Trans Arabia /S. Jones of Aldridge:A few pics

[kenb]

alantruck:
hi Ken its Alan I came from Yorkshire I was their when Charlie had the accident we used to take him food and cloths not long after you sent me to Dammam for quite awhile I did two years then did not go back because my then wife had medical problems its great to know that there a good few of us left cheers Alan Newton

Hi Alan

Still cannot place you !! Which company/town etc did you come from?
Yes remember well that incident with Charlie - very very sad I do know where Charlie is and intend to look him up next time I am in his area - I know it’s still a very sensitive issue to him - he said the they could have done anything to him - it would not have hurt as much as seeing that child with a broken neck lying in the kerb!! Having gone under the trailer.
Yes you took food etc into the central prison for him - that was the same time as that Helen Smith situation having been thrown off a roof and impaled on railings. - the Brit Embassey couldn’t find him in the prison - he was in with the locals who really looked after him and when they tried to move him in with the foreigners he refused to go and the head of the dell unit also refused to let him move.
Finally getting him out of prison at 02.00 in the morning with papers duly signed by the Prince of Mecca and finally being signed by head of police at a cards and booze party in the depths of Jeddah including a large wedge of cash - helped by Salmine Binmafooz!! Memories. Could talk hours about many situation!!

Kind regards

Ken b
A serious experience of what could have happened to many more of us!!

[kenb]

ronhawk:
The photo says it all , Ron[/quote

The Xmas of 1976
The Gillings brothers had pneumonia and maybe one other and could not fly - so they were destined to stay in Jeddah for Xmas - we had a short straws draw for who went home and who stayed!!! You can imagine how that went.
Bill Smith noticed that the medicines given by the American doctor were not being taken and that they were going and lying on the roof getting v hot and them going into an air conditioned bedroom - so resulting in there situation getting worse A you can imagine what was said!!
They made a tape and sent it home to there wives who went to to Mr Jones Senior and played it - bad idly they accused Bill and myself of mistreating them and refusing them food!! Mr SJ Sernoir told the that he did not beloved it and suggested that they take it home and throw it in the back of the fire!!

All part of a Transport G M. Brief!!

I do not recognise the guy next to Yo Yo(oh what a character he was) any ideas??

Ken b

[deckboypeggy]

READING all the fantastic posts you are all posting as good as any book the stories are probably more interesting to outsiders ,ie me.
it makes me think how come we/i never had a CLUE WHAT YOU WERE ALL DOING .it must have been mostly word of mouth or local to ALDRIDGE TO GET POSTED OUT THERE.by choice i suspect…intrested in how the 5 and why they got sent home ,not pulling there weight ,■■?
you all must have and had good home lives or wives to let you go ,at that time i had 3 young boys i doubt my wife would have let me go money or no money as i had been away a lot before, however i do enjoy reading all the posts…

Were any of the lads ex military and able to cope better than others who had not been away, did it make any difference to the staying power .20 questions,sorry

[ronhawk]

Well !!! That’s more like it KB !! For one moment I thought we where running out of stories ? But the cup is still only 1/2 full , Charlie !! What can I say I never thought that this would even be mentioned the poor man has gone though Hell best left unsaid ,but our thoughts have always been sincere , the perils that could fall on any of us in the event of misfortune where shocked into our hearts on that awful day. KB you had some test to get through, That’s what GM,s are for, I personally had two Christmases in three years in Germany ,in the army this held me in good stead for my KSA experiences , Ron

[john_west]

Just watching the Virgin Atlantic programme. They’re talking about what people try and check in. Disbelief about a car engine.

We brought back, as I know from previous posts, you T/A guys did, some pretty ‘random’ (as my daughter would say) items.

I remember Peter Best complaining that his arms were like a gorilla’s. He had carried a Volvo door in one arm and a crankshaft in the other. His wife, Joyce, had followed with his suitcase! I certainly took a complete Scania 110 silencer and they are much bigger than you might think!

I once took back yeast and wine finings in my underwear and did not enjoy my trip through customs. I think I also had a TOTP video, which of course they watched right through while I waited, sweating. I never did it again, but we did have some excellent wine, made from grape juice, for the rest of the time I was there.

John

[john_west]

One memory nudges another!

When we were still living in the yard, Alan Newhouse, who owned Behring International and was setting up his joint venture with Ali Al Ghoson, Behring/Caravan, played a trick on a new arrival from America, Lacey English.

Lacey was an accountant. He had been in Vietnam, so wasn’t quite wet behind the ears, but…
Alan brought him from his long flight from America down to the yard. It would be about 9.00pm, and we were eating our dinner Al fresco in front of the previously mentioned ‘hut’.

