Cars. Trains. Buses. And Sticks.

A man to make your car better

A lady dressed to complement her vintage car

      A bus driver with a white summer cover on his peaked cap

A train driver with a cap and braces

   And two gentlemen stick makers with aprons

An eclectic bunch all doing what they were doing on a sunny Sunday and all enjoying every minute.

Where was I?

Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre in West Sussex.

Going into the Amberley site is like going into a secret kingdom. Once you are inside it is a microcosm of times past. And when there is a special event in full swing it teems with people and noise and colour and movement.

Last Sunday was such a day. I wandered round, deciding what to look at first.

I stopped under a tree and there was an AA box. Now readers of a certain age will know immediately of which I speak, but for all you minors out there, AA boxes were a common sight at the side of the road in olden times. They are a sentry type box that were used originally as a shelter for the AA man in bad weather and later on all members had a key to open the box and use the telephone inside to summon help. Yes. Even I would admit….. it does sound fairly olden.

This particular box at Amberley, no 44, had a special extra feature. An AA man.

AA Patrol Man c1967

So smartly turned out in his green uniform and cap. There was more than a hint of the military in the cut of the jacket and trousers. Patch pockets, epalettes, contrasting colour for the collar, AA crest on the buttons…smart, authoritative and capable. I dare say that keeping it clean (the responsibility of the individual) was a lifetimes work, but I was assured by the gentleman on ‘duty’ that keeping yourself presentable was second nature. In the summer months they were permitted to take off their jackets, but standards were maintained by keeping ties on. A white cover for their caps added a summery feel. As England in 1967 had just as much rain as today, I was relieved to hear that oilskins were standard issue, not forgetting a waterproof cap cover.

The special attraction on this day at Amberley was classic cars. Row upon row of highly polished beautifully kept cars took up every corner. Sports cars, powerful cars, unusual cars, family cars. All immaculate. The hours of work required to keep a vehicle looking this good is a test of the true enthusiast. I’ve tried putting a car into concourse condition. But I discovered that giving it a quick flick with a chamois and polishing the brightwork just won’t cut it. One car and lady combo stood out for me. Not only was the car perfectly turned out, but the lady owner had gone the extra mile and dressed to complement the car. For the technically minded the car was a 1961 1172cc Ford Popular Deluxe Saloon. 

Classic car and Elegant lady.

For the sartorially minded the charming lady was dressed in wide legged dark blue trousers, black top with Peter Pan style lace collar, short black and white striped jacket, all set off with a black and white scarf. Finishing touches were 2 tone shoes, plus the flower in her period perfect hairstyle matching the flowers on her fab bag. It all went together beautifully. She told me that she didn’t just wear and drive vintage, but danced it too. Lindy Hop was the one and apparently it went down well with the real vintage people, when she demonstrated it at retirement and residential homes.

                                                                                                                                              

I caught the single decker Southdown bus (the site is 36 acres) to explore another part of the museum. As soon as I saw the driver I was reminded of past summer holidays when you knew it was definitely summer because the bus drivers had their white hats (and coats) on. He wore a white shirt and green Southdown tie and his cap had a splendid Southdown metal badge on the front. 

Summer hat for a summer day

How long is it since a bus driver said ‘Hold tight please’ as he (or she) drove off?  How 

long is it since bus seats were covered in such smart fabric or had ashtrays and silver grip rails along the top of the seats? Mind you. Either buses have got higher steps or my legs are shorter, but getting on wasn’t so much of a hop as a haul…

A gentle chuff on a steam train took me back down the museum road. The train driver wore the sort of everyday clothes that workers did in days gone by. In the time before uniforms ruled the roost many people wore the same clothes for work as out of it. Slightly scruffier maybe, but a driver would wear ordinary trousers, shirt and braces. Completed by a flat cap to keep the soot and rain off and a rag or scarf round your neck to absorb the sweat and wipe it out of your eyes. Hot work steam trains.

The engine is from 1917. No word on the driver.

                     

The train arriving....

                                                                                                                   I am too young (quiet at the back) to really remember steam and I certainly have never traveled in a carriage with no windows or doors. (No it wasn’t difficult to get in and no it wasn’t dark. Think about it) 

You had a bird’s eye view of most of the site as you chugged along through a green and leafy way.My fellow passengers were loving it too. Young and old. Thomas has a lot to answer for…but today’s 5 year old is tomorrow's volunteer for the railway. At least they will never have to grow out of getting dirty.

Oh to be in England

Stick men are not confined to paintings from the north of England. I had a peep into the stick makers building at Amberley and watched the interest on the faces of the other people as the two guys behind the counter worked and fashioned the wood at their bench.

They were clearly highly skilled, as there were many examples of their craft on display. My favourite had to be the stick with a birds head handle…a duck I think. So much choice; heights, colours, materials, not to mention what the handle looked like.

Their working gear can’t have changed much over the years. A stout apron to protect the clothes, with a big front pocket. Whether this was to keep spare tools in or just make sure you ended the day with a pocket full of shavings I don’t know.

The Stick Makers

A trip to Amberley looks different to people depending on how old they are.

If you are young, it’s all new and fascinating and (in some cases) wonderfully dirty and whistly.

If you are not so young, you look around and think......

When did I last see an AA box? The patrol men used to salute my father as he had an AA badge on the car. Now the gestures you get from other road users might not be so respectful.

When did cars last have metal sun visors on the outside of the windscreen? (As seen on the Ford Pop that my stylish lady had brought along).

When did trains and buses stop looking as good as the ones I saw today and get so ordinary?

And when did I last see something being made that had no moving parts, no batteries and definitely no WiFi?

Whatever you like looking at, try Amberley. There’s a lot of looking to do there. www.amberleymuseum.co.uk