I’ve just watched Toprun’s latest offering on the Middle-East film front: a 1975 run by Swiss wagons. Some glorious footage and stunning scenery, not to mention very evocative trucking. But best of all, instead of the usual inanely jarring soundtrack this film is silent (bliss!) so no rubbish music to spoil your memories! Here’s the link:
youtube.com/watch?v=8o19QOM … e=youtu.be
Robert
I’ll bet you a pound to a pinch of camel ■■■■ that the S-type Bedford only took that trailer as far as Dover docks! Mind you, having read the ‘Ancient Brits head east’ thread, it makes you wonder! Robert
I wonder why it would have an NL sticker on the back? Evan and Cooks were from London and a British firm! 
bullitt:
I wonder why it would have an NL sticker on the back? Evan and Cooks were from London and a British firm!
Perhaps its regular tractive unit on the other side of the water was a Dutch one. robert
Some mistake there surely Robert?
It is well known that the only company that ever, ever ran to the Middle East were British.
David
David Miller:
Some mistake there surely Robert?It is well known that the only company that ever, ever ran to the Middle East were British.
David
Good grief, I’d quite forgotten! Logo of a road going into the distance up the front of the grille wasn’t it 
? R
ERF-NGC-European:
bullitt:
I wonder why it would have an NL sticker on the back? Evan and Cooks were from London and a British firm!Perhaps its regular tractive unit on the other side of the water was a Dutch one. robert
May well have been, who knows? Evan and Cook were a removal company from Peckham, SE London.
bullitt:
ERF-NGC-European:
bullitt:
I wonder why it would have an NL sticker on the back? Evan and Cooks were from London and a British firm!Perhaps its regular tractive unit on the other side of the water was a Dutch one. robert
May well have been, who knows? Evan and Cook were a removal company from Peckham, SE London.
Yes, I remember them; they had a yard on the main road. Robert
It is with great sadness I have just been informed, that our great friend and legend Davie Jameson born in Scotland but living in Hengoed Caerphilly has today passed away. Davie ’ A Scot lost in the Valleys’ , a true legend of Middle East and Russia driving will be sorely missed by so many drivers throughout the UK. Jamie spent the latter years of his life educating me on Middle East driving. We spent many an hour together with Jamie highlighting his experiences and more importantly driver comraderie during his illustrious career. I am totally devastated and the world will be a poorer place without him . "KEEP ON TRUCKING " our friend regards Rowly Ward.
rward:
It is with great sadness I have just been informed, that our great friend and legend Davie Jameson born in Scotland but living in Hengoed Caerphilly has today passed away. Davie ’ A Scot lost in the Valleys’ , a true legend of Middle East and Russia driving will be sorely missed by so many drivers throughout the UK. Jamie spent the latter years of his life educating me on Middle East driving. We spent many an hour together with Jamie highlighting his experiences and more importantly driver comraderie during his illustrious career. I am totally devastated and the world will be a poorer place without him . "KEEP ON TRUCKING " our friend regards Rowly Ward.
Rowly,
That’s very sad news. Jamie drove for my dad several years ago, He was always calm and collected. Nothing seemed to faze him ever.
A true and genuine top bloke.
RIP Jamie
Very sad news !!
Have a safe trip Jamie…Give Mervyn my regards when you reach the gates… 
■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■, VERY sad news, a most mighty fine fella.
Slowly ( or rather quickly of late ) the table at the local bar ‘upstairs’ is becoming busier.
Mervyn King a month ago, now Jamie has joined them.
Tony Baker, Jimmy Baigent etc will be most happy having so many friends of old joining them, but so many of us are sad to hear of such departures…
M&C Steve
ERF-NGC-European:
bullitt:
ERF-NGC-European:
bullitt:
I wonder why it would have an NL sticker on the back? Evan and Cooks were from London and a British firm!Perhaps its regular tractive unit on the other side of the water was a Dutch one. robert
May well have been, who knows? Evan and Cook were a removal company from Peckham, SE London.
