"We would be lost without our cars" For the last 40 years I have managed without one. I am able to walk to the shops and to work but I do have a camper-van for holidays.

No memory of the first car I was in.

I was told it was a s/h Rover and that the UJ failed on the N York moors. The first that I can remember was a brand new Hillman Minx July '39, grey, shiny and had that lovely smell of a new car.

Diemmess. Bobbies on Point Duty, that brings back yesteryear. You will have Aitchbee singing about "Bobbies on bicycles two by two" next.

The first car I remember being in was an old 1936 Humber 12hp which my father bought from the Intake auctions in Sheffield; it's cost was £60. This was back in 1952 and I was 18 and home on my first leave from training in the REME.

The car was in real need of some TLC so the whole family set about cleaning it up, inside and out - even the huge, rusted chrome headlights came up like new after the very fine wire wool treatment they received. After a good washing it became obvious that the black paintwork had faded, so the garden boundary wire fencing was removed and the car driven on to the front garden.

Out came the cylinder vacuum cleaner and using the spray bottle and attachments suppled, the car was masked up and resprayed with cellulose black. Next day the tape was removed, paintwork buffed up and generous amount of polish applied. The car was gleaming and its chrome work sparkling so the car went back on to the road and the fencing replaced. The following day was spent driving around in Derbyshire with all the family aboard including the dog! We were very pleased at the many admiring glances we got on that trip.

On my next leave I checked over the car's mechanicals and spent a total of £27 on parts, which included a set of piston rings and engine gaskets, points and plugs, new king pins and bushes etc, etc. I did all the work whilst the car was blocked up and all four road springs were removed. These were taken to work by my father's brother for resetting and tempering, which cost nowt but a pint or two for the brother! :) They were so 'stiff' that I had a job to 'bend' them down with levers to fit the new hanger pins connecting them to the car!! When back on her wheels the old car sat up and looked fabulous.

I was a bit miffed some time later when I heard my father, struggling to pass his driving test, went and sold the old girl for £250. Come to think of it I never saw any of that money for my labours, but I was more than satisfied at the time to see the gratefulness in his eyes.

My next vehicle to be in was a Willys Ford Jeep, in which I learned to drive. This was in Germany where I went on to pass my test driving a Scammell breakdown truck on the 'wrong' side of the road !! :)

Sorry this saga goes on a bit, but I thought some of you might be interested in it. TC.

Like Chronus, I passed my test in a Triumph Herald, though I learnt to drive in a BMC 1100.

If you applied too much lock on the Triumph, the wheels went at right angles and the car stalled when you attempted to move forward.

I remember my older brother buying a Jowett Javellin and he took me out for a spin in it. He only had a provisional licence, so it was illegal for him to drive unaccompanied by a full licence holder.

The car broke down outside the Town Hall, which also served as the police station and we were causing a traffic hold up. Two helpful policeman came out and pushed the car round the corner. We were quaking, but the policemen just went back inside again after we thanked them.

Before the Jowett, he had a Singer Roadster which was a rag top. He bought it at auction and when he got it home we noticed a patch on the engine block where one of the con rods had come through at some time!