Hello Norm / Harry and all
Is this where you all are , Been struggling with my computor as well , every time I got on the Trucknet site the link got broken , this has been happening since they changed something after Christmas but got worse like that ole Red and Rust until it was no more , so Ive got my old windows 98 going again , can get on but cant post piccies , ding dong .
Even though this is a Nottingham site , I can just remember the Barton Buses Im not as old as you lot but Been doing the same as you Norm , seeds and plants to tart up my new place . Out on the main N141 theres Lorries from all over Europe and with all the Drivers being laid of in England thats where a lot of them will end up taking what little works left , Cabatage it was called in the 80s and there was no governmental control . This is a big can of worms and would take a lot of discussion , just had to air that one . One thing though , Im glad Im retired but like so many an old Driver I was diagnosed with Cancer myself some years ago , but Im still here Harry so keep your pecker up Mate , youre not on your own on this site .
Best Regards Frenchy
Hi frenchy
you mentioned N141 which iirc is in the middle of France We used to load Beech trees from Clermont Ferrand to High Wycombe in the 70s/80s I hope you are enjoying your retirement. What took you that beautiful part of France?
Regards Keith.
hiya,
hello frenchy norms been looking for you thought you’d be having computer problems mines not right since the changeover and i’m a bit rubbish with the damned things, yes the “c” thingy isn’t much fun it’s two and a half years since i was diagnosed since then iv’e had the chemo thing that knocked me for six then 85/90% of my stomach was removed,but what the hell i’m still here and not feeling too bad, luckier than lots of people, it’s just now that iv’e learned about your good self and i’m pleased your’e quite well, us red and rust wallah’s must be getting a bit thin on the ground now just read in the paper two of my old partners in crime from the old blackburn depot have recently gone one older than me and one younger so at 73 nearly i’m a bit lucky i guess, enough for now chaps.
thanks harry long retired.
Well boys, we have got ourselves a convoy, hello Frenchy, hi Keith, and harry, well I told you, I could see it in his eyes, my mate peter, pasted away a few hours after I saw him on thursday, I am glad he did not suffer too long, you harry, is a hardy breed from the north, and a real gem, that frenchy is not too bad for a youngster?, I feel I am quite lucky at the moment, with only diabetes, and asthmas. Now, Keith, yes we were called the sandmen, at the start, it was twelve, some of them dropped out, after the first few trips, their was about 6/8 extra trafted in, the last one I knew, was Joe 90 = J. Baker, wink cockrill ( Tony), Shovel = G. Lovel, Bob the ex- mechanic, #John Bland (deceased),# Terry Taylor, (deceased,# Bagdad Bill = W. Thomas 75 still going,# Dave Stroud ( Mr TIR & blue peter ),# Colin Wright, was told he had passed away, but not confirmed.# Fisherman collega got the push, and a young dark hair chap, who,s name escapes me,# John McCann,# Keith Shirley, a Scot & a ex - sas done the pilot run, before we got the Marathons, myself# Norman Ingram, the # by the names denotes the originals, on my 50th birthday, I got a pewter mug from the sandmen, this is my proof. Sandman Norman
Well boys, we have got ourselves a convoy, hello Frenchy, hi Keith, and harry, well I told you, I could see it in his eyes, my mate peter, pasted away a few hours after I saw him on thursday, I am glad he did not suffer too long, you harry, is a hardy breed from the north, and a real gem, that frenchy is not too bad for a youngster?, I feel I am quite lucky at the moment, with only diabetes, and asthmas. Now, Keith, yes we were called the sandmen, at the start, it was twelve, some of them dropped out, after the first few trips, their was about 6/8 extra trafted in, the last one I knew, was Joe 90 = J. Baker, wink cockrill ( Tony), Shovel = G. Lovel, Bob the ex- mechanic, #John Bland (deceased),# Terry Taylor, (deceased,# Bagdad Bill = W. Thomas 75 still going,# Dave Stroud ( Mr TIR & blue peter ),# Colin Wright, was told he had passed away, but not confirmed.# Fisherman collega got the push, and a young dark hair chap, who,s name escapes me,# John McCann,# Keith Shirley, a Scot & a ex - sas done the pilot run, before we got the Marathons, myself# Norman Ingram, the # by the names denotes the originals, on my 50th birthday, I got a pewter mug from the sandmen, this is my proof. Sandman Norman
