He’ll be far too busy getting foreign tractors stuck in muddy potato fields, swilling Bolly and hauling supermarket delivery vans out of mis-placed ditches!
The rest of us have harvested our crops at the appropriate time and have retired to the sofa with a bottle of Scottish juice, having sent 'Er Indoors to do the shopping at ther 24 hour Tesco Supermercado.
Some people never learn!
Retired Old ■■■■:
Hi, Fergie, just wondering, is there a story about how Citroen came up with their inverted chevron badge?
Yes, they represent the double helical gearing that Andre Citroen invented. My friend has a French Pilter waterpump that uses those gears.
Pete.
This is also a Citroen P 55 with a Theault body.
michel:
Seldom Volvo “Chinese six” in France in 1988.
Evening all,
Rather a fraught time the last few days, the old “age” process seems to have got me good and proper…trying to keep the farm going well, and struggling to cope with a work load of a man half my age…funny how as you get older, the urge to keep on going forward gets stronger…but the bodies “mechanical” bits do not agree!!!
Yes, ROF, you could be right…but life is for living!!!
Was over on the Isle of Man yesterday, boy do I love that place…if only the powers that be would not keep trying to copy the morons in government over here…so much potential, and such a wonderful place, just hope that I can get my farm there producing like the one here, and I like the Manxmen, (and women)!!! Good view of ■■■■■■■ from Douglas sea front , and from the farm you could see the Mourne Mountains, and Scotland yesterday…but the wind was B…B cold!..but the attitude is “go forward”…and I love that…
Bewick, Michel is right about STS, Volvo simply could not afford to loose them. Currently run by Jean-Yves Gautier, the son of the founder, (a real Gentleman, Remy Gautier), operating over 2000 Volvos. They began buying Volvo around 64, with a L4751 Titan, which was liveried for Shell.
Fergie 47, should know this Breton company, started around 1950, when Remy carried out livestock haulage to Paris, then moved onto the carriage of meat , using Cherau fridges, behind , (wonderful) Bernard, 150.35s. But he told me that his real “imputus” came when he married, and inherited the daughter of Finestere`s Tpts Merret, at Morlaix. Then in the early 70s STG, (as he now traded), began to work for Citroen, at their Rennes, La-Janais site. The fact that he offered vehicles on “spot hire” encouraged tremendous business growth.
I cannot recall all of the group trading names, but they included, Sodinor, Rouen, Groupemont Logistics Froid, Lyon, Haquin, at Nancy, and my “favourite”, TGN, Transports Gautier Normandie, (many happy hours wasted here)! But there were around 5 other (large) Group activities…and all Volvo!
The Chinese six does not surprise me at all, I recall a F89, 6x2 that started out as a rigid draw bar,…then became a tractor…STG also ran on their “meat job” many 6 axle F89 outfits, converted from 4x2s prime movers with a single tyred rear axle, coupled to three axle draw bar trailers on single tyres…they reckoned that they were more stable…(at 40 tonnes plus?). than twins!
STS were running F serie Volvos alongside F10/12s for many years…and happily “cutting and shutting” to suit their requirements. Based not far from my favourite body, and cab builder, Carroserie Gabriel Pelpel, at Noyal sur Villaine, STS also ran a large number of smaller F86 Volvos around Britany, and further afield.
A striking simple livery in white, each vehicle carrying a bold fleet number in black on the doors, (a la our own ■■■■ Denby), a real business like outfit, and did they make those lorries sweat…boy did they just!!!
Happy memories Michel, and coming from a Volvo dealer background, I never tried to hide just how good their chosen product was…perhaps that is why I spent so many happy and courteous hours with Remy!!!
Tommorow its hedgecutting…I trust I will not get bogged down, ROF!
Cheerio for now.
Why this poor old so, and so, puts STS, instead of STG defies logic…except that my lady wife has booked me an appointment with Specsavers in Bridgnorth, on Friday at 11.45hrs!!!
Oh dear…to become old…
Cheerio for now.
A Bernard with Chereau integral body.
Thanks for the info, Pete. I would never have guessed that one!
Saviem, my old fruit, keep to the high ground with your hedge-slashing machinery. Leave the boggy lower bits until the frost makes the ground solid. But then, as a son of the soil, you already knew that. If only we could educate you regarding spud lifting time!
