Moley demonstrates Car Control...
Ahhhh...the Aldwark Bridge!! Waaaay back, one weekend in early 1972, Moley and another trainee pilot had dined in the Mess at Linton...disposing of a litre or so of Nicolas Vieux Ceps...and we decided to go to Leeds to see "Straw Dogs". Fired up the Alfa GTV and headed off....across the Aldwark Bridge, most direct route....Leeds and the cinema. Parked car, got in the queue for tickets; realised this would take some time, and thirst would not be denied. So we got half a bottle of something spiritous to queue with....once the ticket booth was reached, this had become a very sad old vessel so a replacement was acquired to go in with! I recall some altercation with another audience member who seemed to have a Bugs Bunny fixation, but by this time things weren't as clear as they had been.....
I awoke in an empty cinema; noticed the seat next to me was also empty....where was Pete? So I set out on a search....it's quite amazing what a gents toilet looks like after re-decoration with partially digested red wine etc.etc. (!) I located Pete and we went back to my car. Driving was out of the question, so a very chilly February night was spent under a Space Blanket....always keep a survival kit handy!
Came the dawn....and a bit later.....and later still; the hangover was developing nicely, but it was time to go back to Linton. So I fired up the trusty Alfa and set off gingerly, due to headache (!)....all went well until we reached the Aldwark Bridge. It was still pretty early...I'm a bit hazy as to whether we paid the toll or not, or whether the toll window was manned, but I do remember what happened next. The Aldwark Bridge was a strange beast, it wasn't straight and, iirc, was a wooden structure....I now know that a) bridges freeze first and b) the roadway on the bridge was thus covered in ice! As we went on to the bridge I applied a bit too much power and the back end of the Alfa broke away and started to slide! There we were, going sideways towards a loud crunching noise and a short period of freefall followed by a watery grave.....so I corrected for the slide, and the beast fishtailed back the other way....lifting off would have flung us into the waiting river.....so (as that seemed a less than optimum solution) I steered the other way.....and she fishtailed back again........!
In this fashion we proceeded to cross the full span of the bridge, the tyres reached blessed tarmac and gripped, and we shot off towards Linton. I looked at Pete....his eyes were like saucers....and he said "I'm never getting in a car with you again!!"
True enough...he never did! And I STILL haven't seen Straw Dogs.... PNKQPdVB, wonder where you are now?(!)