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Move over Eddie Stobart..there's a new Eddie on the road..yes comedian, actor and master of whimsy Eddie Izzard who is using a truck to advertise his latest tour (or at least I think that's what it's doing). And you can find it on this website and post a commment too http://twitpic.com/mhbe3 Wonder who's doing the transport for the tour...? Something new for the Eddie spotters to look out for perhaps.....and no I don't have the list of girls' names on Stobart trucks---to get it you need to join the fan club on http://www.clubstobart.co.uk/  so quit asking me for it!

Fancy a bit of free publicity says BLB? As long as you can transport a 10-tonne ice bear sculpture to Copenhagen for free in return! The Ice Bear Project needs a lift and asks Biglorrryblog: "We are looking for a transport operator to help us haul an ice sculpture of a polar bear from the UK to Copenhagen for the United Nations Climate Change Conference this December. Given the organisations and individuals involved in this project, the transport operator will receive considerable publicity in return.  Please note the vehicle does not have to be refrigerated! Now click through here for more....and who to contact...

Need I say more...?

Ron Johl has sent me this selection from the recent Dorset Steam Fair and says: "Hello Brian , to start ,Watford's finest on show starting with Graham Booth's 1955 6x6 Constructor and the 1961 Super Constructor...

"...Followed by J Comber's 1957 Junior Constructor with it's original 11100cc. Leyland engine, only sprayed the week before the show so the Pickfords sign-writing will come later!

"Now for a Scammell Commander the one that took over from the Antar I believe there is only three Commander's in the country so who has the other two? Are the Jordanian ones still running?" Click through here for more!

Is it me... Or has anyone else noticed the uncanny resemblance between a Wirtgen W150F tracked road planer, seen here above being carried in fine style on a rather special Andover plant trailer... And a Jawa sandcrawler as featured in the first episode of Star Wars?

Are they in anyway related? And, more importantly, does Andover Trailers make a transporter for plant hauliersd who regularly carry a Jawa sandcrawler? I think we should be told. And now click on here for more!

Last one for tonight and congratulations to the two Biglorryblog readers who correctly identified 'Looking at the world through a windshield' as one of the tracks from the great album 'Hot Licks, Cold Steel and Truckers' Favourites' by Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airman. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm something of a lapsed Commander listener, as all of my CC&HLPA vinyl albums are tucked away somewhere. I must dig them out again as I'm quite fond of Mr Frayne and his boys AND I'm delighted to see that used copies are changing hands for over $80 as mine is in pretty good nick! Yarrroooow! Anyway it got me thinking as to what is the World's Greatest Truck Driving Song...and it's got to have at least some link to truck driving - not just something you like listening to when driving a truck. Would it be 'Six days on the Road' (Your choice of Dave Dudley or Taj Mahal)... Or how about Phantom 309? No doubt there'll be at least one vote for CW McCall's Convoy. Or back to the above album which also has 'Truck Drivin' Man' and 'Mama hated diesels' Why not the wonderful Jerry Reed's 'She got the gold-mine..I got the shaft!' Send your nomination as a comment to Biglorryblog... And then we can have a right good argument! And I'd be surprised if Dave Young didn't have a take on this!

"Hello," says david Morgan. "Sorry I don`t have a 'blog' but a plea----where on earth can I find an old copy ( any year 1959-1965 and literally any condition) of the 'ABC Goods Transport Guide'? I retired 5 years ago after 40+ yrs running a road haulage co. and we used to have this publication in the 60`s for drivers and we office staff to find return loads, etc. I have literally tried every avenue known to me from RHA, adverts in lorry mags, ebay, you name it....no success. They were replaced annually, so we always binned the old ones, hence I doubt any still exist .Now I`ve found yourr site I`m open to your suggestions. Best wishes David Morgan." Well can anyone help David--if so post up a comment.

Meanwhile I thought you'd like an early picture of Bob Tuck on patrol...and click through here for one more...

Following yesterday's post on truck stamps Martin P's mate Pete Connock has kindly supplied these Canadian examples from the early 1990s to Biglorryblog---I'm no philatelist but when they put the complete set togrther on a special envelope isn't this what they call a 'first-day cover?

Either way Martin says: "Brian, you' recognise the White Streamliner in Labatt's livery and the Hayes logger is the well known Hayes HDX sold to McMillan Bloedel in 1975. It was the last Hayes logger to be built and has been driven ever since by our good friend Steve Drybrough on Vancouver Island." And thanks to Pete for thinking of BLB--all contributions gratefully received! And why hasn't the Royal Mail isued any truck stamps..or has it? Click through for one more...

"Blog Meister," says 'The Boss' "What every truck driver deserves, I would be happy with it. The Boss." And praise indeed from the old curmudgeon though I wonder what truck he's have on his headstone... A Kenworth? Anyroadup here's a nice close up of the stone mason's handiwork...

Could that be a Merc?

Well I promised you an 'Only in Africa' story from Jerry Burley last night and here it is involving bridges that won't fall down and nasty things that bite (again). Anyway jerry starts off: "Lord Cockerill of the Sudan has returned from/to various bosoms, from the land of milk and honey and is again with us undead here in the Big Banana, a very hot and dry BB it must be said. His bridging loan is approaching maturity and he has sent me a short update, plus I thought we'd share a couple of recent acquisitions from mud island with you too."

"However, back in time first, to when the dinosaurs roamed free over the continent and monsters prowled the deep waters, for today's marine biology lesson. Five years ago a group of us toddled over the massive Congolese rainforests (in a 737 rather than in the manner that Livingstone used to move around, and its still a bloody long way even by plane!) to the capital of the DRC, Kinshasa, for a spot of ad-hoc, competitive sport fishing, as you do."

