretty sure Danny didn’t do any Newmont loads, certainly not in with the main bunch anyway. A funny story related to him, probably around 1994 he picked up 2 or 3 flat tyres on his trailer somewhere in Kazakh and thought sod it pulled curtains, I’ll sort them in the morning. Just before dawn he heard someone messing with his trailer, slinked out with a wheelbrace and down the opposite side of the trailer to start damaging… 3 Turkish drivers who were being helpful and starting to change the wheels for him Misunderstanding solved, chai all round
Following on from that, his father worked for Lonrho out there shortly after, and one day got chatting with a group of Turkish drivers who were delivering cargo to where he was based - Danny Snr mentioned the name of his son’s firm and amazingly these were the same men who had nearly got a pasting for their troubles. As they say; small world - wouldn’t want to paint it
The guy we met was south african i think and im not even sure where we met him as the memory aint working! Does anybody on here remember vince who was on with ralph in the nineties, or what he is up to now?
colin.f.whitetrans:
The guy we met was south african i think
yes, same lad - springbok was his trading name. Danny’s hard as teak but a nicer, more polite bloke you couldn’t wish to meet. now farming down in the south-west (england!), I keep in touch but not as often as i should
dreva:
is it vince staunton always in the truck mags got a euro truck test he was working for mortimers of melksham then dont know if hes the vince you mean
Hi dreva it could be the the same one but i wouldnt know as i never buy truck mags!!
colin.f.whitetrans:
The guy we met was south african i think
yes, same lad - springbok was his trading name. Danny’s hard as teak but a nicer, more polite bloke you couldn’t wish to meet. now farming down in the south-west (england!), I keep in touch but not as often as i should
Yeah he was a cracking lad, its a small world right enough and good to see hes still working hard
Hi Dave…( bet the ol moustache is white now ) ha ha ha that was a very interesting read dave my boy, i`m very proud to have taught you everything you know…if theres anything else you need to know…give us a call…Lets have some more stories dave…i forgot to buy a newspaper today. ha ha ha
WELL DONE…
regards
bobby
dreva:
is it vince staunton always in the truck mags got a euro truck test he was working for mortimers of melksham then dont know if hes the vince you mean
Alan Bremner he did quite a few trips to Kazakstan a few years ago i believe. If any body knows his whereabouts work wise have a word with him and he will tell you all about it.
Just to update on news for anyone who comes out this way, there are talks going ahead now of the CIS countries of Belarus, Russia & Kazakhstan forming some kind of customs ‘union’ in 2010 which should at least make it a bit easier for getting around the place…next thing is they will have a unified currency to help dig Kazakh. out of their financial crisis
Richardjw1:
Just to update on news for anyone who comes out this way, there are talks going ahead now of the CIS countries of Belarus, Russia & Kazakhstan forming some kind of customs ‘union’ in 2010 which should at least make it a bit easier for getting around the place…next thing is they will have a unified currency to help dig Kazakh. out of their financial crisis
Hi Richard
Would that be a customs union with open borders or just to make their office jobs easier? If the president of kazak and his family and cronies didnt line their bank accounts so often then it could be a very rich country. It has the potential there but as with any dictator the people always suffer on a large scale. As with any so called democracy with oil the west turns a blind eye to the fraud and corruption as long as the black gold flows!
They reckon it will open borders between the countries. rferl.org/content/Kazakh_Pre … 79961.html
No doubt it will be chaos for the first 6 months till they all learn the new regs…and then elaborate a few loop-holes that no-one knew about
As for the politics, well it seems just as bad here, lets face it Bush/Cheyney knocked down Afgan and soon had their own companies in there rebuilding it, likewise I can’t believe Tony Blur & his other half haven’t milked the system…like the rest of our learned MPs.
Theres a few trucks on here I seen in the flesh read some of the threads about Tengiz.
The F16 looks familiar Dave.
We only travelled together when we met up with someone,
Personally I never drove at night, too many ■■■■■■ up Russians/Kazaks/Poles etc etc around with no lights on,but I did drive all daylite hours, short days in winter and bloody hard days too, long long days in summer,but hey I loved the job and I only heard one bloke moan about his job abd boss and that was on my first trip,and yet he loved the job, was just having a bad day.
My first trip down was with Charlie in 1995, very very cold winter that was, then I never saw him again for 18mnths
Last I heard of Dave Wakefield,he married a girl from the Pheonix in Smolensk (she worked in reception, realy )
Eddie Edwards,moved out to Russia, drove his Ford Probe out there, he was a bit strange that lad
Alan Kendal, I saw him when he was in Frenchay Hospital, he was struggling to keep his legs, lost all his toes in the end, and his missus was diagnosed with C, he couldnt afford to lose his legs, he was such a short arse ! I still chat to Gary P (aka Yam Yam :laughing: ) Wasnt the easiest job in the world,but hey I loved it.
Russanglia/Gilder drivers who did the mine,Tengiz.Axii, Actau,Baku and anywhere in between, and anywhere else PG thought he could earn a crust
Eddie Edwards
Dave Wakefield
Pez? (Ill find out his real name) Gary Pottinger. Irish Martin Charlie Allen Dave Allen (Done few trips then fell out with P.G) Andy Meredith. Eric Pattie (the grim reaper,"were all doomed were all gonna die :laughing: :laughing: ) Mark Paullett. Alan Kendall. Gordon Henderson.(aka Taggart) Me,John Marcus, aka Big John I think there was a Danny too. Just few I can remember at the moment, I know theres alot more as we had 20+ trucks running there,inc subbies was 15 yrs ago now and age catches up with you :frowning: There was few who did a trip and then said "no way never again" first trip I did, I picked the truck up in Holland, bloke had been to Moscow then wouldnt go any furhter, so did change over and came back and left the truck in Poeldijk.
Someone left their truck in Germany, and someone left their truck in Clackett Lane and wouldnt go any further.Same thing always happens in those cases though, the truck and load are ok,but the running money seems to vanish too :confused: :unamused: I picked up 2 subbies on the ferry out of Dover, and they tagged along with me, when we were in the queue at stettin, I got the pics out, one of them wanted to turn back there and then,but they went on and got back ok. Anyone else think of some names? Ill try and remember some more and check with Gary when I chat to him next.
Cracking photos and just what i remember it to be like. I am trying to place you in my head but names!!! I like the rogues gallery you put up and met up with quite a few of them between poland and kazak. Smolensk? Had a few very good laughs in there with many drivers from all over europe. Been thinking of the companies i used to see regular in russia at that time. There was also many subbies going east and the crack was good most of the time
Misunderstanding solved, chai all round
read some of the threads about Tengiz.
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