I rescued abandoned 1929 Singer car I learned to drive 65 years ago after it was left to rot – now it's as good as new
A WOMAN, 81, has been reunited with the car she learnt to drive in six decades after he father saved it from a scrapheap.
Merriel Gallifant's father, Harry Booth, bought the 1929 Singer Junior from a scrapyard in 1961, and the teenager, then 16, used it to learn to drive.
5
Merriel Gallifant grinning with her first love in 2025
Credit: SWNS
5
The 1929 Singer Junior kept popping up throughout her life
Credit: SWNS
Quickly becoming a grease monkey, she fondly remembers practising gearstick changes in front of her father's Old Cottage Paint shop in Stanway, Essex.
Sadly, just a year later, her Dad flogged her beloved wheels to David and Sylvia Rouse for a fiver.
Astonishingly, Merriel was reunited with her old flame at a classic car rally thirty years later.
The Rouse's were displaying the well-loved wheels at a car rally when Merriel spotted the old banger.
Read more
She exclaimed, 'That's my Car!' and showed the couple a snap of her teenage self sitting on the bonnet back in the day.
Mr Rouse was very attached to the Singer, using it daily, taking it for spins at vintage car club events, competing in hill climbs, driving tests and navigational rallies and tours.
The couple kept their bargain motor for 57 years before David died in 2017.
Mrs Rouse sold their vintage car collection but kept the Singer until Merriel approached her, buying the token from her childhood back in 2019.
Most read in Motors
Selflessly, Merriel waved goodbye to her four-wheeled first love once again, selling it at auction for £4.1k and donating every penny to St Helena Hospice.
Auctioneer, Lewis Rabett from auctioneers Reeman Dansie, said: 'It's a beautiful little car with a heart-warming story.
5
The classic car was sold for just a fiver in 1962
Credit: SWNS
5
It's pristine interior could have come out of a time machine- it is almost completely unchanged
Credit: SWNS
5
Merriel at 16 perched a top her first love
Credit: SWNS
'A proper full-circle moment. There's even a photo of Merriel with the car now and back when she was a teenager – not much has changed!'
He added: 'It's a niche buy, but for the right person, this car is an absolute gem. It's been loved and lived in – and it shows.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Inside Pink Floyd star's super car collection worth £200million including rare Ferrari and motor from Steve McQueen film
A ROCK legend boasts a supercar collection to die for that includes a rare Ferrari and a motor from a Steve McQueen film. The Pink Floyd star also owns the world's most expensive motor worth a staggering £40 million. Advertisement 5 Mason owns a fleet of Ferraris and one even featured in a Steve McQueen film Credit: SWNS 5 Pink Floyd star, Nick Mason, has a stunning collection of supercars Credit: Getty 5 The legendary drummer opened up his collection to visitors this weekend Credit: SWNS Legendary drummer, Nick Mason, and his wife Anette showed off the impressive collection ahead of opening up the gardens of his 18th century home to visitors this weekend. A rare 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO took pride of place among the collection as its one of only 36 ever built. It's understood Mason paid £37k for it back in 1978 but it is estimated to be worth over £40 million today. The car finished third in the 1962 Le Mans 24 Hours race before he bought it and has never been restored. Advertisement Read more Motors news His fleet of rare Ferraris also includes the 512S which featured in the making of Others on display included an F40, a GTB/4 Daytona, 1953 Ferrari 250MM, and a LaFerrari hybrid. It is estimated there are 40 sports cars in his garage worth a total of around £200 million. Other rare vehicles include a 1901 Panhard 5-liter, a 1927 Bugatti Type 35B, a 1957 Maserati 250F, a Birdcage Maserati, a 1955 Jaguar D-Type and a 1996 McLaren F1 GTR. Advertisement Most read in Motors Breaking Exclusive He also owns several Aston Martins including an Ulster, and an LM17, LM18 and LM21. Mason hosted the Middlewick House Open Garden this weekend that saw thousands attend and admire his stunning collection of vehicles. Meet Supercar King Tom Hartley Junior - The Man Who's Selling the World's Most Exclusive Rides The annual event in Corsham, Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust, one of the charities that benefit from the event, described it as a "Mecca for car clubs and owners of Jaguars, Ferraris, Aston Martins, Lotus, Maclarens, Bugattis and Porsches." Advertisement The event's other beneficiary, Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance, said more than 10,000 tickets have already been sold for the open garden and the attendance record is expected to be smashed this year. Last year, more than 11,000 people attended, raising a whopping £124,000 for charity. As well as the extensive car collection, guests were also able to view the air ambulance's Bell 429 helicopter with its operation aircrew due to be on-site