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This was one light that had different colour showing each side had to be put onto
the car, this was on the side of the car away from the pavement and all Dad did to put the light on was to wind the window down clip the light over the top with the cable to it inside the car and plug the end into
or just under the dashboard socket to power the light and then wind the window back up so that it was shut again. The idea of this was to warn other motorists that a car was parked there.
One night after tea
Dad told us to get into the car as we were going for a ride out to the village of Whitton. Setting off, we went down the road and onto Waterside Road, past the end of Marsh Lane and straight on until the road ran
out and came into a field.
We went along a track until it started to run out. When the track ran out it was almost certain that there was a misunderstanding in the instructions Dad had been given on how to get to Whitton. Dad turned the car around and we went back home disappointed as it was too late to try again but Dad said he would take us another day.
Three Wheels on my Wagon ...
A
few nights later we set off on our second attempt to reach the village of Whitton this time we went via West Halton. When we reached our destination we had a drive round the village and then went to Alkborough via
the road that ran along the hilltop.
This gave us a good view of the river below that had broken through its banks and flooded most of the low lying land between the bottom of the hill and where the river
normally flowed, leaving one of the farm houses and buildings standing in a large area of water looking like they had been placed in the river. Now in the year 2007 the Government and local Councils are to remove
parts of these river banks to allow the area to flood a number of times a year to help with the problem of the rivers overflowing their banks further inland and causing damage through flooding.
Time has
passed and we are now in the year 2007 and I think that I have found out where, all those years ago on the aforementioned trip to Whitton, we should have gone, when Dad drove past the end of Marsh Lane a few hundred
yards further on we should have turned right and after passing the farm of Mr Ogg, turned left onto the old railway trackbed that ran between Winteringham and Whitton as we could have driven between the two
villages. I have also found out by reading about the area that at one time the villages had approached the council asking to have it made into a proper road but their request failed.
A day out at the
home of Grandad and Granny Robinson and their son David (Dads parents and brother) went well until on our return home as we started to descend the hill on Brigg Road down into Barton upon Humber. The car
developed what Dad thought was a fault in the steering. Darkness had fallen by this time and Dad stopped the car and got out to see if he could find out what was wrong and after giving the steering a good check and
finding nothing he got back in and we set off again but within a few yards the problem was there again and this time the car was wobbling violently. The car was stopped and Dad was out once more and this time
he found what was wrong. The passenger side front wheel was sticking out at an angle from the car.
On closer inspection it was found that the points where the wheel bolted onto the hub had most of the lugs that the bolts passed through had broken off only leaving two holding on the wheel. ( wheels then were not like today's where the holes are drilled through the wheel around the centre but had lugs at the required points to match up with the nuts on the hub ). If the cars at that time had travelled at the speeds as ones in the year 2007 there would certainly have been a very bad accident as the wheel would have definitely broken away from the hub.
The family got out of the car and Dad moved it onto the grass verge and made it secure. After we walked the rest of the way down the hill and into Barton we went to the market place to catch a bus home to
Winteringham. I have no idea why we had no spare wheel with us. The following day Dad was up the road carrying a wheel for the car, to catch the bus to Barton and repair the car and bring it home ,if my memories are
correct between the time we left the broken down car and Dad getting back to it the Police had looked around it and had placed one of their Police Aware stickers on the window which meant Dad had to let them know he
had recovered the car. Once he was safely home the car was given a good going over especially the wheels and their fastenings.
Next week: Driving in the fog ... but where?
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