Well boys, we have got ourselves a convoy, hello Frenchy, hi Keith, and harry, well I told you, I could see it in his eyes, my mate peter, pasted away a few hours after I saw him on thursday, I am glad he did not suffer too long, you harry, is a hardy breed from the north, and a real gem, that frenchy is not too bad for a youngster?, I feel I am quite lucky at the moment, with only diabetes, and asthmas. Now, Keith, yes we were called the sandmen, at the start, it was twelve, some of them dropped out, after the first few trips, their was about 6/8 extra trafted in, the last one I knew, was Joe 90 = J. Baker, wink cockrill ( Tony), Shovel = G. Lovel, Bob the ex- mechanic, #John Bland (deceased),# Terry Taylor, (deceased,# Bagdad Bill = W. Thomas 75 still going,# Dave Stroud ( Mr TIR & blue peter ),# Colin Wright, was told he had passed away, but not confirmed.# Fisherman collega got the push, and a young dark hair chap, who,s name escapes me,# John McCann,# Keith Shirley, a Scot & a ex - sas done the pilot run, before we got the Marathons, myself# Norman Ingram, the # by the names denotes the originals, on my 50th birthday, I got a pewter mug from the sandmen, this is my proof. Sandman Norman
hiya,
norm i see youv’e got the old dodgy fingeritis 3 posts all identical, sorry to hear about your old pal he certainly went quickly,on a lighter note i,m going to reach 90 and then get shot by a jealous husband, nice quick way to go and with a smile on my face to boot though i haven’t told the wife yet, see you later.
thanks harry long retired.
hiya,
norm i see youv’e got the old dodgy fingeritis 3 posts all identical, sorry to hear about your old pal he certainly went quickly,on a lighter note i,m going to reach 90 and then get shot by a jealous husband, nice quick way to go and with a smile on my face to boot though i haven’t told the wife yet, see you later.
thanks harry long retired.
Hello Fellas This forums so good you keep repeating yourselves , or is it just another a senior moment .
Hi Keith , Im a lot further east than Clemont , actually 20 miles west of Limoges near the N141 . Theres lots of reasons why people emigrate themselves one is the misses dragging him as far away from his flousey as she can , him dragging her away because hes fed up with the moneygrabbing kids , me because I simply couldnt afford to live any more in rip off England , I came to France in 2003 and moved to the west Charente , nice part of the country and cheap properties , I moved a couple of months ago to east Charente so I could still keep my car , camper and Motorcycle numbers , and the health system is second to none as well , Ive had first class treatment , I would never have been treated with such speed either , if Id still been in Blighty I`d have been pushing the up the daisies a lot sooner .
Regards Frenchy
Hi Lads
Harry it sounds as if you have been through the mill but i’am glad your still arround and obviously stiil chassing the girls if only in your mind 
. keep your pecker up mate.I see you have got the same finger problem as Norm.
Norm sorry to hear of your mate Peter I guess it comes to us all eventurly.I’am only a youngster compared to you lads, I was 19 when I went 2 up with my father to ME in 1976 till I was old enough to get a licence over here, so that makes me a very young 52. I hope i’m still as active as you lads when I’m 70 odd.The list of Sandmen was interesting quite a few famous names there.I remember seeing the marathons how long did they keep running them and what did they replace them with ?
Frenchy It’s very nice arround that area I can see why you moved. There was me thinking it was for the wine.I would be worred about going to the hospital in case I got the languge wrong and they removed something they should’t have 
Regards Keith.
