We have nearly got to the point where we can see the whole 1964 Vauxhall. I think its a Cresta, but I’m not sure. It’s been tucked away since about 1980 and was only driven occasionally through the 1970s.
We are replacing the polythene over the decrepid shed window and have temporarily let the sun in. I’m a bit weepy, it’s one of those milestone things that we’ve been aiming to excavate.
It belonged to my grandfather, who died in 1972. My grandmother was absolutely devastated by his passing, so much so that she was never quite herself afterwards. She wouldn’t let my mum drive it unless she was with her and she rarely went out, so it just got…left.
The last time I remember going out in it was when we went to Longleat some time in the 1970s and it broke down in the middle of the lion enclosure. Ma drove, with my grandmother in the front and my great uncle, my sister and I in the back. Uncle was a big man, he had been a Sergeant of Gurkahs in India in the 1920s and then something quite Secret Squirrel in the Civil Service in the 1940s. I think he sat on one side, I sat on the other and my little sister sat in the middle.
Anyway…I think it must have been ’76? Maybe? It was incredibly hot. I remember being frightened when Mum wound the windows down an inch to let some air in as we waited for the rescue people. The lions had just been fed, in front of us, and we sat and watched them while a keeper with a rifle covered another one, who hooked us up to tow.
One of those zebra-painted landrovers towed us all round the rest of the park.
I remember the AA taking us home, and then another day, Dad drove us up to get the Vauxhall from a nearby garage in his Singer Gazelle. The Gazelle had tail fins!
Both cars had vinyl seats and my sister and I had those 1970s kilt-dresses that were so short that on warm days our legs would sweat and stick and getting up was excruciating.
Happy days, maybe? At least, we didn’t know the world was on fire when we were so young.
To find the car, we have moved a couple of beds that were on top of it, old deck chairs, four or five ancient cathode tube TVs, half a dozen old fridges and spin dryers and loads and loads of cardboard and crates of glass jars. Ma used to make jam and pickled onions to sell at the market–before we had Farmer’s Markets, we just had ‘the Market’ every Saturday. She put the money by every week to pay our school fees. Before recycling, everyone local would bring her jars. Mr AL has taken about three dumpy bags worth to the recycling centre and the scrap people have taken three van loads of general rubbish.
We are aiming to empty the shed, including the 1920s tomato grader, and then see whether it’s feasible to turn the footprint into an extension. We are wondering about eco-builds, strawbales and the like.
If anyone knows how best to sell a classic car that seems to be in reasonable condition but hasn’t moved for at least forty years, please do leave me a comment!
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