I wait with great anticipation to see what Gaelikaa has to say on the topic she suggested for today.

My Wildest Fantasy

Way back…. More than half a century ago, I was often asked what I would like to do when I grew up.  Over the years the answers changed as often as Irish weather.

Like most young people I also had the equivalent of a wish list of fantasies.

1. To sing an aria.

Not just any old aria, but O mio babbino caro from Gianni Schicchi composed by Giacomo Puccini, just like Kiri te Kanawa in this short snippet with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir John Pritchard.  Alas, my vocal voice never quite came up to scratch.  It was fine in the bath when the house was empty 😉 only because there was nobody about to hammer on the door and complain!

2. To build a Kit car.

I felt I could do it.  I may not have had an academic brain, but I did have determination and sticking power.

In earlier years we had an old Barr Lock typewriter in the attic. It had stopped; locked, never to go again…. ‘till I came along!  I took it apart, cleaned and rubbed it down with an oiled cloth and put it back together again.  The ribbon was about the only thing that didn’t need cleaning or renewing.  Once up and running I set to work and typed out a prompter’s copy of the script for Juno and the Paycock, matching page with page to the printed copy.  It allowed me to interleave the numbered pages with a blank sheet for keeping notes of moves, ‘business’ and where props should be.  Success!

One of my brothers bought a tiny second-hand Fiat car.  After about six months of driving it, he decided to do a ‘Barr Lock’ job on it.  He was very methodical in the way he took it apart. Every nut, bolt and screw was placed in rows as they were removed.  The place looked like a hospital theatre!  I often stood and chatted while watching and taking note of how he did it.  I was fascinated and I suppose it was the kernel to this fantasy.

Building a kit car takes a lot of time – hundreds if not thousands of hours of labour are involved, as well as a substantial financial investment. This is not to mention the work space, tools and equipment required.

Chris Humphreys’ NG TF Sports Car

It was back in the days before we had the internet, so research was limited and I did not have the space (a dedicated garage or workshop) needed.   The frame and many of the mechanical parts would be heavy and cumbersome and need to be kept in good condition while working on them.  It is important to have the space/garage dry and properly secured.  Lack of necessary muscle required to complete the task, was another minus quantity, since my muscles were like sparrow’s kneecaps, so my fantasy was abandoned to the barrel of unfulfilled dreams.

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The Loose Blogging Consortium active members at the moment are:  Conrad, Delirious, Maria/Gaelikaa, Magpie 11, Maria SilverFox, Padmum, Paul, Ramana, Rohit, WillKnott, & Little old me.  We try to go live with our topics on Fridays, but life sometimes interferes and prevents posting until later in the weekend.  That way you have an extra excuse to relax with coffee and enjoy the offerings.