KBGS Old Boys' Forum

A place to discuss Keighley Boys' Grammar School. 


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KBGS Old Boys' Forum
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Cars

Chris , it was good to meet you on Friday at the Singapre Mandarin Marina, but you didnt in the end tell me about your new sports car. Maybe I should have asked ! So what was it ??
This leads me to ask what do we regulars all drive ?
Ive been a Volvo man for some years now an 850, then two S80's ,and have just ordered my third one.
I guess it will be my last company car before I retire, then I'll have to downsize.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-64

Current location (optional) Wirral

Re: Cars

For many years I had a Rolls-Cannardley.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-65

Current location (optional) leeds

Re: Cars

An unexciting Ford Focus. My last car was a rather more exciting Alfa Romeo, but my son and a dry stone wall put paid to that. Sold my 1977 Triumph Bonneville yesterday. Fancy a BMW instead.

Re: Cars

My Jowett Bradford van still can hold its own on the Thwaites' twines.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 52-60

Current location (optional) Lincoln

Re: Cars

Curently a BMW 318i, but I preferred my previous vehicle, a Honda CRV. Being on 2 acres with an olive grove I need a 'working' vehicle.

Re: Cars

An old Merc, an old Ford Falcon and a relatively new but characterless Mitsubishi. Best car I ever had was a Riley 2.5 which blew up while pulling a caravan through France. I replaced it with a massive machine called a Humber Imperial Limousine which had a speaking tube for chauffeur communications and did about two gallons per mile. First car came when I was 17 and was a Morris Seven which I told people in Cowling was actually an MG and they believed me which says something about my mendacity and Cowineeaders' gullibility. I sold it to an old farmer/hermit who lived on the hills above Grassington. I wasn't totally convinced it would get up Greenhow Hill so I met him at the bottom, took the money and ran. Since then I think I have had 26 cars. The best cars are company cars and hire cars. They are much faster over speed humps.

Re: Cars

Brian - I enjoyed our tea and chat. This is what you missed (Honda S2000).

Re: Cars

In order of appearance from 1964 onwards I've driven: 1955 MG ZA; 1964 Morris 1100; 1967 Hillman Hunter; 1968 Ford Escort Estate; 1965 VW Fastback; 1970 Mini Clubman Estate; 1956 Rover 95; 1972 Datsun 120Y (!!); 1971 Alfa Romeo GTV; 1972 Saab 96; 1973 Saab 96; 1953 Riley RME 1.5; 1968 Daimler 2.5; 1973 Saab 95; 1972 VW bay window campervan; 1966 VW split screen campervan; 1973 VW Beetle; 1996 VW Type 4 campervan. Of which the best by far was the VW splitty that I owned for 13 years and regret parting with. Now lives in Blackpool, if it hasn't rusted to a seaside grave...

Re: Cars

Allan. Was the MG ZA the one you used to give me lifts to Sheffield in, in 1965/6? What a great selection of vehilcles you've had.
As far as I recall mine goes:-
Borgward Isabella; Austin Minivan; 1954 Landrover; Renault 4 Van; Morris Marina; MG Midget; Renault 18; Renault 14, Austin Allegro; Vauxhall Astra Estate; Austin Metro; Nissan Prairie; Mitsubishi Spacewagon; Prehistoric Austin Camper Van; Suzuki Wagon R; Citroen Berlingo; Suzuki Ignis.
The most reliable workhorse by far was the Nissan though, when it became teenaged it lost much of its' pulling power. The MG Midget had great pulling power in both senses of the word. But the Landrover was most fun.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-65

Current location (optional) leeds

Re: Cars

Gee Chris it would have been nice to have a spin down the East Coast Parkway. Clearly the stock markets were in disarray, and still are. Pity you had to go back to your office.

Shaun, I of course remember your first car, the Borgward Isabella, 1500cc, bench front seat and column change. We went on a camping holiday with Bernard Tennant and the big ends went. RIP Borgward.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-63

Current location (optional) Wirral

Re: Cars

Yes Shaun - the ZA was the one I had at Sheffield in 1965. Your Borgward sounds fun - weren't they two stroke engines? And the ancient camper...I like ancient campers...

Re: Cars

Come back, Jeremy Clarkson. All is forgiven.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 52-60

Current location (optional) Lincoln

Re: Cars

Ok Im going to try my full lst starting in 1968.