Regarding your agricultural enterprise on the Sacred Isle, could one ask if bed & breakfast will be available in the barn? I was thinking perhaps, of the last week in May and the first in June…
ROF an educated guess is that you would want to be doing a bit of spectating, am I right and is this picture of your era, cheers Buzzer.
Correct on both counts, Buzzer. But don’t tell the Shropshire Lad or he’ll inflate the prices! 
Buzzer:
ROF an educated guess is that you would want to be doing a bit of spectating, am I right and is this picture of your era, cheers Buzzer.
John, that’s not R.O.F’s era, that bike’s got an engine…in his time they were still using pedals.
It was that huge front wheel and the “direct drive” pedal system that I couldn’t get my head around when I was young so I had to wait until a reasonably reliable steam engine was developed. I confess to being “over the hill” by the time the Bracebridge Street works were turning out machinery like the one in that photo!
kevmac47:
R.O.F. This will probably suit you now!! Think of the power
OK, Kevmac, confession time-
When I worked for the local firm whose livery used to be pink, I lived about a mile from the depot. Not far enough to warrant buying a second car but just a bit too far to walk to work with an overflowing buttie bag. I “invested” in a Babetta moped: not a “proper” Babetta but a pattern one produced in a factory somewhere in the former Soviet bloc whose sole equipment seemed to be a large hammer. I persisted with this thing for about a year then gave up and bought myself an old van.
The two-wheeled monstrosity never managed to remind me of the bikes of my youth, only the temperamental traits of small two-stroke engines!
kevmac47:
R.O.F. This will probably suit you now!! Think of the power
Maybe old, grey, and losing me marbles, but still flying around on this…
Fergie47:
kevmac47:
R.O.F. This will probably suit you now!! Think of the powerMaybe old, grey, and losing me marbles, but still flying around on this…
Fergie that looks as if possess a bit of grunt
cheers Johnnie
sammyopisite:
Fergie47:
kevmac47:
R.O.F. This will probably suit you now!! Think of the powerMaybe old, grey, and losing me marbles, but still flying around on this…
Fergie that looks as if possess a bit of grunt
cheers Johnnie
That’s some machine! I have an ‘entry level’ Honda 600. Good job I didn’t have it when I was 17. At that age you’re never going to be old, you’re never going to die, and it won’t hurt If you fall off.
My entry level bike would have won the TT if we could take it back in time & I think your Yamaha is a 1400!
I’d love a ride on my old Norton 600, but maintaining the bloody thing was a weekly job. Whereas I get on the Honda when I like and it gets a yearly service - much the same in the trucking world!
John
I well recall the days when you almost had to rebuild the bike most weekends! It was called “maintenance” in those days! I don’t get to ride 2-wheelers these days since my brother-in-law got too old for his GSXR1000 and my step-son decided his money would be put to better use in bricks & mortar rather than the Fireblade.
sammyopisite:
Fergie that looks as if possess a bit of grunt
cheers Johnnie
Indeed John, loads of torque, but it’s happy to potter around, can’t go fast with a naked bike anyway, so speed becomes academic.
John West:
That’s some machine! I have an ‘entry level’ Honda 600. Good job I didn’t have it when I was 17. At that age you’re never going to be old, you’re never going to die, and it won’t hurt If you fall off.
My entry level bike would have won the TT if we could take it back in time & I think your Yamaha is a 1400!
I’d love a ride on my old Norton 600, but maintaining the bloody thing was a weekly job. Whereas I get on the Honda when I like and it gets a yearly service - much the same in the trucking world!
John
It’s a 1300 John, always had sports bikes till earlier this year, when I thought that at my age I should slow down a bit…had bikes since I was 16, went through the British ones in the '60’s, raced for a couple of years, then the Jap/ German / Italian stuff… ridden most. The R1 and Blades were getting a bit leery as I got into my mid '60’s and wrists and legs ached a bit more…Sold my Triumph Sprint mid this year and bought the Yamaha, time to slow down a bit… 
Retired Old ■■■■:
I well recall the days when you almost had to rebuild the bike most weekends! It was called “maintenance” in those days! I don’t get to ride 2-wheelers these days since my brother-in-law got too old for his GSXR1000 and my step-son decided his money would be put to better use in bricks & mortar rather than the Fireblade.
You can have a go on mine R.O.F…I’ll fit stabilizers… Better not put up anymore bike pic’s as this is a lorry site…
