Since the Morris Minor theme is still going strong, I may as well contribute my episode (Letters, 12 July). In about 1971 I discovered to my consternation that the steering wheel of my Morris Minor wasn’t attached to the column in any way, and I could just lift it off. Not long afterwards, while driving along Kensington High Street, I noticed smoke coming out of the steering column. I pulled in to the side and took the wheel off to see what was happening, and found a small flame coming out along with the smoke. Since I had no idea what else to do, I blew the fire out, replaced the wheel and drove on home. It never happened again.
Philip Pullman
Cumnor, Oxfordshire
• In 1968, my girlfriend and I drove in my split-screen Morris Minor van (with custom windows in the sides and a sheet of aluminium bolted to the roof to dissipate heat) to Istanbul. Passing through Bulgaria, we saw massive troop movements. Upon reaching Turkey, we learned about the Prague spring, and spent (most of) the rest of our trip with “Viva Dubček” written in the dust on the back.
Marcus Cleaver
Malvern, Worcestershire
• In 1957, as newlyweds, we travelled to France for a camping holiday with a Baden Powell-type tent, first world war camp beds and the bedclothes from our home. We flew from Lydd to Le Touquet on Silver City Airways. The plane took three or four cars depending on size; we travelled with a Jaguar and a Bentley! We got as far as La Ciotat, east of Marseille, via the Loire, Avignon and Pont du Gard. Happy days.
John and Brenda Isaacs
Cardiff
• My Morris Minor Traveller was stolen in Oldham in 1986. When recovered, the radio (yes, I had fitted a positive-earth radio) had been retuned from Radio 4 to Radio 2. I never found the culprits, though.
Paul Sydney
Oldham
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