Alan introduced us and then winked at me in the semi darkness ‘So John, if you can just show Lacey where his bunk will be, and I’ll leave you to it!’

I showed Lacey into our hut and said something like ‘well, ginger’s away at the moment, so I guess you can have his bed - might be a bit of a struggle if we’re all here at the same time…’

This Vietnam vet looked very close to tears!

Then we all laughed and Alan took him away to his air conditioned flat.

When Alan called next day, he looked a bit sheepish and apologised. He had of course realised that we really did live like that all the time!

He was going back to the States next day and asked if there was anything he could bring us back in recompense for a bad joke.

We said we’d like some tyre fitting equipment, since we seemed to do a lot of tyre changing!

He brought back, as excess baggage, several pieces. One of which was a heavy double handled bar, with a
Spoon like steel centre piece, which you sat on the edge of the tyre, then rammed the heavy sleeve down upon it. Sorry, bad description, but a bit like one of those things you use to hit fence posts home.

We all gave a ‘Oh, yeah, great!’ Response and he could see we were underwhelmed.

This tool was a revelation! It was easy to use and saved us hours! We raved about it. Whenever Alan was about and things weren’t going so well, he would say ‘let’s talk about the tyre iron!’

John

[deckboypeggy]

This story is as true as i can say ,never told to me personally ,however it was not denied, Mr adrian pulleyn[ pulleyn transport reading] Mr bob nedoma, right hand man ,supposedly,allegedly, used to take car racing tyres, as curled up hand luggage for james hunt car racing all over the world…

[ronhawk]

John , how sad is that !!! Talking about the tyre iron , bloody hell ,must have been hilarious !!! Trans Arabia The tyre iron would have been welcome !! The gang of lads on the hole where great , Sometimes there was issues that would surface and create a bit of friction , strength of character would be tested but that’s life , The chain on the fridge freezer with the lock was a laugh ,this had been over come ,they made an open link at the back the chickens where able to escape along side eggs & sausage , much to the amazement of the management , But hey life was tough out there what’s a chicken between friends ,nobody wanted the King Fizales buying from the local shops with your own money went across the grain ,the fry up on Tief was the ultimate that poor chicken got burnt to death ? This I know was one that had escaped from the locked freezer, Gogie Taffei Peter Jonnie all the lads going down the ice factory coming back with blocks of iceTo put in the trailer cooler boxes to keep the food fresh for there often solo long trips into the desert coast to coast ,and back ,Khamish and back ,the food was life giving ,brake downs where always on there minds in 45 deg they needed all the help they could get , including me I got food from them when on brake downs days away, this was the second thing to ask for ,water was of cause the first Ron

[ronhawk]

JD & TT slept in the same room as myself John and I needed to sleep being the mechanics after working hard in the day the drivers had a better time of it at that time ,well Mr perfect was always writing home to his wife late into the night I mean late , In doing this his side locker lamp was shining on to JDs. face who was in the middle This was annoying and went on, and on night after night ,John was asking him to turn the light out repeatedly so much so I to could not sleep , I don’t know whether TT was having fantasies about JD for Christ sake he had got a beard??!!! Har Har but I got so fed up with this i jumped out of bed and told him to turn the light out in a very quiet way ??Doing this I think the whole of the Villa was awakened ,well we all where then wide awake , next morning I sat directly opposite TT at breakfast and told him what I thought of his selfish attitude , there where times one had to take a stand , Ron

[kenb]

ronhawk:
JD & TT slept in the same room as myself John and I needed to sleep being the mechanics after working hard in the day the drivers had a better time of it at that time ,well Mr perfect was always writing home to his wife late into the night I mean late , In doing this his side locker lamp was shining on to JDs. face who was in the middle This was annoying and went on, and on night after night ,John was asking him to turn the light out repeatedly so much so I to could not sleep , I don’t know whether TT was having fantasies about JD for Christ sake he had got a beard??!!! Har Har but I got so fed up with this i jumped out of bed and told him to turn the light out in a very quiet way ??Doing this I think the whole of the Villa was awakened ,well we all where then wide awake , next morning I sat directly opposite TT at breakfast and told him what I thought of his selfish attitude , there where times one had to take a stand , Ron

Ron
And you would!! Strange Mr Perfect - I remember him being there for Christmas - he lay on his bed sulking!!

I must say we had 3 or 4 Xmas in Jeddah and they have been the bests xmas’s that we have ever had - with friends - parties every night for 2 weeks - great stuff - you can choose your friends but not family.

