Chillingham Castle Austin Van

[Guest]

I went to Chillingham Castle a few weeks ago and came across this lovely old van and had to take a shot:

 

 

B&W edit:

 

Anyone else on here been to Chillingham?

[KateW]

Never heard of it, but I love the van. I prefer the colour picture.

[Guest]

lovely pic, suits colour better as thats a real old school green 

[NannyFerret]

Love it. It's such a nostalgic shot.
I wonder why there were so many vans painted that colour when I was young.

[Leon]

mentioning no names (fuji) I bet there are a few on here remember these brand new!!

 

[FUJI]

mentioning no names (fuji) I bet there are a few on here remember these brand new!!

A decade out sir Leon ;-)

When I was a fifteen year old apprentice carpenter/ joiner, the small family firm I worked for had an Austin York? van very similar to this one......

Ours was painted chocolate brown, had a huge flat slatted wood platform on the roof for the hundredweights of roofing and flooring timber we used, two joiners in the front, another joiner and myself sliding around in the back together with four joiner's tool bags two saw horses, a pair of steps, tins of priming, putty and creosote, plus any nails and screws we might need.....every joiner but myself chain smoked, all cursed and swore ( all ex WWII servicemen two from DDay) ......

The van was known by all as the.....CRANKY VAN.....it was a great favourite with local kids, it needed starting with a handle.......it must have been a circa 1935 model kept in storage during the war.....I first went in it in 1953 ......it was still going to when I was called up for National Service in 1956.

When fully loaded inside and on top, the bodywork used to sway and creak alarmingly, the occassional backfire was the norm as was the odd breakdown, when the carburretor was removed, wiped and blown clean then replaced......I bet you didn't know that vehicles used to be started via a Crank Handle, that might break your thumb if you didn't hold the handle properly?

You haven't lived.... ;-)

One eyed FUJI

I MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE ORIGINAL TAKER OF THIS PHOTOGRAPH.

[NannyFerret]

I remember cranking my dads car up a few time too.

Although we didn't have a lot after the war, we really appreciated what we did have.

 

My dad bought a second hand Ford 8 after the war and took us on holiday to North Wales for the first time.
He had promised to do this while the war was still on and true to his word he kept his promise,
Hence my love for North Wales to this day.

 

In three years time, I will have been going to Barmouth for 70 years. I have so many happy memories of holidays with my mum and dad, and also with our own three kids later on.

If I had a free holiday and could choose where to go, it would still be there and not abroad.

[Guest]

Thanks for the feedback peeps. I prefer the colour version too but just wanted to show both.

 

Makes me feel really young hearing about crank handles. Thanks for the interesting reads, Fuji and Tina.

[Leon]

sorry for hijacking your thread, I like the colour

[ChrisLumix]

"Chugga chugga chugga chugga chugga ch-"

"That's enough, Corporal Jones"

"You've broken it, Mr Mainwaring. That's not fair" [turns to Pvt. Walker] "It's not fair Joe - he broke it. How'm I going to do my offal deliveries now?"