Page 46 - IT'S A RUM LIFE BOOK FOUR Volume 1 "Northcote 1984 to 1998"

THE ENGINE DID STOP
“Will it affect the engine?” I was asked the one question I did not wish to hear.
“It shouldn’t do,” I replied knowing full well, that was THE big problem.
Hesdin came nearer and nearer and we did manage to pull into the hotel car park
relatively safe and sound.
Next morning we had time to spare and the local garage proprietor was called in to supply
a new alternator drive belt as the one I had bought in the UK especially for the journey was
the wrong size. The belt was loose and perhaps that had been the problem?

An hour further on in the journey and the red light was still shining brightly. “Yes, it could
affect the engine,” I had to admit, as the fuel is pushed to the engine by an electric petrol
pump. The engine spark is also provided by the battery power and if the battery gets too
low, one or the other will stop.
We had not proceeded more than a mile further and were almost at the top of a hill when
the engine cut out.

We had just passed a rose nursery where I had noticed lots of cars parked, perhaps help
could be obtained there?
We coasted round on the brow of the hill and drifted gradually down to the nursery. I left
Ruth in the car and went in search of assistance.

In a curious little shed, about five men were grouped round a pot belly stove trimming bare
root roses and dipping the tips into hot wax. I explained my predicament.
“There will be no problem,” said one straight away. “The local garage are brilliant, look at
my ancient Renault, I have just come back from Portugal and no problem, the local garage
look after it. I will telephone them.”

A small Renault 4L van arrived within a few minutes and after the garage man had duly
greeted all his clients still seated around the fire we got down to business. Ruth had been
invited in to wait and had been given the seat nearest the glowing stove. We explained
that the fault was the alternator and we had now no battery power, we had to catch a ferry
from Calais that day. We were duly towed back to the garage, the garage owner’s son
designated to take my place in the driving seat in the MG (of course)!

“Well I have nothing like that alternator,” he declared after giving it a good look; but what I
can do is boost your battery for half an hour and with luck that should get you to Calais.”
He did and it did, just!
His charge for the tow and care and coffee and a windscreen clean, was £4!

We have always been most impressed with the kindness of French garage people and
their lack of greed in charging foreign motorists in distress!
We arrived at Calais in time to see the boat we should have been on, just clearing the
harbour.
“Don’t worry,” we were told, “there will be another along soon!”

TO DOVER AT LAST
During our wait the battery had become well and truly flat once again.