Ah yes , I remember Bernie Thompson…
There was a fella by the name of Leo as well , from the Midlands but spoke fluent French , think he lived in Normandy. He’d be long gone now I’d say.
Just one more thing ( as Columbo used to say 
) … What’s your name sir?
Thanks all for the posts lads 
Stroker 156 DOT:
Baldrick,
No our paths would not have crossed at PBC, as I was involved from early sixties to 1973 when I resigned and moved to Penzance. I suspect you drove a K or L reg Mandator day cab which were purchased new by PBC, the original driver probably being Ray Marden from Warminster.
I notice you reside in the Republic a place we had strong connections with as we pulled constantly for Bert Allen of Slaney Meat Co from Enniscorthy to Europe. I guess you were not involved in this work.
Regards,stroker.
GOW 78L was my Mandator when I joined PBC, shipped out with Jim Bailey & Scorey P on my first trip to Amiens with rubber ex ISR loaded at Yatesbury, back then the ferry from Poole could only take 12 drivers the rest were flown out from Hurn by Aurigney air services from Alderney. On those ferry crossings I learnt the words Bien Quie which meant well done else you had your steak still breathing. Later in life Frank Allen was my immediate neibour but he is now moving to France for his final years, he was born in 1929 so is getting on a bit now but still drives a car.
Talking about Pat if you had to work with PBC you would need a big hammer, there trailers were crap and oxy/settaline kit would not have gone amiss especially if you had a strip out. Baily & Scorey got me ■■■■■■ on my first trip on caffe calva’s and remember Mr P opening the door of my cab and me sliding out on to the verge as no sleeper cabs, you were perched on a board across the engine tunnel, what joy’s International driving was back then.
As for Bernie Thompson he came and rescued me once from Toulouse when my Mandator engine seized up and as was mentioned he had a Berliet LHD he had driven through Thursday night bobtail, we tipped the sheep skins in Mazamet loaded my truck but he was done for so he let me drive with him in the bunk and it was not long before he was soundo, never driven a LHD before but managed it without incident, when he awoke about 9am we were well up through France on route for Cherbourg which pleased him as he had a date that night with I think Marie from the ferry booking office whom I think he ended up marrying, someone will know.
Also the PBC office manager George Osmond no longer with us but apparently his son still runs a truck wash in Cherbourg, weren’t one there when I first went, also remember going bobtail to a restaurant about 10 ks out on the RN13 run by a husband and wife, three daughters and a son who served you, he did excellent rugnions in a crème sauce (kidneys) oh those lazy, hazy Mary Hopkin’s memories. cheers Buzzer.
Some good memories there JD…
I drove '78 L too for a while…
Was " Tinker " in the office when you were there? I never knew his real name.
I think I must have joined after you left. I started there in 1976 after a year with Lamberts.
One of the first drivers I met was a fresh faced lad from Stubbington… Keith something or other… Clapson was it?? Or Dapson?? Can’t remember , but think he might of had a far better looking brother who went on to become a living legend…
He might make himself known…
Frank has made a good age eh.
Bailey J and Scorey P led many astray… 
Cheers now. Balders.
Baldrick1953:
Some good memories there JD…
I drove '78 L too for a while…
Was " Tinker " in the office when you were there? I never knew his real name.I think I must have joined after you left. I started there in 1976 after a year with Lamberts.
One of the first drivers I met was a fresh faced lad from Stubbington… Keith something or other… Clapson was it?? Or Dapson?? Can’t remember , but think he might of had a far better looking brother who went on to become a living legend…He might make himself known…
Frank has made a good age eh.
Bailey J and Scorey P led many astray…
Tipped 78L upside down coming out of an old mill at the back of Taunton after spending four hours loading afore mention sheep skins bound for Mazamet, I know it sounds stupid but I was so excited at shipping with the load as that was a long way down into France, all new to me back then. All the oil ran out of the engine and took ages to clean up but ■■■■■■ my homemade curtains with stretch wire hangers. Tinker and the two fitters were despatched with another unit and trailer plus new batteries, anyways after a day struggling to tranship from one trailer to another and retrieving skins from up birch tree’s and floating in the stream Tinker was despatched to the local job center and returned with some rather unwilling cash in the hand helpers but we overcame and 78L was driven back to the yard and tidied up and I shipped out Sunday with said load, she stared getting hot around Bordeaux and I kept stopping to top up the water but in the end she just seized and I got towed into a garage in Toulouse where they stripped the heads which were cracked and Frank decided because of cost to bring it home for repair hence the tale before with Bernie.
