Stobart Fest, Manchester 26/05/12

An Example of a Super Leage Fridge
Trailer With Scania H6563 PE12PZJ

Ok Ok, Its not bus realated... really but as well as Buses, Trains, Trams & Coaches my other hobbies are Trucks and Eating... The latter i'm doing now, For those unaware Eddie Stobart are the biggest haulage company in the UK making a delivery every 10 seconds. There big Green and Red monsters can be found on most motoways and on avrage you will pass a Stobart Truck every 4 minutes on a trip down the Motoway ! Overtime Stobarts have gained a massive spotters and fan group and last year they held there own Stobart Fest. Simaler to Truck Fest but with Stobart. Stobart Fest boasts drivers from the every popular TV seriers Eddie Stobart Trucks & Trailers includings Mark Dixon, Tim Fox & Ashley Maddocks who are 3 of the most well known drivers working for the company.

Me Sat with Ray Broad, Top bloke
And drives this top Truck, Debby

Stobart Fest also shows the best trucks up close and is a good day out for anyone remotely intrested. Stobart Fest took place over the weekend of 26/27 May 2012 at the Manchester City Football Ground in Manchester. The event was extremly good at catering for everyone who might have wanted to attend it. The Event wasn't on grass which can cause issues in wet weather with mud and sinking vehicles. I was very impressed that Stobart had cated for the elderly and disabled with the trucks persitioned around seating in the middle where visiters could sit and rest. The event layout was very good and was a perfect example of Stobart Groups style where everything is perfect, right or changed !. The Stobart Shop was a very popular area with one big que however it wasn't half as big as ques to meet drivers Mark Dixon and Ashley Maddocks. These streched the full lenth of the event. The Weather was perfect and could not have been better, Even managed to get a slight tan. Yes it was Manchester not Majorca ! I only managed to see one very small, Odd cloud during my day at the event, More water came from me in sweat form waiting in line for the Stobart Shop then anywhere else. Shortly after arriving at Stobart Fest i managed to meet Ed Stobart :D. I wasn't too botherd at this event about meeting every driver but more so taking pics of every truck and getting my hands on Model Scania Topline H3831 to which i was succsessful at doing. I also managed to meet drivers Ray Broad who i have met before at Barlborough (Tesco RDC Chesterfield) and also Driver Mick Leech who i do like from the Trucks & Trailers TV Seires. Some Trucks in attendance where:


Driver Mark Ashurst Standing busy
with Tanker H6363



H4700    S708ART    Debby
H4500   PX10DJV     Pheobe Grace
F1484    M26 RKY    Teletubby
F1500    VX08HWH  Bettina
-------     T1NKM       Ally
H2970   PX12AZB    Lynda Dawn
H4856   PX61BHZ    Poppy 90

There we're many more vehicles also showing off the company and what they do on a day to day basis. The most intresting of which were Stobart Biomas's Walking Floor Trailer which came with Stobart Biomas H8207 and Tim Fox. There was also a Stobart Fuel Tanker, Drawbar and a Stobart Cafe Ford Transit Van. Presentation of every vehicle was excerlant, Even staff vehicles in the car park. One thing i do like about Eddie Stobarts is they do keep vehicles and depots in cracking condition and present them extreamly well. This really does show off the company to anyone and is noticable. I was very impressed at this.

One Of Stobarts Smallist, F1500

The Free Parking for Stobart Fest visiters went down well. Also the free entry to the site for anyone went down well with visiters of the Super Leages Magic Weekend who we're wanding about between games looking at some of the 15 branded Stobart Super Leage Fridge Trailers. The Event when i visited on Saturday was full all day as most people took advantage of the nice weather on the morning. Sunday also got a good turnout i'm told by good freind Mr G (John Glover) But it wasn't as busy as Saturday. The most notable vehicle for me was new Iveco Stralis H2970 PX12AZB. This is one of only two in the fleet and was attracting quite a big crowd. This was together with the Curtainside Rail Box. The Iveco looked a nice little truck and looked like a contender for Stobarts also rear DAF XF. There wasn't an XF at Stobart Fest however i must say i'm a fan of the DAF XF. Overall the day was excerlant and i really enjoyed myself at Stobart Fest in Manchester. Hopefully they will do another local Stobart Fest in the Yorkshire, Greater Manchester or Derbyshire area next year so i am able to go there too...



Biomas H8207, PX10ELC driven
by legand Tim Fox !

Most Stobart Trucks carry Girls Names on the front, Something worth looking out for the next time you seen one passing you. Fleetnumbers are located on the side below or on the Door and once you start spotting you get into it very quickly as i did myself many years ago. Stobarts iconic Green and Red trucks are recognised as been part of Great Brittian and rightly so !  For now i'm out but remember, The next time you see one of these Green and Red Monsters it will have a very intresting story with it and will be heading to another intresting place, It might even have a famous driver behind the weel !.