Here's one that got snagged in the list shuffle.
mjb.
Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2007 00:56:08 -0700
From: b-evans@earthlink.net
Subject: The English odyssey of Frank and Buster
As we crisscrossed the back roads and rural lanes of England, I lost
count of the times Frank Clarici muttered, "Damn, I wish I had my Sprite
on this road!" Such is the vast road course of England away from the
cities and "dual carriageways". Although he had insisted he would not
drive on the wrong side of the road in our odyssey, he quickly changed
his tune when I had taken a brief jet-lag snooze on the on the
northbound M-1. From then on, he had a great time on the English roads,
especially going around and around on the roundabouts trying to find the
right route. And, of course, driving on to the next roundabout when we
finally realized we were lost and had to go back the way we were coming.
Frank developed quite a palette for English food, and was ready to enjoy
everything from Yorkshire pudding to blood pudding to bangers and mash
to mushy peas with his fish and chips! And yes, he did bring home some
spotted dick. He even cleaned his plate of the traditional fully cooked
English breakfast.
The Spridget list members we met proved to be great hosts. We cannot
thank enough Daniel Stapleton (daniel1312@aol.com), and his family, Alan
and Pam East-Jones (alan.east-jones@ntlworld.com), and Jim and Vicky
Lodder (blacktulipmidget@yahoo.co.uk) who will now be visiting Pam and
myself in Southern California in August.
We also took the opportunity to drop by the shop of Pete Farmer
(pete.farmer@virgin.net), one of England's premier Sprite and "other"
Healey restorers who is currently preparing cars to bring over to events
this year and next.
Visiting AH Spares, we received a great welcome from its managing
director, Bob Hill, who not only supplied us with some needed parts, but
passed along some free trinkets, as well. While there, he and Gordon
Barton shared with us an "unknown" photo of the latter in a prototype
sprite with flip up headlights and a strangely configured bonnet.
Although Donald Healey would have had kittens if he had known a photo
had been taken of this particular prototype, Bob thought that he had
been gone long enough that we could get a copy for the Lake of the
Ozarks celebration next year.
Along the way, we were able to be the typical tourists to England,
taking in the Coventry Transport Museum, Stonehenge, Warwick Castle,
Salisbury Cathedral, Admiral Lord Nelson's historic fighting ship
"Victory", and Lord Pembroke's magnificent Elizabethan Wilton House.
Finally, it was off to the Beaulieu Autojumble. You would think that
Frank was a little boy in a candy shop as he discovered that what I had
been talking about was true. It was truly amazing what treasures he
could discover when he began rummaging through hundreds of bins of
assorted used parts. As I had found years ago, he began loading up on
things that he didn't need right now, but either could not pass up or
knew he would eventually need someday. I had told him to bring along an
empty suitcase, and fortunately he did. We were both amazed when he was
able to cram all of his goodies into his two suitcases!
Although I had two more weeks in England, I had to bid Frank farewell
the next day when he left Gatwick Airport for home. All in all, it was
a great trip, and I would highly recommend Frank as a travel partner,
for he proved that he has never met a stranger. In fact, the regulars
at the Royal Oak pub in Great Wishford (pop. 300) took him as one of
their own for the weekly "quiz night"!
When I was ready to head for home, I was in Gatwick Airport when I
learned that two days before, my wife Pam had been rushed to the
Emergency Room. Because of the chemotherapy and medicines she had been
taking, her immune system was almost non-existent and she was in
critical condition with a mysterious lung infection. Her blood pressure
had plunged to 49, and she was having a difficulty breathing. Believing
she was dying, our children had been frantically trying to find the
Travelodge I was staying in before flying home. Shortly before my
flight, I called home and learned only that she was in the hospital, but
spent nine hours at 40,000 feet worrying because I did not know what was
going on. Fortunately, by Wednesday night she had improved enough to
come home.
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