After the following week spent in the workshop polishing the cab and painting the bumper I sloped off early on the Friday, Tinker was sent to find me at four thirty but I was long gone and then they rang me and told me don’t come Monday your fired, not bad when you got £35 a week all in no nights out either, a real learning curve that one cheers Buzzer.
The 1 thing that sticks out here to me is that taking a Mandator day cab down to the South of France just seemed normal , could you imagine doing it now ? It really was a different job then and a different class of drivers
Hi Ramone…
It did seem normal to me and others at the time I suppose, and don’t forget there were plenty doing hard miles in Mandators and the like in the UK…
It was a time of transition in the early 70’s . The big swedes were coming on stream and the continent was opening up to hauliers.
It was quite difficult to get on a decent outfit with decent tackle without experience unless you got a lucky break or a shoo in . I was always being told “come back when you have a bit more under your belt” , but that was the catch. How did you get it? I was 23 at the time with 2 years experience on Atkinsons and General haulage but desperate to get onto European work.
PBC were the answer at the time , they were willing to give you a go . The money was low and the equipment was old and unreliable but it got you over the Channel and you were getting that sought after experience. Driving old unreliable motors , without power steering , dodgy braking and an often over heavy trailer behind you up and down various cols does concentrate your mind and learn you a good few lessons. When I progressed fairly quickly onto a left ■■■■■■ Berliet with more than 6 gears a comfy bunk and Telma, I was in seventh heaven!
I went on from there and over the next three decades was to drive some excellent motors for many different companies , some from new , but none could beat that feeling I had back then in '76. As someone said previously , " if only you could bottle it ". How true.
Buzzer mentioned the excitement of an upcoming trip and an unfortunate mishap.
In all the hundreds of trips I made , to whatever country , I never lost that buzz of heading for the dock , changing up your money and " Shipping Out " …
All the best,
Balders.
Baldrick1953:
Hi Ramone…It did seem normal to me and others at the time I suppose, and don’t forget there were plenty doing hard miles in Mandators and the like in the UK…
It was a time of transition in the early 70’s . The big swedes were coming on stream and the continent was opening up to hauliers.
It was quite difficult to get on a decent outfit with decent tackle without experience unless you got a lucky break or a shoo in . I was always being told “come back when you have a bit more under your belt” , but that was the catch. How did you get it? I was 23 at the time with 2 years experience on Atkinsons and General haulage but desperate to get onto European work.
PBC were the answer at the time , they were willing to give you a go . The money was low and the equipment was old and unreliable but it got you over the Channel and you were getting that sought after experience. Driving old unreliable motors , without power steering , dodgy braking and an often over heavy trailer behind you up and down various cols does concentrate your mind and learn you a good few lessons. When I progressed fairly quickly onto a left ■■■■■■ Berliet with more than 6 gears a comfy bunk and Telma, I was in seventh heaven!
I went on from there and over the next three decades was to drive some excellent motors for many different companies , some from new , but none could beat that feeling I had back then in '76. As someone said previously , " if only you could bottle it ". How true.Buzzer mentioned the excitement of an upcoming trip and an unfortunate mishap.
In all the hundreds of trips I made , to whatever country , I never lost that buzz of heading for the dock , changing up your money and " Shipping Out " …All the best,
Balders.
I suppose 10 years earlier you would have been driving a top notch motor if you had a Mandator,i did very little continental work but can understand why so many enjoyed it ,I never wanted to go but coming home I would think it wasn’t so bad but would never admit it because I would be out to Italy every week , I liked my weekends too much but everyone to their own , its still great reading others experiences though
JohnAnthonyBuckley:
Hi Gents
I recall when they started to move the bottom of the Corniche to make way for the downward section of the autoroute, and dumped it in the sea to made another runway at Nice Airport. There was an article on it in one of the trade mags at the time. The tonnage ran into fantastic figures, and they used blue Saviem tractor units
Like these … 
Hi Fergie47
Yes, exactly like those ha ha - brilliant! It coincided with the days when I was the proud (nay, confused) operator of a Saviem 240 reg HYB 421N (no, not even 240bhp as it turns out, it was circa 205bhp), replete with column change and warped cylinder head, I carried a spare head gasket kit under the bunk and was on first name terms with many a Saviem/Renault dealer workshop manager throughout France, and the odd one in Italy wherever they could be found.
Great pictures - did you take them in passing?
