'Was That Supposed To Happen?'

Motoring tales, by Nick Ainsworth.

Jeremy loosened his tie, which, along with his suit, was OK for arrival at Manchester but not exactly comfortable in the heat of the Cote dAzur.  He had, I noticed, conceded to the climate by leaving off his socks however, which was certainly going to look odd when emerging from the plane later in the day.

            Is it OK to smoke? he asked.

            Well, if youre careful, I said, glad of the opportunity myself.

            It is very difficult to light up in a Citroën 2CV at speed, with the windows flapping and the below windscreen air vent fully open, and Jeremy had to get down almost to floor level, with his collar pulled up around his ears, forming a windbreak, before he could get his lighter to work, even with the roof closed.  At this precise moment, as a large articulated truck overtook us, there was a loud bang, like an explosion.

This is just part of one of the many amusing accounts to be found in this collection of personal experiences and anecdotes, all with the theme of motoring.  Beginning with childhood memories, the author describes travel and holidays, early employment in the motor trade and an endless series of cars, either owned or borrowed, before recounting further adventures on the Côte d'Azur and elsewhere in France, where he has lived since 1979.

A saga of happy times, and sad ones too, spiced with brake failure, narrow escape and an assortment of extraordinary situations in unlikely places.