No my hearties, I have not got a twitchy finger, this site is been playing up for me, when I press submit, its not clearing, also when it does, it comes up error on the page, but I back track, and get back to the page, and the message has gone through. Keith 52, oh my lord, what I used to get up to when I was that age, brings a great big smile to my face, the marathons were never replaced, because the arabs got their ports sorted out, and the powers to be in the board room, thought it was better to close down Overland, and come out with a very small loss, after paying us off, but they didn’t, because they sold off the trucks, and rates would drop anyway, and has I told you, most of us was in it for the money, not the glory, that will not pay the bills. Frenchy, pity you are not near Paris, you could have seen how handsome I am in the flesh, HaHaHa, you know pictures do not do you justice, specially when you get older?, as I will be there 24th July , for three nights, with daughter & grandaughters, my wife & me, are taking them to Disneyland, any chance you can bring me a cup of tea, or have you gone completely French and drink coffee. Harry a better way to go, is making love to a beautiful young eighteen old girl, to the bells of a church, ding dong ding dong, then you kick the bucket, because a fire engine goes by, by god man, have a bit of imagination Ha Ha Ha , I will never change, live life to the full, and go out with a bang. Sandman Norman
Hi Norm
24th July take plenty of dollers… Lifes a big roller coaster but your taking it to the extreeeeem. Me and the missis took our two kids there 10 or 12 years ago and they loved it. I hope you have a great time.
Regards Keith.
Keith I know, I took my children in 81, 86, 89, 91, to Disney world at Florida, there you use dollars, Paris is euro’s, I know I am old in the tooth, but not senile Ha Ha Ha. Sandman Norman
Hi Norm
Just trying to ketch you out with that date. You must be on their christmas card list in Florida 
can not be doing with all that up and down thing myself (coasters that is) Ha Ha
Keith.
Keith, there is no way you will get me on space mountain again, no more ups and downs for me, I would have taken them to Florida, but me & my wife, just do not like the long trips sitting down anymore, at least on the Eurostar, you can walk along a two hundred miles a hour, the train, not me walking, when we are on a coach too long, our ankcles swell up, keith you do not know the half of getting old, the things you want to get stiff, don’t,the things you don’t want to get stiff do, the same for the things concerning swelling?, its a funny life Ha Ha Ha , SAndman Norman
hiya,
have a nice time in gay paris norm the tower is supposed to be made of steel produced at consett not a stones throw from where i used to live but the workers from the steelworks now long gone would say that wouldn’t they, anyway pal have a nice time at disney, my missus made the mistake of doing the space mountain thing with our daughter she can’t look at a big dipper type ride now without feeling sick, have never done the paris one but quite liked florida site and would like to do it again but no driving this time let the bus do the transportation could never find my motor when the car parks, which are huge get filled up as the day wears on. anyway norm and family have a great time and if you need your own personal baggage handler (nothing heavier than a cup of tea ) pm me.
thanks harry long retired.
Hi harry, before I am in Paris, next thursday I am off to Great Yarmouth for 4 days, ton see my brother, and have a few game of bowls, today we went and paid respects to my mate Peter, M/E pal Joe 90 sent me some old photo’s of hotel international Belgrade, and Bosphorous bridge in Istanbul. Sandman Norman
Hi Norm
It’s all right for you retired lot swaning of when you feel like it, just spare a thought for us still trying to make a crust
Do you think that Joe 90 would mind if you shared the photos with us all? or are they embarasing Ha Ha
Regards Keith.
hiya,
now then desert driver settle down do you realise us old retired fogies aren’t able to book holidays no office to contact can’t phone in a sicky believe me there’s not enough hours in the day to do what a man has to do and can’t tell the boss to get stuffed she’d break my neck.norm put him wise will you.
thanks harry long retired.
Watch it keith you young wippersnapper, we elderly gentlemen ex- truckers, have earnt the right, after doing 70/80 hours plus, in bone shaking rust buckets, to allow you youngsters better education, more wages, and better conditions, and lorries a kid of 5 could steer. How was that Harry, do you want to add any thing Ha H a Ha. No keith you would get too excited, one is of a belly dancer. Sandman Norman PS suedehead it has been giving me grief