ERF-NGC-European:
Vodka Cola Cowboy:
01Just out of interest, I will be at the Truckfest, at Paddock Wood Hop Farm on the Saturday and Sunday 2nd and 3rd September.
Andy McLean, author of Fifty Shades of Tarmac and myself will have a pitch there and copies of our books.
Anyone going to the event, come along and say “Hello”. We will be glad to see you and have a chat.I will try to get along at sometime that weekend. Robert
I hope that you can Robert. It will be good to see you again. 
pv83:
Found it!
Van Amerongen has in that time 2 of this , on the route to russia.
The driver from this one was Gijs Hesp (RIP)
Henry van den Berg:
pv83:
Found it!Van Amerongen has in that time 2 of this , on the route to russia.
The driver from this one was Gijs Hesp (RIP)
Yes Henry. Gijs was a good friend of mine. We worked together many times running to Moscow. I would meet him at the Hettmann in Siedlce or on the border at Kukariki. Then we would run to Moscow. Or, I would meet him in Moscow.
One trip, I had cleared through the border at Kukariki and then gone to bed. I woke up in the morning and it was snowing heavily.
I had a Daf 95 twin steer and when I went to drive away was just getting wheel spin.
Next thing Gijs was there with a snow chain and throwing it under my drive wheel so that I could get the truck going and onto the road.
He was a great guy. As you say R.I.P. Gijs.
Vodka Cola Cowboy:
Henry van den Berg:
pv83:
Found it!Van Amerongen has in that time 2 of this , on the route to russia.
The driver from this one was Gijs Hesp (RIP)Yes Henry. Gijs was a good friend of mine. We worked together many times running to Moscow. I would meet him at the Hettmann in Siedlce or on the border at Kukariki. Then we would run to Moscow. Or, I would meet him in Moscow.
One trip, I had cleared through the border at Kukariki and then gone to bed. I woke up in the morning and it was snowing heavily.
I had a Daf 95 twin steer and when I went to drive away was just getting wheel spin.
Next thing Gijs was there with a snow chain and throwing it under my drive wheel so that I could get the truck going and onto the road.
He was a great guy. As you say R.I.P. Gijs.
The upshot of Gijs helping me to get going at Kukariki was that I ran with him to Moscow. But first he had to deliver in Brest at the Sovtransavto depot. So, I stopped with him. We ended up spending the night there. The next day we ran as far as Minsk, which was normally only a four and half hour drive. But because the snow fall was so heavy that was as far as we could get in the day. The following day the snow had lifted and we drove all of the way to Moscow. A completely different day’s work to the day before.
Just a quick photo of our stand at Truckfest last weekend. It was bitterly cold, with a gale force wind blowing across the showground. That is why I have the windswept and interesting look. ha ha ha. In fact the gazeebo was blown over as we were dismantling it.
However, both Andy and myself had a good time and I sold quite a few signed copies of “Trucking Magic”.
I also met a large number of very interesting and friendly people who stopped by to talk about the old days.
I reckon you look better then most miserable old gits on here mate, even facing some strong nippy winds… 
Right, I’ll get me coat…
Nice looking model on the table, did you build that?
pv83:
I reckon you look better then most miserable old gits on here mate, even facing some strong nippy winds…Nice looking model on the table, did you build that?
Hi Patrick. No, Andy built the models. He used to drive both of those trucks, back in the day. I just had to stand there modelling among the models. It was a great challenge but of course my boyish good looks and youthful charm shone through, despite the wind. ha ha ha 
Stumbled upon these pic’s, any idea what it’s about? Seems like some sort of concrete beam, maybe to errect on of those statues?
Vodka Cola Cowboy:
pv83:
I reckon you look better then most miserable old gits on here mate, even facing some strong nippy winds…Nice looking model on the table, did you build that?
Hi Patrick. No, Andy built the models. He used to drive both of those trucks, back in the day. I just had to stand there modelling among the models. It was a great challenge but of course my boyish good looks and youthful charm shone through, despite the wind. ha ha ha
I’m pretty sure Jimski made the models, and I think he still does commissions as well…
Jeff…
Jelliot:
Vodka Cola Cowboy:
pv83:
I reckon you look better then most miserable old gits on here mate, even facing some strong nippy winds…Nice looking model on the table, did you build that?
