Scrapyard Memories

[slowanimals]

That looks a great yard. Can't ever recall visiting that one, maybe it was the wrong side of Essex for me(I was in the northern part).

It's in one of the villages just north of Colchester but tucked away a bit. Like literally everything else,it was better a few years ago , before they had to have a clear up in the yard. I used to love having a reason to go there on a sunny morning, optimum time to arrive was about eleven as that way the boss would be on his second or third can of Carlsberg and more receptive to callers.

[cuntbuster]

What's the largest or most expensive thing you've managed to steal from a scrapyard?

Panels. All after hours. Mk1 Sierra bootlid and a rear door in that solid dark Green the early ones came in, mk3 Astra bonnet for someone who had dented theirs. Both occasions it was well after hours, both cars they went on were quickly Duluxed to get them all the same colour.

[slowanimals]

These were the pictures I was looking for originally. Can't remember the name of the yard,but it was out towards Rivenhall and Silver End on the remains of an old USAF base. Pictures taken in 1997, and it was unusual to find stuff this old still sitting about even then. I did post these on the beige a few years back so most of you will have seen them before.

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That was the first of still only two Morris wedges I've ever seen.

[mercrocker]

A Riley 2.6 was a rare sight by the late Nineties, too....

[slowanimals]

Especially when parked atop a Jaguar Mk.8.. There was another row behind that one containing the collapsing remains of cars even older (don't recall seeing anything pre-war but it was a while ago) but for some reason when I got the developed pictures back something was wrong with the shots of that row. There were a couple of Riley RMs and phase 1 Vanguards but not much else a seventeen year old me could identify.

[slowanimals]

A yard operating as Triumphland on the outskirts of Doncaster, 2002 or 2003. We'd gone to look at (and subsequently buy) a Damask red Austin 3-litre but for some reason I don't have any pictures of it.

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Two or three years later I got another Austin 3-litre from Balby Motor Spares also of Doncaster. I'd been told that the proprietor wasn't especially welcoming and didn't permit photography but this proved not to be the case. Perfectly friendly chap and quite happy to show me around. Loads of fifties, sixties and seventies cars lying about,I took a whole roll of film that morning but can I fuck find those pictures now.. Reckon they must have been lost in a house move at some point.

[mercrocker]

Most of my scrapyard pics have disappeared too....They might be up in the attic but I hesitate to go up there when Mrs R. is about because she will want me to find something she thinks is up there and its too much of an arse ache.

[Jerzy Woking]

These were the pictures I was looking for originally. Can't remember the name of the yard,but it was out towards Rivenhall and Silver End on the remains of an old USAF base. Pictures taken in 1997, and it was unusual to find stuff this old still sitting about even then. I did post these on the beige a few years back so most of you will have seen them before.
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That was the first of still only two Morris wedges I've ever seen.

Think that was on the Rivenhall Airbase, long since closed. Incidentally a memorial to the USAF squadron based there is in the garden of the Western Arms pub in Silver End.

There is Allshots Farm between Silver End and Kelvedon. You can (or could) have a poke around there, and they did have some old vehiclesburied at the bottom of car piles.

There are so many scrap yards here, but none let you into the compounds. Love to get in one and take some photos, but so far not had any luck in convincing any scrapyard owner I'm not on the rob!

[slowanimals]

Allshots,that was the place. Probably fifteen years since I last went but they were still happy enough to let us have a wander around.

[Jerzy Woking]

I was last there about four years ago. Most of their stuff is stripped out already and sold on line now. However they let my mate and I in as it was pissing down and he was desperate for some bits for his A3. He got the bits he wanted, and I got a few car badges for no other reason that I am a a kleptomanic when it comes to those.