to give people a closer look. The event also featured stalls manned by local artisans and food vendors, as well as live music, children's activities, and a play area. Advertisement The event's website said: "Wander around the beautiful gardens and menagerie of animals, as well as seeing a selection of Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason's classic and high performance cars. "The family-friendly weekend includes plenty of stalls to browse, with lots of items for sale, including jewellery, plants, candles, and art." And if you haven't had enough of car collections, It includes an ultra-rare £2 million Lamborghini and iconic £1 million Ferrari. Advertisement 5 Mason was hosting the Middlewick House Open Garden Credit: SWNS 5 he annual event in Wiltshire, is a favourite among car aficionados Credit: SWNS
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Top 20 most annoying passenger habits revealed including ‘complaining about driving' & ‘getting directions wrong'
COMPLAINING, blocking the mirrors and reaching for the invisible brake are among the most frustrating passenger behaviours. A study of 2,000 drivers revealed throwing wrappers around the car and fiddling with the radio were other top 20 pet peeves when ferrying people from A to B. 2 A snoozing passenger is among drivers' pet hates Credit: SWNS Along with watching loud videos on their phone, popping their feet on the dashboard and shouting out warnings about cars pulling out in front to make sure they have seen them. It also emerged 17 per cent of women think their partner's an annoying passenger and 'backseat driver', despite 69 per cent of men claiming they're a good one. As a result, 43 per cent of couples admitted their car trips regularly end in arguments, with 19 per cent then not speaking for a period of time. But 62 per cent of men prefer taking the driver's seat in a relationship, with 45 per cent thinking they are a better driver than their partner, and 42 per cent saying they like to be in control. Read more motors Although 32 per cent of men admit this changes when they want to have a drink and encourage their partner to be designated driver. Marc Pell, managing director for Tempcover, a temporary insurance provider which commissioned the research and is now taking bookings for the world's first 'But we're hoping some passenger lessons will help people rethink their passenger habits and improve the in-car dynamic. 'Our research shows that in many relationships, men do most of the driving but this is a way to flip the usual driving roles - letting a partner take the wheel so they can learn to be a princely co-pilot, letting go and discovering the joy of being chauffeured.' Most read in Motors Other passenger frustrations revealed by the poll included having loud phone conversations (31 per cent) and being inaccurate with directions (25 per cent). While 25 per cent also have to bite their tongue when passengers actively touch the steering wheel, or other car parts. Shock moment drunk Fiat 500 driver smashes into car and flips over during dangerous overtake on quiet residential street Of the men who prefer to be behind the wheel when going somewhere with their partner, 15 per cent don't like their partner's driving. And for 20 per cent of men, they do the driving as part of their agreed-upon couple 'chore split', according to the figures. The study also revealed that the impact of a bad passenger results in 42 per cent of women feeling on edge, while 19 per cent said it gives them anxiety about getting behind the wheel again. While two thirds (63 per cent) of women find backseat drivers patronising. Paul Middleton, owner and driving instructor at PSM Driving School, said: "Poor passenger etiquette can really knock a driver's confidence - especially in relationships. 'From backseat driving to constant complaints, it's often the little habits that make journeys more stressful than they need to be. 'We're excited to offer lessons from our professional driving instructors, helping people unlearn unhelpful behaviours and become passengers who support, not stress out the person behind the wheel.' Top 20 most annoying passenger habits revealed in new study 1. Making a mess 2. Throwing food wrappers on the floor 3. Complaining about the driving 4. Shouting out warnings to the driver 5. Putting feet on the dashboard 6. Blocking the mirrors 7. Telling the driver to go faster or slower 8. Eating crumbly, loud or smelly food without my permission 9. Screaming/ gasping if they think the driver is late braking / hasn't seen something 10. Changing the song/ radio station without asking 11. Changing the volume of the radio without asking 12. Talking on the phone loudly 13. Watching loud videos on their phone 14. Adjusting the temperature in the car without asking 15. Getting directions wrong 16. Touching steering wheel/other car parts 17. Talking about what they would have done differently 18. Stepping on the invisible brake on their side of the car 19. Opening/closing the window 20. Clutching onto their seatbelt/ seat/ handle with their eyes closed 2 The study involved 2,000 drivers Credit: SWNS