Not everyone's idea of the perfect holiday destination Kinshasa, it must be said, but then there was a good reason for the 'discomfort'. Namely to travel 100kms by powerboat up the mighty Congo River (the photo with the boats shows the other bank which is Congo Brazzaville - Kinshasa and Brazzaville are the world's closest capitals being just 5kms apart) to where the Black River joins it, to hunt the mighty Goliath Tiger in the land that time forgot. And that's one in the boat..." Now click through here for more...

Forget about April Fools day... This is for real! Word reaches Biglorryblog that truck salesman, Kenneth (Kenny) Moore of the Carlisle depot of Volvo Truck and Bus Centre North & Scotland casually informed his wife recently that he was going to the local Garden Centre. Naturally she was amazed and delighted at the news because Kenny is not a gardener at all, but - much to her dismay and the jubilation of his 'truck-mad' son, Joshua (10) - he returned home with an excellent new plant pot, as shown. Yes but is there any fuchsia in it asks Bigloryblog? (Ducking to avoid a flying flowerpot?)

I've had these shots kicking around on my desk top for a while and couldn't figure out why... Then suddenly realised they're screen grabs of 'wallpaper' from my chum Graeme at GBTruckPix (check out his site on www.gbtruckpix.com Nice selection too.)

Now click through here for one more...

There comes a time in every blogger's life when you just have to get away - even Biglorryblog (No! Say it isn't so I hear you cry.) Well it's true so for the next week or so I'll not be posting up stuff 'cos I'm heading North to the blue skies and seas and a proper 'Life of Brian.'.

Of course I'll have the camera with me and when Mrs BLB isn't looking I'll take the odd picture for the blog... But in the meantime Clutchslip, Will Shiers and Toby Clark have kindly offered to keep things 'ticking over... 'BUT HERE'S AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE I'd be grateful if regular contributors could either hold fire on sending in new stuff until I get back around July 8... Or just make sure that any stuff sent in has resized pictures. (Use Mircosoft picture manager and select 'web small'-size 448 x 336 - but DON'T forget that when you've re-sized a photo you DON'T then press 'save' but 'save as' and give the file another name - otherwise you'll permanently reduce the size of your original picture and end up cursing me! Worth having a play first on a picture that isn't valuable.

This would be much appreciated otherwise my in-box is likely to explode! See you all when I get back.

Biglorryblog is delighted to hear that Nikki King OBE, the no-nonsense, straight-talking ladyboss of Isuzu Truck (UK) (and the person who's done more to put Isuzu trucks on the map in Britain than anyone else) was awarded a PwC Lifetime Achievement Award at the First Women Awards in London last Thursday night. I spoke to her on the evening of the awards bunfight and in true form she told me 'I'm not going to win!' Well she has and that's that. The judges of the award, sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers, said she was a 'beacon of female talent' and provided 'an outstanding role model and leadership figure for women at every stage of their career'. To which BLB says I'll buy that! Good on you Nikki.

"HI BRIAN. OUT IN MALTA AGAIN" says Ashley 'The Malteaser' Lovering, " BUT WILL BE HOME FOR MY RUN ON THE 21ST. OUR FRIEND TONY IN MALTA IS NOT WELL AT THE MOMENT AND HAD A NASTY OP LAST WEDNESDAY. IF YOU CAN SEND A BIG BLB GET WELL I AM SURE HE WILL APPRECIATE IT.  THANKS ASH."

Well of course and from all of us at Biglorryblog we wish Tony Cauchi a speedy recovery on the George Cross Island! And to cheer him up here's one of his pictures featuring a Scammell having a 'busman's holiday.'

What was it that Norman Tebbit said about how his Dad 'got on his bike' during the 30s recession and looked for work. Well Jason Fruen (that's him on the right) took a similar DIY to finding a job - only with a 'sandwich board' - which ended up with him finding gainful employment (and a lot of publicity besides!) with a leading CV spares and replacement parts supplier. HGV Direct, whose Manchester branch is based on Warren Road in Trafford Park, offered Jason Fruen (40) a job as parts sales advisor after managing director Simon Smedley and his wife read about his story. And click through here to see what they story was!

Following my request for Biglorryblog readers to send me shots of their desktop wallpaper I've had this one sent to me by Rikki Chequer, community manager at TruckNet UK. "Hi Brian," he says, "As per your request for screen shots of desk top backgrounds, here is my current desktop, A 420 T cab before it was plated up to 65 tonnes It was used transporting road planers from job-to-job around the country, Surprisingly one of the reasons it was bought was for manoeuvrability in town centres, the Topliner Scanias he also had on the fleet had to have far longer trailers, with the T cab the long conveyor on the planers could sit over the top of the cab "a La" car transporters which meant a far shorter overall wheelbase.

I had this truck for a couple years before my then boss bought a 530 T cab. I should really drop down my old boss's yard and see if either of them are still running. Rikki." Nice truck (and Chris G, I haven't forgotten you desktops!)

Biglorryblog is impressed by the fact that Culina Logistics is supporting the British Limbless Ex Service men's Association (BLESMA) http://www.blesma.org/ by featuring the charity's logo emblazoned across one of its artics. Operating from the company's Milton Keynes site, the vehicle will cover around 100,000 miles a year as it travels the length and breadth of the country - raising awareness for the cause, whilst distributing food and drink products to major supermarket retailers. Now click through here for more...