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I think Uncle Derek was being kind
"drive it for the summer and then get the bodywork looked at...". So it is off to Keynsham for Black SAABath
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| Everything fits in! |
That is 4 panels and a door and an exhaust and lots else. I only have a post code for the garage but a check on Google Earth confirms exactly where the SAAB surgery is located:
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| "JamSAAB" - this must be the spot |
About 500 metres from Somerdale (1929-2010 RIP) - where I worked for ten years...
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| Somerdale Factory (what a waste) |
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| Yes I am in the right place |
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| Absolutely |
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| Up on the lift for a wee check |
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| Oops! |
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| More oops! |
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| Fooled You! It's the SS Great Britain |
Very clever - below the (glass) waterline and inside the ship the air is maintained at below 15% humidity - one BIG ?Munters? air drier - just like the one Rowan Atkinson uses to keep his classic car collection in good condition and we use to stop condensation forming on chocolates as they exit the cooling tunnel.
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| Now that's what I call a bearing - 250hp using 5psi steam - VERY large diameter cylinder* |
There was an olympus engine in the museum - 70,000hp - 4 of which would fit inside just one of the SS Great Britain's cylinders.
Every last detail restored - even down to the smell of sick coming from one of the staterooms (opening the doors revealed a costumed up mannequin with head in bucket - bucket filled with faux-vom)
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| A Cadbury 99 not a SAAB 99 |
Strolling along the quay I met
a) Some gentlemen in a classic
SAAB 900 - black, convertible
b) A Swedish family - from Norrköping - the son, having completed his degree course, has moved to the UK to do research "will you be moving back to Sweden?", "Only if I can persuade my English girlfriend..." Deja-vu all over again
c) A strategically placed ice cream van - liveried up in "Flake" colours - how could I refuse - after mentioning that I was working on the Flake plant in Dublin and exchanging views on whether £14/outer was a fair price I discovered that the vendor's mother comes from Sicily and that October is the perfect time to go and that he spends the winters in
Florence. We exchanged further views on whether €9 is really a bit of a rip off to get in to see "
David"
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| Bristol Temple Meads |
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Impressed with public transport - first time I needed to use a long distance train in 12 months - turn up (15:50), buy ticket (15:52), direct train to Birmingham every 30 minutes (16:00), change for Selly Oak (17:32), walk 700m from local station and arrive home (18:02) to a...
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| Strangely empty garage |
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