TruckFest 2009




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Originally uploaded by benners10

Here we are i’m back. Be prepared for an influx of Truckfest pics over the next week or so. Show was quite good, standard of trucks was pretty high. Here is my little wagon, she looked well i have to say and she had lots and lots of interest, i reckon i could have been a contender for most photographed truck! including on the road on the way to and from!!

Off to Scandinavia for Easter




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Originally uploaded by benners10

Matt O last week on Good Friday, just about to leave for Immingham. He sailed on Saturday morning Immingham to Gothenberg. Drove round to Stavanger, Norway for Delivery first thing Tuesday. He then ran empty across to Kristineham, Sweden to reload Wednesday morning. Back to Gothenberg for Wednesday evening for ship back to Immingham and back to our yard this morning. Nice little weeks work and avoided the easter egg hunts and family photos i had to endure over the weekend!!

Astran – Dick Snow

Some of you may know some of you may not, that my Uncles brother-in-law was Dick Snow of Astran / Middle East 70’s fame. He was among the first to go to the ME for Astran, his first trip was 13th December 1968. He went on to become a well known figure on the ME run during its peak period. Their are some great references to him in the books Cola Cowboys and Danger – Heavy Goods. I have regular contact these days with his widow, Cathy Snow she is my Uncles Sister, but  my uncle married my dad’s older sister, there fore Dick is no blood relation, shame!

Any way Cathy has been asked over the years by many journalists and writers for pictures and the like, so these days doent have much left, except her own private collection of photos and letters. She has been kind enough to give me a few photos and see some others. She has also been kind enough to give me a couple of his actual diaries, One being his first trip to Iran in 1968. They are great books to read as they are day by day accounts of what was happening. Also the diary is full of notes, phone numbers and names, they really are priceless and part of the ME history. I wanted to post a few of my favourite pictures on here but i would ask you all not to copy them, i never usually ask this of my pictures, so hopefully in this one case you’ll respect my decision.

 

30th Birthday Cake!

Originally uploaded by benners10

 

So there was me thinking what a lovely meal we had at a posh restraunt, none of this silly cake or singing malarky, when over my shoulder appears this work of art! How smart is that for a marbelled chocolate sponge cake. Hand made by my cousins wife, Michelle Oliver. She is a cake maker but even so to build my truck into such a good replica was a great surprise. If anyone wants a cake similar to this they cost between £50 and £150 usually, but if you email me at ben@truckblog.co.uk  i will put you in touch.
Thanks to the wife for a great cake and whole birthday as it goes, i couldn’t have asked for more, it was a pitty to cut it up but oooo it does taste nice!!