#ThrowbackThursday; Nolans New Ross

 

Good morrow one and all, hope this #ThrowbackThursday finds everyone well. Nolan’s are the subject of today’s. Like me Dad always wanted to try his hand at European work. He’d done the odd trip but that was it, so when Nolan’s came calling he jumped at chance. 1998. Ended up being longest job he ever had, we Vernon’s get bored easily, and he loved it. Back then Nolan’s were one of South Wales biggest employers when it came to drivers! It was nearly all British drivers. It’s funny, and not a little infuriating when people attack the Eastern European’s who come here to work as they aren’t doing anything us Brits haven’t done before on an industrial scale.. Same at HSF, Nijmegen was nearly all British drivers.

Anyhow this was my first trip to Italy. Having a Fiat Panda obsession (still am) and a subscriber to Auto Italia magazine Italy was top of my must visit list. It didn’t disappoint, it’s a fantastic country and became one of my favourite runs at Virginia. This pic was taken at Courmayer I think just before Mont Blanc tunnel. She had been running rough and gutless a few days and Dad had been regularly cleaning filters (he was a mechanic before driver).

On the run up to Turin from coast we were like a rolling roadblock it was so slow! But made it we did in our little Mercedes 1838. As I’ve always thought when things go wrong it makes makes for better memories than everything going to plan!

As you know I ended up working for Nolans myself, but just on UK Ireland work. They have a bad name and they certainly earned it when talking law but as employers they were decent and easy (mostly) to work with, many Welsh lads had been there many years. After this he got what is probably my favourite ever truck of his, the 1850 SK with slightly revamped looks. His last truck was a 1848 MegaSpace Actros which he loved too.

Since then me and Dad have followed each other round job wise. Nolan’s, agency, HSF, Virginia, Mansel Davies. He’s a good case in point about being away when you’ve kids. He was often away but when he wasn’t and was home he was/is (he’s still with us!) a brilliant Dad and as adults we’re so very close as are my brother and sister. It’s not about how much you’re there, it’s about the quality of time you give your children when you are.

Have a great rest of week all.

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