Car rides were a special treat in war years

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One of the especially rare events during war time was to ride in a car. Petrol was strictly rationed and only people in certain jobs were allowed coupons.

Mr Scott, who lived next door at number 62, our eventual home, was one such recipient because he worked in the Motor Transport section at the aerodrome. But he only used his car to go to and from work.

Somehow, my mum’s half sister’s live-in boyfriend, Fred, managed to get hold of a car one Sunday. It was a very small square-shaped car, maroon in colour.

The occasion was a social visit we were to make to a family called Seal at Marehay.

I don’t recall much of the visit except I remember the Seals were a family with more than one house on the left hand side of Upper Marehay Road, a rough road at the time which looked as though it had never been finished. I am not sure whether there were houses on the right-hand side of the road.

I must have been very young at the time because well after this the Seal's bought me a Piggy Bank for my fourth birthday from Denby Pottery where they worked.

It was mainly dark blue in colour with brown streaks flowing through the glaze. My name was entered on it in gold leaf. That piggy bank stayed with me until around 1987 when it was knocked off a shelf and shattered.

The memory of this outing was heightened of the way home. We were not far on our journey when the car spluttered to a stop.

It was dark out there in the countryside and it was no use hoping someone would come by in another car, they were all being stored in people’s garages during the war.

Fred got out and fortunately my dad also got out and followed him to the rear of the vehicle.

Fred suspected we were out of petrol but his trouble-shooting method was one that could have got us all killed.

He removed the petrol cap from the driver’s side rear corner of the car then from his pocket he took out a box of matches. Striking one, he moved to put it down into the tank to see if he could see any fuel.

My dad was quick-thinking and knocked him away from the tank with an exclamation I will not repeat here.

After a few minutes he was able to re-start the car and we made it home safely.

Geoff Allcock

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