Dad driving memories, the good, the bad and the ugly
Discussion
This post may age me a bit but with only a couple of years until my eldest starts driving I was thinking back to what my Dad was like as a driver and some of my best memories of him driving. Weirdly the best 2 were both in the same car and much as it hurts me to say, it was a 1983 Vauxhall Cavalier SRI.
The first was just after we bought the car and I was meant to be picked up by a friends dad to play rugby but due to a mess up, no one arrived. My Dad, annoyed as he was planning to play golf, chucked 3 of us into the Cav and told us to all 'buckle up'. Now I'm sure there wasn't a single faster driver on the roads that Sat am and so we arrived just in time to be promptly evicted from the car with a "Right, we made it, don't lose the game" and a screech of departing tyres. The look of cool/fear/excitement of my friends face said it all! The reality was he drove a bit quicker than I'd seen before all so as to make his golf game!
The other memory was a bit more poignant as Dad arrived back from work to say his Dad was dying in Ireland and he was off to see him. It was half term so I volunteered to go, not expecting to be taken but after a 2 min grab of stuff we were off to Holyhead. Traffic was bad and so we made Shrewsbury (old A5 route) behind time and so proper Dad driving was required. The next 90 mins or so was a blur of tight bendy roads, a lot of overtaking, outbreak of Dad swearing and some serious speed (for a Cavalier, even the SRi) once we hit Anglesey. Just made the ferry, got taught how to play poker on the ferry crossing and made it to the hospital just in time to say goodbye.
The Cav didn't last much longer as he moved onto Mercs and now Jags and I haven't seen proper Dad driving in may years but good to know he once had it!
The first was just after we bought the car and I was meant to be picked up by a friends dad to play rugby but due to a mess up, no one arrived. My Dad, annoyed as he was planning to play golf, chucked 3 of us into the Cav and told us to all 'buckle up'. Now I'm sure there wasn't a single faster driver on the roads that Sat am and so we arrived just in time to be promptly evicted from the car with a "Right, we made it, don't lose the game" and a screech of departing tyres. The look of cool/fear/excitement of my friends face said it all! The reality was he drove a bit quicker than I'd seen before all so as to make his golf game!
The other memory was a bit more poignant as Dad arrived back from work to say his Dad was dying in Ireland and he was off to see him. It was half term so I volunteered to go, not expecting to be taken but after a 2 min grab of stuff we were off to Holyhead. Traffic was bad and so we made Shrewsbury (old A5 route) behind time and so proper Dad driving was required. The next 90 mins or so was a blur of tight bendy roads, a lot of overtaking, outbreak of Dad swearing and some serious speed (for a Cavalier, even the SRi) once we hit Anglesey. Just made the ferry, got taught how to play poker on the ferry crossing and made it to the hospital just in time to say goodbye.
The Cav didn't last much longer as he moved onto Mercs and now Jags and I haven't seen proper Dad driving in may years but good to know he once had it!
Some great stuff coming through! Just remembered another one, went to watch an England Ireland game at Twickenham in old school late 70s/early 80s idea of corporate hospitality, so booze and sarnies in the stands. After the game, Dad decides to banter his friend who had a Jag XK V12, cue Dad being invited to drive the Jag about a bit. Despite some alcohol consumption I jumped in the back and watched, shouting encouragement, as the 2 of them took turns to blast around Richmond and SW London.
Jaaaaaaaaagggggggg!!!
Jaaaaaaaaagggggggg!!!
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