Harold,I had the same honor later in life. I took my young nephew out in my car and on an empty car park I gave him is first driving lesson and let him takethe wheel. He was a natural and all went well. I told him to keep it between ourselves, but on returning home his enthusiasm boiled over and the told all. Needless to say I wasn't very popular and was severely scolded by his mother, but hey, what are Uncle's for?
Christopher, I too began driving at a very young age. Partly because my youngest uncle--surrendered the wheel to me--without my grandparent's knowledge. I was orphaned at four so I was reared at the same table as my father. My uncle was more like an irresponsible older brother than an uncle.
Jack, my wife's grandmother also had the odd habit of covering every new sofa or chair with plastic. Phyllis said she used to badger her grandmother about it saying "Why are you saving this upholstery for some future owner? Why not enjoy it yourself?"
First cars? Don't get me started. Nostalgia is oozing out of every pore!
When I was ten I pestered my father to let me drive the family car. He gave in and I drove it 50 yards down a deserted road with my feet barely able to touch the pedals. It was a black Ford Consul with a column gear change. I continued driving whenever I could and by the time I was 14 I could drive as well as anyone and regularly drove on an abandoned aerodrome near where we lived. My Dad used to go for a walk with the dog and leave me to it! By then we had a Mk1 Ford Cortina with 4 speed column gear change, under dash hand brake,and a bench seat at the front. It you cornered too fast you slid over to the passenger side (no seat belts) so you had to remember to hang on to the door handle with one hand and steer with the other. I passed my test in the same car when I was 17. I bought my first car then which was a Fiat 850 sport coupe. It was a dog of a car and continually broke down. It rusted away to nothing two years later and had to be scrapped. Next was my pride and joy. A 1969 Ford Capri 1600 GT XLR with RoStyle wheels.
Ceri, Phyllis and I went to see "Skyfall" yesterday and there's a scene centered around James Bond's old Aston Martin and it made me nostalgic. It was a great movie by the way! My wife's '63 Chevy also had beautiful, white, genuine leatherupholstery which the original owner (in a fit of abstinence) had kept covered in thick, cold and crackling "plastic."When her Father removed it the interior looked as if had just rolled off the factory line.
My wife's first car was cooler than mine! It was a red, '63 Chevy, 2 door hardtop Impala SS (Super Sport)! I had a '57 Chevy 4 door, two-tone paint job. It was cool but not as cool as hers.
Christopher, I too began driving at a very young age. Partly because my youngest uncle--surrendered the wheel to me--without my grandparent's knowledge. I was orphaned at four so I was reared at the same table as my father. My uncle was more like an irresponsible older brother than an uncle.
Jack, my wife's grandmother also had the odd habit of covering every new sofa or chair with plastic. Phyllis said she used to badger her grandmother about it saying "Why are you saving this upholstery for some future owner? Why not enjoy it yourself?"
Ceri, Phyllis and I went to see "Skyfall" yesterday and there's a scene centered around James Bond's old Aston Martin and it made me nostalgic. It was a great movie by the way! My wife's '63 Chevy also had beautiful, white, genuine leatherupholstery which the original owner (in a fit of abstinence) had kept covered in thick, cold and crackling "plastic."When her Father removed it the interior looked as if had just rolled off the factory line.
Cooler than mine too...which was a 1964 Hillman Hunter...I bought it in 1974 for 35 quid....broke down two weeks later....last car I ever owned
https://www.google.com/search?num=30&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1267&bih=826&q=hillman+hunter&oq=hillman+hunter&gs_l=img.3..0l10.2392.5262.0.7065.14.8.0.6.6.0.155.983.0j8.8.0...0.0...1ac.1.yGH0ucsvvbI
My wife's first car was cooler than mine! It was a red, '63 Chevy, 2 door hardtop Impala SS (Super Sport)! I had a '57 Chevy 4 door, two-tone paint job. It was cool but not as cool as hers.