Thursday 26 March 2015

Melon and ginger...

Many years ago, when Scrobs was a miniature Scrobs, Dad would be driving from Sussex to Worcestershire on a regular, weekly basis, and if he left Bodiam late, he'd be arriving at a pub near Kingsclere around lunchtime!

So during the school holidays, a younger Scrobs would be seated next to the main man, who was driving his column-change Vauxhall Cresta at a rate of knots, and arriving at the pub around beer-o-clock!

And we'd have a fruity starter, then a mains of their famous chicken and ham pie, with several side dishes of salad and the rest, with, of course, a couple of pints of local ale. Dad enjoyed a pipe afterwards, so I would pop up a Gold Leaf, and we'd be ready for the next couple of hours on the road.

So even today, as a smouldering Scrobs spoons his way through the rest of an over-ripe melon, smothered with ginger, the days roll back, and England can be thought of just as if it was only yesterday...

7 comments:

Thud said...

You ate salad back in those days? I'm afraid if it would have appeared at the table in 60's Liverpool harsh words would have been spoken!my ex army policeman father didn't agree with such things and sadly it stuck with me.

A K Haart said...

Our French teacher drove a Vauxhall Cresta. Quite stylish compared to the bangers the others drove.

Scrobs. said...

So are you talking about the Liverpool version of a 'Glasgow Salad' then, Thud?

;0)

Scrobs. said...

It was a huge car, Mr H! I had to bring it back alone from one of these trips, and it frightened the life out of me, as I'd only been driving a year or so!

It was incredibly fast though, and a great ride...

Weekend Yachtsman said...

My in-laws had one of those years ago. They used to go on holiday all the way from Derbyshire to the far North-West of Scotland, with dad driving, mum in the passenger seat, and two (sometimes three) small children crammed onto the bench front seat in between them.

Not a seat belt in sight, of course.

Happy Days!

Scrobs. said...

The bench seat was enormous, WY! I think there was one of those elbow cushions you could pull down, and sometimes sit on, if you were small enough!

I remember dad telling me that after his previous car, a Vauxhall VX490, (pretty damn fast as well) he was 'getting used to the new way of driving'! I suppose he meant that the thing was 25% longer and heavier - well I thought so...

E-K said...

Cheese and onion crisps were considered on of our five-a-day Thud.