OPINION

‘Dad, it's over to you this Father's Day’

Charlotte's dad, Steve, shares his story…

‘My dad was chuffed, well chuffed, when I qualified with a City & Guilds in mechanical engineering; I was the first one in the family to go to college. He left school at 14 and wanted to do something in motor racing but circumstances meant he needed to earn money to put food on the table, so the dream was lost. It’s a shame because whatever he put his mind to, he could do it.

My dad had the patience of a saint. He taught me to drive in a Ford 4D on the family farm. I can’t have been more than eight years-old and it was my job to back the lorry into the barn. When I was 12, and a little more proficient, he bought me a blue Austin A35 estate. It was an MOT failure, but it ran. It was the car I cut my teeth on; dad showed me how to fix it with basic tools. He also showed me how to use the starting handle, and how not to break my thumb in the process. Dad had a lot of confidence in me, when we went out on the road he said: ‘right, it’s all down to you.’

I started my own business as a mobile mechanic in 1990, two years after Charlotte was born.

Growing up, it was the promise of doughnuts and ice cream that would bring her to a car show.

Her interest really began when she became custodian of the MGA. It was reading the vehicle’s documentation that made her realise, 'wow, there’s a story here.'

The car also had a history that she’d lived with her maternal grandfather.

Life is a constant learning curve and Charlotte had to re-learn how to drive in the MGA; it’s given her a good insight into clutch control and changing gear. My dad said to me, anyone can drive like a lunatic, but there’s not many people who can control a vehicle. The same logic is applied here.

Inquisitive to the last

I’ve taught Charlotte to question things, establish facts and seek the truth, it’s something that’s stood me in good stead over the years, but sometimes her inquisitiveness has been an absolute pain in the bum; especially when I’m trying to repair the MGA under pressure at the side of a road!

The MGA’s uncomplicated engineering makes it a pleasure, rather than a chore, to work on, but when you’re teaching someone the basics there are two things to bear in mind; keep it simple and make it enjoyable. Telling some