Colonel, it was 75, no I was not there, the manager, only picked his drinking buddies, but he paid the price in the end, he got done for fraud, drinking was his problem, and he needed money, when I went, I always got my load delivered, and even when I had a accident, I got my load to Bagdad, minus one crate, with by mates unit, and got the unit back with trailer doubled up on mates unit & trailer. Yes I was in the R.E.M.E., I volenteered when I was seventeen& half, I had took three exams, and only needed to past my citizen guilds, to be a qualified plumber, but I wanted to drive, so I signed up for 22 years, three years oppition, and I have been driving people mad ever since Ha Ha Ha, but I have always been proud of the R.E.M.E., and my time on the M/E with Overland, thank you for your interest & reply, I always try to tell it as it was. Sandman Norman
Harry my old mate no problem, you are not the first to say, I must be wrong, but has you know the holidays ran from the middle to the end of june to august, sept you started a new term , years later they shortened the time off school to second week in july, how my birthday fell, if I had gone back on my birthday, I would have walked into the school , then walked out, so after whitsunday, they started to give me oppitions of careers, I wanted to be a carpenter, but they told me there was no vacancies, so I applied for the job as a plumber, and took a medical in London, and told I had the job near may, the school told me I could apply for permission to start work, as soon as possible, after breaking up for summer holidays, because of my mother. But through my life, I wish I had a pound for every one who told me, it was not possible for me to start work and leave school at 14, because at that time you left at 15. Another thing I was told I could not be a member of a affiliated club at 15, but I was, because in law I was a railway worker, and intitled to be a member of a railway club, and I had a card with 1952 on , I carried that with me all over the world, until I Lost my wallet in 1997 , so no hard feelings from me, from one old fellow to another, I know some drivers give a load of bull ■■■■, me I like to give the facts as they were. SAndman Norman
hiya,
thanks for that info Norman but you didn’t say whether my extensive far eastern driving experience qualifies me to call myself an international driver, i was hauling high explosives and was always escorted by armoured car crews, it’s funny i worked for companies going over the water when driving in private life and never wanted to join in the fun of getting on the ferry with the other lads, but i did a few irish jobs in the early 60s whether that constitutes getting ones feet wet i don’t know anyway it’s all a fading memory now, my very happy memories of my BRS days stay very vivid though, oh happy days.
thanks harry long retired.
I know some drivers give a load of bull [zb], me I like to give the facts as they were.
Surely not Norman, have you any proof of this? I am shocked. 
I love this thread, it makes me feel soooo young. (at 66) 
David, you young whippersnappers have no respect for us elderly gentlemen of the road, Ha, Ha, Ha, what ever you do or say, have a sense of Humour, it seems to keep you living longer. Sandman Norman
Yes David, I do have proof, that some drivers bend the truth and spread the manure, In the early 80’s I pull off of the M6 junction 20 to the old transport cafe, which is now a service area, as I was sitting eating my breakfast with a couple of drivers, when we saw this rig pull in and park up, out jumped this young fellow in his twenties, I could not stop myself laughing, he had a brown & white cowhide waistcoat, white jeans, and matching clogs, standing in front of a M/E Trailer from Manchester, then he strutted about, and then came in to the cafe, and at the counter, a driver in the queue, asked him if he had just come back from the M/E, he stuck his chest out, and said yes mate, then sat next table to us, I asked where he had been, Iran he replied, oh, what is that mountain called between Ankera & the border, oh I went up so many, was his reply, well tell me the name of the border that all M/E drivers love, as you cross the border in Bulgaria, do not know I cross so many. Rubbish, you are just shunting this trailer to its final destination, and the real driver is back in his home, I pulled out my passport, all the borders are in my pages, lets see your passport, he got up and ran out of the cafe. Sandman Norman
Bit like me when I drove for Cheverall’s of Luton. We did go to Italy but also pulled very smart tilts in the UK which proudly proclaimed
UKWAL - UK West Africa Line - This Trailer Goes Direct To Nigeria.
I accepted the admiring glances but refrained from answering any questions with anything other than a knowing wink.
Didn’t want any awkward queries about truckstops in Timbuctou did I?
I can just imagine your reaction on seeing me descend from the cab and come into the caff with my sandals and long flowing white robes.
Good one David
Hey david not another one living in France, old frenchy is living over there, he is a ex- B.R.S. driver, we had a Tait tu Tait, hows that for a bit of french Ha Ha Ha, but, mien Deutch ist besser, keep laughing Sandman Norman
Hey david not another one living in France, old frenchy is living over there, he is a ex- B.R.S. driver, we had a Tait tu Tait, hows that for a bit of french Ha Ha Ha, but, mien Deutch ist besser, keep laughing Sandman Norman
hiya ,
double posting norman does that qualify you as fluent in double dutch too .
thanks harry long retired .
Harry me old mate, don’t pick on a old fellow, just because,he has a twitchy finger, ein swei, das ist eine doppel ganger ?. Sandman Norman
hiya ,
sorry norm only fluent in welsh , i wish . but used to get by in the south wales brs depots ,
thanks harry long retired .
Harry, a tale about Wales, me and this driver was on a night out, so when we had parked up and washed and changed, we went into this pub, they was all talking in english, they looked at us, and started to speak in welsh. So I knew this driver learnt German, so I was drinking our pints, and talking in German, after a bout twenty minutes, a chap at the bar said are you Germans, no I replied, why are you speaking in that language, because like you, we wanted to talk about you, and you would not understand, like you did to us when we came in. They burst in to laughter, we had a great night, and a good meal. Sandmam Norman
Harry, where are you, your not usually so long giving a reply, hope you are in good health. Sandman Norman
hiya,
present and correct norman, just out of diesel at the moment, but the health is alright thanks, viva la BRS.
thanks harry long retired.
Harry, glad you are ok, must be getting paranoid, but then Friday, I went to a mates cremation, played bowls with him on Tuesday, went to Bournemouth, for the weekend, on the monday I phoned up, his wife told me, he had past away, at our age, you never know. Sandman Norman
hiya,
sorry to hear about your pal norm as you say at our time of life and the hard work driving job we have done to get to 70 plus is a bit of an achievment i had a lucky escape a couple of years ago the horrible c thingy but am not too bad now and iv’e had an extra 2 years plus if i croak tomorrow , as the irish comic said live every day as if its your last and one day you’ll be right
thanks harry long retired.
Hi Harry, sorry about your ailment, I myself have diabetes, and asthma, but keep them under control, I just will myself to keep going, do not want the goverment to gain, by kicking the bucket. Only one in five reach the age to collect a pension, only one in ten get the value of the of the money they have paid in. So Harry don’t be a frog, and croak it, before you spend some of the money, of them poor sods who did not make it.Up the pensioners, up the old B.R,S. drivers. Sandman Norman
hiya,
hows things norm you’ve been a bit quiet, thats not like you, by the the way i’m type 2 diabetic as well this old age ain’t all it’s cracked up to be bits falling off all over the place but so long as there’s a pulse and the chest still goes up and down life isn’t all bad, when you don’t wake up one morning thats it, enjoy whats left i try to live my life as much as possible,just glad i haven’t got to turn out for work in a morning when the old class one expired so did i , an old pal begged me to get it renewed, he ran a couple of motors and wanted me to do a bit of shunting occasionally i know where that would have led to, so just got the car licence now and iv’e just got my renewal notification for that every three years after age 70 i’m nearly 73 if the wife didn’t mind i wouldn’t bother, costs nowt on the bus i run 2 cars a biggish citroen for pulling the old caravan and a little old rover for knocking about the wife drives as well when i can hit the passenger seat first.
thanks harry long reired.