Page 126 - IT'S A RUM LIFE BOOK TWO "BOSTON 1960 TO 1970"

The bus gave an enormous lurch and the engine started
with a huge roar. The second thing was my Ford Anglia came
to a dead stop and the third was my back bumper suffered an
instant ‘hernia’.
On close inspection it resembled a broad arrowhead, but
pointing rearwards.
We had overcome our main problem and the Cubs could
have their outing after all. I just had to solve the problem of
making my car look presentable to my clients (and my Boss)
by Monday morning.
For the first few moments all I could think of was the
problem encountered by a colleague on the Firestone Tyre and
Rubber Company initial training course with me who had used
his Company car to assist with a rally cross event. The result
had been a dented roof and caved in doors. He consequently
had to leave the company!
Surely my problem was nothing like that? Could I be
accused of abusing company property?
The reinforcing bar (used for towing our Merlin Rocket
racing dinghy) was quickly unbolted from behind the bumper
and we decided the only sure solution in the time margin we
had (like two hours) was to find a suitably solid brick wall and
reverse into it.
The wall was found, a large piece of wood located between
the bumper and the wall and the car duly reversed. After a few
initial attempts to work out the “effort” needed. We judged that
a carefully, well aimed 5 mph “hit” right on the “arrow head”
would do the trick.
It did, and although a slight kink remained and the
mounting brackets now resembled quaint coat hangers, it was
once again presentable.
But it would not have worked on these modern cars with
plastic bumpers!

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