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Easter Convoy 2006
Count-down for the Easter 2006 convoy is over, the two 40 tonners and one 7.5 tonne truck left on Wednesday 5 April. Meanwhile, the rest of the convoy, including the fire tender, left on Friday 7 April with their first stop at Maidstone to have their CBs fitted. A HUGE "thanks" to everyone at Maidstone Radio Club for their assistance in making sure everyone could keep the communication channels open. All trucks had been loaded up the previous day with all the kind donations from you and generous companies throughout the UK. Everyone would, if all went according to plan, meet up on Sunday evening.

Editors note - Each Truck is referred to by a name to distinguish between each vehicle when talking on CB radio. On this convoy the trucks were as follows:-
7.5 tonne trucks - Robin Hood, Bay Leaves, Naughties 'n' Nice, Sussex Freemasons, Nibsy, Two Taffs and Culture Club
40 tonne - Big Mother and Late Entry.
Fire Engine - Hot Stuff

Thursday, 6 April 2006 - As mentioned above, they were off and the first daily bulletin was in on Thursday 6 April, 4.38 pm; 'Nibsy', 'Late Entry' and 'Big Mother' (all CB names) were all in good order. Big Mother was stopped by the German Police, they made everyone tidy up and tighten their loads and then wished them good luck. Now approaching the Czech border.
For Charles Storer, Thursday was a paperwork day - and didn't finish that well with a phone call at 4.00 pm from Tom Conlin to say that Naughties 'n' Nice had a problem with their insurance. The company who had originally agreed to insure them informed them that they couldn't get hold of the underwriter, all with less than 24 hours to go. After some frantic phone calls, Charles managed to get things sorted out through our other main insurers; cover notes were faxed through with a promise that the green card would be either posted first class or couriered to him by 9.00 am Friday morning.
Friday, 9 April 2006 - The day dawned, 9.00 am came and went, but the card didn't arrive. (It subsequently transpired that it had been held in the companies post room overnight!)
Alan Beckwith to the rescue, (Super Hero #1). After more phone calls, Alan came to the rescue and offered/agreed to have his arm twisted to make a detour on his way from Wales to Maidstone by way of Horsham in Essex, where he picked up the relevant documents and resumed his journey to Maidstone where they were duly handed over to the crew.
Things seemed to getting back to plan, with crews meeting the guys from Maidstone Radio Club having their CBs fitted and checked out, and then resuming their journey to Dover. But life being life (on a convoy) things didn't stay that way and the local Maidstone services car parking attendant appeared with a demand for a £30.00 payment as the trucks had overstayed the three hour maximum stay. Charles explained politely that although a few 'trucks' had been there for a little more than three hours, they weren't the same trucks, and they were coming and going in convoy. After much friendly banter, the car park attendant left, without his £30.00 but with a prescription for ear drops!!! (Jobsworth!!)
Meanwhile Coxy's dulcet tones could be heard over the CB airwaves saying he had been dealing with a slight problem with his wing mirror. It turned out the slight problem was the total loss of his wing mirror, which had been torn off, including the mounting arm, by a tree that just jumped out and grabbed him! Fortunately a new mirror was being fitted and Coxy recommenced his journey to Dover, joining the rest as they entered the Western Docks Customs facility.
The next voice to be heard over the airwaves was Alan's. The conversation went something like "Chas I've just realised the green card I've got isn't green - it's a photocopy"!! Chas (with practised diplomacy and mastery of his patience) explained that would cause a slight problem - the truck wouldn't be allowed on the continent without an original green card.
In stepped John Desty (Super Hero #2) - please read his account of the events below.
With everyone safety arrived at Dover, and all relevant paperwork now in place, ferry tickets were purchased. Unfortunately the earliest crossing now available was the 10.10 pm, meaning the crews wouldn't get to Calais until 12.30 am, so the plan was to get off the ferry and find somewhere close by to bed down for the night.
As you can see, it was a fun packed day. Meanwhile, to add insult to injury, by 9.00 pm the front runners were comfortably settled in a bar in Hungary enjoying a well earned drink.
Super Hero #2's account of the green card incident
3pm Friday. "I received a call from Chas asking if I was bored! A quick explanation revealed that one of the trucks needed a green card insurance document which was at Abacus Trucks in Ferndown, Dorset. The convoy was in Dover but couldn't move until they had the document - could I help?? As I had an appointment at 4.00 pm, I telephoned Charles Lewry (Super Hero #3) and he kindly agreed to drive to Ferndown from Chandlers Ford, pick up the document and deliver it to me at home.
4.40 pm Charles duly arrived on my doorstep with the document after being held up in traffic in the New Forest. Grabbing a bottle of water and a bar of chocolate(!!), I jumped into the car to begin a 150 mile journey up the M3 and M25 to Dover. Meanwhile, the convoy was waiting around at Dover docks. Very heavy Friday afternoon rush hour traffic on the M25 delayed my predicted 2½ hour journey. M20 was clear so could make up time - hopefully no speed cameras!
7.45pm Arrived Dover Eastern Docks to find that the convoy had already passed through passport control and was in the area of the P&O pay booths with security fencing between us. How could I get to them? I explained the situation to the dock staff who advised me to drive in to the docks, through passport control (thankfully not stopped) and follow the heavy trucks.
7.55pm A quick phone call to Bev established that I was in close proximity to the convoy, so I parked up and made my way across on foot and met Bev. Document handed over - mission accomplished! But how to get out of the security area? After conversations with P&O staff, I was told to join the back of a queue of vehicles waiting to buy their tickets to France and try to explain to the ticket booth staff that I really wasn't supposed to be here and that I didn't really want to go the France. I was eventually given an exit pass and told how to get out of the compound. The ticket booth barrier was raised and I drove out only to find the convoy parked up buying their tickets. I naturally stopped and said hello to all the bored and frustrated guys and girls. It seemed they couldn't get on a ferry until 10.30 pm but spirits were high and they were all looking forward to the long journey ahead.
8.30pm I said goodbye and made my way out of the docks (taking a wrong turn and ending up in the customs shed where I had to go through all my explanations again and convince them I hadn't just come from France!). Left Dover for the journey home wishing I was going the other way with the convoy.
11.05pm Arrived home tired and thinking that I could lay-in in the morning but I bet the convoy would be up and moving before 6.00 am!!
Just a typical day in the life of a Hope and Aid Direct volunteer!!!!"
Saturday, 8 April 2006 - Thankfully a fairly uneventful day. The crews stopped just outside Calais at 2.00 am and left again 8.30 am. Still on the road at 8.30 pm, but approaching the Czech border, with the plan to stay at Plzen for the night (approximately another 1½ hours away). No incidents today. The 40 tonners were at Szeged, on the Hungarian border, enjoying the sun.
Sunday, 9 April 2006 - The convoy left Plzen at 8.20 am after a greasy spoon breakfast. Good driving weather today. 'Naughties 'n' Nice' had problems with the hydraulics on the tail lift. This was sorted out by strapping up the tail lift. 'Culture Club' came to their rescue by using their tail lift to life 'Naughties'! 'Robin Hood' had fuse problems, but these were now all sorted out. Still trucking on way to meet the 40 tonners and 'Nibsy' at the Hungarian border. ETA 11.00 pm for goulash and beer. Cheers! 10.45 pm - Main convoy met up with the 40 tonners - all one convoy now. A sweep stake was run the on arrival time and Coxy won. Well done.
Monday, 10 April 2006 - A good day, with everyone leaving at 8.40 am, 20 Km from the Hungarian border, where they crossed at Tompa. Typically the old East European bureaucracy kicked straight in on arrival at the border with a most officious police or road transport check of all vehicles. Vehicle documents including Green Cards were checked most thoroughly and Chas was hugely relieved that everyone had the right papers until all of a sudden tachometer discs were being studied! The previous day's tacho discs were required! Oh dear! - Once again, with his usual diplomacy and tact, (not to mention a little inventiveness) Chas pointed out to the nice policeman that when doing a little 'light dusting' and cleaning of her cab the night before, all the tacho discs of the entire journey for that truck had been inadvertently thrown out! (Mentioning no names!) "You must pay!" In fact, one or two had to pay! This had to be done at a local Post Office within one month, so as the trucks were all now inside the police control area, it was decided to do so when returning from Kosovo. (Another Jobsworth!)
The rest of the routine border crossing bureaucracy took nearly all day to complete, and the convoy finished the crossing at 4.20 pm. A bonus was the news that there was no need to clear customs in Serbia at Nis this (for the first) time, just in Kosovo. All now parked up at 8.47 pm, 169 Km from the Kosovan border. A good days' driving. As a PS, the fire tender was going great guns, no problems on that front.

