Another fond memory of living in the Deerness valley was the bogey carts. Plenty of hills around so bogeys and also sleds (when snowy) was always a lot of fun. I was lucky to find an old pram someone was throwing out and i was attempting to make a bogey -( correct me if that is the wrong name as i moved to Australia where they just called them Hill carts -and i believe America called them billy carts.) My bogey kept breaking apart so eventually my Dad came to help. I remember he brought home a rather large nut and bolt and some washers to provide a good strong swivel for the steering part and i will never forget how he drilled that hole. He never drilled the hole, he used a red hot poker and kept having to go back inside and stick it back into the fire. I remember he had a little hand held drilling machine with a handle on the side but that machine was only for small drill bits and the hole he was making was for a bolt bigger in diameter than the poker and i remember he still had to keep working the poker around the hole until the bolt was a neat fit. You had to be careful not to put your hands or fingers near the spokes or you could have a nasty accident. You could steer it by using the rope or by having your feet on the cross piece . My bogey was a bit longer than most so any passengers sat behind me but i always preferred to be on it on my own. Braking was by putting your foot on the front tyres but i remember i modified mine later and had brakes which was another piece of wood that i used as a hand lever that applied pressure to the back wheels. Many a kid got into trouble for wearing a hole in the sole of their shoes lol. i wonder how long this tradition kept going for after i left in 1962.? Bet all the kids now have motors on them if they still exist. Or are they just like most kids here and probably just want to sit inside playing xbox games.?
This was a fabulous model with rack and pinion steering, rigid suspension, a gravity braking system and the revolutionary dual axle/aerofoil cross member. I think this is the 1952 model which came without heated seats, still it would be over two decades before it would be replaced by the Sinclair C5. Great photograph.
Another fond memory of living in the Deerness valley was the bogey carts. Plenty of hills around so bogeys and also sleds (when snowy) was always a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteI was lucky to find an old pram someone was throwing out and i was attempting to make a bogey -( correct me if that is the wrong name as i moved to Australia where they just called
them Hill carts -and i believe America called them billy carts.)
My bogey kept breaking apart so eventually my Dad came to help. I remember he brought home a rather large nut and bolt and some washers to provide a good strong swivel for the steering part and i will never forget how he drilled that hole.
He never drilled the hole, he used a red hot poker and kept having to go back inside and stick it back into the fire. I remember he had a little hand held drilling machine with a handle on the side but that machine was only for small drill bits and the hole he was making was for a bolt bigger in diameter than the poker and i remember he still had to keep working the poker around the hole until the bolt was a neat fit.
You had to be careful not to put your hands or fingers near the spokes or you could have a nasty accident. You could steer it by using the rope or by having your feet on the cross piece . My bogey was a bit longer than most so any passengers sat behind me but i always preferred to be on it on my own. Braking was by putting your foot on the front tyres but i remember i modified mine later and had brakes which was another piece of wood that i used as a hand lever that applied pressure to the back wheels.
Many a kid got into trouble for wearing a hole in the sole of their shoes lol.
i wonder how long this tradition kept going for after i left in 1962.?
Bet all the kids now have motors on them if they still exist. Or are they just like most kids here and probably just want to sit inside playing xbox games.?
Keep this going Ron. A few stalwards must see you like Davy Crockett coming to the rescue! I am not sure where that photograph was taken.
ReplyDeleteThis was a fabulous model with rack and pinion steering, rigid suspension, a gravity braking system and the revolutionary dual axle/aerofoil cross member. I think this is the 1952 model which came without heated seats, still it would be over two decades before it would be replaced by the Sinclair C5. Great photograph.
ReplyDelete