John
JohnAnthonyBuckley:
Hi Fergie47Yes, exactly like those ha ha - brilliant! It coincided with the days when I was the proud (nay, confused) operator of a Saviem 240 reg HYB 421N (no, not even 240bhp as it turns out, it was circa 205bhp), replete with column change and warped cylinder head, I carried a spare head gasket kit under the bunk and was on first name terms with many a Saviem/Renault dealer workshop manager throughout France, and the odd one in Italy wherever they could be found.
Great pictures - did you take them in passing?
John
Hello John…
Pictures are via a French friend, if you like the French wagons go to the Saviem thread, there’s a few on there …
Had a Saviem on demo, liked it, but in the end went for a second hand F89, think it was a wise choice, Although the Saviem cab was roomier and more comfortable, if it had the V8 in it…then perhaps !!
Yes, the walk through floor made for a roomy cab for sure. The bunk was pretty good too. I had the REALLY GOOD IDEA that if I swapped the 10.00 x 20 drive tyres for 12.00 x 20’s…
Long story short, 87mph top end, struggled on the slightest gradient even when empty, and the 300kms flat stretch from Aix up to the Isodrome services, when the Mistral blew, was mainly traversed at a sedate 40 - 50 kms, 4th low, windows open to let the heat and noise out.
I think you made the right choice…
John
jmc jnr:
The first time I went that way we ended up in Monaco with an Ergo AEC Mandator. The Law ecorted us out - without a fine - up out to the Grand Corniche. Some of the bends took 2 or 3 shunts. Until there was Veterinary Inspectors based at Aosta, Menton / Ventimiglia was our way into Italy with chilled beef.The Motorway finished at Nice, probably before, but was opening stage by stage. Too many birthdays to remember the route clearly but it was a long way round and we had to cross northern Italy to get to our first drop - Aviano up close to the Yugo border. Jim.
Yes I remember the border parked up with other Wyatt drivers awaiting customs and walking into the village to eat and have a drink.I think it was easier than the later Aosta fiasco
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Hi Dallan. Yes I agree, you will remember the stampede to get to the exit barrier at Aosta Autoporto at T Form ‘release time’ , circa 5pm ish. Midday clearances were not too bad, as I recall. Monday / Tuesday was manic for livestock from Holland, there was a Dutch outfit with green Scania triple decker pig/sheep trailers that used to take over the exit en masse. Some animal welfare crew made a tv programme where they shadowed one (a 141, i recall) non stop/ double shifted from Holland to southern Italy. I cannot recall exact a to b, but it was big news at the time. I recall the driver, on shift, being filmed taking several cold beers at the Aosta Autoporto while playing the one armed bandits, then cracking on down thu the Piedmonte valley as the sun arose. Back to the ‘Vent’ though, we used to clear on the side of the road below the Autostrada, until one trip i found a customs park had been opened up, about half the size needed, on the right, complete with a log cabin afrair as a ristorante. Great pasta ragu / mezzo di vino rosso for 5000lire. One ‘scopero’ day, so the usual excesses were indulged in as we did in those days, a Smiths of Scotter Vatican Mac / flatbed driver fell foul of the Dogana, i can see him now being dragged up the stairs to their office by 2 of their finest, he was clinging onto the metal stair rail and they could not get him to let go. All in a days work. John
JohnAnthonyBuckley:
Hi Dallan. Yes I agree, you will remember the stampede to get to the exit barrier at Aosta Autoporto at T Form ‘release time’ , circa 5pm ish. Midday clearances were not too bad, as I recall. Monday / Tuesday was manic for livestock from Holland, there was a Dutch outfit with green Scania triple decker pig/sheep trailers that used to take over the exit en masse. Some animal welfare crew made a tv programme where they shadowed one (a 141, i recall) non stop/ double shifted from Holland to southern Italy. I cannot recall exact a to b, but it was big news at the time. I recall the driver, on shift, being filmed taking several cold beers at the Aosta Autoporto while playing the one armed bandits, then cracking on down thu the Piedmonte valley as the sun arose. Back to the ‘Vent’ though, we used to clear on the side of the road below the Autostrada, until one trip i found a customs park had been opened up, about half the size needed, on the right, complete with a log cabin afrair as a ristorante. Great pasta ragu / mezzo di vino rosso for 5000lire. One ‘scopero’ day, so the usual excesses were indulged in as we did in those days, a Smiths of Scotter Vatican Mac / flatbed driver fell foul of the Dogana, i can see him now being dragged up the stairs to their office by 2 of their finest, he was clinging onto the metal stair rail and they could not get him to let go. All in a days work. John[/quoteGreat memories of a meal in the Aosta village.Myself,wife,son Andrew and a bunch of Armstrongs drivers.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
