Page 70 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

THETFORD FOREST
Dagenham is well to the East of London, we had plenty of time to spare, so we decided to
travel home on a scenic route through Norfolk and Thetford Forest. It all happened just as
we were entering the forest proper, as day was turning to dusk.
We had seen hardly anyone else on the road until a small Morris 1100 family saloon car
was approaching us coming from the opposite direction.

It wasn’t going particularly fast and was almost level with us when a young deer exploded
from the forest right in front of the car, without a second’s hesitation the deer continued to
career into the path of the car.
The impact was violent and stopped the car just as if it had hit a brick wall. The deer
continued and unfortunately
disappeared under the front of our
wagon. We stopped too!

I am afraid to say that by this time
the deer was flat and still at the
side of the road, the small family
saloon car was a wreck at the front
end.
Water was cascading from under
the twisted bonnet, and all the
forward metalwork had obviously
been pushed hard up against the
engine until it could go no further!

All this in the ‘gloaming’, night was
almost upon us and the forest
around us was creating its own weird shadows and noises.

One fact as yet unmentioned was that the family saloon car was displaying ‘L’ plates, not
just the ordinary plastic variety, but a professional “school of motoring” advertising sign
mounted on the roof.
An attractive young lady had been in the driving seat and the gentleman with her was
profuse in his explanation that she was his pupil.
Michael and I could not resist a quick glance at each other, the situation looked anything
but innocent! They were over 15 miles from the nearest town, on a quiet road in the middle
of a huge forest! Now they were well and truly stuck.

The car was not going anywhere except elevated behind a breakdown vehicle, we all
assisted and pushed it well off the road into the nearest convenient forest clearing. They
needed a lift to Brandon, the gentleman informed us, could we help? The wagon was
unharmed but with the inclined engine installed in the centre of the cab, we only had seats
for a driver and one passenger.

Well over half an hour had passed by now and there had not been any sign of another
vehicle in either direction, we could not leave them abandoned on the road in the dark, we
could not very well stick them in the huge empty body behind so we all squashed into the
cab.
Michael sat on the engine cover and I think the young lady sat on the gentleman’s knee!

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