Ken b

[alantruck]

hi Ken I came out with John Ryder Ron Hinton Mike Lee alias Jack the hat the black guy from Alridge cant rember his name Jim Wells the ginger guy cant remember his name Bill Smith and another guy from Aldridge and Gogi I came from English/Dutch company Chettruck doing overland middle east do you remember the blue White Western Star I took it to Rihad their were three of use two doubles and a single later I did a lot to that Canadian mine place in the middle of nowhere
I lost have a lot of photos after various home moves after T/A I went all over for Ralph Davis I/e Russia Kasakstan and all over Europe 70 now still doing part time
regards Alan

[ronhawk]

Hi Alan I am trying to think of your face , if you are the lad I described some time back I do apologise ■■ Was that the White Freightliner you wrote about ,you know Ginger Taylor he had a dry sense of humour great lad , reading your long history i am very impressed !!! , who was the dart player we went to a club in Khobar and they could not get us of the board !! Dennis Purchase ?I hope you put a photo of yourself as you where ,Rarely on Friday we had a great meal at the Reziat Carvery going towards Khobar on the Right ■■ They had a very good English Chef roast beef and Yorkshire pud fantastic just like home cooking !!! Ron

Sent from my iPad

[kenb]

ronhawk:
Hi Alan I am trying to think of your face , if you are the lad I described some time back I do apologise ■■ Was that the White Freightliner you wrote about ,you know Ginger Taylor he had a dry sense of humour great lad , reading your long history i am very impressed !!! , who was the dart player we went to a club in Khobar and they could not get us of the board !! Dennis Purchase ?I hope you put a photo of yourself as you where ,Rarely on Friday we had a great meal at the Reziat Restaurant going towards Khobar on the Right ■■ They had a very good English Chef roast beef and Yorkshire pud fantastic just like home cooking !!! Ron

Sent from my iPad

Photo

An early picture TA104. Getting a wash - dave Anslow on the roof - Stan Brindley on the chassis and John Davis looking on.
The girls school playground across the road
Notice the plastic extra derv tank on top of the chassis - they eventually cracked

Ken b

Ok maybe not JD. Stand on the rear deck of the welled lowloader - so who us it looking all clean and showered??

Ken

[ronhawk]

KB. If that’s JD ? Has he had a shave,the photo was sent to me by Jona, Ron. The aerial photo may well have come from John Davies ?

[ronhawk]

Shipwrecked in the Desert John Davies !!! , this is it’s past a joke bring back the ladder will ya !!

[ronhawk]

Is that you Alan standing in the door way ? Charlie at his desk , Gogie , Mohamid ,Jimmy in the foreground , looks like Charlie is "double "checking the ? Wasie ,befor paying out the phallus ■■ !!! Check it out Ron

[kenb]

ronhawk:
Is that you Alan standing in the door way ? Charlie at his desk , Gogie , Mohamid ,Jimmy in the foreground , looks like Charlie is "double "checking the ? Wasie ,befor paying out the phallus ■■ !!! Check it out Ron

Interesting. I recognise the guy in the doorway - Alan Newton? - if not what’s his name? He was a chilled guy
The one you say is Mohamed our Brum accountant are you sure - didn’t realise he wore a thobe!!!? It could be Joseph A saltines side kick who use to call regular.
Good to see a picture of Charlie - he is retired and lives in Essex
Mohamed our very clever accountant ex British Leyland came to Jeddah to earn money to go to Cranfield Uni. Last I heard of him is that he had atop job in Esso America

Jimmy Wells - a great guy, always quite chilled and happy
Cheers

Ken

Must dig out my photos

[ronhawk]

Hi A-J I do like the look of this early roadster,and the the. ■■■■■■■ oil engine factory !! Gets me thinking ? Could I make ? a similar car with " Trans Arabia "painted on the bonnet , while I still have that get up go ■■? Ron

[kenb]

ronhawk:
Hi A-J I do like the look of this early roadster,and the the. ■■■■■■■ oil engine factory !! Gets me thinking ? Could I make ? a similar car with " Trans Arabia "painted on the bonnet , while I still have that get up go ■■? Ron

Hey Ron
Never mind TA on the bonnet lets just gave the car - yes please

The water wheel - interesting - I look after a working water mill in Cheshire - look up Bunbury water mill on the web - keeps me out of mischief
Just getting ready to spend the afternoon down there with visitors, although do not expect many today with the weather as it is.

Cheers

Ken b

[kenb]

ronhawk:
Shipwrecked in the Desert John Davies !!! , this is it’s past a joke bring back the ladder will ya !!

Getting ready for the run up to Al Quarashi’s site kilo 12 Medina Road with broom handles lifting the cables, if we couldn’t lift them - chop - that must have caused some issues for someone!!!

Ken b