Dad’s not so Standard IMO! “The Beast”
I was now in junior school approaching the dreaded 11 plus. However the arrival of “The Beast” as we called it had filled me with confidence.
I sailed through to Grammar School and was awarded a holiday to a certain island in the Irish Sea, enough said. For a few years I suffered another Liverpool Echo van. It was a smaller version with a makeshift seat for me behind Mum and Dad. The van was quite nippy the only drawback was the cageful of budgies behind me that is the rear doors!
Anyway it served its purpose and Dad hired a couple of cars for holidays. I was now being picked up and dropped off by Dad at School, though it was only half a mile away. I think Dad was so proud of the beast.
The car was in pristine condition dark bottle green in colour with chrome bumpers, big bench seats and massive inside and out. One of my school mates Dads – Mr Gibson had a strange looking Citroen like the French cars. Norman my schoolmate said it was fast so is Dad’s I said it’s 2 litre(2088cc I now learn) it’s got leather bench seats with a fold down armrest a heater a radio and aerial. 3 speed transmission and overdrive and a column mounted shifter. I was not aware of all it’s attributes at the time but obviously Dad was as the stylised griffin/wyvern wings were representative of his regiment insignia ie. The 43rd Wessex division in which he served in WW2 operation Overlord.
I still have some of his memorabilia including a book detailing WW2 participation, bayonets, wings, buttons and a genuine swastika arm band! He said once we’re on the first motorway that is the M6 or as was previous Preston By-Pass. Opened I believe in 1958 so must have been a few years after. We were on our way to Windermere towing, yes this Beast had a tow bar too, a small dingy called a Heron built by Dad and Sails by Mum copied from a set belonging to Jack Parks a friend of Dad.
Upon the opening of the M6 Knutsford services one of the first in the country I believe, our motorway driving was quite regular. Dad pronounced that we were just doing 90 MPH quite legal then. I was impressed Mum not so much though, it took some years for me to achieve the magic ton on that famous island in the Irish Sea! The services were amazing, meals were great, not cheap and bought by putting money in a sort of vending machine allowing a flap to open to access the hot meal. Yes the not so Standard Vanguard was awesome. Dad drove it for many years until it became unserviceable as parts were difficult to find. If memory serves me right he paid someone £20 to have it removed from the garage to I know not where. Maybe Dad’s driving it in the great big garage in the SKY. RIP. It was a revelation, nothing as I say Standard IMO.
Submitted by: Leslie Butterworth
