The Tiger

A Memory of Royston.

My dad once made me what us Royston lads would call a Cadjie! It was a go-cart made from bits of waste wood and two sets of wheels from off an old pram or pushchair. One would control it by its front wheels which were attached to an articulated axle, it was also steered by the feet. Dad had taken five hours to make it up and was quite sturdy to say the least. Most Cadjies were made from big pram wheels but the one which I had had small wheels about five inch. Anyway I was to pull up my Go-cart some 150 yards up a steep hill which was called Lundhill where I sat down and had the ride of my life, it was at least 45 degrees steep with a causeway of which I came down at breakneck speed only I hit a piece of coke with the front wheel which had dropped from off a coke lorry. I lost my steering for about two seconds, and that was enough for me to shoot from off the causeway and onto the main road. I was now on the right hand side of the road where oncoming traffic would be coming my way. I was at God's mercy for I could not stop or even slow myself down. My only hope was to hope for the best as I was now doing speeds of at least 28-30 miles an hour! Just as I was approaching the railway bridge I saw this bus speeding towards me. If ever there was a miracle it was performed on this day. I knew there was but one thing to do, and that was for me to lay myself completely flat like a toboggan sled rider. I closed my eyes in fear as I heard the screech of the tyres and a smell of rubber and the feel of heat as I went under the engine. I came right through to the other end of the bus and came to a halt some fifty feet away from the back of the bus, there was a cloud of smoke which was caused by the wheels skidding on the bus. Seconds later the bus conductor shot out of the bus towards me: I suppose he thought that I'd either be a goner or at least need hospital treatment. When he got to me I was sat up on my go-cart, the first thing he asked if I was all right. I said that I was, and with this he took hold of me and laid the boot up my backside. Strange as it seems. my dad had seen me coming from underneath the bus and when he saw me he was just that little bit too slow in getting to me; and when he saw the Conductor kick me up my bum; he shouted to him ''Give him another one, as it will save me from giving him a good hiding". The bus was a Yorkshire tractionbBus and as luck would have it it was a Leyland Tiger which had massive wheels, thus the bottom of the bus was high off the ground. It had taken my dad five hours to build the go-kart but it only took me five minuets to smash it up with a block hammer. If it had been any other bus that had come my way I think I'd be dead. Thank you Mr Leyland!

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