This was April 1976 and shows me and Betsy, the Mini Traveller, crossing Windermere in the Lake District. I commented on a recent blip in Blast's journal which led to me fishing the photo from the album for my blip. Very useful since I didn't have a photo for today! I've no idea why we were in the Lake District, but possibly we were still working at Pontins Holiday Camp in Heysham and it was our day off?

Betsy was a good little car. She cost us £80 and was missing a couple of engine mountings when we bought it, the gearstick needed holding to prevent it jumping out of gear, but we soon got that fixed. The only other repair of note was that we had to fit her with a fibreglass bonnet, held on with rubber toggles. I can't remember but assume the original bonnet was rotten.

We sanded and revarnished the wood, painted her turquoise with a tin of gloss and fitted garish but toning Exminster carpet. The front carpets used to get soaked when it rained, I think the floor bungs were missing, and I vaguely remember having to have the heater blasting in the summer to stop her overheating!

The fuel pump used to get blocked occasionally. Once it happened when we were in the fast lane of the motorway, and we had to drift across to the hard shoulder where a well aimed kick unblocked the pump. But mostly she was a joy to drive!

PS I loved those trousers