robert1952:
If you want to sit back and see a really good Middle-East slide show, just click on the link below, which takes you to Toprun’s Robert Dods Brown / Chapman & Ball selection. Damned good pics! Robert
Excellent, brought back some happy memories.
stevejones:
my cousin somewhere saudi around 76
Pretty sure i met him, cannot remember where, but thats a face you do not forget,
skipvitesse tks you might have he run m/e for 4yrs when brs folded he worked for biffo/funstons with volvo 89 i used to be up his house in northampton everytime he was home just to see the truck as a kid it was my dream to drive one still remember him laughing at me . then 6wks after 21yrs old i was on my way down to madrid all tks to him great days its all so boring now .
stevejones:
skipvitesse tks you might have he run m/e for 4yrs when brs folded he worked for biffo/funstons with volvo 89 i used to be up his house in northampton everytime he was home just to see the truck as a kid it was my dream to drive one still remember him laughing at me . then 6wks after 21yrs old i was on my way down to madrid all tks to him great days its all so boring now .
A very good friend of mine, a Kiwi nicknamed ‘Silver’ drove for Funstons around that time, we often ran together to southern Turkey where split off for Baghdad and i went on to Saudi & Doha.
Both Silver and I ended up driving for Hangartner in Switzerland late 70’s after giving up Middle East,
Memories,
ok skip john finished around 79 if i remember biffo tried to get him to stop with a new fh but john just gone through divorce and took himself of to his mums villa in spain for a couple of yrs your right memories eh stay well m8
stevejones:
my cousin somewhere saudi around 76
He’s got a can of beer there, so it’s probably more likely to be a Gulf state than Saudi! Just a thought! Robert
stevejones:
ok skip john finished around 79 if i remember biffo tried to get him to stop with a new fh but john just gone through divorce and took himself of to his mums villa in spain for a couple of yrs your right memories eh stay well m8
You stay well too,
Looks like lots of us dropped out around 78/79, times were changing,
They built ROADS!! Customs & Police got wise to backhanders Big Time
There was no Adventure left
Had to make my own from then on,
Happy to be the Only (i think) truck to drive from Ireland to Ohio USA in 2002,
Bit of a let down really, was expecting ‘Convoy’, but soon found they had same probs as us,
Nowhere to park, US version of VOSA everywhere, crap food, Mad rush and monster traffic jams (imagine M6/M5 Birmingham 10 times bigger)
Almost glad i am out of it,
Almost,
Still get the urge,
Skip.
ha yes skip been running canada/usa since 2005 the big usa dream bit of let down but i gotta keep pedalling at moment keep those memories m8 your one of the fortunate gd luck
well spotted robert if anybody happened to have one there it would of been him but you probably right reminds me getting bottom of big hill at turning 4 takadoum 2bike cops muslims as u know were very happy with bottle of cava from algeciras 80p i think and waved me on my way to cassa with a salute .
stevejones:
ha yes skip been running canada/usa since 2005 the big usa dream bit of let down but i gotta keep pedalling at moment keep those memories m8 your one of the fortunate gd luck
My Magnum in USA
Ohio 2002
Then later, my US truck in Ireland, 2004
nice pics skip were they car transporters and did ya buy the volvo in usa
stevejones:
nice pics skip were they car transporters and did ya buy the volvo in usa
Sports and Racing cars. Carried 8 Triumphs to Ohio.
Volvo VNL came from Texas, 3 yrs old, even with shipping, duties and converting to UK spec it was still cheaper than a same year Volvo FH.
Volvo still here in Ireland
Basle Airport, Switzerland
7 of the 8 cars, Mid Ohio Racetrack
stevejones:
well spotted robert if anybody happened to have one there it would of been him but you probably right reminds me getting bottom of big hill at turning 4 takadoum 2bike cops muslims as u know were very happy with bottle of cava from algeciras 80p i think and waved me on my way to cassa with a salute .
Yes I remember the occasional police presence at the junction exiting the dreaded Takadoum industrial zone, but they were rarely of any use if you had clandestines hanging from your wing mirrors, back doors, cat-walks etc. Calais now is like Tangiers was then. Robert
nice trip skip 
i was usually cassablanca robert but the one to takadoum i wont forget
