Anybody who reads this blog will, we hope, have picked up on the fact that there has been an emotional attachment to our old van which is over and above the fondness that many of us have for an old family vehicle which has given us lots of enjoyment. T's parents built The Rosabella and it was as a result of his dad's illness that we took her over. She'd been a familiar sight in paddocks at racing circuits all over the UK and had provided bacon sandwiches and coffee for many young riders who went on to great things. She'd then provided us with an inestimable amount of fun, exploring at home and in Europe.
When MOT time came round again we knew that there would have to be a significant amount of work done to keep The Rosabella on the road. We'd had £500 of welding carried out to get her through the previous year's test - we expected that there would be more to be done, and the steering and brakes needed attention as well. The garage called to say that in their opinion, if we wanted to keep her going, we should contact a specialist restoration company but that it was going to cost a lot of money. When we went to pick her up the 'fail' list was four pages long! We decided to ask Harold who runs the garage at the end of the road to have a look - if it could be sorted out, he's definitely the man and he knew how important The Rosabella was to us. We were on our way to Bristol when he rang. "I think it's time to say goodbye" he said, as if he was telling us that an old faithful pet needed to be put down. We asked a few questions but it was obvious that it was the end of the road for The Rosabella.
So, after a couple of years in our hands, many with T's parents, tens of thousands of happy, trouble-free miles, it was time to look for a replacement. There will be a Rosabella 2 at some point and we know we'll have just as much fun and go to just as many places, some familiar, many new. It won't be the same...........
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| The Rosabella |
