NOW .... Peter Carver (left)
with the Morris and Mr and Mrs Calver.
GUARANTEES are usually given by a car seller
to the buyer, but a deal made seven years ago in Lowestoft was
the other way round. When Mr Peter Carver, of Yarmouth Road, Lowestoft,
persuaded Mrs Lorna Calver to part with her derelict 1933 Morris
Ten Four, he made her a promise. "fie told me: 'I promise that
if you let me have it you will be the first to ride in it.' "And
he kept his promise, and 1 really do admire him," said Mrs. Calver
who lives with her retired builder husband Harold at Beceles Road,
Cariton Colville. The car was bought for Mrs Calver in 1938 by
her father, the late Mr George Flegg. She used it to drive him
around after he suffered a heart attack. Her husband took it over
after his return from war service. And he used it to tow a trailer
carrying building materials. But 22 years ago a new truck made
the Morris redundant and it was parked, unused, in a garage. And
that is where it stayed until Mr Carver found out about it. He
bought, it, and for sever- years, with his wife Sylvia doing the
upholstery, he has worked on it in his spare time. Mr Carver,
a director of metal fabricators Metal Maytes, Mariners Score,
said: "We stripped it down to the last nut and bolt. And then
we built it up again." The Carvers worked on it in bursts during
the seven years, but when they heard that Mrs and Mr's Calver
would soon be celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary they
put on a special effort. On June 6 the car was ready for its first
run and, as promised, the Calvers were the first passengers on
their wedding anniversary. "When it turned up it looked as if
it had never been out of the drive," said Mrs Calver fondly. "it's
really marvellous to see that car on the road again." Next year
the proud owners plan to enter the car into rallies. And with
all the work that has gone into restoring it they deserve to win
a few.
