Locked down with my Ukulele 33

These are strange times and it’s STILL cold, wet and damp. And windscreen wipers don’t work!

Let me explain.

My first real car, that I drove, was a Morris 100 traveller. The traveller was the estate version of the car and had a wooden frame construction with aluminium panels. It was powder/sky blue. I loved that car.

I fitted a stereo radio cassette player (high tech for the time). People said I couldn’t fit it as the car was positive earth and the radio was negative earth. But I did it and it worked a treat. I put a 6’ whip aerial on the roof. Mainly because the roof had been drilled for the old aerial and the old aerial wasn’t up to much. My parents had just carpeted their bedroom and there was some left so I carpeted the car in the luxurious bedroom carpet. Some one said the car did reflect me. I’m not sure if that was supposed to be a complement or not. Anyway I digress again.

The car had three speeds of wiper (not including stop) and it was fitted with wiper blades of about 6” long.

Speed one- Single wipe when I pushed down.

Speed two- Slow continuous when I pushed up. Basically once it has dragged itself across the windscreen it drags itself back again.

Speed three-Throw itself from one side of the screen to the other.

The strange thing was that one of these speeds seemed to fit the job when it rained.

It’s been raining a lot lately. There’s been all sorts of different rain.

The fine misty rain that’s hardly perceivable but wet. It soaks through every thing.

The “sploggy” type of rain. This is the type of rain that falls as big cold drops. Its like being hit with thousands thimbles of cold water at the same time.

Then there’s total downpour. This is when the heavens empty onto the earth in one fell swoop.

Then there’s dry rain. British sunshine.

My modern car has several settings. Single swipe down, four intermittent speeds, slow constant speed, and blinking quick.

Over the last couple of years I’ve been driving around and most of the time none of the speeds of my choice seem to be right for the rain of the day. It’s either too slow or so fast the rubber, on the enormous wiper blades, end up squeaking across the screen with a blood chilling screech.

I guess we had simpler rain in my youth.

It’s Raining again. Supertramp 1982

This was released on the album “Famous last words” and credited to Rick Davies and Rodger Hodgson, two members of the band.

It was released in the age of the music video. The video tells the story of a guy having the worst day ever. But the lyrics of the chorus of the song are about fighting. Getting up again after being flattened. In the video the guy loses the girl. By letter! Loses a car and eventually his shirt and trousers. Gets beaten up in the process. Eventually gets the girl.

I hope getting the girl is less painful than that.

Stay safe