Yes, I remember them; they had a yard on the main road. Robert
That’s right - I used to do business with them in Peckham, S.E.London in the early 1970’s - at that time run by Bernard Evan-Cook, an "old school " gent - I’m not sure if they became part of Transport Development Group (TDG) or not ?
And, yes Bullit, they were basically a furniture removal & storage company and, as such, delivered furniture and equipment for the British Embassies and Chamber of Commerce, much work later done by Pro-Motor. Their style was to use unaccompanied trailers and sub contract traction so probably a Dutch haulier would collect from the other side - interestingly furniture and exhibition goods were exempt from the " permits " required for many European countries during late '60’s & '70’s so they seemed to stick to that trade, not general TIR work. As you know ERF-NGC Tehran was a big market in those days before the Shah was overthrown.
Run we one of thers early 70s, IIRC e wer in a Scani and had Jack knifed it down theer smashed aw back o" Cab in, the mesh on screens was seen a fair bit early days,
M&C steve:
■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■, VERY sad news, a most mighty fine fella.Slowly ( or rather quickly of late ) the table at the local bar ‘upstairs’ is becoming busier.
Mervyn King a month ago, now Jamie has joined them.
Tony Baker, Jimmy Baigent etc will be most happy having so many friends of old joining them, but so many of us are sad to hear of such departures…
M&C Steve
What ever happened to Eric Owen ■■
Here’s a question I’ve often pondered. Pictured below is a Saudi transit plate affixed to the front of my unit for the purpose of entering Saudi Arabia at one end and exiting at the other (in this case to Qatar). These plates have been around for a long time but they weren’t always a requirement. When did they start? Robert
Hi Robert
I did my first trip to Doha in 1989 and they were in use then, a different graphic though. I think that they were implemented in the early-mid eighties. But I stand to be corrected.
How’s your Arabic ? the writing on “my” transit plate is different to the writing on “your” transit plate. And there is a map of Saudi in the centre of mine
Here is an example of an early Saudi Transit Plate.
See the difference ?
GS OVERLAND:
Hi Robert
I did my first trip to Doha in 1989 and they were in use then, a different graphic though. I think that they were implemented in the early-mid eighties. But I stand to be corrected.
How’s your Arabic ? the writing on “my” transit plate is different to the writing on “your” transit plate. And there is a map of Saudi in the centre of mineHere is an example of an early Saudi Transit Plate.
See the difference ?
Very interesting! Yes, I’d forgotten about those earlier designs. Here’s a picture that shows up your earlier plate a bit better. I’ve worked out the difference in Arabic. The earlier design actually says ‘tranzeet’ so it basically just says ‘transit’ in English using Arabic script. The later design says ‘transport transit’ but this time in Arabic, with the Islamic declaration of faith (il-shahada) in the centre and the English word transit underneath. Cheers! Robert
Robert.
I don’t exactly know but I packed up the Middle East job in 1984 and never saw these transit plates till pictures started appearing on here.
I was never required to use one but perhaps if only I had worked for THE company I would have been issued one.
David
David Miller:
Robert.I don’t exactly know but I packed up the Middle East job in 1984 and never saw these transit plates till pictures started appearing on here.
I was never required to use one but perhaps if only I had worked for THE company I would have been issued one.
David
You probably missed them by a whisker, as they seem to have appeared in the mid-'80s if Middle-East pictures are anything to go by. THE company were no longer running their own lorries by then which is why you only see pictures of their subbies with them. You didn’t miss anything David: they were a nuisance because they were basically an annual Saudi tax disc but they were big with sharp corners. The brackets had to be removed for the MOT, they scarred the front of your lorry, you needed to take them off in Europe because idiots wanted to steal them for their collections, they obscured your number plate (well mine did!), they cluttered up your cab, they stopped your trailer tail board from falling flush with the rear of the trailer and so on! Robert
