Robert1952, you are a true gentleman, and correct in saying the camaradie went many years ago, the Bilbao and Santander ferries will be mostly Eastern European drivers working for Spanish and Portuguese transport firms .
One night that i will remember for a long time, was the New Years Eve crossing on the Stenaline Southampton to Cherbourg, with the comedian Frankie Carson doing a show .
You may remember the ship that only took trailers from Southampton to Vigo or Porto, to the docks at Leca de Palmeria, the area of Matosinhos was had a reputation for drivers spending their bosses running money on the ladies in the bars .
No bank or credit cards back then, we would find a cafe to receive a fax for the reload details , or use coin pay phones for the next job .
I used to hate the Brittany Ferries Duc de Normandie, i would feel sea sick in a flat sea, but it would still roll about .
toby1234abc:
Robert1952, you are a true gentleman, and correct in saying the camaradie went many years ago, the Bilbao and Santander ferries will be mostly Eastern European drivers working for Spanish and Portuguese transport firms .
One night that i will remember for a long time, was the New Years Eve crossing on the Stenaline Southampton to Cherbourg, with the comedian Frankie Carson doing a show .
You may remember the ship that only took trailers from Southampton to Vigo or Porto, to the docks at Leca de Palmeria, the area of Matosinhos was had a reputation for drivers spending their bosses running money on the ladies in the bars .
No bank or credit cards back then, we would find a cafe to receive a fax for the reload details , or use coin pay phones for the next job .
I used to hate the Brittany Ferries Duc de Normandie, i would feel sea sick in a flat sea, but it would still roll about .
Yes, it was another world. It just so happens that I’m pretty handy on the piano, and on several occasions I got shoved on the grand piano in the big lounge on the Pride of Bilbao by a bunch of John Mann and Breda drivers to entertain the ‘troops’! Also, the smaller bars had useful pianos in for me to tinkle. Even the cross channel ferries at the Dover end of the channel used to be civilised things in those days, with waiters and tablecloths. We all know what happened next. Robert
robert1952:
toby1234abc:
Robert1952, you are a true gentleman, and correct in saying the camaradie went many years ago, the Bilbao and Santander ferries will be mostly Eastern European drivers working for Spanish and Portuguese transport firms .
One night that i will remember for a long time, was the New Years Eve crossing on the Stenaline Southampton to Cherbourg, with the comedian Frankie Carson doing a show .
You may remember the ship that only took trailers from Southampton to Vigo or Porto, to the docks at Leca de Palmeria, the area of Matosinhos was had a reputation for drivers spending their bosses running money on the ladies in the bars .
No bank or credit cards back then, we would find a cafe to receive a fax for the reload details , or use coin pay phones for the next job .
I used to hate the Brittany Ferries Duc de Normandie, i would feel sea sick in a flat sea, but it would still roll about .Yes, it was another world. It just so happens that I’m pretty handy on the piano, and on several occasions I got shoved on the grand piano in the big lounge on the Pride of Bilbao by a bunch of John Mann and Breda drivers to entertain the ‘troops’! Also, the smaller bars had useful pianos in for me to tinkle. Even the cross channel ferries at the Dover end of the channel used to be civilised things in those days, with waiters and tablecloths. We all know what happened next. Robert
And another vote here for the good old days 
I’d nearly forgot about the Stena boat from Southampton to Cherbourg, got to use it a few times when i was a new boy at the job just before it ended. I remember getting off in Cherbourg and thinking is it my turn to get stopped by Pinocchio
The Bilbao also holds some cracking memories from mid-late 90s. Great boat either going out, or coming back. Used to stand in the corner of the bar at night with whatever drivers were on there and 9 times out of 10 you’d have a bloody good night, rarely did you get any idiots, and normally they wouldn’t be tolerated. I remember the John mann lads, Breda, a few subbies, then various crowds of removals lads, motorsport, the boat transport lads and general haulage guys.
Do you lads remember Patrick, the Irish lad that worked the bar? I used to get him and a couple of others ■■■■ and drink from the duty free shop and then stash it in my room till they collected later and he’d always look after you that night in the bar if you were drinking shorts 
I also vaguely remember the bar having a polished floor and mirrored ceiling■■? Which was interesting when the pretty ladies came to that corner of the boat to get a drink 
The legend and reputation was renowned all
over Europe, the story iI heard of this Pinocchio , was that he was too close behind a truck that suddenly braked.
His motorbike crashed and he broke a lot of
bones .
Since then, he would park on top of Cherbourg hill with binoculars to wait for English and Irish trucks.
He would listen to CB chat of using the wire and fuses as his English was very good.
The other cop biker was the legend of the Scottish Gendarme with a ginger beard who patrolled the Paris periphique .
Yes , the ferry crossings in the 90,s were a good craic,jugs of wine with the drivers meal.
Then get to the BP truckstop at Saint Andre de Cubzac north of Bordeaux for more wine.
Many of the waitreses there married English drivers who stayed in France .
The mechanics garage opposite, had this mad mongrel dog that would chase trucks coming in and out, it would try and bite the tyres of moving lorries .