Fuel Crisis

Posting this January 2021
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Having got my first car in September 1972, I do remember the 1973 fuel crisis as car owners were issued with WWII-like petrol coupons as it looked at one stage as though we would have rationing. I doubt many will remember just how serious things were -  here a quote out of Wikipedia:

"Despite being relatively unaffected by the embargo, the UK nonetheless faced an oil crisis of its own—a series of strikes by coal miners and railroad workers over the winter of 1973–74 became a major factor in the change of government. Heath asked the British to heat only one room in their houses over the winter. The UK, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Norway banned flying, driving and boating on Sundays. Sweden rationed gasoline and heating oil. The Netherlands imposed prison sentences for those who used more than their ration of electricity."

The UK economy was still in a mess in 1975 and as my father was now retired and 'sizing-down' was  a possibility, he decided instead of exchanging the 'big' Ford Capri 1600 for one of the many new-fangled, economic hatchbacks like the VW Golf that were appearing in the showrooms to replace the saloon/sedan cars, he  would buy a second-hand bicycle.

He tracked one down to the neighbouring village, New Buckenham, and I was ordered to drive him there so he could ride it home. In 21 years, I had never seen him ride a bike!

This was the scene on that first ride, about two thirds of the way home at the Cake Street junction.