Nostalgia – Land Rover

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Here is a story from Keith Belcher and his nostalgic Land Rover, told in Keith’s own words:

Land Rover is forever in the news these days, I thought I would share with you my own early Land Rover memory.

My dad had been a Warrant Officer in Bomber Command in WWII. He flew Lancasters, Wellingtons, Halifax’s and Stirlings. He used to remark on how cold it had been sitting in these cold planes with no heaters. Air crew used to wear long underwear; we now call Long Johns to keep them warm. Some even wore silk stockings under their gear!

In the early 1950’s Dad got a job as a salesman for the construction equipment firm Benford’s of Warwick. This involved travelling the country in a 1950 Series 1 [1600cc] Land Rover with a canvas top, Registration JWD736, towing a trailer with either a cement mixer or a dumper on it, for demonstrations of the new-fangled gear. I used to think it was funny seeing him put on his long johns for his winter trips in the “Lan Drover”, as I called it. Well, one winter’s night with deep snow outside my dad arrived home from a trip to Scotland. Mom as usual was worried to death when he was quite late. He told us that he had to stop at a hospital on the way back because he was so cold and his hands and feet turning blue. A doctor had told him he was bordering on frostbite, and should be more careful. It was the first time I ever heard him swear [even though I had no idea at the time]. He said “A Land Rover with no heater is like flying a f***ing Lancaster in 1944!”

Fast forward to a freezing winters day around Christmas 1954/5 with thick snow covering the ground. I was off school and mom was looking after her ill mother so I was to go to work in Warwick with my dad. At 6:30 am dad dressed me as warm as he could, coat, scarf, a balaclava Nan had knitted and I remember standing at the front door watching dad crank start the Drover. Bundled in we set off. I used to love the trip to Warwick because we got to go through the ford in Kenilworth which I thought was magic. A car driving through a river! Well, that trip was as cold as I can ever remember being. When we arrived at Warwick, I was crying with the cold. Dad led up to a flaming brazier to get warm, saying “Come on son, rub your hands together.” Dad disappeared to unload the trailer. Still very cold I was aware of a smart suited chap saying “What’s wrong son?” to which I replied something like…..” Sob, sob, I can’t feel me fingers! I have got frostbite! Sob, sob. He retorted “Oh dear why is that then?” Me: “We’ve just come all the way from Shard End, my dad says that a Drover with no heater is like flying a f***ing Lancaster in 1944!”

That man was George Iseby, the boss of Benfords. Shocked at what I had just said, he was embarrassed at the reality of the situation and he immediately sent a van off to get a heater. It was fitted that afternoon. Dad was so chuffed and I remember being somewhat warmer on the trip home. Dad wasn’t told about that conversation until some weeks later at a sales meeting. Being too late to chastise me for swearing, I wasn’t told about it until some years later. But he was always grateful.

Note: Yes I know the picture is not a Land Rover, it is an Austin Gypsy, it is just to give you an idea what it looked like.

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