The Irish Sun
01-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
RingGo's parking enforcement on our street has left us stressed and pig sick – it's complicated and unfair
LOCALS have hit out at the parking service that handles permits on behalf of the city council. Glasgow residents say they are ''constantly on edge" and suffering ''unnecessary stress'' while they live in fear of receiving 5 Locals describe being "constantly on edge" Credit: SWNS The locals say the Rhona Mackinnon had to write off her car in early April and added her new vehicle to the mobile app hoping to continue using her resident's permit. But she says after 21 days the app reverted to her old car without notice and she was fined. She claims she has been unable to get help from the company or Glasgow City Council and is fearful she could get more unfair Read more in Motors She said: "I asked them to prolong the car that I have now. "RingGo said: 'You need to speak to Glasgow City Council', the council said: 'You need to speak to RingGo'. "It just doesn't allow me to add it to resident parking for whatever reason. "Now, my car is out there and I could quite easily get a Most read in Motors "When I'm working from home, I'm constantly on edge, I'm looking out the window. "I'm at my wits' end, they just make it as difficult as possible. "It's an unnecessary stress that I shouldn't have to deal with. I should be able to park outside my front door. "It's literally affecting my quality of life." Her neighbour, Victoria Ulph, agreed and explained her issue with visitor vouchers. Visitor vouchers are bizarre documents given to guests to log their visiting times and allow them to 5 Residents reportedly cant get any more "visitor vouchers" Credit: SWNS 5 Victoria Ulph says her elderly parents can't visit as much as they'd like Credit: SWNS All residents are entitled to five booklets, containing five visitor vouchers. This restricts residents to just 25 visits a year from friends and family, all within an Victoria explained: "This means I have to say to my 85-year-old parents that there is a maximum 25 visits per year. "I asked and they said they can't give me any more. That's the limit. There's no rhyme or reason to this. "One time, my parents were five minutes late. Coming down the stairs, they received a She said the system means that cleaners, babysitters and garden workers cannot park in front of the properties while they work. Victoria pointed out that Glaswegians are less likely to come and use small businesses in the area because of the lack of She added: "It's stopping jobs, business and it's stopping, quite frankly, my right to a family life. "I'm absolutely pig sick of thinking of mum and dad. "Can you imagine the number of people who don't come here to use local shops because of this? It's crazy." "It makes everyone anxious. It's horrible." At the last meeting, Douglas Peacock, chair of NKCC, said: "This has been on the agenda a couple of times. "I have had a real big problem getting my "The council and the company were telling me different things about when to renew my resident's permit. "It's terrible. So many things don't work, the council has been no use. "On the RingGo site, there was a blank page." 5 The bizarre rules have also upset the local community council Credit: SWNS 5 Rhona and Victoria have both had issues with the parking permit provider Credit: SWNS An attendee added: "It doesn't work the way it should, it's very annoying." A RingGo spokesperson said they will liaise with Rhona Mackinnon to fix the problem. They added: "We are committed to making "We work closely with local councils to deliver parking solutions that meet community needs. "It is important to note that some policies, such as visitor voucher limits and parking durations, are set by our local authority partners. We support standardising a ten-minute grace period to ensure fair and consistent treatment for "We have a dialogue with North Kelvin Community Council and would encourage council members to share any feedback that can improve our service with us directly." A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: "The Ringo App allows a vehicle, such as a "After 21 days, the app will revert to using the original vehicle identified on a permit. "However, further temporary changes lasting up to 21 days at a time can be easily arranged by logging on to permit holder's account on the "This information has been communicated directly to Ms McKinnon by our staff. "Up to 40 vouchers are available initially and more can be requested as required. "A voucher lasts for six hours and more than one voucher can be displayed at a time, which allows for a longer Everything you need to know about parking Can I get Do I have to pay a Can I be fined if your Is How do I Can you park on How can I Can I reserve the How close Is Can I park on a single yellow line? Can I be fined for Can I use Who is allowed to Where can I Can I be fined if the How close can I Am I allowed to
