Late 1990, I was working as a Junior Doctor in Orthopaedics in Wards 11 and 12, Forresterhill Aberdeen. This was my first Residency post, before meeting Sian. My Ford Escort Mk II, that my father had bought me in Edinburgh from a Westerhailes ‘mechanic’, was stolen.
This car had been painted blue with a ‘speed-stripe’. In my short time of ownership it had already blown its ‘big end’ on the Lecht. It had a ‘replacement’ engine put in at Boat of Garten. Then there was a tyre-blow out on the A9. It could have been fatal. Finally, the windscreen motor dropped to the passenger floor as I overtook an articulated Lorry as I approached Edinburgh. Without wipers all I could see was white. I had to slow down and blindly try to pull into the hard-shoulder.
In its last few days my Ford Escort Mark II, that cost my father £275, developed ‘tickercardia’ [super fast indicator lights]. I was upset when it was stolen as my Midnight Oil tape ‘Diesel and Dust‘ was in the recorder that I had connected, Heath Robinson like, to the dashboard.
A week later, the Police reported that my car had been found. It was in Persley Scrap Yard. I went to see it before it was crushed.