All Work & No Play

By Rebecca Carson

Ican't believe it has been two full years since I started the big Lister build, and I’m now writing my 10th article for The Vintage Scene. This isn’t my normal sort of diary entry, but I haven’t been in the barn for a while because this is my last year at Primary school and I have to prepare for my 11+ exam. So for a while, there will be no spannering done.

Since I started I have learned how a magneto works, how a four-stroke and two-stroke engine works, I now know how to identify certain tractors and cars and I’m learning about their history. I have learned a lot about the vintage world by watching YouTube, classic car programs on the TV but mostly by asking my dad. I like to watch Henry Cole, Sam Lovegrove, Allen Millyard and Skid, and all their fooling around. I can’t wait for the next series of Junk and Disorderly. In the wonderful world of ‘Wheeler Dealers’ Mike and Edd show how to restore old cars and how to have fun with the restored cars, like they did when they went for a picnic in their Almond Green Morris Minor ‘Woody’. I’ve been learning about the Victorian age at school, so watching Fred Dibnah helps as I learn about the engineering progress that was made in the 1800s. Ruth Goodman, Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn also explain life in different times and what it was like during wartime, especially how it affected farming . Now it gets to the interesting part. I have seen, I am sure, well over 100 vehicles at shows and whatnot, but here I list only a few of my favourites. There is the Fordson E27N which the old chaps call the ‘High Nellie’, I like the Ferguson FE35 grey and gold, the Mini but not the BMW version, and I love to see a Jaguar E Type when I go to events. I like to see all the different types of stationary engines and accessories and of course, the steam engines.

In the future, I would like to own an Austin Healey Frog-eyed Sprite, a Series II Land-Rover, a Minivan, a Morris Minor Traveller and a Ford Model T. I would like to put a tent and some camping stuff in the back of the Morris Minor Traveller and go on a road trip holiday. I would visit all the old steam railways and museums that Fred Dibnah visited on his travels; what fun would that be! With the Model T and the Frogeye Sprite, I just want to go to shows and look cool. With the Minivan, I would like to load some camera gear and take a whole pile of photos, and with the Landy I simply want it to be my everyday car. I know, high expectations.

I'm learning to stick weld, but I want to learn Mig, so that I can do bodywork. The tech won't let me do the welding night class until I'm 16 - five more years to go! Dad and I will have to have a go ourselves, because mum won't let me work with the gas bottles until I'm older. But for now, I have to master how to stick weld or I will be 16 before I can weld properly. Talking about welding; when I was at the Limavady Grammar School open night, I saw the tech room and was amazed at all the lathes and drills and the amount of tools - they had more than Dad and I. I hope there will be more exciting times ahead.