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Today I found out about a book that charts a year that many of us will never forget. Called "Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century", it's by Christian Caryl, cites as evidence for it shaping the 21st century as it's when Deng Xiaoping began economic reform in China, when Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in Iran, when Russia invaded Afghanistan, the yanks teamed with Pakistan's ISI etc. to develop the Mujahedin, and when Pope John Paul II made his historic trip to Poland.
There were other pivotal events that year - he carelessly neglected to mention, for example, Carl Capstick meeting his wife and me meeting mine - but many of us were there when those middle three events were under way. Remember the T-shirts we had made at Goose's (I think they were Simon's idea, saying on the front "I ran, you ran, we all ran through Iran")?
I was also there for Pope John Paul II's trip to Poland. We were on one side of the road and the campsite was on the other. In between were thousand of excited Poles lining the route, and after the Pope went by we got through on to that road to drive up to the campsite a bit further along.
The Sundowners coach was cheered and given the V for Victory sign almost as if we were the Pope himself! Luckily, over years of practice I had perfected the Royal Wave. I wish I had taken some pictures; some of the punters did.
It was during a Russian Scandy; I think Derek Saville was the driver on that one, but it may have been Fingers.
I had almost forgotten that until that book reminded me. The book could be well worth a read, because even if 1979 wasn't the birth of the 21st century, it sure was a pivotal year for most of us!
Mike
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Mike,
I used to have one of the T- Shirts re Iran. Well, when you were part of what happened in 1979 I had to have one.
Col
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This post was updated on .
"Not guilty your honour", I wish I had one of those T shirts thats about my only connection.
I was doing a tour (I have a recollection that it was a Saturday) with a local (lady) guide around the place in Turkey near the Iran border that had people living in holes in unusual formations created by erosion, the name is on the tip of my tongue but my memory for names has never been great. Anyway, about half the way through I heard a noise comming from the motor which I new wasn't good and we headed to the nearest village to find accommodation which turned out to be fairly basic. I discovered the problem, the compression ring on number five piston had broken and together with some of the piston side had ended up on top of the piston and was being squashed into the top of the piston ( I am guessing that some may have found its way out of the cylinder via the exhaust valve). I pulled the piston out in the afternoon and I have fond memories of a very enjoyable evening with new relationships being entered into. But I digress, next morning I went to "Ralph's" workshop, you know the one with the big blue gate/door and to my great excitment it was full of gleeming German machining equipment and with in four hours (with some encouragement) "Ralph had welded the pistion into a big "blob" and machined it back to the correct size including new ring groves (to suit MAN rings - they were all we had at hand) and by late Sunday I had the engine going again.
Before relaxing, I rang "Mr Dick" in London to inform him that I had lost a couple of days but was underway again, he was very understanding and just before the conversation was about to conclude he mentioned that the Shar had left Iran on the Saturday! FZXKWDNYUKJDH WHAT? I had some Americans on board and two of them were well over sixty. Bloody hell , this calls for some stress management! Next morning (with a good hangover) I rounded up the troops and after a brief "briefing" we headed for the border( can I now claim that I was the first coach into Iran after the Shar left?), the scene was ugly with all my favourate Iranian border officals gone, replaced with military personnel who were armed "to the teeth".
That was the shortest length of time I spent in Iran, I took one look at the map and headed for the Caspian Sea and took the shortest route to Herat, so I can say I definately "ran through Iran".
Photos of Titanic #5 piston before and after have been posted.
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I remember the T-Shirt well and may well have one in the dark depths of my trunk. Will have a lok when I return to NZ and if so will bring to Coolangatta.
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Locked
