18-03-2025, 03:46 PM
I thought this might be of general interest!
In "Waiting for War" by Barry Turner there is a passing reference to an Austin 7. It is one of a new genre of books about the lead up to the last war, it is sub-titled "Britain 1939 - 1940".
Page 73:
"In Hyde Park, the site of the 1851 Great Exhibition was excavated for sand quarrying to a depth of 40 feet, revealing the concrete foundations of the original Crystal Palace. This left a huge crater, later to overflow with rubble from bombed buildings. The crater reappeared when the rubble was carried off to East Anglia to make the runways for American Superfortresses.
On Hampstead Heath the sand-diggers created a miniature Cheddar Gorge, which glowed in the sunshine of that wonderful autumn in warm lines of ochre, orange and red. I went up one morning to see the work in progress. Up from the Vale of Health roared and rocked a continuous stream of three, five and ten ton lorries, and then amongst them appeared a small Austin car with a tiny trailer attached. Beside the driver sat his small daughter. When their turn came they drew up beside the giant grab, received a great dollop of sand on their trailer, and drove happily away to fortify their home against the wrath to come."
Happy Days?
Peter Butler.
In "Waiting for War" by Barry Turner there is a passing reference to an Austin 7. It is one of a new genre of books about the lead up to the last war, it is sub-titled "Britain 1939 - 1940".
Page 73:
"In Hyde Park, the site of the 1851 Great Exhibition was excavated for sand quarrying to a depth of 40 feet, revealing the concrete foundations of the original Crystal Palace. This left a huge crater, later to overflow with rubble from bombed buildings. The crater reappeared when the rubble was carried off to East Anglia to make the runways for American Superfortresses.
On Hampstead Heath the sand-diggers created a miniature Cheddar Gorge, which glowed in the sunshine of that wonderful autumn in warm lines of ochre, orange and red. I went up one morning to see the work in progress. Up from the Vale of Health roared and rocked a continuous stream of three, five and ten ton lorries, and then amongst them appeared a small Austin car with a tiny trailer attached. Beside the driver sat his small daughter. When their turn came they drew up beside the giant grab, received a great dollop of sand on their trailer, and drove happily away to fortify their home against the wrath to come."
Happy Days?
Peter Butler.
