Accrington Web - View Single Post

Hill Walker · 01-12-2014, 16:24

This thread has brought back so many memories (but not of Accrington – as I lived elsewhere).

There was a time when I thought I had invented the idea of the cart, I hadn't of course, I must have seen one somewhere. The idea to build one was born out of desperation. Whilst visiting relatives in the Manchester area I had seen what I now know was an extremely privileged child who's Christmas present was a factory built 'pedal car' WITH LIGHTS. I had to have one but of course it was way beyond my parents means to buy such a toy (and they would not have even if they could afford it). This was the trigger that made me 'invent' the idea. The box was no problem, cadged from the fruit and veg man who came round twice a week. I cannot remember where the plank came from, but the wheels were a BIG BIG problem. For ages the cart sat in the back yard with no wheels, but it did have lights! The lights came from my parents bicycles and the brackets to attach them from flattened baked bean tins.

It was frustrating - no wheels! My friend saw what I had built, he built one, he had wheels (from his sister's pram), my blood boiled. Eventually I found an old pram in a local stream, and I got into big trouble, I and my clothes got very muddy recovering the pram. In fact I got into trouble twice, once for getting my clothes dirty and secondly for having gone into the stream to get the pram out (dangerous). So I was grounded, had wheels, not allowed out to fit and try them!!!!

It wasn't until about 50 years later that I saw another pedal car like the one I saw in Manchester and that one was in a Museum of Childhood, they may have been available but they were only for the privileged few.

01-12-2014, 16:24	#24
Hill Walker Full Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 200 Liked: 136 times Rep Power: 14222	Re: Home made carts! This thread has brought back so many memories (but not of Accrington – as I lived elsewhere). There was a time when I thought I had invented the idea of the cart, I hadn't of course, I must have seen one somewhere. The idea to build one was born out of desperation. Whilst visiting relatives in the Manchester area I had seen what I now know was an extremely privileged child who's Christmas present was a factory built 'pedal car' WITH LIGHTS. I had to have one but of course it was way beyond my parents means to buy such a toy (and they would not have even if they could afford it). This was the trigger that made me 'invent' the idea. The box was no problem, cadged from the fruit and veg man who came round twice a week. I cannot remember where the plank came from, but the wheels were a BIG BIG problem. For ages the cart sat in the back yard with no wheels, but it did have lights! The lights came from my parents bicycles and the brackets to attach them from flattened baked bean tins. It was frustrating - no wheels! My friend saw what I had built, he built one, he had wheels (from his sister's pram), my blood boiled. Eventually I found an old pram in a local stream, and I got into big trouble, I and my clothes got very muddy recovering the pram. In fact I got into trouble twice, once for getting my clothes dirty and secondly for having gone into the stream to get the pram out (dangerous). So I was grounded, had wheels, not allowed out to fit and try them!!!! It wasn't until about 50 years later that I saw another pedal car like the one I saw in Manchester and that one was in a Museum of Childhood, they may have been available but they were only for the privileged few.