Satellite Navigation

[Andrew MacLean]

One of the sons of one of my cousins (I am part of a very large family of uncles, aunts cousins etc) has one of those 'flappy paddle' cars. I reckon that it is the sort of manual that I could get used to driving, but seems a bit heavy on petrol.

Oh well, back to my old fashioned manual. My daughter tells me that I don't have to double de-clutch in (what used to be) her little corsa. Is that right?

[GarethB]

all modern cars have sycromesh gearbox so no double declutching required.

Not even my Dads 1936 Triumph Gloria needs double declutching. Howeve a friends Austin Ruby of similar age does, as do the lower specification Triumph Glorias.

However the luxury Armstrong Sidley had a viscous clutch so was very gentle for pullin away. That had a pre selector gearbox. What you would do there was select the gear you wanted and to engage it, you would press and release the clutch.

The 30's and 40's had all sorts of strange gearboxes. If people chopped and changed cars like thye do now I think there would be all sorts of problems.

[Andrew MacLean]

Oh well, maybe my prejudice against manual shift is to do with my mistaken belief that I had to double de-clutch. My driving isntructor told me that I had to do this, and when I drove busses (as a student holiday job) I always did. Am I doing the car any harm?

[GarethB]

Doing the car no harm and some busses and lorries to this day still need the art of double declutching.

When was it you learnt to drive and were on the busses?

I hate you Maclean does not sound quite the smae as I 'ate you Butler!

Those classic comedy programs are dearly missed.

[Andrew MacLean]

I drove old RB's (Crash Gearbox). they year was 1971 and I had just finished first year as a student after working for four years in vavious jobs. I drove two or three routes into and out of Glasgow (we crossed the city boundary)

I don't know if I could stop ddclutching now, I have been doing it since 1967. I do it going up and down: wait for the engine speed to fall before slipping into a highter gear, and rev the engine while changing down to a lower.

That is why I prefer automatics: they seem to do all that for me.

andrew

I agree that classic comedy was best. "On the busses was just one of a vintage crop"

[John Smith]

Andrew,

Is there no end to your talents? Bus driver, eh? A good old-fashioned half-cab or were you the "operator" who collected the fares, too?

[GarethB]

John,

Do you think the comitee could stretch to an old Route Master for Andrew to drive the KC group about for day trips and socials?

[Andrew MacLean]

The RB was a half-cab bus. I never had to fuss about with people's change, although they were introducing OMO busses in my time. I went through the PSV license training in the Easter holidays and drove for the summer vacation.

In the years after that I worked as an assistant housemaster in a list D school, and then as a lighthouse keeper and then as a security guard in The Palace of Holyroodhouse (we also conducted tours around the Palace) and then as a locum in a remote Parish in the North of Scotland. I was a full time student for nine years, so there were lots of summers!

Andrew

[Sweet]

Oh wow being a lighthouse keeper sounds like great fun to me! I am absolutely crazy about the sea and everything to do with sailing, pirates and ghost ships!! LOL!!

Did you have to do anything manually or was the light all automatic?! Hehe would that think would take all the fun out of it!

Sweet X x X

[Andrew MacLean]

Most of the lighthouses I worked on still had paraffin lamps in those days. We lit the lamp each night, wound the clockwork that drove the lens. In the day time we ekpt a fog watch, and did routine maintenance on the station.

The remotest lighthouse I worked on was skerryvore. It rises from a reef that is only visible at low tide.

The remotest shore station was Ardnamurchan. This is the most westerly point on the British mainland.

Lighthouse keeping was fine in the sunner, but I'd not have enjoyed it in th winter. In addition to the fog signal, and the light, we also transmittted a beacon signal on the old fashioned Decca navigator system, but this has been replaced by now satelite navigation.

In 1976 we did run out of water on Skerryvore.

We had enough to drink and cook with, but not enough for personal freshness.

Andrew