Car Forup* came into my life as part of the small number of ‘non art’ possessions my husband brought into our marriage, and was soon put into service as a workhorse as we started our house renovations and family life in Dunbar. With the renovation completed and my working life altered, Car Forup was often sat unused for weeks at time, waiting for the weekends that it could live its best life as a vehicle of adventure.
Car Forup was a reliable helper in those frantic weeks after our son was born, transporting breastmilk to the hospital and our belongings to our new house. He enabled me to reach some of my further flung colleagues better than our rural train network could manage and get the whole CTC/Cycling UK promotional bandwagon to more Pedal for Scotland’s than I want to remember.
As the legal owner, the final words are from my husband in a Facebook goodbye back in July last year after we received the news from our mechanic:
“I’ve never been much of a car person. As a child it was perplexing when other kids asked me to name my favourite car. And our reliance on cars is part of The Problem (I think).
So it is a surprise how emotional it is saying goodbye to Car Forup after nine years. I was its third owner. Never any serious problems; for years flying through the annual MOT, mechanics remarking: “Well, it’s a Honda Civic.” Some minor works were needed in recent years; much more would be needed this year. And so it is goodbye.
You have been a great help over the years, used for fieldwork, visiting friends and family, going camping, transporting bikes, visiting National Trust properties, going on long weekends away. Driving to hospital one scary October night, when the waters broke two months early, and fives weeks later taking Sebastian and Suzanne from the hospital to our new house in Dunbar. Picking up friends and family from the airport, Milly from the cat rescue, plants from the garden centre, Christmas trees. Taking rubbish to the recycling centre. Moving furniture; it is astonishing what could fit inside you. Thank you for everything. You will be missed”
*Car Forup is a highly amusing take on my husband’s artistic heritage..
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Back On My Bike 
Our car too sat unused for weeks on end – we bit the bullet last year and bought an old VW van that allows us to get off the beaten track and camp / cycle. Do feel a bit guilty, as it’s diesel (although we never travel to a city in it). During the week it’s foot and cycle for us all, and all travel to distant urban conurbations is by train. Do you plan to replace Car Forup? Or are you going entirely car free? Looking forward to reading more of your adventures in 2018. Karen x
No car replacement so we’ve been ‘car free’ for 6 months now : ) Another post planned to show off the ridiculous cargo bike my husband has bought..!