Fare game! Canny Scot cadged a lift

BY The mid-Fifties, we had upgraded our 1936 austin Ruby to a comfy, bulbous austin a40 Somerset. It was pale grey inside and out, had a column gear change and the handbrake was positioned under the steering wheel. The dashboard had a few knobs and a speedometer, and the large steering wheel had a powerful horn in the centre. Trafficators (those little arms before indicators) were operated from a knob above the horn. It had four doors and a large boot opened with a door-type handle, so everything we needed could be stored within. off we set to Scotland at a rate of knots. our journey seemed to take half the time of previous years, and we could see so much more out of the windows. Registration number plates had changed and vehicles had three letters after their number, so new travel games were invented. To pass the time, we had to try to make words or sentences with the letters from the cars in front or behind. our car was BMU, so that became British Motor Union or whatever else was suggested. We had also become members of the aa and proudly displayed the yellow and chrome badge on the radiator. This meant that we could expect to be saluted by an aa patrolman on his motorcycle, which caused great delight. We arrived in Glasgow and were searching for overnight accommodation. Mum was driving and pulled up beside a person walking along the pavement to ask for suggestions and directions. as Dad was in the passenger seat, he spoke to the man and, after much pointing, arm waving and chatter, the man smiled and walked away. We all sat waiting for the answer, but couldn’t stop laughing when we realised Dad had no idea what the man had said in his very strong and fast accent. Dad always said that people from Glasgow were generous, kind and helpful and could be recognised anywhere because they always carried a folded mac over their arm. as the day was getting on and we needed to find somewhere to spend the night, they tried asking another person. This man readily knew where to send us and said he’d come along to show us. he climbed into the back of the car with my sister and me and gave directions. after a circuit around the city and beyond, he asked for the car to be stopped and indicated a nearby hotel. at this point, he got out and walked into his own house. We had given him a lift home. hilarious!

Valerie Gore, Stanford-le-Hope, Essex.