Dear FOTers
Reading that lovely story on the list the other day about journeys in
Triumphs brought back some marvelous memories of some of mine as a young
boy.
My dad and mum loved picnics, as was the charm of family life in the
fifties and sixties. Often dad, having come back from this race or that,
would say to mum, 'Maisie - get the gang together we'll take the kids to
Stratford". 'The gang' usually consisted of Lynden and Beryl Mills (L was
the Sales Manager of S&T) and their daughters Jill and Sandra, John
(Service Manager) and Joan Murrel and their children Lyndon and Nicky,
Dick and Jane Watson - Dick started the 'Stanpart' spares system, and
several other Triumph families.
The routine was to drive from Coventry through the country lanes to
Stratford in anything from Standard Tens, Vanguards, Sportsmans, Heralds or
TR's and meet up at the 'punting quay' next to the river bridge in
Stratford. Each family would hire a punt, load up the hampers and bottles
of 'Nuits St Georges' wine and beer etc. Off we'd set with dads in charge
of the punting poles and mums holding on to their hats - and kids who were
squabbling over seating positions nearest the water. After about a mile of
punting down the River Avon, we'd arrive at our favorite inlet under oak
trees bordering sunny, green fields and set up camp. Us kids would
immediately change into swimming costumes and dive into the clear clean
waters of the Avon (I wouldn't put a finger in it now). I was always
embarrassed, like most young men of the time, with my swimming costume. It
was one of those woolen, home made jobs with short legs and shoulder
straps.- When wet, the crotch sagged down to ones knees and had to be wrung
out immediately one climbed out of the water (at the seaside the crotch
would also fill with sand which made things worse).
Those days were happy, happy times and I still have the very picnic hamper
we used. It is the one Ken won in the 1955 R.A.C. rally when the Tens won
the rally outright and the team prize. I used it again last week on a day
trip to the coast. As I've said many times, my mum and dad - Ken and Maisie
- left my brothers and the greatest legacy one could wish fore - that of
the most marvelous and happy family memories.
Best wishes
Paul.
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