Hi Patrick. No, Andy built the models. He used to drive both of those trucks, back in the day. I just had to stand there modelling among the models. It was a great challenge but of course my boyish good looks and youthful charm shone through, despite the wind. ha ha ha
I’m pretty sure Jimski made the models, and I think he still does commissions as well…
Jeff…
You might well be right there Jeff. I thought that Andy had made them himself, but I could be wrong. 
Next time that I talk to him I will ask him.
pv83:
Stumbled upon these pic’s, any idea what it’s about? Seems like some sort of concrete beam, maybe to errect on of those statues?
Hi Patrick. Mystery solved. If you look at the building on the right, in the top photo of your set of four. On the roof it says “Moskovni”. That led me to think at first that it might be in Moscow. However, I searched through a load of photos and found this one.
That building, on the right, in the background of your photo is the one on the right in the photo that I have put on here. It is Moskovni Metro Station, in Leningrad/St Petersburg.
And the concrete column is the one that they have erected in the middle of that square and topped with a star. That is the statue that they erected.
They were obviously bringing it into the Square to erect it.
Note also the four lampposts around the statue and their position in both photographs…
I reckon that your top photo was taken from the building on the left of my photo. If you check the windows on the Metro station building they are the same. The buildings to the left of the Metro station are the same. So, I think that this is the answer to your question.
In fact, if your top photo had been taken so that it was turned more to the right it would have picked up the tower on top of the Metro station and we would have known, beyond doubt.
I would say that your photos were taken back in say the 70s or 80s. There are no Western cars in them, which there would have been if they were more recent.
What do you think mate ? 
Proper detective work there Mick! If you want to change career then I know just the job for ya
But honestly, proper done mate, I thought the same thing, reading that name on that roof I reckoned it was Moscow indeed… Another “mystery” solved then eh 
pv83:
Proper detective work there Mick! If you want to change career then I know just the job for yaBut honestly, proper done mate, I thought the same thing, reading that name on that roof I reckoned it was Moscow indeed… Another “mystery” solved then eh
Yeah. Obviously the buildings in central Moscow are very similar to those in central Leningrad, so there was not a clue there.
But, interestingly, in Moscow, near to the Tretyakov gallery there is a place called The Garden of Fallen Monuments. These are monuments from the Soviet era that they have pulled down and re-sited in the park. There is one there that had a needle like the one that we were trying to trace.
But, the one in Leningrad is the one that you had in your pictures. Perhaps we ought to work together solving mysteries mate.
Because we are obviously both cool
I’d love to go there !
chloelovesfur:
I’d love to go there !
Well, they have got plenty of fur coats and hats, if you ever do get to go there Chloe. You would be spoiled for choice.
Hi Patrick. I have PM’d you mate.
Mick
Vodka Cola Cowboy:
chloelovesfur:
I’d love to go there !Well, they have got plenty of fur coats and hats, if you ever do get to go there Chloe. You would be spoiled for choice.
Indeed, that’s why id love to go, they don’t have good tolerance of trannys though lol
chloelovesfur:
Vodka Cola Cowboy:
chloelovesfur:
I’d love to go there !Well, they have got plenty of fur coats and hats, if you ever do get to go there Chloe. You would be spoiled for choice.
Indeed, that’s why id love to go, they don’t have good tolerance of trannys though lol
No, you are right there Chloe. I don’t ever remember seeing a Ford Transcontinental in all of my five years out there.
They did have loads of transistor radios though. They walked around listening to music all of the time.
Actually, when I get my new book published there is a section in there about the Russian attitude to the gay community.
But, I won’t spoil it by revealing that now.
Vodka Cola Cowboy:
chloelovesfur:
Indeed, that’s why id love to go, they don’t have good tolerance of trannys though lolActually, when I get my new book published there is a section in there about the Russian attitude to the gay community.
.
Oh the PC Police, the Liberal Lefties, The Corbynista`s and the Snowflakes wont like that VCC, not one bit!!! The insinuation that if you are a ■■■■■■, sorry, I mean if you are “Trans” , then you are automatically gay!!!
The Guardian will be calling for a full boycott of your book now as you must be assumed to be a Homophobic, Trans phobic, intolerant, non inclusive, non diverse, white man!
Ah, so a good read then ?
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