Tuesday, 11 April 2006 - All arrived safely after starting out at 8.30 am. The day had an interesting start with the typical 'toilet lady' who expected to be paid for attending to the toilets at the petrol station; this particularly unpleasant woman spoke no English and shouted constantly, trying to block anyone from entering the toilet without first paying to do so. This wouldn't have been a problem if the facilities were spotless, but alas this was very far from reality. Chas on this occasion, slightly less than his usual, diplomatic self, tried to encourage the lady to view the offending areas of the facility, and eventually had to be quite noisy himself in getting her to move aside and let others in. (Desperation to use the facilities was evident on some male faces!)
The third of four road toll points on the motorway from Belgrade to Nis was the source of further blood pressure increases for Chas, as yet another 'Jobsworth' identified a problem! Each of the toll booth areas had received a list of the convoy vehicles sent through in advance by the Serbian Embassy in London via Belgrade Ministry of Transport, to request their support and free road use. The letter included a list of all vehicles and registration numbers. …… one of which had none too untypically been changed by the hire company at the last minute! Each of the preceding booth operators had either realised the problem, or not noticed, but this guy was not having it! Chas's quiet demeanour changed slightly when confronted by a fist with a piece of paper being held inches from his face, and in what was becoming a shouting spectacle with police onlookers, the toll booth boss was called. Fortunately, he clearly wanted to just move the trucks to clear his quarter mile of backed up motorway, and said something like 'do be a good chap and let these folks through'!

The convoy arrived at the Merdare border at 1.00 pm, with a quick crossing. A bird flu trough, filled with water and liquid that looked more lethal than the bird flu itself, was to attract a charge of €5 per truck! Chas, once again exercising exemplary constraint pointed out that the trucks were there at the invitation of the UN, and the charge was waived! The convoy then proceeded through to the UNMIK border, (ie from the Serbian side through 'no mans land' to the Kosovan side) where the trucks were sealed by the UN and driven on to clear customs in Pristina.
Eventually, the trucks were all cleared by 4.00 pm, but there were problems with getting the fire tender cleared until the chief of customs had signed the documents. Chas decided that no one would leave until the fire tender was cleared, for fear that this could be the start of unacceptable bureaucracy and departure was eventually delayed until 6.30 pm, when the chief of customs was eventually found in Pristina and asked to sign the relevant letter.

The only challenge now was the parking fee, which by now had amounted to a staggering €350. In true convoy tradition a dramatic exit was made which naturally caused chaos, but everyone was pleased to have saved €350. (Rather more than the £30 the convoy was asked to pay in Maidstone for an equally short stay!)

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