Morris Minor Van BRR 489C
Fiat 128 EUA 336K
Ford Corsair 1.7 V4 (canal barge, inherited as my first company car)
Ford Cortina MK2 1600
Morris Marina 1.8
Hillman Avenger GT
Fiat 124 Special Twin Cam (wolf in sheeps clothing!)
Fiat 131
Lancia Beta 1600
Vauxhall VX1800
Vauxhall Cavalier 1600
Austin Princess 2000
Rover 800
Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 (2 of them)
Volvo 850 SE 2.4 auto
Volvo S80 2.4SE (140bhp) petrol auto
Volvo S80 2.4SE(180bhp) petrol auto
Volvo S80 D5SE (163bhp) auto
Volvo S80 2.4D SE (163bhp) auto on order

I think that a complete list, all company cars since the Corsair.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-63

Current location (optional) Wirral

Re: Cars

Since the late 60s, approximately 10. As far as I can recall; 2 blue, 3 bright red, 3 yellow/beige and 2 maroon, one of which is my current vehicle which I believe to be a Ford.(I must go outside and have a look sometime.)
Meanwhile, my train-buff's anorak is beginning to feel quite trendy and inconspicuous.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-65

Re: Cars

I used to have a pale blue Sunbeam Alpine Convertible when I was about nine, but my mum gave it away when I went off to university. They're like gold dust now. Oh, by the way, it was a Dinky toy.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-65

Current location (optional) leeds

Re: Cars

I can't think of the number of cars I have owned or destroyed, but my all time favourite was my staff car when I was in the Army, a long wheel base Toyota Land Cruiser, could seat at least 12 legally in the back. Twin 100 litre diesel fuel tanks. When I was posted in Darwin I had a team of Lieutenants off loaded on to me for a short term posting. They nagged me into drive them to the Casino one evening. The next day my CO gave em a right bollocking about an Army vehicle with the same number plate as mine being seen parked in the Casino car park. That night we covered it with a camoflage net. Nothing more was said.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1958-61

Current location (optional) Blue Mountains, Australia via Haworth

Racing green MG arrival sparked laughter in Oakbank assembly!

My favourite car relating to KBGS/Oakbank era was the racing green MG driven by the affable Harron brothers from Gargrave. Their late arrival at Oakbank in the car park after driving open-topped from far-away Gargrave seemed to upset the teachers who could see them clearly from their seats on stage during assembly.

Naturally the teachers who owned very modest cars themselves failed to see the funny side of things. Whist the sixth formers were laughing at the extravagant late arrival of the former public schoolboys who were finishing their education in a state school.

Their father was a dentist in Skipton and must have run out of cash and sent them to Oakbank to give his wallet a rest. Whether Joe Watthey spoke to them about this elitist and outlandish commuting behaviour was unknown. I thought it was hilarious and strangely dismissive of the authoritarian regime at Oakbank orchestrated by Watthey and others.
Wonder what happened to ginger-haired Rod and Chris Harron. Presuming that was their names.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1960-68

Current location (optional) Bingley

Re: Racing green MG arrival sparked laughter in Oakbank assembly!

Peter Davison
My favourite car relating to KBGS/Oakbank era was the racing green MG driven by the affable Harron brothers from Gargrave. Their late arrival at Oakbank in the car park after driving open-topped from far-away Gargrave seemed to upset the teachers who could see them clearly from their seats on stage during assembly.

Naturally the teachers who owned very modest cars themselves failed to see the funny side of things. Whist the sixth formers were laughing at the extravagant late arrival of the former public schoolboys who were finishing their education in a state school.

Their father was a dentist in Skipton and must have run out of cash and sent them to Oakbank to give his wallet a rest. Whether Joe Watthey spoke to them about this elitist and outlandish commuting behaviour was unknown. I thought it was hilarious and strangely dismissive of the authoritarian regime at Oakbank orchestrated by Watthey and others.
Wonder what happened to ginger-haired Rod and Chris Harron. Presuming that was their names.
My first car was a bright red drop head coupe. Under 200cc.three wheeled, a Bond. It was previously owned by a colleague in Blackpool who obviously saw me coming,as my mother would have said.

It did have an electric starter which once acted up in a queue at the North Street traffic lights whereby I was obliged to get out,open the bonnet and kick start the thing.

In those days, there was a Saturday night dance at a hotel near Harry Ramsden's chip shop near Guiseley/Menston.
On the return journey with a mate we were stopped by the police in Keighley who wanted to know what my fuel was. It was two stroke mixture. They let us continue.

About the same time, another mate owned a bubble car which looked even less like a car. It may have been an Isetta???

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1953-58

Current location (optional) Briggus

Re: Racing green MG arrival sparked laughter in Oakbank assembly!

Had one car since 1967 .A 1964 Bentley S3. The rest were from Jowets to Jaguars.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 43-46

Current location (optional) Tasmania